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Board of Commissioners Work Session

Town of Hillsborough · Board of Commissioners
Monday, August 24, 2026 at 7:00 pm

Work session Housing and affordabilityParks and recreationPolice and public safetyBudget and appropriationsAppointments and personnelCivil rights and nondiscriminationComprehensive planEconomic development incentivesFaith and cultural communitiesHistoric preservationLand conversion and large developmentLitigation and settlementsPublic facilitiesRoads and transportationWater and sewer

Agenda document Full packet Minutes Meeting page Watch Meeting recap

What was decided

  1. Approved 3.AHistoric District Commission - Reappointment of Sara Riek Approved 3-0
  2. Approved 4.ESpecial Event Permit - Historic Hillsborough Half-Marathon and 5K 2026 Both adopted 4-0

Another 2 items passed on the consent agenda, which is a single motion covering routine business. See the list.

Read from the agenda's recorded outcomes. Where the board published minutes, those are the record — this is a pointer to them.

What's on this agenda

Hillsborough's commissioners take a draft affordable housing strategy at their 24 August work session, and demolition ordinances for two houses — 613 Buttonwood Drive and 380 Cornelius Street. Those two are the in-depth items; the rest is a consent agenda.

On consent: budget amendments for the town and for the Tourism Development Authority, four special event permits covering two bike rides, a half-marathon and a ceilidh, the police department's quarterly transparency report, and a water and sewer extension contract for Altera Meadowlands. The board also retires a police dog and transfers his ownership to his handler. Three closed sessions follow, on economic development, a property acquisition and potential litigation.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

The board ordered two vacant houses demolished and got its first look at a draft affordable housing strategy built on some hard numbers.

On the demolitions, planning manager Shannan Campbell said code enforcement started with five deteriorating structures. One on Corbin Street won an extension from the Board of Adjustment and is being worked on, and owners pulled down the houses on Torain Street and at 533 W. King Street themselves. The owners of 613 Buttonwood Drive and 380 Cornelius Street did nothing, so those came to the board. Staff are taking bids, estimate $17,000 for both, and are checking with Orange County building inspections on whether asbestos abatement is needed first.

The housing strategy, drafted with the Central Pines Regional Council and delayed for months by Tropical Storm Chantal, put the pressure in figures. Home values in Hillsborough are up 88 percent over the decade. Households moving into Orange County earn about $19,000 to $20,000 a year more than the ones already here. The town has grown more than 7 percent since 2020, apartment occupancy is above 95 percent, and 79 percent of the housing stock is single-family. Half of renting households spend more than 30 percent of income on housing and a quarter spend more than half. Affording a two-bedroom takes $32.90 an hour against average wages near $29.19 in key occupations, and about nine households compete for each available affordable unit. The framework sets three goals under four pillars, among them a special revenue fund with at least 70 percent reserved for households at or below 80 percent of area median income, a recalibrated fee-in-lieu formula, and a dedicated staff position in three to five years.

Commissioners asked about strengthening the local housing code beyond the county's, and questioned whether staff have the capacity to carry any of it. The assistant town manager said the community services reorganization was meant partly to free capacity and that the town will lean on partnerships and contracts rather than build a housing department. Central Pines will finalize the draft, staff will write a plain-language summary and a public survey, and the board expects to adopt it within a few months. On consent the board approved the retirement of police dog Jett and his transfer to Cpl. Juan Duran, four special event permits, the police department's quarterly transparency report and a water and sewer extension contract for Altera Meadowlands.

How the votes went

Every vote carried unanimously. The agenda, the reappointment of Sara Riek to the Historic District Commission and the whole consent agenda each passed 3-0 with four members present. Commissioner Matt Hughes arrived at 7:04 p.m., after which both demolition ordinances for 613 Buttonwood Drive and 380 Cornelius Street passed 4-0 on a motion by Robb English seconded by Kathleen Ferguson. Entry into and return from closed session, and adjournment, were each 4-0. Commissioner Evelyn Lloyd was absent.

From the published minutes.

Speaking at this meeting

Town of Hillsborough's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Jump to an item (14 on this agenda)
  1. 3.AHistoric District Commission - Reappointment of Sara Riek
  2. 4.AMiscellaneous budget amendments and transfers
  3. 4.BTourism Development Authority Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Amendments
  4. 4.CProclamation - Women's Equality Day 2026
  5. 4.DSale and Indemnity agreement - retirement of Canine Officer Jett
  6. 4.ESpecial Event Permit - Historic Hillsborough Half-Marathon and 5K 2026
  7. 4.FSpecial Event Permit - Cycle North Carolina Mountains to Coast Ride
  8. 4.GSpecial Event Permit - Carolina Tarwheels Bikefest 2026
  9. 4.HSpecial Event Permit - Outlandish Friday Night Ceilidh
  10. 4.IHillsborough Police Department Quarterly Transparency Report
  11. 4.JWater and Sewer Extension Contract for Altera Meadowlands
  12. 5.ADemolition ordinances for 613 Buttonwood Drive and 380 Cornelius Stre…
  13. 5.BReview and Discussion of Draft Affordable Housing Strategy
  14. 7Closed session

Agenda items (14)

Budget action · 2Contract or award · 2Ordinance · 2Discussion item · 2Consent agenda · 2Appointment · 1Proclamation or recognition · 1Staff or committee report · 1Closed session · 1
  1. 3.A Historic District Commission - Reappointment of Sara Riek
    Appointment Appointments and personnelHistoric preservation
    Reappointment of Sara Riek to the Historic District Commission for a three-year term expiring August 31, 2029.
    Approved 3-0
  2. 4.A Miscellaneous budget amendments and transfers
    Budget action Budget and appropriations
    Routine budget amendments and transfers on the consent agenda.
  3. 4.B Tourism Development Authority Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Amendments
    Budget action Budget and appropriations
    Budget amendments for the Tourism Development Authority's fiscal year 2027 budget.
  4. 4.C Proclamation - Women's Equality Day 2026
    Proclamation or recognition Civil rights and nondiscrimination
    Proclamation recognizing Women's Equality Day 2026.
  5. 4.D Sale and Indemnity agreement - retirement of Canine Officer Jett
    Contract or award Police and public safety
    Agreement retiring Police Canine Officer Jett, age 9, and transferring ownership to his handler, Police Cpl. Juan Duran, for $1, releasing the town from further liability.
  6. 4.E Special Event Permit - Historic Hillsborough Half-Marathon and 5K 2026
    Ordinance Housing and affordabilityParks and recreationPolice and public safety
    Special event permit for the Historic Hillsborough Half-Marathon and 5K.
    Both adopted 4-0
    • 613 Buttonwood Dr · no matching parcel on file
    • 380 Cornelius St · no matching parcel on file
  7. 4.F Special Event Permit - Cycle North Carolina Mountains to Coast Ride
    Discussion item Comprehensive planHousing and affordabilityParks and recreationRoads and transportation
    Special event permit for the Cycle North Carolina Mountains to Coast Ride.
    Discussed; Central Pines to finalize the draft
  1. 4.I Hillsborough Police Department Quarterly Transparency Report
    Staff or committee report Police and public safety
    Quarterly transparency report from the Hillsborough Police Department.
  2. 4.J Water and Sewer Extension Contract for Altera Meadowlands
    Contract or award Land conversion and large developmentWater and sewer
    Contract extending water and sewer service to Altera Meadowlands, a new large multifamily development, including town acceptance of about 57 feet of 12-inch water main, 106 feet of 8-inch water main, 721 feet of 8-inch sewer main, and 7 manholes, at a requested capacity of 35,700 gallons per day.
  3. 5.A Demolition ordinances for 613 Buttonwood Drive and 380 Cornelius Street
    Ordinance Housing and affordabilityPublic facilities
    Proposed demolition ordinances for two dilapidated, abandoned structures at 613 Buttonwood Drive and 380 Cornelius Street, after code enforcement notices and hearings failed to get the owners to resolve the properties' condition.
    • 613 Buttonwood Dr · no matching parcel on file
    • 380 Cornelius St · no matching parcel on file
  4. 5.B Review and Discussion of Draft Affordable Housing Strategy
    Discussion item Housing and affordability
    First review of a draft Affordable Housing Strategy prepared with the Central Pines Regional Council, listing 12 recommended strategies for the board to discuss ahead of stakeholder engagement and eventual adoption.
  5. 7 Closed session
    Closed session Economic development incentivesLitigation and settlements
    Closed session to consult with the town attorney on economic development and potential litigation, and to discuss a possible property acquisition.

Agenda changes

What moved between published versions of this agenda. Item numbers shift constantly as things are inserted, so only genuine additions and removals are listed.

Other recent meetings of this board