HomeMy Public PortalAbout06-03-2019 Minutes Tourism Board Regular MeetingPage 1 of 3
Approved Minutes
Tourism Board
6:15 p.m. June 3, 2019
Town Hall Annex Board Meeting Room, 105 E. Corbin St.
Present: Chair Mary Catherine McKee, Matt Hughes, Barry Hupp, Billy Maupin, Tommy Stann, Jeff Strickler
and Kim Tesoro
Absent: Mark Bateman
Staff: Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell and Public Information Specialist Cheryl
Sadgrove
Guests: Sarah DeGennaro (Alliance for Historic Hillsborough), Torey Mishoe (Hillsborough Arts Council),
Ronda Tucker (Burwell School)
1. Call to order
Chair Mary Catherine McKee called the meeting to order at 6:17 p.m. Economic Development Planner Shannan
Campbell confirmed the presence of a quorum.
2. Agenda changes and approval
The agenda stood as presented.
3. Minutes review and approval
Minutes from regular meetings on May 6, 2019
Motion: Member Barry Hupp moved approval of both sets of minutes. Commissioner Matt Hughes
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
4. Action items
A. Public Hearing: FY20 Budget adoption
McKee opened the public hearing. No one in the audience wished to comment.
Campbell asked if anyone had questions. Sarah DeGennaro, executive director of the Alliance for Historic
Hillsborough, asked for the planned locations of the new kiosks. Campbell answered that one would be installed
at the Calvin Street entrance to the Riverwalk greenway and another at the Hillsborough Visitors Center grounds,
but those locations were tentative following additional approvals. McKee asked to close the public hearing.
Motion: Hupp moved to close the public hearing. Tesoro seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Motion: Member Jeff Strickler moved to adopt the budget for Fiscal Year 2020. Hupp seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
B. Third quarter reports from contract partners
1. Hillsborough Arts Council
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Executive Director Torey Mishoe reported there are three finalists for the public art project involving the large
tree that fell on Calvin Street. She said a finalist would be chosen by the end of June. Mishoe noted that the Last
Fridays event in April was rained out. At the event in May, the band played for a while before it rained. She
reported that the Historic District Commission was able to make its Preservation Award presentations before the
rain. She noted more vendors requested spaces at the May Last Fridays than ever before and some had to be
turned away. She said the budget is on pace for the year except that there was more money to spend on
advertising and some extra funding for staff due to lapses in paid advertising and staff earlier in the budget year.
She said the June band for Last Fridays was popular. Mishoe also reported that the council had received some
survey results from Last Fridays Art Walk participants that she would share. She said January and February were
slow months. Three out of the six galleries that participated in the survey reported an increase in visitors at the
Art Walk events.
2. Orange County Historical Museum
Campbell said that the museum’s executive director was unable to attend this evening due to an unforeseen
circumstance. The board decided to request Stephanie Pryor give her presentation at the next meeting.
Motion: Member Billy Maupin moved to table this report presentation. Hupp seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
3. Burwell School Historic Site
Ronda Tucker, director of the Burwell School Historic Site, addressed the board. She reported that the site had
enjoyed a strong quarter with an event almost every weekend and several more each week. She reported that
more volunteer docents were receiving training to increase staff inexpensively.
Tucker called attention to a few highlights from her written report.
C. Budget amendment for News of Orange legal advertisement
Campbell explained that the cost of a legal advertisement has increased by $30. The budget amendment would
move $30 moved from the miscellaneous line item to the advertising line item so that there would be a total of
$105 in advertising for legal ads.
Motion: Maupin motioned to move the $30 from Miscellaneous to Adverstising. McKee seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
5. Discussion items
None.
6. Monthly reports and comments
A. Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Director and Programs Report (April)
DeGennaro reported that staff spent April planning for May events. Staff and others working on the Occaneechi
Village replica had also been discussing next steps in building the replica and how to care for it once it is built. She
reported that those working on the replica project made a trip to Natural Bridge, Virginia, to look at the Monacan
Indian Village replica there. She explained that three additional huts and interpretive signs are part of the plans
for the replica.
DeGennaro reported that the Visitors Center would be paying for advertising in the Triad.
B. Visitors Center Communications Report (April)
Campbell reported that Facebook, Instagram and Twitter followings increased in April and that Pinterest numbers
stayed the same. She reviewed some of the recent advertising done digitally and on social media.
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Campbell also reported that the spring newsletter was released, VisitHillsboroughNC.com page views have
dropped a little, and sales at the gift shop have been consistent. She noted that the Tourism Development
Authority recently purchased some displays to hold Hillsborough brochures at Sportsplex and Holiday Inn Express.
She also said that the prepared food and beverage tax decreased in February compared with last year. She
attributed the drop to restaurants closing and moving.
C. Tourism Board Staff Report (April) and Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau updates
Campbell went through highlights.
D. Tourism Board member comments and updates
There was a discussion about what information to include in future agenda packets for contracted organizations
quarterly reports. Campbell took note of members’ preferences which included not having to have quarterly
reports in advance.
There was brief discussion about canceling the July 1, 2019, meeting.
Motion: Hughes moved to cancel the July meeting. Maupin seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
7. Adjournment
Motion: McKee adjourned the meeting at 7:01 p.m.
Vote: Unanimous