HomeMy Public PortalAbout12-02-2019 Minutes Tourism Board Regular MeetingPage 1 of 3
Minutes
Tourism Board
6:15 p.m. Dec. 2, 2019
Town Hall Annex Board Meeting Room, 105 E. Corbin St.
Present: Chair Matt Hughes, Barry Hupp, Billy Maupin, Tommy Stann, Jeff Strickler and Kim Tesoro
Staff: Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell and Public Information Specialist Cheryl
Sadgrove
Guests: Barney Caton and Sarah Parris
1. Call to order
Chair Matt Hughes called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell
confirmed the presence of a quorum.
2. Agenda changes and approval
There were no changes to the agenda.
Motion: Member Jeff Strickler moved to approve the agenda as presented. Member Billy Maupin
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
3. Minutes review and approval
Minutes from regular meeting on Nov. 4, 2019.
Motion: Strickler moved approval of the minutes as presented. Maupin seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
4. Action items
A. Interview applicants for the at-large seat and discuss possibilities for restaurant seat
Barney Caton introduced himself to the board. He has lived in Hillsborough since 2002. He started Haunted
Hillsborough tours three years ago. He is planning a new tour that will inform visitors about the 16 historical
markers along Churton Street from the bridge to the Burwell School Historic Site. He is interested in serving on
the Tourism Board because he likes to volunteer and he thinks there is untapped potential to attract more
tourists to Hillsborough.
Hughes asked what Caton likes to do in town, other than lead his ghost tours. Caton said he runs the Riverwalk
and he eats out frequently.
B. Adopt 2020 meeting calendar schedule
Hughes pointed out Labor Day is Sept. 7 and suggested moving the September meeting to Sept. 8. Member
Kim Tesoro requested for meetings to start at 6 or 6:30 p.m. instead of 6:15 p.m. Hughes suggested 5:30 p.m.
Motion: Member Billy Hupp moved approval of the 2020 calendar with a 5:30 p.m. start time and with the
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September meeting taking place on Sept. 8. Maupin seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
C. Special projects /partnership request funding request: Historic Architecture Book Project
Executive Director of the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Sarah Parris, shared three books from other
counties that are similar to the Hillsborough/Orange County book project. She explained the book will cover
250 sites in Hillsborough and rural Orange County. She is asking the Tourism Board for $4,700. The Chapel
Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau has contributed $4,900, and the Alliance has contributed $25,000. There
has also been a private donation of $5,000. Parris said the rest of the money would be raised through
fundraising, specifically by asking individuals for donations. A total of $100,000 is needed for design and
printing the first run. Future print runs will be funded by revenue from the sale of the book.
Parris said the book will likely sell for around $50. It will be sold at the Visitors Center and online, and it could
be sold at other locations, too. In North Carolina, 80 counties have a book like this.
Board members asked Parris to come back with more specifics, potentially as a grant proposal, including:
• Project goals.
• Timeline for publishing the book.
• Size of the first print run.
• How the book would draw tourists.
• Who would publish the book.
• Whether the publisher would make any distribution efforts.
• The financial success of such books in other counties
There was a suggestion to seek financial support from the State Historic Preservation Office. There was some
concern that the book does not focus on Hillsborough alone and should include Chapel Hill and Carrboro
partners depending on the sites to be featured. There was some question of whether a visitor would buy such
a large book at the Visitors Center before walking around town or whether a visitor would return to the
Visitors Center after touring the town. Parris said books sell well at the Visitors Center.
It was noted that the Tourism Board has spent money in past years for projects that indirectly attract visitors to
Hillsborough. One example is the Riverwalk ‘A Sight to Behold’ stickwork sculpture. Another is the art project
using wood from the fallen Calvin Street Tree. Hughes said such projects have intrinsic value as place-making
projects.
There was discussion that the Alliance could ask for up to $10,000 from the Tourism Board through the grant
process which would help the project get to its fundraising goal faster. It was decided that Parris will apply for
a Tourism Board grant with a more thorough plan.
D. Vice chair appointment
Hughes said Tesoro is willing to serve as vice chair.
Motion: Hupp nominated Tesoro as vice chair. Strickler seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
E. At-large appointment
Board said Caton offers the most experience and has a unique perspective as having started a tourism based
business in the last few years.
Motion: Maupin moved to recommend that Caton be appointed to the Tourism Board. Strickler seconded.
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Vote: Unanimous
5. Discussion items
A. Review scope of work/request for proposals for Fiscal Year 2021 Hillsborough Visitors Center operations
Campbell said Visitors Center operations will have the same type of contract as the Tourism Board has with the
Burwell School, Hillsborough Arts Council and Orange County Historical Museum.
Campbell suggested changing the contract requirement for the Alliance, which operates the Visitors Center,
from monthly reports to quarterly.
Parris said she prepares a monthly report for her board, so she doesn’t mind presenting monthly. She also
indicated that she would still want to come to this meeting if she was not asked to give a monthly report.
Campbell said one change in the contract for the Visitors Center operations is the Alliance will pay to put on
their tours and will keep then keep the revenue from the tours.
The board suggested moving all contract partners to quarterly reports and then staggering quarterly reports
from contract partners rather than having them all in the same meeting. The board also discussed having a
standard format matching the contract scope of work document whereby quarterly reports are created for
FY21.
Motion: Tesoro moved to have a standard template for a quarterly report in FY21. Maupin seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
6. Monthly reports and comments
A. Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Director and Programs Report; Visitors Center Communications Report;
Tourism Board Staff Report and Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau updates
These written reports were included in the agenda packet. Parris and Campbell read some of the highlights
from the written reports.
B. Tourism Board member comments and updates
There were no further comments.
7. Adjournment
Motion: Hughes adjourned the meeting at 7:25 p.m.
Vote: Unanimous