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Consent-General Government # 9.
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| Board of Supervisors |
County Administrator |
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| Subject |
| Adopt budget resolution appropriating $100,000 of unallocated cannabis tax funds for the purposes of matching prospective federal grant funds for the Lab@AgStart Project. (No general fund impact) (4/5 vote required) (Blacklock/Tengolics) |
| Recommended Action |
- Adopt budget resolution appropriating $100,000 of unallocated cannabis tax funds for the purposes of matching prospective federal grant funds for the Lab@AgStart Project; and
- Authorize the County Administrator to enter into grant agreement with AgTech Innovation Alliance to disperse funds for this purpose.
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| Strategic Plan Goal(s) |
Thriving Residents
Flourishing Agriculture |
| Reason for Recommended Action/Background |
In November 2019, the AgTech Innovation Alliance (AIA) and the City of Woodland (City) approached the County seeking a financial partnership in standing-up a shared-resource wet-lab facility for ag and food science start-up companies emanating from UC Davis and elsewhere in the region. AIA and the City requested $100,000 to match a prospective $500,000 Economic Development Administration grant (the project has received preliminary Phase I approval); the City similarly approved a $100,000 grant to advance the project in November 2019. The proposal from AIA is attached (Att. A).
AIA is a non-profit organization focused on accelerating the growth of ag and food science companies and strengthening the region’s innovation ecosystem. Established in Woodland in 2016, AIA operates an incubator in downtown Woodland which has to date supported over 200 companies. Due to demonstrated demand for wet lab space and with ag and food science being a focus industry cluster for regional economic development organizations, AIA is believes there is strong justification for moving forward with the project.
The attached budget resolution would appropriate $100,000 in unallocated cannabis tax revenues to support this request (Att. B). As a mechanism to disperse the funds, staff recommends the Board authorize the County Administrator to enter into grant agreement with AgTech Innovation Alliance; the grant agreement would include a "claw-back" provision in the event federal funds are not awarded. The Budget Ad-Hoc Subcommittee is supportive of the request and concurs with staff on the appropriateness of the use of unallocated cannabis tax revenues to fund this request given the demonstrated interest from cannabis research firms, among other ag and food science firms, in this project. In consultation with the Chair, this proposal was not brought to the Cannabis Tax Citizen’s Oversight Committee as the committee had previously reviewed the cannabis tax expenditure plan for the year which included the $100,000 in unallocated funds. |
| Collaborations (including Board advisory groups and external partner agencies) |
| City of Woodland, AgTech Innovation Alliance, Budget Ad-Hoc Subcommittee |
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| Fiscal Impact |
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| Source of Funds for this Expenditure |
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Explanation (Expenditure and/or Revenue) |
| Further explanation as needed: |
| This action would appropriate $100,000 of unallocated cannabis tax funds for the purposes of matching prospective federal grant funds for the Lab@AgStart Project. |
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