TDA 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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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