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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2011.10.05 - 18747October 5, 2011 MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #11237 BY: PLANNING & BUILDING, DAVID W. POTTS, CHAIRPERSON IN RE: FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND CENTRAL SERVICES/FARMER'S MARKET— MEDC GRANT PROPOSAL APPROVAL TO THE OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS Oakland County was recently made aware of a Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) grant opportunity for the Farmer's Market and subsequently submitted a proposal for the grant on September 24, 2011; and WHEREAS the Oakland County Farmer's Market Grant Proposal (attached) is for $50,000 in grant funding from the MEDC; and WHEREAS the County's Farmer's Market is nearly 50 years old, rents 71 stalls to farmers and handicrafters every week during the growing season, services virtually every community in the County, and actively supports farm-to-market vendors and programs; and WHEREAS the Market typically plays host to a number of special events each year, such as a "Family Market Day," a "Project Fresh" coupon give-away day, field trips by local schools, and Health Division Flu Shot clinics; and WHEREAS given declining General Fund monies in recent years, capital improvements and proactive marketing efforts for the Market have slowed dramatically and, therefore, the MEDC grant for $50,000 is being pursued; and WHEREAS the grant would be devoted to repainting the Market's main building and canopy (est. cost: S31,000) and providing data / power line infrastructure to numerous farmers' stalls and purchasing numerous wireless POS devices for EBT transaction processing (est. cost: $19,000); and WHEREAS the in-kind support provided by the County may include re-frosting/filming the Market's main building windows (est. cost: $13,000), conducting a traffic flow! parking lot! signage study (est. cost: $7,000), providing shopping carts for customers (est. cost: $2,500), and promoting the Market to senior centers, programs! non-profits supporting healthy eating initiatives, etc. (est. cost: $7,500); and WHEREAS there are no inter-local agreement or contractual obligation requirements with any other entities; and WHEREAS the grant proposal is still being processed through the County Executive Contract Review Process and the Board of Commissioners Grant Application Procedures; and WHEREAS the approval of this grant proposal serves as a grant application submission and does not obligate the County to any future commitment unless a contract is issued and approved by the Board of Commissioners. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners approves the proposal for the MEDC farmer's market grant in the amount of $50,000 for the period October 1, 2011 through July 31, 2012. Chairperson, on behalf of the Planning & Building Committee, I move adoption of the foregoing resolution. PLANNING AND BUILDING COMMITTEE Planning & Building Committee Vote: Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote Memo To: Katherine Czarnecki, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, State of Michigan cc: Doug Smith, Senior Vice President — Strategic Partnerships, MEDC From: David VanderVeen, Director — Central Services Art Holdsworth, Director — Facilities Management Date: September 23, 2011 Re: Oakland County Farmer's Market Grant Proposal Built in 1955, the County's Farmer's Market is located in the geographic heart of Oakland County. According to a recent survey, the Market services virtually every community in the County and actively supports farm-to-market vendors and programs. The Market's facilities feature 39, vendor stalls in its 7,452 square foot main building, and an additional 32, stalls under a 6,400 square foot open-air canopy. Stalls are rented by farmers and handicrafters on either an annual or daily basis. The Market's annual budget is approximately $175,000 and the rental rates are adjusted annually to break even with operational costs. The Farmer's Market rates, rules and regulations, and several other documents are posted on the County Market website at http://www.oakgov.conn/cmarket/. In addition to normal day-to-day business, the Market typically plays host to a number of special events each year, such as a "Family Market Day," a "Project Fresh" coupon give-away day, field trips by local schools, and Health Division Flu Shot clinics. A Market Master Plan was recently prepared by the Parks & Recreation Department to address both facility and operational improvement opportunities. Given declining General Fund monies in recent years, however — a trend expected to continue for the foreseeable future — capital improvements at the Market have slowed dramatically and no funds are available for proactive marketing efforts. Thus, having the opportunity to submit this proposal letter for a $50,000 grant from the State is greatly appreciated, for there are several improvements / opportunities we'd like to pursue: Infrastructure 1. The roof of the main building needs replacing 2. The parking lot requires repaving 3. The main building and canopy need repainting (est. cost: $31,000) 4. The windows, which are single paned and frosted, are energy inefficient; require the caulking to be abated for lead content; are peeling / chipping and should be replaced (est. cost to re-frost/film windows: $13,000) 5. The traffic flow into and around the parking lot is often congested. Patrons often park across Pontiac Lake Road, which is quite busy, from the Market and walk over. A different parking layout and better signage should be investigated. (est. cost: $7,000) 6. A demonstration kitchen / classroom that can accommodate food preparation/serving would facilitate patron programs and increase farmer participation Marketing / Patron and Farmer Services 7. Provide shopping carts for customers (est. cost: $2,500) 8. Promote the Market to senior centers, programs / non-profits supporting healthy eating initiatives, etc. (est. cost: $7,500) 9. Provide data and power line infrastructure to the farmers' stalls for EBT transaction processing (est. cost to wire 8, stalls and purchase 25, wireless POS devices: $19,000) 10. Conduct special events and programming, e.g., cooking demonstrations, etc., and educational programs for farmers, e.g., marketing, financial and business planning, etc. Given the grant amount, the highlighted items (3 and 9) above would most likely be pursued. The County would, at its expense, pursue the italic items (4, 5, 7, and 8) in parallel. If the State is amenable to the above approach, please advise us as to the next steps in the granting process. Thank-you. FISCAL NOTE (MISC . #11237) October 5, 2011 BY: FINANCE COMMITTEE, TOM MIDDLETON, CHAIRPERSON IN RE: FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND CENTRAL SERVICES/FARMER'S MARKET — MEDC GRANT PROPOSAL APPROVAL TO THE OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: Pursuant to Rule XII-C of this Board, the Finance Committee has reviewed the above referenced resolution and finds: 1. The resolution approves the proposal for the MEDC farmer's market grant in the amount of $50,000 for the period October 1,2011 through July 21, 2012. 2. The $50,000 is proposed to be used to paint the Market's main building and canopy (estimated at $31,000) and to provide data/power line infrastructure to farmer's stalls and purchase wireless POS devices for EBT transaction processing (estimated at $19,000). 3. There is no inter-local agreement or contractual obligation requirements with any other entities. 4. The grant proposal serves as a grant application submission and does not obligate the County to any future commitment unless a contract is issued and approved by the Board of Commissioners. 5. No budget amendment is required. FINANCE COMMITTEE FINANCE COMMITTEE Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Woodward, Potts and Quarles absent. Resolution #11237 October 5, 2011 Moved by Potts supported by McGillivray the resolutions (with fiscal notes attached) on the Consent Agenda be adopted (with accompanying reports being accepted). AYES: Covey, Crawford, Dwyer, Gershenson, Gingell, Gosselin, Greimel, Hatchett, Hoffman, Jackson, Long, Matis, McGillivray, Middleton, Nash, Potts, Quarles, Runestad, Scott, Weipert, Zack, Bosnic. (22) NAYS: None. (0) A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the resolutions (with fiscal notes attached) on the Consent Agenda were adopted (with accompanying reports being accepted). I HEREBY APPROVE THE FOREGOING RESOWTION /d STATE OF MICHIGAN) COUNTY OF OAKLAND) I, Bill Bullard Jr., Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is a true and accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on October 5, 2011, with the original record thereof now remaining in my office. In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the County of Oakland at Pontiac, Michigan this 5Ih day of October, 2011. F,LLE.QLJ )4 . Bill Bullard Jr., Oakland County