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9 <br /> 1 want to be inclusive with advisory boards. He said there is a process, but they need to bring <br /> 2 everyone together. He said in the coming months they will pull everyone together and get buy-in <br /> 3 right away. He said that there is a very deliberative process to make sure they are including the <br /> 4 advisory boards. He said that the process took several years in the past and he hopes that it <br /> 5 can be done a bit quicker this time. <br /> 6 Chair Price said in the previous process they used a world caf6 model to share ideas. <br /> 7 She said it was an interactive process. <br /> 8 Craig Benedict said that when he started, they were working on the 2025 Transportation <br /> 9 Plan and now they are working on the 2050. He said that he will be retiring but that the work <br /> 10 continues. <br /> 11 Estella Johnson presented for the Economic Development Advisory Board. She said <br /> 12 their subcommittee reviewed many small business grant applications and approved twenty-six <br /> 13 small business grant awards totaling $134,465. She said assisted in the Agriculture Economic <br /> 14 Development Grant Program to receive and review applications, approving ten grant awards <br /> 15 totaling $87,705 in support of Orange County's small farmers and food processors for the year. <br /> 16 She said members of the Advisory Board participated in a third round of the Board of <br /> 17 Commissioners' special COVID emergency small business grant program, approving forty-four <br /> 18 awards totaling $132,000 for the year. She said this activity was in addition to 2020's first two <br /> 19 rounds of special grant approvals that made seventy-eight awards totaling $520,131 for the prior <br /> 20 year. She said that the combined value of all grant award activity benefiting small businesses & <br /> 21 small farmers saw a total of $354,170 in economic development funding throughout rural <br /> 22 Orange County and the towns of Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and Carrboro. She said all of these <br /> 23 business and agriculture/food processing grants were made possible by funds provided by the <br /> 24 County's special Article 46 (1/4 cent retail sales tax) proceeds. She said that thanks to Article <br /> 25 46 funding, these grant programs show that the real estate tax paid by the public is remaining in <br /> 26 Orange County. She said these funds are put to effective use to grow the local economy. She <br /> 27 said Economic Development Advisory Board members worked closely with staff to review all <br /> 28 applications and make strategic grant awards. She said all grant awards should be considered <br /> 29 important efforts to the county's continuing investment to our locally owned small businesses, <br /> 30 agricultural food processors, and farms, many of which are women and minority owned <br /> 31 businesses. She said the advisory board's goals in 2022 are to assist the Board of <br /> 32 Commissioners with their social justice goal to assist all residents with participation and sharing <br /> 33 of economic prosperity by continuing the small business grant and agricultural programs. She <br /> 34 said they also hope to continue collaborating with the county, the chambers of commerce of <br /> 35 Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro, and Durham Technical Community College. She said <br /> 36 they also offer assistance to the Board by making recommendations for the use of Article 46 <br /> 37 revenue to prioritize funding for a mix of small businesses and entrepreneurial firms. She said <br /> 38 they also hope to attract larger industries as well. She commended the efforts of Economic <br /> 39 Development staff for their work with the Board of Commissioners to support small and large <br /> 40 businesses. <br /> 41 Estella Johnson said she is relatively new to the Economic Development Advisory <br /> 42 Board, but she would do her best to answer any questions. <br /> 43 Commissioner Greene commended the board and staff for the emphasis on agricultural <br /> 44 economic development and the food processing center. She said she hoped they could grow <br /> 45 that due to the potential. <br /> 46 Chair Price commended the board on their work for small business assistance and <br /> 47 family farms. She asked if the board felt there were sufficient grant funds for the number of <br /> 48 applicants. <br /> 49 Estella Johnson said there is never enough money because people are always in need. <br /> 50 She said that small businesses generate long-term jobs. She said she is not certain on the <br />