Durham County approves vendor to produce 10-year food system assessment and strategic plan

Durham County commissioners voted to authorize a contract with Key Environmental Consulting to complete a countywide food system assessment and a recommended 10-year strategic plan.

Donna Rewalt, county extension director, told commissioners the assessment will analyze the food system “from farm to table” to identify assets and gaps and recommend policies, programs and resources to improve food and nutrition security. Rayna Goldstein, the county food security coordinator, said the project will combine extensive community engagement, secondary-data review and spatial analysis and described an 18-month timeline for completion: “The timeline for the assessment, and development of the plan is 18 months.”

Goldstein said the vendor selection was competitive: the county received 11 bids and chose Key Environmental Consulting based on team credentials, community-engagement capacity and technical expertise. The vendor will produce a steering-committee process, listening sessions and draft review opportunities so community stakeholders can participate in developing and reviewing recommendations.

The board debated timing and oversight. Commissioner Jacobs asked that commissioners be given interim updates and opportunities to see draft findings before the final presentation; Goldstein said staff and the vendor will provide interim materials and stakeholder opportunities during the project.

During discussion, Rewalt said the work builds on prior county investments — including more than $3,000,000 in ARPA food-security projects and related USDA-funded work — and will coordinate with ongoing plans such as the farm campus and the Early Childhood Action Plan.

The chair called for a motion to approve entering into the contract. A motion to approve the contract was moved and seconded; the board approved the contract by voice vote. According to the meeting record, a legal review of the service contract has been completed.

The meeting transcript as provided includes a garbled figure when the clerk read the contract amount; the contract amount was not clearly stated in the record reviewed for this article and is therefore not reported here. The contract timeline, vendor selection and community-engagement approach were described in the public presentation and will be used to guide implementation and reporting back to the board.