Minutes 01-29-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

paying the tax. He said that over the next year or so there will be discussion as to what those dollars are used for. The money is not now pledged to tourism efforts but it will be discussed in future. Frank Clifton said the county created this county-wide advisory board and Chapel Hill does not have an advisory board for this part of the general fund and relies on a contract basis with the county operation. Under the new legislation, an independent board must be established with specific membership criteria. He said that Hillsborough and Carrboro are currently pursuing those boards. Dave Gephart said Hillsborough PDA has just been appointed. Estimated annual taxes they should receive will be around $55,000.00. Carrboro is in the process of appointing their people and will be in that same ballpark. He said there will be coordination to make sure all of the boards work well together. Commissioner McKee noted that there is a small urban area of the county in Mebane and asked if they are being reached out to. Dave Gephart said a Mebane board member had attended their meetings in the past and reminded them each time that the group was not familiar with Mebane. Dave Gephart said their meetings are at a different location each month, to give their members an opportunity to see the different areas of the county. Laurie Paolicelli said they do not promote Mebane as much as they could. She noted that there are several staff members that live in Mebane and those members make sure the B&B's, restaurants, and parks are listed in maps and materials. Commissioner McKee said he just wanted to make sure they were aware of Mebane is fast growing and is expanding into Orange County, so it will become more of a factor. Commissioner Price said Hillsborough does have a Tourism Board. Dave Gephart said they get funding from the 1% food tax and this board gives grants with 60% of the funding and the other 40% to run the Visitor's Center and Alliance for Historic Hillsborough. Laurie Paolicelli said that Hillsborough has an Alliance for Historic Hillsborough that grants tourism funds, but they now have an occupancy tax that will generate approximately $70,000 annually. She noted that one of the issues the board is struggling with is that as Hillsborough asks the Orange County/Chapel Hill VB for more funding, they are now getting occupancy tax and that could be a dilemma. Commissioner Rich asked, looking toward 2013, a 170 million dollar impact and 1900 jobs that may come this way, does that include jobs that people are currently in or is it a whole of 1900 jobs. Laurie Paolicelli said this number is a whole of 1900 and is growing from where we are now. She said they are seeing growth in the right direction and she said there are a lot of development properties that want to include a hotel and they are getting financing. That indicates that banks are seeing a success story in Orange County in tourism. Most tourism jobs cannot be outsourced. Commissioner Rich asked if the findings indicate that the economy is turning around and there is more growth and tourism. Laurie Paolicelli said yes. Dave Gephart mentioned the train station, the need for a hotel there and the new hotel in Carrboro. Chair Jacobs noted that there will be a session on Agri-Tourism presented by Laurie Paolicelli at the Ag Summit. He also mentioned that in his meeting with local Mayors, he brought up the issue and all Mayors were receptive to discussion of sharing the new funding. Frank Clifton praised Ms. Paolicelli and her staff for their accommodation of new economic development clients.