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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: June 4, 2024 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 6-b <br /> SUBJECT: Approval of a Contract with The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro to <br /> Provide Community Advocate Services in Partnership with Chapel Hill and <br /> Carrboro <br /> DEPARTMENT: County Manager <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Draft Contract and Scope of Work Travis Myren, (919) 245-2308 <br /> PURPOSE: To approve a contract with The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro to <br /> provide Community Advocate services that will support existing enterprises and new business <br /> starts in Orange County that are owned by Black, Latine, and refugee individuals as well as <br /> individuals with disabilities. <br /> BACKGROUND: At its March 12, 2024 work session, the Board of Commissioners discussed a <br /> proposal from The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro to jointly fund a Chamber <br /> employee to support the growth of new and existing Black, Latinx, and refugee owned businesses. <br /> Under the proposal, Orange County would contribute $30,000 per year to support the position. <br /> The other funding partners would be the Town of Chapel Hill, Town of Carrboro, and the Chamber. <br /> The Town of Chapel Hill would contribute $30,000 annually, and the Town of Carrboro would <br /> contribute $20,000 annually. Both of those commitments would be for three years. <br /> The Board asked that staff create a contract for these services. The term of the contract is July <br /> 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027 and would require the County to contribute $30,000 annually <br /> during the three-year term. <br /> Based on feedback from the Board, the contract contains the following features: <br /> 1. Expands the scope of the populations served to include individuals with disabilities. <br /> 2. Information to small business owners, local farms, and food processing ventures about the <br /> County's Small Business Grant & Agriculture Grant programs. <br /> 3. Introduction to the County's small business assistance counselors, including Durham <br /> Technical Community College's "Small Business Center", the LAUNCH Chapel Hill tech <br /> incubator, the Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC), SCORE mentors, <br /> the Piedmont Food Processing Center, EMPOWERment, Inc. & Brightpath Solutions, the <br /> North Carolina Department of Administration's "N.C. Minority Business Development Agency <br /> Business Center", the U.S. Small Business Center, and the Self-Help Credit Union. <br />