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Tourism Development Authority Regular Meeting

Town of Hillsborough · Tourism Development Authority
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 5:30 pm

Regular meeting Grants and outside fundingAppointments and personnelArts and public artSchools and education

Agenda document Full packet Minutes Meeting page Watch Meeting recap

What's on this agenda

The Tourism Development Authority's agenda takes up three special-event funding requests: a $12,500 match for the town's Fourth of July 250th-anniversary event, a $10,000 sponsorship for the Riverpark Concert and a $2,000 grant for a new Moorefields Jazz Festival. The board also reviews a draft FY 2027 budget and hears a monthly occupancy tax report.

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 authority approved all three funding requests 2-0, authorizing budget amendments from its special projects and partnerships line item if needed. It committed $12,500 toward the town's Fourth of July event marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, matching the town's own $25,000 commitment; Assistant Town Manager Matt Efird said the event will be free to attend and coordinated with the Orange County Arts Commission. It gave $10,000 to the Riverpark Concert, whose organizer David Hays reported the October 24 headliner is already booked and that last year's sponsorship helped generate more than 40 hotel bookings. It also gave $2,000 to a new spring jazz festival at Moorefields, proposed by Executive Director Cecily Nisbet and Danielle Rose of WHUP, capped at 750 attendees.

Staff presented a draft FY 2027 budget similar to the current year's, including $30,000 to explore a performing arts center and continued funding for holiday decorations and downtown kiosk signs; a proposed $36,000 Riverwalk entrance shelter drew questions from Chair Meaghun Darab about cost. Staff reported occupancy tax revenue is down this year but within typical month-to-month swings, with a full year expected to land between fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025 levels. Only two of the authority's seats were filled at the meeting, Darab and Member Victoria Pace; the board noted a vacant third seat.

How the votes went

All motions, including the three funding requests, passed 2-0 with only Chair Meaghun Darab and Member Victoria Pace seated.

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 (6)

Discussion item · 2Minutes approval · 1Budget action · 1Presentation · 1Appointment · 1
  1. 3 Minutes
    Minutes approval
    Approve minutes from the January 5, 2026 meeting.
  2. 4.A Town of Hillsborough A250 Event Partnership
    Budget action Grants and outside funding
    Event funding request for $12,500 under the Town's A250 Event Partnership program.
  3. 5 Contract Partner Quarterly Updates & Bi-Annual Reports
    Presentation Arts and public artGrants and outside fundingSchools and education
    Quarterly and bi-annual updates from tourism contract partners: Hillsborough Arts Council, the Alliance (Visitors Center), Burwell School, and Orange County Museum.
  4. 6.A Chair and Vice Chair Appointment(s)
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
    Board fills its chair and vice-chair seats.
  5. 6.B Draft grant schedule for FY 2027 awards
    Discussion item Grants and outside funding
    Review and comment on a draft grant schedule, running spring 2026, for FY 2027 tourism grant awards.
  6. 6.C Contract Scopes of Work, FY 2027
    Discussion item Grants and outside funding
    Review and comment on contract scopes of work and scope-of-work responses for FY 2027 contract partners.

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