Agenda - 03-19-2013 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 1 established with specific membership criteria. He said that Hillsborough and Carrboro are 2 currently pursuing those boards. 3 Dave Gephart said Hillsborough PDA has just been appointed. Estimated annual taxes 4 they should receive will be around $55,000.00. Carrboro is in the process of appointing their 5 people and will be in that same ballpark. He said there will be coordination to make sure all of 6 the boards work well together. 7 Commissioner McKee noted that there is a small urban area of the county in Mebane 8 and asked if they are being reached out to. 9 Dave Gephart said a Mebane board member had attended their meetings in the past 10 and reminded them each time that the group was not familiar with Mebane. Dave Gephart said 11 their meetings are at a different location each month, to give their members an opportunity to 12 see the different areas of the county. 13 Laurie Paolicelli said they do not promote Mebane as much as they could. She noted 14 that there are several staff members that live in Mebane and those members make sure the 15 B&B's, restaurants, and parks are listed in maps and materials. 16 Commissioner McKee said he just wanted to make sure they were aware of Mebane is 17 fast growing and is expanding into Orange County, so it will become more of a factor. 18 Commissioner Price said Hillsborough does have a Tourism Board. 19 Dave Gephart said they get funding from the 1% food tax and this board gives grants 20 with 60% of the funding and the other 40% to run the Visitor's Center and Alliance for Historic 21 Hillsborough. 22 Laurie Paolicelli said that Hillsborough has an Alliance for Historic Hillsborough that 23 grants tourism funds, but they now have an occupancy tax that will generate approximately 24 $70,000 annually. She noted that one of the issues the board is struggling with is that as 25 Hillsborough asks the Orange County/Chapel Hill VB for more funding, they are now getting 26 occupancy tax and that could be a dilemma. 27 Commissioner Rich asked, looking toward 2013, a 170 million dollar impact and 1900 28 jobs that may come this way, does that include jobs that people are currently in or is it a whole 29 of 1900 jobs. 30 Laurie Paolicelli said this number is a whole of 1900 and is growing from where we are 31 now. She said they are seeing growth in the right direction and she said there are a lot of 32 development properties that want to include a hotel and they are getting financing. That 33 indicates that banks are seeing a success story in Orange County in tourism. Most tourism jobs 34 cannot be outsourced. 35 Commissioner Rich asked if the findings indicate that the economy is turning around 36 and there is more growth and tourism. Laurie Paolicelli said yes. Dave Gephart mentioned the 37 train station, the need for a hotel there and the new hotel in Carrboro. 38 Chair Jacobs noted that there will be a session on Agri-Tourism presented by Laurie 39 Paolicelli at the Ag Summit. He also mentioned that in his meeting with local Mayors, he 40 brought up the issue and all Mayors were receptive to discussion of sharing the new funding. 41 Frank Clifton praised Ms. Paolicelli and her staff for their accommodation of new 42 economic development clients. 43 44 45 Commission for the Environment— David Neal , Chair—and Dave Stancil, Staff 46 47 David Neal noted that Dave Stancil was handing out a proposal for a renewable energy 48 work group, which was a direct response to a request from the County Commissioners from last 49 summer. David Neal said the commission will continue to perform traditional functions and 50 conservation related environmental work, reviewing proposals to the county as they might affect