Are you recording? Can you record all this? Yeah. That's what we need. Okay. Follow special meetings in order to choose the August 20th. Appreciate everybody being here. I will go right into the agenda and open a public hearing on the Propagia Economic Development Project with innovative business growth LLC, BBA founders, whom I will call on Kevin Franklin to come up and give us a summary of the proposal. Good evening, Mayor and Councilor. It's good to be back in front of you again with another project. I'm here to talk to you this evening as the Mayor mentioned about innovative business growth, DBA Founders Hemp, so I'll just refer to the company as Founders Hemp. As you know, this is a vertically integrated hemp company based in here in Ashboro, which manages processes from clone to final product. The company provides export assistance to its network of farmers. It processes NC-grown, North Carolina-grown hemp into usable products. In addition to processing its own hemp, the company contracts extraction services as well. Founders hemp is the only North Carolina hemp processing facility to be GMP certified. So that's a great accomplishment by the company. The Founders' Hemp is among the first companies established, first temp companies established in North Carolina. It's been operating in Ashboro since 2017, essentially since as long as it's been permitted for them to operate by the state. The company has experienced rapid growth, which is necessitating enhanced processing capabilities to meet growing demand. Founders have intends to renovate a portion of the facility occupies in South Ashboro to accommodate both new equipment and processes. This proposed project is going to install five new clean rooms in that existing facility. It's currently used as warehouse space essentially. And that new space is gonna facilitate enhanced processing and this investment in building renovations is gonna total at least $310,000. It's, we believe that to be a low estimate, but a safe estimate. And then of course, there's gonna be additional related investment and equipment and machinery in the $50,000 range as well. In addition to the investment, Founders' Center is committed to adding 15 new full-time jobs directly associated with this expansion while retaining 62 existing full-time positions. And the new positions will pay an average wage and the new positions will pay an average wage annually of $35,667, which is above the Randolph County average wage. A Founder's Temp is eligible for a building of reuse grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the amount of $150,000, it's $10,000 per job to assist in the renovation expenses. We've done these before, the city of Ashboro, and so you're familiar with this, but I'll just touch on some of these highlights again The city would serve as the grant applicants since the program does require the applicant to be a unit of the local government The grant program also requires a 5% local government match to the grant amount that would total $7,500 based on this $150,000 grant request and then on this $150,000 grant request. And then assuming that you approve this resolution this evening, authorizing submission of the application, I will approach Randolph County Government and request that they participate with 50% of that grant match and they've traditionally been willing to do that on these projects. The targeted submission deadline for the grant application is August 29th, so next week and award announcements are scheduled for October 17th. We do believe that this is a great project for the city of Ashbur and Randolph County. Should increase the value of the building, generate new investment and equipment and machinery and result in the creation of 15 quality new jobs. And one of our targets is always diversifying the local economy and certainly we don't have another business quite like this and so it does accomplish that goal as well. So we request this evening that you approve the resolution that is before you authorizing submission of grant application and committing to the 5% local match of $7,500. If you have any questions about the process I'm happy to answer those, but I think you're well familiar with the process of this application process. Councilor, I have any questions or Mr. Franklin. I appreciate it. Thank you. This is the advertised opportunity for the public hearing. I have opened the public hearing. I would like to speak to the council regarding this request. Yes sir. Come on. Hello everybody. Hello. No you all but I'll announce my name Owen George and I'm here officially as a representative of the United States SBA, Small Business Administration that employs me specifically to help grow businesses in North Carolina. And I would just like to make note of SBA directive that was just released on August 2nd, directive number 6,000-19005 is called the guidance on grantees providing assistance to marijuana-related businesses. And this is distributed to all SBA employees and small business development centers across the United States to make it very, very clear now that the SBA recognizes the hemp industries as a 100% legitimate and legal industry across the United States. To the extent that whereas the SBA cannot support with our loans and loan supports and counseling cannot support marijuana companies as the ones in California, Washington State and other places like that. companies as the ones in California, Washington State, and other places like that. Clearly stated here, and I have a copy for each of you to pass along each other. The first page relates to the topic of marijuana businesses and indirect marijuana businesses. And it on page two, where I've highlighted with the marker pen, you'll read here, with regard to the issue of businesses that produce or sell hemp and hemp derived products. The recently enacted Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 which is public law 115-334 changed the federal government's legal treatment of hemp and hemp products. As a result of this legal change, a business that grows, produces, processes, distributes, or sells products made from hemp would not be considered in any way a direct marijuana business and would therefore be eligible to receive SBA funded technical assistance if the legal business under state law and is not aiding the use, growth, development, enhancement of other development of marijuana. Now, also, it's more specifically on the topic of CBD, and the pronunciation is canada beddial. Thank you. You'll see on pace two at the bottom, and then over on pace three, I've highlighted this for you. Because I think it's important for people to know the difference that when CBD is derived from hemp as the finance section 297A of the Agricultural Marking Act of 1946, it is not a controlled substance and firms that develop or market CBD and CBD products derived from hemp would not be considered in any way a direct marijuana business. The firm would be eligible to participate in SBA technical assistance programs if the business and its products are legal under state law and comply with all applicable federal state and local laws and regulations. So for us who work in the field of business development in North Carolina quite frankly we're very excited about the growth in hemp industries. It's bringing a lot of value to our farmers. It's helping replace the tobacco crop that was so many families to pit it on for generations here. So we see a lot of possibilities with this clarification from the SBA. We know we have the green light to help these industries. Thank you very much. And if you have any questions, let me know. Thank you very much. Thank you very much and if you have any questions. Thank you very much. Let me know. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Mr. Cromwell, would you like to address the question? Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for passing up. Maverick pass up. An opportunity to talk about Hemp for sure. You all been great to us. I mean, you were the first city in the state of North Carolina to open up its city area to allow hemp processing facility to be built. And we have rewarded your loyalty to us by going from three employees when we first started to over 60 employees now during our peak time about a month or so ago when our clones were getting ready to do out, our employment was over 80 employees. And so we have, and they're not just farm jobs, but they are farm jobs. We have farmers who last year had their crop cut 50% by the tobacco companies in this year, another 40% doubling and tripling the product that they're farming for us now to help replace that. You may remember I said to you before that Hemp was the first cash crop in North Carolina and where Hemp grew well, tobacco then grew well, and now Hemp will grow well again. And that prophecy is coming through all over Randolph County and all over North Carolina. And so we're very, very appreciative for the work that you all have done to open your arms to us as a city to let it in. It took some guts for the city to be the first city in the state of North Carolina to allow a hemp processing facility within the borders of its city. And then you've been a model for other folks to do that too. So I just want to say thanks, but I want to open Jamie, who's the president of our company and let and Steve to let them say a few words because they're the real push behind this project. I'm told to stay out of the weeds, no pun intended. And so I'm going to let them get into the weeds. Evening, counsel. My name is Jamie Cromley and I'm the president of Founders Hemp. And a second that with what Bob was saying and say that this project in particular is going to help take our company to the next level. We have grown, I know we built that great facility over there on Dorset Avenue. And within just a year we have outgrown it. And so this next step of our project will allow us to expand our company and to create more jobs as well as to increase the footprint that we have in the city. So I look forward to hopefully being able to expand in the city and grow our company here in our hometown. questions thank you thank you okay we will move to the liberty of the question and I will ask council for the votes. Mayor, I move the adoptive resolution for the rest of the president and the deputy of the administration. We have a motion for Mr. Vail to adopt this resolution by records. I have a second, Mr. Moffe. Any discussion? All the favour say aye. All opposed? Most of the carries. Thank you very much. And let's say it any other business to come before the council. Somebody who has a brother who's on board. We'll cut a fair ticket down. Everybody, I'll take one ticket. We will. Big turn. Thank you. We can pull here. Thanks.