The Hillsborough Board of Commissioners met Monday, March 23, at the Town Hall Annex. Following is a brief summary of noteworthy actions. It does not include all actions taken at the meeting and should not be viewed as official minutes.

The meeting is available to view on the town’s YouTube channel. See the agenda packet for more information.

Appointment

The board approved appointing Megan Kimball to the Planning Board for a term expiring June 30, 2027.

Proclamations

The board approved the following proclamations:

• American Red Cross Month — to encourage all residents to celebrate local heroes and support the organization’s humanitarian mission.
• Native Plant Month — to focus on native plants’ vital role in ecosystem health and sustainability and to recognize their benefits to the environment and the town’s economy.
• Sexual Assault Awareness Month — to encourage residents to speak out against sexual violence and to support local efforts to prevent and respond to these crimes.

Special Events

The board approved special event permits for:

Last Fridays and Art Walk — The arts event is 6 to 9 p.m. the last Friday of the month in downtown Hillsborough. The town will provide sponsorship for garbage and recycling services and closure of Court Street for May-October events. See the Hillsborough Arts Council’s Last Fridays page.

Zwanze Day — The Wooden Nickel Pub plans to host Zwanze Day, a special beer release event coordinated by Cantillon Brewery of Belgium, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. April 25. The Wooden Nickel is one of 31 locations in the United States, and the only location in North Carolina, to host this event.

Due to the event’s size, the pub plans to close part of the King Street parking lot, including the one-way entrance from King Street into the lot. As part of the permit approval, the event managers must receive permission from the parking lot owners, extend the pub’s Alcoholic Beverage Control permit premises to the parking lot area, obtain event insurance and notify nearby businesses about the event and parking lot entrance closure. Staff will work with event organizers to identify additional parking areas for the event attendees.

Stormwater Program Update

Stormwater and Environmental Services Manager Terry Hackett presented an update on the stormwater program to the board. He reviewed the program’s achievements over its 20-year history, including removing over 139 tons of trash around town.

Property

Annexation Interest — The board received an annexation interest letter from Rurkowski Land Planning for two parcels at the end of Rencher Street, with the intent to develop the property into about 12 residential single-family homes.

The board indicated it is not interested in receiving a formal annexation request because the property is not expected to touch the town’s boundary in the near future. Members noted the developer could pursue a water and sewer service extension for those parcels since Rencher Street already has water and sewer services available.

Donation — The board accepted a donation of about 0.21 acres in southern Hillsborough to resolve a discrepancy in property lines between the original parcel and a town-owned property occupied by a water tank. 

Settlement — The board approved a settlement agreement between the town and KEPSC LLC. As part of the settlement, the developer seeks to rezone a parcel on U.S. 70 to allow for about 67 townhomes.