HomeMy Public PortalAbout03-04-2019 Minutes Tourism Board Regular MeetingPage 1 of 4
Approved Minutes
Tourism Board
6:15 p.m. March 4, 2019
Town Hall Annex Board Meeting Room, 105 E. Corbin St.
Present: Chair Mary Catherine McKee, Mark Bateman, Barry Hupp, Billy Maupin, Tommy Stann, Jeff
Strickler and Kim Tesoro
Absent: Matt Hughes
Staff: Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell
Guests: Carrie Currie, Sarah DeGennaro, Torey Mishoe, Stephanie Pryor, Ronda Tucker, Jacquelyn
Vorndran and Jacob Rutz
1. Call to order
Chair Mary Catherine McKee called the meeting to order at 6:21 p.m. Economic Development Planner Shannan
Campbell confirmed the presence of a quorum.
2. Agenda changes and approval
Campbell added Item C under “New business” regarding an amendment to an auditing contract.
3. New business
A. Fiscal Year 2019 second-quarter reports from contract partners
1. Hillsborough Arts Council
Executive Director Torey Mishoe shared highlights from the report.
2. Orange County Historical Museum
Executive Director Stephanie Pryor shared highlights from the report.
3. Burwell School Historic Site
Campbell said the Burwell School Historic Site has been busy preparing for its spring event and would like
to defer the report until the April meeting.
Motion: Member Kim Tesoro moved to table the report to the April meeting. Member Billy
Maupin seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
B. Fiscal Year 2020 first review: contract partners
1. Hillsborough Arts Council
Mishoe said the council would be requesting funds for the same items as last year with slight increases
and shared a Hillsborough Arts Council video about River Park Concert with the board. Campbell asked
Mishoe if it would be possible to share clips from this video and the one made about the Handmade
Parade to include on the Visit Hillsborough website, since the Tourism Board was a large sponsor for both
events.
Mishoe shared that there are high-energy bands booked for this summer. Mishoe also shared ways that
the council is trying to engage the community and work more with the downtown business owners to
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make Last Fridays more enjoyable for everyone.
Campbell reviewed that the council is requesting about $918.50 more than what it is receiving for the
current fiscal year.
2. Orange County Historical Museum
Pryor said she has restructured the museum staffing for next year. The goals for next year are to finish
strategic planning and to implement the strategic plan (once complete) and the development plan. The
goal for this year was to create three temporary exhibits: vintage toys, 20th-century evening wear, and
Native American objects.
Campbell asked if Pryor could present the development plan to the Tourism Board. Pryor said she would
like to share it by email the following week and present it at the April meeting.
The board expressed interest in receiving a report on how the development assistant position they had
funded has benefited the museum.
Campbell reviewed that the museum is requesting about $14,000.00 more than what it is receiving for the
current fiscal year.
Campbell said the Tourism Board does not have the full amounts requested in the contract budgets
without using fund balance. She said that revenues are projected to remain flat for FY20 due to so much
current construction in town, however if Sheetz and House at Gatewood annex in the next 6 months this
could increase revenues.
3. Burwell School Historic Site
Director Ronda Tucker apologized to the Board for not having the contract document completed before
packets went out the prior week. She reviewed that for the current fiscal year this organization received
$28,000 and then an additional $6,000 later in the year for personnel for a totally FY19 contract amount
of $34,000.00. Tucker reported that there is a new fundraising and development committee and that she
will report in April what that committee has done and what it plans to do in the next fiscal year.
Tucker said one budget request is for interpretative signage panels that would not only provide
information but also help visitors notice the site is not a private residence. The budget requests also
include summer bands at the site. Also, the budget reflects the organization wanting to keep the site open
in late December & January.
Historical Coordinator Carrie Currie shared there are upcoming events that people are excited about and
that would justify charging admission for those special events.
Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Executive Director Sarah DeGennaro said several of the projects needing
funding under this organization’s request involve multiple Alliance partners.
Campbell said the increase from last year to this year is $6,000 more than what the organization was
given last year (including the $6,000 increase passed last month).
When asked how much the Burwell School Historic Site had received in previous years, Campbell reported
that it received $25,600 in FY18 and $20,000 in FY17.
Campbell asked for more information about the ‘Summer Nights’ music series. Tucker said Music Makers
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Relief Foundation and other people have requested that the Burwell School Historic Site host live music
on weekend nights occasionally. The plan is to have a band on the porch and encourage people to bring
chairs and blankets to enjoy the music. Such events would not be scheduled on Last Fridays.
The Board discussed ways that the Burwell School could generate more revenue internally. When asked
about advertising rental of the site, Tucker explained that no site rentals were advertised last year
because of the Keckley events and a need to restructure the rental agreement. Tucker said she realizes
that renting out the site would bring in additional revenue for the organization.
Currie and Tucker also added that they realize they need to work out a parking plan and shuttle
arrangement for large events.
Bateman left at 7:10 p.m.
C. FY18 Audit: Contract revision
Campbell explained this is a contract amendment to reflect that the auditing firm completed the audit with an
extension date rather than in the original time frame.
Motion: Tesoro moved to approve the contract amendment. Maupin seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
4. Old business
A. Single-use plastics and “green” initiatives at businesses
Member Tommy Stann said it would cost Hillsborough BBQ $40,000 annually to use compostable takeout
containers and straws. In the last year or two, customers in his restaurant have started using 60 percent fewer
straws. Because he is buying fewer straws, he can afford to buy compostable straws. However, Orange County
does not have commercial composting, which would be best for compostable containers. He said having
looked at prices of compostable containers, he does not see how the Tourism Board could supplement some
of that cost for restaurants.
Tesoro said there is interest among restaurants and Orange County to do more. She said Duke Energy has also
contacted Mayor Tom Stevens about doing something environmentally friendly. She suggested gathering
everyone with an interest in this topic.
Stann suggested there could be a campaign encouraging restaurant patrons to bring their own containers for
leftovers and a reusable bag to carry that container home. Leftovers can be transferred at the table; the
container from home cannot be brought into the commercial kitchen. There was a suggestion to create bags
with a logo as part of the campaign. Campbell was directed to price out reusable bags with the tourism logo
on them for restaurants and special events.
As an aside, Campbell mentioned that she has ordered pencils with the logo to distribute to the historic sites
as giveaways for school groups, etc.
B. 2019 Nash Dash Soap Box Car Race funding request update
Jacquelyn Vorndran and Jacob Rutz addressed the board. WHUP radio station has agreed to be a supporter of
the event to act as the fiscal agent for this event and also to do radio broadcasts and interviews with racers or
organizers. The wording “soap box derby” is copyrighted. “Soap box car race” is the wording the organizers
plan to use.
There was a suggestion to meet at a business for a pre-race meeting to help draw people to businesses.
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The organizers said they would charge $20 for the T-shirts and a $10 entry fee. Last year, neighbors
contributed $320 to cover event insurance and an engineering firm sponsored the children’s activity.
Board discussions including a reluctance to fully finance the tshirts as those would be revenue generating.
Motion: Maupin moved to allocate $2,038.67 from the special projects/partnerships fund for the 2019
Nash Dash. Tesoro seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Board members indicated that they would like to see a full budget from organizers that includes projected
revenues at the April meeting.
5. Discussion items and monthly reports
A. Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Director and Programs Report (December)
No oral report was given.
B. Visitors Center Communications Report (December)
No oral report was given.
C. Tourism Board Staff Report (December) and Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Updates
No oral report was given.
D. Tourism Board Member Comments and Updates
1. Grant applications accepted until 5 p.m. March 15
2. Tourism Board scoring will take place April 8 to 26.
3. Board members said all three contract presentations included increases in funding staff without
explaining how those increases would increase tourism. They’d like to have some explanations from the
organizations at upcoming meetings as contracts are discussed further.
4. The April meeting was moved to 5:45 p.m. April 8.
Motion: Maupin moved for the meeting to start at 5:45 p.m. April 8. Hupp seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
7. Adjournment
Motion: McKee adjourned the meeting at 8:15 p.m.
Vote: Unanimous