Orange County NC Website
2 <br /> 1 The Hog Day event typically uses River Park, the David Price Farmers Market Pavilion, and <br /> 2 County owned parking lots. Event information is available at www.hogday.org. Due to the size <br /> 3 of the event, streets surrounding the Board of Elections Building have been closed in the past, <br /> 4 and the Board of Elections parking lot has been used for vendor, band, and staff parking. <br /> 5 County staff notified the Town of Hillsborough of the conflict with early voting on September 27, <br /> 6 and a meeting was held with representatives of the Town, County, and the event on October 1. <br /> 7 Based on this meeting, the event organizers were asked to consider rescheduling the event or <br /> 8 to develop a traffic plan that provides the most access and the least disruption for voters with <br /> 9 the understanding that the Board of Commissioners may need to consider balancing the conflict <br /> 10 between the event and early voting. <br /> 11 <br /> 12 The event organizers do not believe moving the event to a Saturday night and Sunday would be <br /> 13 viable. They provided the following explanations for this position. <br /> 14 <br /> 15 • A large majority of volunteers have other obligations Saturday evening and Sunday. <br /> 16 • The event will have less public participation due to conflicts with church services on <br /> 17 Sunday. <br /> 18 • Arts and craft vendors would be less likely to participate on a Sunday. <br /> 19 • Nonprofit and business vendors promoting their services usually participate in events on <br /> 20 Fridays and Saturdays, not on Sundays. <br /> 21 • Fewer volunteers would be willing to volunteer on a Sunday. <br /> 22 • Rental companies provide discounts or do not charge extra set up fees for items that <br /> 23 are rented on Friday and returned on Saturday evening. <br /> 24 • Local businesses in Hillsborough would lose the positive economic impact associated <br /> 25 with a less successful event. <br /> 26 • The event raises money that is donated back to local children's charities and other <br /> 27 nonprofit/ school programs and services throughout the County. Moving the event would <br /> 28 result in a less successful event and, therefore, fewer donations. <br /> 29 <br /> 30 The organizers also explained that the event could not be rescheduled to another weekend and <br /> 31 still remain within the calendar year due to other conflicts. <br /> 32 <br /> 33 As an alternative to rescheduling, the event organizers have offered an access management <br /> 34 plan that would provide access to the Board of Elections building. A map of this plan is included <br /> 35 as Attachment A. The plan would direct traffic to King Street through the use of signage and <br /> 36 non-uniformed personnel at each intersection to access South Cameron Street and the Board <br /> 37 of Elections Office. This plan also moves all event parking out of the Board of Elections Parking <br /> 38 Lot and onto the grounds of Cameron Park Elementary to open the parking lot to voters. <br /> 39 <br /> 40 FINANCIAL IMPACT: Permit fees associated with the event are under $200. The County has <br /> 41 not completed an economic impact statement on the sales tax generated by the event or other <br /> 42 economic benefits to the hospitality industry in the County. <br /> 43 <br /> 44 The Manager recommends the Board consider and take action on a request to use River Park, <br /> 45 the David Price Farmers Market Pavilion, and other County property for Hog Day 2018 on <br /> 46 November 3, 2018, which is the last day of early voting in Orange County. <br /> 47 <br /> 48 Travis Myren made the following PowerPoint presentation: <br /> 49 <br />