[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6481294,"mediaKeyId","5529267-5c86b5a9d845b641ed3d6ba65fb9ae7f","parentId",5529267,"title","Durham to fund phase 2 of Small Business Opportunity Fund; council seeks clearer goals","audioSeconds",1440,"startMs",3480000,"endMs",4920000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5529267-5c86b5a9d845b641ed3d6ba65fb9ae7f&start=3480&end=4920","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5529267-5c86b5a9d845b641ed3d6ba65fb9ae7f/thumbnail_3480000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6481294/Durham-City/Durham-County/North-Carolina/Durham-to-fund-phase-2-of-Small-Business-Opportunity-Fund-council-seeks-clearer-goals","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6481294-4bf9d57fc2a831bac8ef89202c7d13f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149455&Signature=Ha3Ayaf87pVpGYNoTpdMBp56rTTNe5buFeJmeVSfDoRJ80n-KbdXcMOeKnUpR9yf8VqPmnFnfIj3enjeE1Bya88mDn-872lRrabepeSe92chteEoMzAD6vGANQ~-SqVUHNBl2UwXRoph5hjP~4J6frvMMhE5-5ucEOnpaGZ5L34WyjuyIDOch1MNhys~IeSFypeJxQsxzvmubWIetpT4l3xxQCtxLkq9pD7cvT8URa-SZQyz2ZOTF~JTtJdGxKjvZq9w5j4u~4lwhSB94Nn-us4fvHvmSYA0GWTsYztne0bMNLngSPCB6xfz8C9rc2ZST21JGIc-2hCkw7JH-Esu-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Durham","date","2025-08-05T04:33:34Z","article","Durham City staff and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development presented a proposed contract to administer phase 2 of the Durham Small Business Opportunity Fund. The program combines loan guarantees for small business loans ($25,000\u0000to $75,000) with free early-stage business tools and supports.

Staff and the prospective administrator (Carolina Small Business Development Fund) described program metrics the contractor will collect: loan applications, loans made, capital deployed, loan defaults, businesses served, jobs created or retained, and technical assistance hours. Council members pressed for concrete targets, saying that tracking is valuable but goals are needed to judge success. Staff said the phase 2 loan component is inherently variable (loan sizes range from $25,000 to $75,000) and estimated the program could serve roughly 18\u0000to\u000040 business borrowers plus up to 50 early-stage businesses receiving non-lending supports.

Council members and staff also requested demographic and equity reporting (for example, Latino- or immigrant-owned businesses) and a clear accounting of the city's share of prior phase funding. Staff said dashboards and outcome reporting will be provided and noted that the original phase included mixed funding (city, county and private donors) and supported dozens of businesses and jobs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Durham City Council Work Session August 4, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council discussed a proposed contract to administer phase 2 of the Durham Small Business Opportunity Fund, which mixes loan guarantees and early-stage business supports; members asked for clearer targets (businesses served, loan counts) and demographic tracking.","taxTitle","Durham City, Durham County, North Carolina","taxId",5766,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6481299,"Durham Council hears Falls Lake nutrient plan as UNRBA seeks regional funding",4380,3120000,7500000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5529267-5c86b5a9d845b641ed3d6ba65fb9ae7f&start=3120&end=7500","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5529267-5c86b5a9d845b641ed3d6ba65fb9ae7f/thumbnail_3120000.jpg","/articles/6481299/Durham-City/Durham-County/North-Carolina/Durham-Council-hears-Falls-Lake-nutrient-plan-as-UNRBA-seeks-regional-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6481299-ba181eda43be105c1b34449c9a997c39/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149455&Signature=APvnmCqnceFkaYLIXvQLS7Ze5IOovubmb0prFlFYKqTNyNvRwSvnZovLxuGZiRoND4Iv6~U4-WUKLX4O2p2Nr~c1HNfiA3eXq6Z8MBeC11JSJmt85PXtgOFSpEUUDTrGl8dqHam0IW1unvzapYY6jN5R-k54gLBAwW-fOIo-SsavKiBhRV74lCijj~mfLoLe9FH~a1SN9YU9TAxbU2LdVPEfYd6dn7S4EF9YHTHHdXIbPA8UV9SucfJrBRqADE1~ut8DuQCWL95vb-Q7HvIzp3BNYcxSgDINjP9-e~Ee-CITZCCSA59VEmq1CF9TSXE8UdSpbfvei38LWIX-AOZ7cQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Durham City officials received a presentation on the Upper Neuse River Basin Association\u0000(UNRBA) fiscal year 2026 work and budget, which focuses on managing nutrients that contribute to algal growth in Falls Lake. The presentation described Falls Lake as impaired for chlorophyll a and reviewed the UNRBA\u0000effort to stabilize the reservoir under rules first adopted in 2011.

City and UNRBA staff said Falls Lake has seen reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus since the 2011 rules, but that chlorophyll a (a measure of algal biomass) remains a concern in some conditions and locations. Staff warned that a potential shift to a stage 2 regulatory approach would carry very large costs and, in some cases, require technologies or actions that may not be feasible now.

UNRBA priorities presented to council included maintaining the existing rules where effective, pursuing an \"investment-based\" option for some source categories (agriculture, existing developed lands, and state/federal lands), and addressing the difficulty of accounting strictly in pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus. Presenters said the investment-based approach would allow jurisdictions or regulated entities to fund projects where they provide the most water-quality benefit rather than require on-site fixes that can be impractical.

Council members asked how credits or investments would be sized and how long-term accountability would be assured. Staff said pricing and credit allocation remain under discussion and that the approach is intended to be more flexible and effective than relying solely on pounds, particularly for existing developed lands and DOT-owned rights-of-way. Staff added that wastewater dischargers would likely continue to be regulated on pounds because their discharges are measured at treatment plants.

City staff noted Falls Lake and Jordan Lake generally show good conditions most of the time, with algal blooms and scums occurring seasonally or in specific locations; staff urged residents to report suspicious blooms. The presentation emphasized that regional cooperation is central: Durham is one of the larger UNRBA members and would be a significant funder of any shared program. The manager\u0000\u0000said the city\u0000would contribute to the UNRBA f.y. 2026 budget as part of a multi-jurisdiction effort.","City staff presented the Upper Neuse River Basin Association\u0000(UNRBA) fiscal year 2026 priorities and requested Durham\u0000City support for the UNRBA budget; presentation emphasized benefits of a regional \"investment-based\" option over strict nutrient pound accounting and highlighted concerns about stage 2 requirements.","actionData","errors"]

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Durham to fund phase 2 of Small Business Opportunity Fund; council seeks clearer goals

Durham Council hears Falls Lake nutrient plan as UNRBA seeks regional funding