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Tourism Board Regular Meeting

Town of Hillsborough · Tourism Board
Monday, April 6, 2026 at 5:30 pm

Regular meeting Budget and appropriationsContracts and procurementAppointments and personnelArts and public artSchools and education

Agenda document Full packet Minutes Meeting page Watch Meeting recap

What's on this agenda

The Tourism Board will hear funding-request presentations from five local organizations seeking a share of its contract/scope-of-work funding for the coming year: the Alliance's Hillsborough Visitors Center ($271,922), the Hillsborough Arts Council ($75,000), the Orange County Museum ($59,500), the Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce for its parade and tree lighting ($14,600), and the Burwell School. The board will also elect a vice chair and continue working on its draft budget for fiscal year 2027.

Routine business includes approving minutes from the March 2 meeting and hearing monthly updates from Tourism staff, the Visitors Center, and the Orange County Visitors Bureau.

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 Tourism Board heard funding requests from five contract partners for FY 2027 but voted on none of them. The Alliance's Hillsborough Visitors Center asked for $271,922. The Hillsborough Arts Council asked for $75,000, including $5,000 for a 2027 puppet parade. The Orange County Museum asked for $59,500 and the Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce asked for $14,600, both flat from last year. Burwell School Historic Site had not filed a formal request; its representative said the ask would come to $85,000, up from last year, citing two failed HVAC units and a canceled fundraising gala.

The board added two items to the agenda. It voted 7-0, with member Meaghun Darab abstaining as PORCH Hillsborough's executive director, to give the group $500 toward a May 2 downtown scavenger-hunt fundraiser. It appointed Eryk Pruitt vice chair, 8-0, and continued work on its FY 2027 budget. Chair Victoria Pace said a roughly $92,000 draw on the fund balance in one year concerned her against flat meals and beverage tax collections, and members discussed cutting discretionary special-projects funding -- estimated at $40,000 to $65,000 -- before asking contract partners to reduce their requests.

How the votes went

Agenda approved as amended, 8-0. March 2 minutes approved, 8-0. PORCH Hillsborough funding request approved, 7-0, with Meaghun Darab abstaining. Eryk Pruitt appointed vice chair, 8-0.

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 (12)

Presentation · 5Procedural · 3Minutes approval · 1Appointment · 1Discussion item · 1Staff or committee report · 1
  1. 1 Call to order and confirmation of quorum
    Procedural
  2. 2 Agenda changes and approval
    Procedural
  3. 3 Minutes
    Minutes approval
    Approval of minutes from the March 2, 2026 meeting.
  4. 4.A Contract Scope of Work: Alliance - Visitors Center
    Presentation Budget and appropriationsContracts and procurement
    The Alliance presents its proposed scope of work for operating the Visitors Center, requesting $271,922.
  5. 4.B Contract Scope of Work: Hillsborough Arts Council
    Presentation Arts and public artBudget and appropriationsContracts and procurement
    The Hillsborough Arts Council presents its proposed scope of work, requesting $75,000.
  6. 4.C Contract Scope of Work: OC Museum
    Presentation Budget and appropriationsContracts and procurement
    The Orange County Museum presents its proposed scope of work, requesting $59,500.
  7. 4.D Contract Scope of Work: Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce - Parade & Tree Lighting
    Presentation Budget and appropriationsContracts and procurement
    The Chamber of Commerce presents its proposed scope of work for the town's parade and tree lighting, requesting $14,600.
  8. 4.E Contract Scope of Work: Burwell School
    Presentation Budget and appropriationsContracts and procurementSchools and education
    Burwell School presents its proposed scope of work; requested amount is not listed on the agenda.
  9. 5.A Vice Chair Appointment
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
    The board will select a vice chair.
  10. 5.B Continue to discuss FY 2027 draft budget
    Discussion item Budget and appropriations
    Continued discussion of the board's draft budget for fiscal year 2027.
  11. 6 Monthly Reports and Comments
    Staff or committee report
    Updates from Tourism staff, the Visitors Center, and the Orange County Visitors Bureau, plus board member comments.
  12. 7 Adjournment
    Procedural

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