HomeMy Public PortalAbout08-02-2021 Minutes Tourism Board Regular Meeting
101 E. Orange St., PO Box 429, Hillsborough, NC 27278
www.hillsboroughnc.gov | @HillsboroughGov
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Minutes
Hillsborough Tourism Board
Remote regular meeting
5:30 p.m. Aug. 2, 2021
Virtual meeting via YouTube Live
Town of Hillsborough YouTube channel
Present: Chair Matt Hughes, Mark Bateman, Barry Hupp,
Tommy Stann, and Cathleen Turner
Absent: Vice Chair Kim Tesoro, Barney Caton and Nic Beery
Staff: Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell
1. Call to order
Chair and Commissioner Matt Hughes called the meeting to order at 5:36 p.m. with five members present.
2. Agenda changes and approval
No changes.
Motion: Member Cathleen Turner moved to approve the agenda as presented. Member Tommy Stann
seconded.
Vote: 5-0. Ayes: Members Mark Bateman, Hughes, Barry Hupp, Stann and Turner. Nays: None.
3. Minutes review and approval
Minutes from regular meeting on June 7, 2021
Motion: Bateman moved to approve the minutes as presented. Turner seconded.
Vote: 5-0. Ayes: Bateman, Hughes, Hupp, Stann and Turner. Nays: None.
4. Presentations
A. Contract partner quarterly reports
1. Alliance for Historic Hillsborough (Visitors Center)
Sarah Sandbeck, executive director of the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough which runs the Visitors Center,
addressed the board. She noted the summary on the slides was in the agenda packet. She noted the Lunch
and Learn events held in collaboration with the Burwell School took place virtually, attracted attendees from
out of state and were successful. She also noted the Visitors Center had added five sites of African American
significance to the walking tours. Also, the Visitors Center is not fully reopening in September as planned due
to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
2. Burwell School
Brooks Graebner, chair of the Historic Hillsborough Commission which owns and operates the Burwell School
Historic Site, addressed the board.
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Graebner said the Burwell School has returned to in-person programming including hosting an outdoor poetry
reading in April and an heirloom tomato picnic and tasting in July. The site has been fully re-opened to the
public. There are new volunteers, new grant funding and new rack cards on site, at the Visitors Center and at
other venues.
Graebner noted there was a restructured agreement with the alliance that has been in place for a month.
Burwell employees are Burwell employees and not employees of the alliance. A new site manager – Amanda
Boyd – will start Aug. 16.
Graebner added that the Internal Revenue Service has notified the Burwell School that it has lost its tax
exemption status, likely due to the inappropriate financial actions of the former director. He will provide an
update when he has more information. Meanwhile, the commission’s board is working on getting the
exempted status reinstated.
3. Hillsborough Arts Council
Josh Collins, vice chair of the council’s board, addressed the Tourism Board. He reported that Molly Thomas
(former gallery and gift shop manager) has been promoted to executive director. The council has also hired a
person to fill the position of marketing director and acting program coordinator. The council will be hiring a
gallery and gift shop manager. Collins noted that more than two dozen businesses are involved in Last Fridays
events.
4. Orange County Historical Museum
Tonya Brami, secretary of the museum’s board, addressed the Tourism Board. She reported the museum has
completed a collections inventory and refreshed exhibits. She said people were visiting the museum from out
of state.
After noting collaboration with the other contract partners, the board expressed appreciation for the
collaboration.
Bateman excused himself from the meeting indicating that he had something come up.
5. Monthly reports and comments
A. Tourism staff report and Orange County Visitors Bureau updates
Campbell said she did not have food and beverage tax revenues to report due to short staffing in the finance
department. The new finance director was working on getting the numbers to her.
Campbell noted:
• The current advertising message for Visit Hillsborough was “The Getaway You’ve Been Waiting For.”
• The Orange County Visitors Bureau hasn’t met.
• The WRAL ads went well and had good metrics. She and Sandbeck are pursuing future options.
Sandbeck added that the decision on when to fully reopen the Visitors Center would be revisited monthly.
B. Board comments and updates
There was discussion about the difficulty restauranteurs are having in attracting workers.
6. Adjournment
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Motion: Hupp moved to adjourn at 6:48 p.m. Turner seconded.
Vote: 4-0. Ayes: Hughes, Hupp, Stann and Turner.
Respectfully submitted,
Shannan Campbell
Economic Development Planner
Staff support to the Hillsborough Tourism Board
Approved: October 4, 2021