HomeMy Public PortalAbout01-14-2019 Minutes Tourism Board Regular MeetingPage 1 of 4
Approved Minutes
Tourism Board
6:15 p.m. Jan. 14, 2019
Town Hall Annex Board Meeting Room, 105 E. Corbin St.
Present: Chair Mary Catherine McKee, Mark Bateman, Matt Hughes, Billy Maupin and Kim Tesoro
Absent: Tommy Stann and Barry Hupp
Staff: Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell
Guests: Sarah DeGennaro, Ronda Tucker, Julie Sendor and Andrew Huggins
1. Call to order
Chair Mary Catherine McKee called the meeting to order at 6:11 p.m. Economic Development Planner Shannan
Campbell confirmed the presence of a quorum.
2. Agenda changes and approval
There were no changes.
Motion: Commissioner Matt Hughes moved to approve the agenda as presented. Member Billy Maupin
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
3. Minutes review and approval
Minutes from regular meeting on Dec. 3, 2018.
Motion: Member Mark Bateman moved approval of the minutes as presented. Maupin seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
4. New business
A. Elect chair and vice chair
McKee said she was willing to serve as chair. Hughes said he was willing to serve as vice chair.
Motion: Maupin moved to elect McKee as chair and Hughes as vice chair. Bateman seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
B. Calendar decisions
1. Adoption of 2019 meeting schedule
Motion: Hughes moved to approve the meeting schedule. McKee seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
2. Cancellation of February 2019 meeting
Motion: Hughes moved to cancel the February meeting. McKee seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
C. Alliance for Historic Hillsborough seat appointment
Campbell explained that this would be the position Libbie Hough had recently held and that the Alliance for
Historic Hillsborough recommended Jeff Strickler be the Alliance representative on the Tourism Board.
Member Kim Tesoro said that she had expressed concern to Strickler because he is also the Alliance’s
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representative to the board of the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce, but Strickler said no
one else from the Alliance board had offered to serve on the Tourism Board. Campbell commented that it
would be beneficial to have as full a board as possible.
Motion: Hughes moved to accept the appointment of Strickler to this board. McKee seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Campbell encouraged Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Executive Director Sarah DeGennaro to let her know if
anyone on the Alliance board expresses a willingness to serve on the Tourism Board to relieve some pressure
on Strickler, who is serving on multiple boards in town. She thanked Strickler for volunteering.
The board asked Campbell to look into the seat designations and enabling legislation further to see if there
was any direction.
D. Special Projects/Partnerships Funding Request: Nash Dash 2019
Campbell reviewed that this event happened for the first time last year. The organizing group is requesting
$2,174.66 to cover a list of items. Campbell said she had some questions to the event organizers that she had
noted in the agenda packet. She said that board may also ask questions of their own after hearing from the
organizers.
Julie Sendor and Andrew Huggins introduced themselves as part of the organizing committee for this event.
Sendor said she and another organizer had been involved in the Kirby Derby in Raleigh, which grew from a
neighborhood event to a city-wide event. She said about 200 people attended the Nash Dash last year, and
the businesses on South Nash Street received a lot of customers drawn to the event.
Sendor said they expected in-kind donations to total about $900 and volunteers to give about 200 hours to
make the event happen. There was no entry fee last year, and the organizers had not expected to charge
people an entry fee this year. Sendor explained the first year was a pilot year. The second year is intended to
help the organizers figure out a plan for making the event self-sustainable. Huggins suggested ways to
measure success could include: counting participants and surveying businesses. She asked the Tourism Board
how it would measure success. Tourism Board members encouraged the organizers to draw people outside of
Hillsborough where possible.
The board then asked Campbell for information about how much was left to spend in the special
projects/partnerships fund and whether she expected anyone else to request money from this fund in this
fiscal year. Campbell said there was $3,500 remaining in the fund, and she had an inquiry from Durham
Symphony Orchestra regarding a request for some money for portable toilets for its annual spring concert
behind the Orange County Schools Board of Education building, but they had not recently returned emails or
indicated an exact dollar amount.
There was discussion about Soapbox derby being a registered trademark, that the organization needs a non-
profit sponsor/fiscal entity to accept the funds, and that the event needs event insurance. The board also said
it wanted some money spent on advertising and recommended charging at least a small entry fee to make
sure participants show up. There was also a recommendation for these organizers to talk to the organizers of
the Hillsborough Running Club’s annual race. There was agreement that this item needed to be tabled to the
March 4 agenda. Campbell indicated that tabling could push the item into the grant season and the board
does not usually hear these requests during that time.
Motion: Maupin moved to table this discussion until the March 4 meeting. Tesoro seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
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E. Contract Partner budget adjustment: Burwell School Personnel Funding Increase Request
Campbell introduced a request from the Burwell School for $6,000 for personnel costs. She noted Kate
Faherty had resigned as the executive director of the historic site, and she introduced Ronda Tucker, the new
director. Tucker addressed the board.
There was discussion that a large grant from another source was not renewed in this fiscal year, which
contributed to the $6,000 deficit. Additionally, the Burwell School had to restructure with Faherty leaving and
they really needed an addition employee in order to successfully fulfill the remainder of the contract year.
Motion: Maupin moved to allocate $6,000 to the Burwell School for personnel costs. Bateman seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
F. FY18 Tourism Board financial audit and highlights
Campbell noted that this was in the packet and that the audit came back without problems. She said that the
fund balance numbers continue to be very healthy and that they would be updated in upcoming draft
budgets.
G. Early draft budget for FY20 and highlights
1. Submittable software increase
2. Training/conferences/convention increase
Campbell briefly summarized the draft budget and indicated that this board would see updates to this
again a few times before the public hearing and adoption in June.
H. Draft grant cycle schedule for FY20
Campbell reviewed the proposed schedule for the board. Board members said they agreed with the proposed
schedule.
I. Draft proposals for contract partners’ scope of work for FY20
Campbell noted that she had included information in the agenda packet. She said that $5,000 from the fund
balance would have to be used to keep the funding at the same level as this year. There was brief discussion
that the board does not want to send a message to the contract partners that the amount of money available
for the contracts will increase annually. The board hopes that the contract partners will make efforts to keep
costs down and find other sources of income such as outside grants, funding from donors/friends programs,
funding from internal fundraising programs, and others.
5. Old business
A. None
6. Discussion items and monthly reports
A. Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Director and Programs Report
No oral report was given.
B. Visitors Center Communications Report (November)
No oral report was given.
C. Tourism Board Staff Report (November) and Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Updates
No oral report was given.
D. Tourism Board Member Comments and Updates
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1. Next meeting scheduled for 6:15 p.m. March 4
2. Contract partner quarterly reports at March meeting
3. Contract partner budget and scope of work fulfillment updates
7. Adjournment
Motion: McKee adjourned the meeting at 7:32 p.m. Bateman seconded.
Vote: Unanimous