HomeMy Public PortalAbout03-06-2017 Minutes Tourism Board Regular MeetingPage 1 of 6
Minutes
Tourism Board
6:15 p.m. Monday, March 6, 2017
Town Barn, 101 E. Orange St.
Present: Matt Hughes, Kathleen Ferguson, Libbie Hough, Kim Tesoro, Chairperson Mary Catherine
McKee, Mark Bateman, Kate Carroll, Tommy Stann
Absent: Vice Chairperson Erik Myers
Staff: Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell
Guests: Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Sarah DeGennaro, Hillsborough Arts Council Neil Stutzer
Item 1: Call meeting to order
Chairperson McKee called the meeting to order at 6:20 p.m.
Item 2: Consideration of changes or adjustments to the agenda
There were no changes or adjustments to the agenda.
Motion: Ms. Hough moved to approve the agenda as presented.
Second: Ms. Ferguson seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Item 3: Consideration of minutes from Jan. 23, 2017, and Feb. 6, 2017, meetings
Motion: Mr. Hughes moved approval of both sets of minutes with a correction.
Second: Commissioner Ferguson seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Changes: Ms. Hough noted on Page 3 of January minutes under item “e.” should read: “offer the
option of ‘paying’ the food and beverage tax online.”
Item 4: General comment
There were no comments.
Item 5: Monthly reports
a. Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Director’s Report:
Ms. DeGennaro reported that January was quiet, which is typical. She and Mayor Tom Stevens led
a tour of Hillsborough for Duke’s documentary studies students, as they have done in years past,
to give the students ideas for their documentary projects. The projects on Hillsborough are
presented at the April Last Fridays event.
The Alliance had hoped for better attendance at the book reading in honor of Martin Luther King
Jr. Day. There were competing events and some confusion about the date of the event, Ms.
DeGennaro said. The Alliance has been discussing what to do differently next year. Ms.
DeGennaro added that the Occoneechee replica village project is moving forward. Also, she
attended the annual retreat of the Moorefields board.
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b. Visitors Center Communications Report:
Ms. DeGennaro noted that this report is prepared by Lindsey Paydon, the Alliance’s Visitors
Communications Coordinator. There were 208 visitors from 11 states and three countries.
Ms. DeGennaro noted the Visitors Center marketing ads recently run were included in the board
packets.
c. Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Report:
Ms. Campbell reported the bureau is currently doing a marketing blitz for the spring. The bureau
is not seeing the type of occupancy revenue growth they expected to see due to numerous
factors beyond their control.
There was interest in looking at hotel packages and getting a presentation in front of the Visitors
Bureau board about the assets Hillsborough has.
Ms. Campbell said the Executive Director for the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau,
Stephanie Pace‐Brown, was at the January meeting and shared how that tourism program has
grown over the years. A quarter of the program’s profit goes into product development or
infrastructure projects. Asheville is using Facebook Live and has a goal to get 5 million unique
visits to its website this year. For comparison, the VisitHillsboroughNC.com site gets about 25,000
unique visits a month. Ms. Campbell also said she’d learned more about how the Asheville Bureau
has identified and targeted advertising to its core market as well as branching out regionally and
nationally. Ms. Campbell said that she is talking to the Visitors Center Staff about expanding reach
of advertising to where core visitors come, from like southern Virginia.
Item 6: New business items
a. Welcome New Member: Tommy Stann of Hillsborough BBQ Company
Board members who had not introduced themselves to Mr. Stann before the meeting did so at
this time.
b. Miscellaneous Budget Amendments and Adjustments
Ms. Campbell reviewed the amendments and adjustments in the board packets.
Ms. Campbell explained that the budget amendments were to cover some additional legal
expenses incurred as a result of pursuing delinquent Food & Beverage Tax accounts. She also
explained that the ‘Grants’ line item was being split into ‘Grants’, ‘Special Projects &
Partnerships’, and ‘C.S/Other’ for contracts.
Ms. Campbell explained that the second budget amendment was to pull a fund balance
appropriation over to the’ C.S/Alliance’ line item to cover the costs of an outstanding water bill as
a result of an on‐going leak at the Alexander Dickson House.
Ms. DeGennaro explained that in October the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough became aware
that a great deal of water was being used by the Visitors Center, which it operates. The water was
shut off; and Orange County, which is the landlord, sent someone to determine the cause. It was
determined that a toilet must have been leaking and the toilet was replaced. The water was then
turned on, running up large bills for November and December. The Visitors Center still owes
$7,593 after forgiveness of one month’s water bill (December was the largest) from the Town of
Hillsborough, per their leak policy. The Town of Hillsborough has a policy to allow one leak
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adjustment over a 12‐month period. Ms. DeGennaro said she is making payments on the Visitors
Center and public restroom accounts monthly at the usual amount. The Town of Hillsborough
knows that the Alliance and the County are still negotiating the large balance on the Visitors
Center’s water/sewer account and is not charging late fees or disconnecting service.
It is assumed that an irrigation system intended to water the garden at the Visitors Center was
inadvertently turned on. Ms. DeGennaro said no staff at the Visitors Center turned on the
irrigation system or knows where the valve to turn it on and off is located. Because there is a
stream nearby, it is assumed that the running water flowed to the stream rather than puddling on
the Visitors Center grounds, which would have helped to alert staff of a problem.
A Tourism Board member argued that it’s absurd to think a toilet leak would explain that much
water usage (between 700 and 1,000 gallons a day more than usual) and, therefore, Orange
County has some responsibility. Tourism Board members expressed the opinion that when one
calls a landlord about a leak, it becomes the landlord’s responsibility, especially since it is outside
of the house.
The Tourism Board expressed a desire to back the Visitors Center on this matter.
Ms. Campbell said that Orange County staff’s argument for not paying the water bill hinges on the
idea that the County is not responsible for the irrigation system.
The Tourism Board expressed a strong desire to elevate this issue to the Town Attorney and the
County Manager.
Motion: Ms. Hough moved to approve the budget amendments not including the fund balance
appropriation for the water bill.
Second: Commissioner Ferguson seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Motion: Commissioner Ferguson moved to table the budget amendment fund balance
appropriation and revisit it at the next meeting after staff could elevate the issue as
discussed.
Second: Ms. Tesoro seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
c. Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Contract Recommendations Memo
Ms. Campbell reviewed her recommendations, which are to:
1. Separate the contract and scope of work for the operations of the Hillsborough Visitors
Center and for the Heritage Programming provided by the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough
into two documents.
2. Work with the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough to budget the Hillsborough Visitors Center
separately from the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough 501c3 so that the costs of both
operations and activities can be fully realized.
3. Remove the current 60 percent food and beverage tax revenue allocation to the Alliance for
Historic Hillsborough and move toward a flat rate contract amount based on the budgeted
amount needed to transact both contracts.
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The memo also included several considerations related to these recommendations.
Ms. Campbell said she thinks these changes couldn’t be implemented until Fiscal Year 2019
because they would be a big change for the Alliance.
Ms. Hough suggested identifying the process of change in stages. The Alliance is talking about
growing its own receipt of donations.
Chairperson McKee suggested work on splitting the budget for Fiscal Year 2018.
Ms. Campbell said she and Ms. DeGennaro started splitting out what they could this year.
Motion: Ms. Hough moved to open this discussion, and work on set parameters for timeline.
Discussion: Commissioner Ferguson moved to proceed with this with a timeline of implementing by
FY2019. Ms. Hough wanted to proceed but let Ms. Campbell and Ms. DeGennaro work to set the
timeline.
Motion: Chairperson McKee revised the motion and moved to proceed in discussing with the
Alliance the three recommendations that Ms. Campbell laid out in the memo with the
hope of having an agreement with the Alliance by FY2019, if possible.
Second: Ms. Hough seconded.
Vote: 7‐1 (nay — Mark Bateman)
The board continued to discuss the changeover. The expectation is that Ms. Campbell will meet
with the Alliance before the next Tourism Board meeting. Ms. Hough and Mr. Bateman exchanged
further thoughts on the proposed restructuring. Mr. Bateman had earlier expressed the opinion
that a year and a half was long enough to expect the Alliance to be ready to restructure.
At 7:30 p.m., Commissioner Ferguson excused herself to attend another meeting.
Item 7: Old business items
a. Quarterly Reports — Contracted Organizations
i. Arts Council — Last Fridays (follow‐up discussion)
Ms. Campbell reviewed that a representative was not present at the last meeting and that the
board had questions then about how the bands were selected and prices negotiated. Ms.
Campbell reviewed written answers at this meeting.
Chairperson of the Hillsborough Arts Council Neil Stutzer was also present to answer questions.
He explained that the price is affected in part by whether the band brings a sound system or the
Arts Council is responsible for paying a third party to set up the sound system (which costs $375).
Mr. Stutzer reported the Arts Council is collaborating on West Fest this April. The council is doing
cross‐marketing. Mr. Stutzer reviewed the Arts Council advertising efforts. For Last Fridays, the
council has plans to move the band into the Whitted Human Services Center if the weather is bad.
An arrangement also has been made for two or three passenger vans to run between Fairview
Park, the parking lot in West Hillsborough and the downtown at Last Fridays.
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Ms. Campbell reviewed that the concern raised at the last meeting was the bands for July, August
and September together cost $5,700, which only leaves about $3,300 for the first half of next
year’s season. Mr. Stutzer said the Arts Council will have funds to cover band payments until the
next year’s funding comes through.
Mr. Stutzer added that on the contract for funding through the Tourism Board, the budget
includes the Arts Council obtaining sponsorships and grants as their ‘match’. He doesn’t know if
the council will receive a sponsorship from UNC Hospitals this year. Last year, the sponsorship
amount from UNC Hospitals was $1,500. It was $5,000 the previous year, Mr. Stutzer said.
b. Renewing/Initiating Contracts for FY18: Recommendations Memo
Fiscal Year 2017 Hillsborough Arts Council — $11,460
Ms. Campbell said the Arts Council has requested that quarterly reports be moved back a
month so the reports can be more complete, which is something the Arts Council has
requested before. The council expects to ask for a similar amount as last year.
Fiscal Year 2017 Burwell School — $20,727
Ms. Campbell said Director Kate Faherty has a seriously ill family member and she hasn’t
been able to talk with anyone from the Burwell School further yet and does not have an
idea of about requesting increases yet.
Fiscal Year 2017 Orange County Historical Museum — $9,995
Ms. Campbell reviewed that the museum had a major setback last year when the
building’s ceiling collapsed. The museum staff remained active in other locations. The
museum recently received a grant to fund transportation for more field trips. Ms.
Campbell reported that Orange County Historical Museum Director Candace Midgett
anticipated requesting slightly more funding this year.
Ms. Campbell told the board that she planned to tell each of the three organizations to submit updated
budgets for next year, highlight any amendments to the proposed scope of work, and justify any
requested increases of funding for Fiscal Year 2018. She indicated that the Board can review and approve
or deny requests for funding increases.
Motion: Ms. Tesoro moved approval of the recommendations.
Second: Ms. Hough seconded.
Discussion: Ms. Tesoro requested information of what these organizations received prior to the
contract via grant funding.
Vote: Unanimous
Ms. Tesoro requested that when Ms. Campbell prepares April meeting materials, she also report how
much each organization was receiving from the Tourism Board before the contract process.
Ms. Hough suggested that Ms. Campbell also ask each organization what the frustrations and positives
have been under the new funding process.
7:55 p.m. Ms. Hough excused herself to attend another meeting.
c. Grant Documents Review/Comments (Grants open March 13)
Ms. Campbell reviewed changes she’d made to the application from last year’s feedback. Ms.
Campbell will include a large list of items needed and will reiterate that a 20 percent match is
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required. She also explained that per the comments last year that there would be an ‘Early Bird’
application deadline where applications would be checked for completeness (not content).
d. Tourism Plan Goals Discussion
The board members were asked to email Ms. Campbell their thoughts to organize the discussion
at the next meeting. There was brief discussion that some of the goals would describe what the
Tourism Board is already doing.
Motion: Chairperson McKee moved to table the discussion to the next meeting.
Second: Ms. Tesoro seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Item 8: Staff/board comments and discussion items
Hog Day shirts – Ms. Campbell shared that the organizers of Hog Day had brought them
tshirts. She apologized that she was late in getting them to the board members.
Grant application period opens March 13.
Item 9: Adjourn
Motion: Chairperson McKee moved to adjourn at 8:10 p.m.
Second: Ms. Carroll seconded.
Vote: Unanimous