Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions
Related Party Transactions Policy
We have adopted a written Related Party Transaction Policy. The policy provides that officers, directors, holders of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities, and any member of the immediate family of and any entity affiliated with any of the foregoing persons will not be permitted to enter into a related-party transaction with Local Bounti without the prior consent of our Audit Committee or other independent members of the Board in the event it is inappropriate for the Audit Committee to review the transaction due to a conflict of interest. Any request for Local Bounti to enter into a transaction with a related party in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 must first be presented to the Audit Committee for review, consideration, and approval. In approving or rejecting the proposed transactions, the Audit Committee will take into account all relevant facts and circumstances available.
Related-Person Transactions
Below is a description of transactions between us and our officers, directors, and greater than 5% stockholders since the beginning of 2023.
Grow Bitterroot Sale Lease Back Transaction and Services Agreement
In June 2020, we sold for total consideration of $6.9 million a greenhouse facility to Grow Bitterroot, LLC (“Grow Bitterroot”), a qualified opportunity zone fund owned in part by Live Oak Ventures, LLC, which owns more than 10% of our stock, and Orange Strategies LLC, of which our director, Pamela Brewster, is principal. Travis M. Joyner, our directors, is manager of Grow Bitterroot. Concurrently, our predecessor entity and Grow Bitterroot entered into an agreement whereby we lease land and the greenhouse facility from Grow Bitterroot. In addition, we and Grow Bitterroot entered into a property maintenance and management services agreement under which we provide all property maintenance and management services, including business, operational, strategic, and advisory services in exchange for an annual fee of $50,000. The property maintenance and management services agreement includes an initial term of three years, which renews automatically unless terminated by either party with 30 days’ notice.
For 2024, we paid Grow Bitterroot $1,228,803 under the lease agreement, $46,096 in repairs and maintenance reimbursements, and $50,000 under the property maintenance and management services agreement. For 2023, we paid Grow Bitterroot $1,556,987 under the lease agreement, $46,096 in repairs and maintenance reimbursements, and $50,000 under the property maintenance and management services agreement.
BrightMark Partners, LLC (BrightMark”) Commercial Lease
In December 2020, we entered into a short-term lease agreement for commercial office space with BrightMark. The two managing partners of BrightMark, Craig M. Hurlbert and Travis M. Joyner, are our co-founders and executive officers. The lease agreement was terminated on September 20, 2023. The rent was $2,000 per month. We paid BrightMark $18,000 under the lease agreement for 2023.
Spencer Properties Residential Lease
In May 2022, we entered into a residential lease agreement with Spencer Properties I, LLC (“Spencer Properties”), which is owned by Kathleen Valiasek, our President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, and her husband. The lease has an initial one-year term from May 1, 2022, to April 30, 2023, and automatically renewed on a month-to-month basis thereafter. The lease was terminated effective October 31, 2023. The rent was $3,000 per month beginning on June 1, 2022, and increased to $3,100 per month after April 30, 2023. We paid Spencer Properties $27,500 under the lease agreement for 2023.
Indemnification Agreements
Our certificate of incorporation contains provisions limiting the liability of directors, and our bylaws provide that we will indemnify each of our directors to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law. Our charter documents also provide the Board with discretion to indemnify officers and employees when determined appropriate by the Board.