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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: April 30, 2024 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 2 <br /> SUBJECT: Presentation on Piedmont Food Processing Center Management Services <br /> Agreement <br /> DEPARTMENT: Cooperative Extension <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> A. PFPC Timeline Jonathon Smith, County Extension <br /> B. Articles of Incorporation Director, 919-245-2057 <br /> C. 2023 Annual Impacts Snapshot <br /> D. Asset List and Equipment <br /> Replacement Schedule <br /> E. List of Small Farms PFPC Users <br /> Source From <br /> PURPOSE: To receive information regarding the County's management services agreement with <br /> the Piedmont Food Processing Center (PFPC), the state of the shared kitchen spaces, and the <br /> food business incubator services. <br /> BACKGROUND: At its October 3, 2023 Business Meeting, the Orange County Board of <br /> Commissioners approved a one-year contract renewal with the Piedmont Food Processing Center <br /> to continue managing a Shared Use Kitchen Incubator in the County facility located at 500 Valley <br /> Forge Road, Hillsborough, NC. In 2011, Orange County was one of four county government <br /> partners that helped to establish the Piedmont Food and Agriculture Processing Center. The <br /> Center has changed names (now Piedmont Food Processing Center), staff and leadership, and <br /> scope of services in the past 13 years. The County owns and maintains the facility in which the <br /> Piedmont Food Processing Center (PFPC), a North Carolina nonprofit corporation, operates <br /> shared kitchen spaces and provides food business incubator services. <br /> The County entered into the first management services agreement with PFPC in 2021. The <br /> management services agreement approved in October 2023 did not modify any of the provisions <br /> of the prior agreement. In follow-up to concerns raised by the Board of Commissioners regarding <br /> the management structure, business classification, operations, benefits to Orange County <br /> residents and other topics, County Cooperative Extension Director Jonathon Smith and <br /> Community & Rural Development Extension Agent Mike Ortosky have since met regularly with <br /> PFPC leadership to address ongoing concerns and to identify steps that can be taken to improve <br /> operations and accountability between the nonprofit corporation PFPC and Orange County. <br /> A presentation will be provided at the meeting with: <br />