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Board of Commissioners Fiscal Year 2027-29 Budget Retreat

Town of Hillsborough · Board of Commissioners
Monday, February 23, 2026 at 7:00 pm

Retreat or planning session Budget and appropriationsGrants and outside fundingWater and sewerAppointments and personnelBonds and debtFees and utility ratesHousing and affordabilityRoads and transportationStormwater and flooding

Agenda document Full packet Minutes Meeting page Watch Meeting recap

What's on this agenda

This is the board's FY 2027-29 budget retreat. Consent items include a capital project amendment for the Elizabeth Brady Road culvert replacement and a USDA-RD loan obligation for water treatment plant disinfection system improvements. The board also reappoints two Tourism Board members.

The bulk of the retreat is in-depth discussion: a funding request for CASA's Cedar Village affordable-housing project, a review of water and sewer rate structure, a strategic plan mid-year update, and continued review of the town's nonprofit funding process.

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 of Commissioners held its FY 2027-29 budget retreat Feb. 23. Mayor Mark Bell and commissioners Meaghun Darab, Robb English, Kathleen Ferguson and Matt Hughes attended; Commissioner Evelyn Lloyd was absent. The board amended the agenda to correct the Tourism Board reappointment item and add a special event permit for the Fast and the Furriest 5K. It then reappointed Victoria Pace and Meaghun Darab to the Tourism Board and approved the four-item consent agenda. That agenda included authorization to apply for a $1 million USDA-RD obligation toward a $1.97 million disinfection system at the water treatment plant, and a budget amendment raising the Elizabeth Brady Road culvert replacement to $195,000. Every recorded vote was 4-0.

The board committed $100,000 a year for three years to CASA's Cedar Village project, which would put 72 affordable units on a 4.38-acre parcel transferred to CASA under the Collins Ridge development approval. CASA's Cornelis Verkerk said tax-credit equity pricing had dropped and the unit count had already fallen from 88 to 72 over parking requirements. Commissioners also heard a consultant's presentation on alternative water and sewer rate structures without adopting one, and a mid-year update on the strategic plan. They reviewed board-staff communication protocols and adopted a revised nonprofit funding policy that adds priority language for organizations serving the town's most vulnerable applicants.

How the votes went

Five recorded votes, all 4-0 with no dissents and Commissioner Evelyn Lloyd absent throughout: approval of the amended agenda; reappointment of Victoria Pace and Meaghun Darab to the Tourism Board; the four-item consent agenda, including the added special event permit for the Fast and the Furriest 5K; $100,000 a year for three years to CASA for the Cedar Village project; and adoption of the revised Nonprofit Partnership Funding policy.

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.

Agenda items (10)

Discussion item · 4Consent agenda · 3Staff or committee report · 2Appointment · 1
  1. 3.A Tourism Board Reappointment
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
    Reappoint Victoria Pace and Meaghun Darab to the Tourism Board for terms expiring January 31, 2027.
  1. 5.A CASA Cedar Village Project Funding Request
    Discussion item Grants and outside fundingHousing and affordability
    Request for town funding to support CASA's Cedar Village affordable-housing project.
  2. 5.B Water and Sewer Rate Structure Discussion
    Discussion item Fees and utility ratesWater and sewer
    Board discusses the town's water and sewer rate structure.
  3. 5.C Strategic Plan Mid-Year Update
    Staff or committee report
    Staff update on progress against the town's strategic plan at the midpoint of the year.
  4. 5.D Working Together (Board & Staff) Annual Review
    Discussion item
    Annual review of guides for board/staff requests, direction, lines of succession, and communications process.
  5. 5.E Nonprofit Funding Process Review Continued
    Discussion item Grants and outside funding
    Continued review of the town's process for funding nonprofit organizations.
  6. 6 Committee updates and reports
    Staff or committee report
    Routine committee updates and reports from board members.

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