Board of Commissioners Meeting Summary
Town receives FY2022 audit presentation, approves purchase of artwork for Town Hall
The Hillsborough Board of Commissioners met Monday, Aug. 13, 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 for view on the town’s YouTube channel.
Presentations
Fiscal Year 2021-22 Audit — Robert Bittner, a partner with the independent auditing firm PBMares, provided a presentation of the town’s Fiscal Year 2021-2022 audit that was released June 29. He reported that the town received a clean unmodified opinion for FY22.
He noted four findings of weaknesses or deficiencies in internal control due to staff turnover and low staffing that have been resolved. One was the late completion of the audit. He also noted four related performance indicators of concern defined by the Local Government Commission, including the lack of a board-appointed finance officer for the full fiscal year. Bittner noted the Financial Services Department entered the current fiscal year fully staffed and with qualified individuals, including a new finance officer. The commission concerns require the Board of Commissioners to respond to the commission within 60 days of the audit presentation.
The firm’s report is in the agenda packet for this meeting. An annual financial report is available on the town website and attached below.
Financial Overview — Hillsborough Finance Director Dave McCole gave an overview of the growth and health of the town’s financial funds between fiscal years 2020 and 2022, noting the town’s financial stability and resiliency entering and exiting the COVID-19 pandemic. McCole, who started working for the town in February, noted he is pleased with the staff in his department, detailing their ability to catch up on accounting tasks and the addition of an accounting technician position for sufficient staffing.
Appointments
The board approved the appointment of Sara Riek to fill a vacancy on the Historic District Commission for a term expiring Aug. 31, 2026.
Purchase of artwork
The board approved spending $15,000 of donated funds from former Mayor Tom Stevens for the purchase and installation of artwork for the Town Hall Campus. The artwork depicts mother and child giraffes and was featured in the recent Uproar Public Art Festival in Orange County. Perpetual Bond by Durham artist TJ Christiansen is made of reclaimed steel and is 14 feet tall and 8 feet wide and long. It is to be installed on the south side of Town Hall toward Orange Street. Stevens donated $20,000 to the town to purchase artwork to start a sculpture garden or walk at the Town Hall Campus.
Employee ID cards
The board discussed potentially adding expiration dates to employee identification cards that would allow the cards to be used for identification purposes for voting in North Carolina. Areas identified for more exploration include costs associated with equipment and processes, potential changes in voting regulations or procedures, and the allocation of staff resources.
Meeting audio and video recordings
The board discussed formulating a written policy on the retention of meeting audio and video recordings. Adoption of the state’s retention schedule allows disposal of both recordings once the minutes for a meeting are approved. The town previously had established a period of up to three years for retention. Staff will further explore various policy options, methods of retention, and cost.
Additional approvals
In addition, the board approved:
- A special event permit for Hog Day, a two-day event in mid-September that will close portions of South Cameron Street and East Margaret Lane.
- An increase of $15 for town attorneys, bringing the hourly rate to $215.
- Staff authorization to select and contract with a vendor for a new town website and annual maintenance.
- Rescheduling the July 20 joint public hearing with the Planning Board to Aug. 17.
Hot Topics
The following was noted for the Aug. 28 work session:
- Joint meeting with the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee, with discussion on backflow prevention regarding residential swimming pools.
- Update on the fiber project in and around town.
