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Chair Jacobs asked if there was any contemplation of a Wednesday market and Fletcher <br /> Barber said not at this time because of the construction. <br /> Chair Jacobs said that he is opposed to the rule of no pets. He suggested adding to the <br /> charge a fourth item, which is to make periodic suggestions throughout this first year regarding <br /> adjustments and improvements to the Public Market House vendor rules. Commissioner <br /> Gordon said that is already in there, and she read it. Commissioner Foushee agreed. Chair <br /> Jacobs said that he would leave it as is. <br /> Chair Jacobs suggested calling it Orange County Farmers' Market and direct staff to <br /> apply for this grant. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Carey to <br /> approve creating the Public Market House Interim Oversight Committee, approve the Public <br /> Market House Market Manager responsibilities and market vendor rules and to set a daily fee of <br /> $10 for the 2008 season for market vendors, with the changes as suggested by Commissioner <br /> Gordon and Chair Jacobs (preference for Orange County residents, directing staff to apply for <br /> the grant, and changing of name to Orange County Farmers' Market). <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> d. Resolution in Support of the Orange County Visitors Bureau Request for <br /> 1% Occupancy Tax Increase <br /> The Board considered a resolution based on a request from the Chapel Hill/Orange <br /> County Visitors Bureau Board that the Orange County Board of Commissioners increase the <br /> County's hotel occupancy tax by 1%, from 2% to 3%, as authorized in Senate Bill 622 of the <br /> 1991 Session laws. <br /> Laurie Palocelli, Director of the Chapel Hill-Orange County Visitor's Bureau, said that <br /> she is representing staff, the advisory board, and the hotel industry at-large, which has <br /> communicated to the Board the desire for a tax increase. She gave background on this tax. <br /> She pointed out that this is a tax that is paid by a visitor to Orange County when they stay at a <br /> hotel. The taxpayers of Orange County do not pay it. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to <br /> approve a resolution based on a request from the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau <br /> Board that the Orange County Board of Commissioners increase the County's hotel occupancy <br /> tax by 1%, from 2%to 3%, as authorized in Senate Bill 622 of the 1991 Session laws. <br /> RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF INCREASING THE ORANGE COUNTY HOTEL <br /> OCCUPANCY TAX <br /> WHEREAS, tourism is the number one industry in the southeast and the second largest industry <br /> in the state of North Carolina; and <br /> WHEREAS, according to NC Department of Commerce, tourism revenue in our county has <br /> increased from $67 million in 1992 to $137 million in 2006; and <br /> WHEREAS, a National Chamber of Commerce study compared the relationship between 100 <br /> manufacturing jobs to a community and 100 tourists and found that tourism produces significant <br /> revenues and is a clean industry because it requires little infrastructure, water or sewer and is a <br /> clean, non-polluting, non-consumptive industry; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Orange County region has seen a steady increase in hotels and now is home <br /> to more than 1,400 hotel rooms; 60,000 square feet of meeting space; 300 restaurants and 21 <br /> sightseeing venues and points of interest; and <br />