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Home My WebLink AboutTDA Board Meeting March 28 2012 NEW HANOVER COUNTY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS March 28, 2012 PRESENT: John Andrews, County Restaurant Jonathan Barfield, Chairman – New Hanover County Commissioners Anne E. Brodsky, Hotel/Motel Owner – Kure Beach David Cignotti, Mayor – Wrightsville Beach Anne Marie Hartman, Hotel – (150+) Wrightsville Beach Kim Hufham, President/CEO – NHC TDA Neal Johnson, NHC Vacation Rental Properties Frank Jones, Hotel – (150-) Wilmington Mike Keeler, Hotel – (150+) Wilmington Dean Lambeth, Mayor – Town of Kure Beach Lonnie Lashley, Town of Carolina Beach Carl Marshburn, NHC Attraction Sabina Newman, Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Chuck Pennington, County Bed and Breakfast EXCUSED: Avril Pinder, Mayor Bill Saffo, Jimmy Pope STAFF: Jeanette Foster/Administrative Services Manager, Recording Secretary Shawn Braden, Executive Vice-President of Marketing Mikie Wall, Vice-President Sales and Services Connie Nelson, PR/Communications Director Linda Brothers, NHC Finance GUESTS: Kip Damrow, Interstate Hotels and Resorts Jenny Callison, Greater Wilmington Business Journal Chairman John Andrews called the meeting of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority to order at 5:30 p.m. at the Hampton Inn University, 124 Old Eastwood Road. ITEM #1 – EXCUSED Avril Pinder, Jimmy Pope, Mayor Bill Saffo 1 ITEM #2 – MINUTES APPROVAL – JANUARY 25, 2012 [Motion made by Anne Brodsky, seconded by Anne Marie Hartman and unanimously carried to approve the January 25, 2012 TDA Board minutes as read.] ITEM #3 – FINANCIALS/ROT REPORT – LINDA BROTHERS Linda Brothers, TDA Financial Analyst, presented the financial report for July 1, 2011 – February 29, 2012 representing 51% of expenditures. She indicated we are under what had been budgeted and staff is doing a good job in keeping expenses down. Rooms Occupancy Tax (ROT) doing very well. First 3% -January, 2012 shows an increase of 15.73% over last year. Second 3% for the beaches for the same period of time: Carolina Beach – 27.60% increase; Kure Beach – 38.91% increase; Wrightsville Beach – 13.53% increase. We are having a good year. Board interaction seemed to feel increases coming from rate increases, more tourists and milder weather. [Motion made by Sabina Newman, seconded by Anne Brodsky and unanimously approved to accept the July 1, 2011 – February 29, 2011 financial report as presented.] President/CEO Kim Hufham asked for a motion to appropriate fund balance for the purchase of the Character Campaign approved at the January 25, 2012 TDA Board meeting in the amount of $10,000.00. [Motion made by Chuck Pennington and seconded by Sabina Newman to appropriate a fund balance of $10,000 for the purchase of the Character Campaign approved at the January 25, 2012 TDA Board meeting.] After some discussion, Chairman Andrews asked for a show of hands. Motion carried with the exception of one nay (Frank Jones.) ITEM #4 – REQUESTS FOR FUNDING (Carolina, Kure, Wrightsville Beaches) KIM HUFHAM President/CEO Kim Hufham presented funding requests from the towns of Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville Beaches. 2 CAROLINA BEACH: The Town of Carolina Beach respectfully requests TDA funds in the amount of $17,576.66 for reimbursements for expenses incurred from various events: $15,076.66 for Boardwalk Makeover events and $2,500.00 for Christmas by the Sea. Activities began June 2010 and were completed December 2011. [Motion made by Sabina Newman, seconded by Anne Brodsky and unanimously carried to approve the requests for TDA funds of $17,576.66 for reimbursement for expenses incurred by Carolina Beach for June 2010 – December 2011 for various events (Boardwalk Makeover and Christmas by the Sea.) KURE BEACH: The Town of Kure Beach respectfully requests funding for expenditures for lifeguard services for the remainder of 2010/2011 in the amount of $58,504.94 and $86,923.02 incurred from 7/1/11 – 12/31/11 for a total requested amount of $145,427.96. [Motion made by Mike Keeler, seconded by Lonnie Lashley and unanimously carried to approve the requests for TDA funds of $145,427.96 for lifeguard services for the remainder of 2010/2011 and 7/1/11-12/31/11.] WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH: The Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen respectfully request TDA funding in the amount of $28,000 to help support increasing demands on their efforts to provide clean restrooms, public parking areas and beaches for their visitors. The requested funding includes a portion of the personnel costs for a full-time employee, support equipment, fuel and uniforms and covers the period of July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012. The Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen respectfully request TDA funding in the amount of $34,000 to support their Beach Patrol Officer function during FY 2011- 2012. Sum requested includes salary and associated operational costs for that portion of the officer’s activities that specifically impact tourism related beach and park management and enforcement duties. The Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen respectfully request TDA funding in the amount of $370,000 to be favorably considered to support their Ocean Rescue Program (Beach Strand Life Guards) during July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012. The sum includes salary and associated operational costs for the Ocean Rescue Program as well as incorporating the salary for the Ocean Rescue Coordinator and Director. 3 The total requested funding is $432,000.00. [Motion made by Anne Brodsky, seconded by Lonnie Lashley and unanimously carried to approve the Fiscal Year (July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012) funding requests for cleaning of public restrooms, public parking areas, beach areas, Beach Patrol Officer function and Ocean Rescue Program.] ITEM #5 – PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS – KIM HUFHAM  President/CEO Kim Hufham presented a comparison of first 3% ROT to Peak Year (07/08.) January 2012 – Up 15.73%  FY peak comparison – year to date – 07-08 versus 2011/12 – up 1.79%  FY 2010-2011 – down 3.33%  Peak Calendar Year comparison (2007 peak versus 2011 – down .93%  She also did a Fiscal Year inventory change on rooms for hotels/motels; bed and breakfasts and real estate units for 2007-2008 versus 2011-2012. An inventory revenue breakdown also discussed.  N.C. Governor’s Conference luncheon which was hosted by the CVB, Convention Sales, Wilmington Convention Center, Best Western Coast Line Inn and the Hilton Wilmington Riverside in Concord, NC (conference to be held here next year) was very well received. We did a very nice presentation with such amenities as Southern Bells in costume, characters in costume representing the area, Chef Keith Rhodes of Wilmington prepared the luncheon for over 300 people, Grenaldo Frazier provided the entertainment. Lynn Minges with the State Travel and Tourism sent a letter stating how amazing the luncheon was.  Harmony Hospitality has a memo of understanding with the City of Wilmington for the convention center hotel. Will be an Embasy Suites and they hope to break ground by the fall.  Working with the Brandon Agency on strategic marketing plan and budget.  Fire on the Dock competition currently going on. Several of our local chefs plus Morehead City and New Bern putting this on every week at Shell Island March 26 – May 22.  Next month we will be sponsoring one of the AENC luncheons.  First Sister City Commission International Symposium meeting here in April and we will be involved with this.  May 5-13 is National Tourism Week and we will be observing here locally as well as in Raleigh. 4 ITEM #6 – NEW BUSINESS/OLD BUSINESS Frank Jones feels the TDA Board should adopt a resolution in support of a minor league baseball team/park coming to Wilmington. Kip Damrow, WAHA, addressed the Board reference a survey that went out on the impact a minor league baseball team/park would have locally. He indicated 96% responded positively. He also mentioned how important it would be having a convention center and ballpark next to each other. He said two cities he has lived in depended on their minor league teams and hopes we will get behind this endeavor. Chairman Andrews said this is the first read on this and should be openly discussed. Commissioner Barfield said on their tour of the Durham Stadium, he was told a minor league team/park could bring in $4,000,000 in tax revenue to our area. Says to look at it from an economic impact…..what it would bring to New Hanover County in increasing sales revenue for a win/win situation. Have to find ways to educate city/county public. Other points by various Board members: Bed and Breakfast owners are all against a minor league baseball team/park  due to too much traffic and raising taxes on small businesses. What better green space can you have? Look at the efforts put forth on the  convention center. Objection to not having enough answers to supporting something without  facts….theory only being discussed at this point. Core mission is to support tourism. Purpose is to put “heads in beds.”  Feasibility study needed first.  Needs to be looked at from more angles than just baseball. Needs to be  looked at as a venue also for entertainment, etc. Need to hear all sides of it. Kip Damrow noted some other areas of interest. Chairman John Andrews advised we need more information on concepts, etc. [Motion made by Anne Brodsky, seconded by Chuck Pennington and unanimously carried to table the discussion on a minor league baseball team/park until we have more information and facts on having a minor league baseball park/team.] Frank Jones noted that the new web site is a very good product for everyone. Lonnie Lashley says a new Hampton Inn will be coming to Carolina Beach. 5 There being no further business, meeting adjourned at 6:35 p.m. ______________________________ __________________________ Kim Hufham, President/CEO Chuck Pennington, Secretary Minutes located in TDA Board Minutes Book X 6