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Dare County Tourism Board members at their Thursday, June 19, 2025 meeting approved several grant extension requests, reviewed a Soundside Event Site boardwalk project, and adopted a fiscal year 2025-2026 budget ordinance.

Among the first agenda items for the day was approval of the May 15 meeting minutes followed by a review of Tourism Impact Grant extension requests.

Following a Steering Committee recommendation, the full board approved three unrelated requests:
● a $400,000 Highway 158 Multi-Use Path Project in Kitty Hawk extended to June 30, 2026;
● the withdrawal of an October 31, 2025, Outer Banks Forever $125,000 grant extension setting a new extension date of June 30, 2026, for an accessible restroom and shower facility project at Old Lighthouse Beach in Buxton;
●  an Everyone’s Playground $252,963 grant extension to June 30, 2026 for construction of a fully accessible play space at Kitty Hawk Elementary School with unique equipment for people of all physical abilities.

Next, Tourism Board executive director Lee Nettles provided an update and timeline for a Soundside Event Site boardwalk project.

According to Nettles, bid packages go out this month and are due back to be opened July 18. The results will go to county commissioners August 4 for approval followed by a notice of award the following day. Construction will be in the fall and winter with a completion date between mid-December and mid-January.

Nettles explained that the project will have a base bid for a main north and south walkway with a main gazebo out in the sound. The project is also divided into six parts so that depending on what the bids come back the board will have options on completing the ancillary parts of the boardwalk including boat docks, some concrete connections and a pergola without having to rebid it.

Nettles added that no board action was needed other than to schedule a special one-item July meeting to review the bids.

Looking at the coming year’s budget, numbers included in the proposed General Fund budget was based on a 3 percent increase over the 2024-25 budget. Staff salaries include a 2.9 percent COLA. Most Event Site numbers remain the same with a slight increase to have bollards along the highway for safety reasons.

Proposed FY 2025-2026 budget:

GENERAL FUND REVENUES:
$4,961,284 Occupancy Tax Distribution
$2,312,632 Prepared Food Tax Distribution
$3,043,140 Appropriation from Fund Balance
$41,000 Travel Guide Income
$125,000 Website Revenue
$361,050 Interest & Other Revenue

$10,844,106 Total General Fund

TOURISM BOARD OPERATION EXPENSES:
$30,930 Governing Body
$9,072,185 Promotion
$182,955 Aycock Brown Welcome Center
$236,375 Roanoke Island/Whalebone/Hatteras Welcome Centers
$115,000 Travel Guide Expenses
$925,306 Unappropriated Fund Balance
$281,355 Transfer to Event Site Fund

$10,844,106 Total Operating Expenses

SPECIAL REVENUE FUND:
$1,653,761 Occupancy Tax Distribution
$ 770,878 Prepared Food Tax Distribution
$12,574,331 Appropriation from Fund
$150,000 Interest
$15,148,970 Total Special Revenue Fund Income

SPECIAL REVENUE FUND:
$15,148,970 Expenditures

EVENT SITE FUND
$26,350 Event Rental Income
$52,700 Lease Income
$700 Interest & Other Revenue
$281,355 Transfer from General Fund
$45,380 Unappropriated Funds

$406,485 Total Revenues

EVENT SITE OPERATIONAL COSTS:
$406,485 Expenditures

With little discussion, the board gave unanimous approval to the proposed budget.

During Visitors Bureau updates, Nettles explained that recent Google web searches have seen AI responses push key Outer Banks links to lower in the results, so there may be a need to rely more on paid ads to get better results.

There was also a brief discussion on producing promotional podcasts. While not ruled out, the current major hurdle is the need for consistent, quality topics to keep people interested and the limited available staff to handle it.

“We are considering it,” Nettles added, “but we’re not quite there yet.”

Available visitation numbers through May for key Outer Banks sites show numbers up for the NC Aquarium, Elizabethan Gardens, Passenger Only Ferry, Jennette’s Pier, Wright Brothers National Memorial, Sarah Owens Visitor Center, and Whalebone Welcome Center. Other sites with lower numbers include Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh, Hatteras Vehicle Ferry, Hatteras Passenger Ferry, Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Roanoke Island Festival Park, Aycock Brown Welcome Center, and Hatteras Island Weather Station W.C.

Scheduled Soundside Event Site activities include:

Wednesday, June 25 Soundside Market 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, July 2 Soundside Market 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, July 9 Soundside Market 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, July 16 Soundside Market  9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, July 23 Soundside Market  9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, July 30 Soundside Market  9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, August 6 Soundside Market  9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, August 13 Soundside Market  9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, August 20 Soundside Market  9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Friday, September 19 – Saturday, September 20 OBX Jeep Invasion 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday,  October 4 Garage Band Charities Cruise 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, October 18 Outer Banks Seafood Festival   10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, October 25 OBX Brewtag   11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday, November 8 to Saturday, November 9 OBX Show Fest  9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, November 23 Soundside Holiday Market  noon to  4 p.m.
Sunday, November 30 Soundside Holiday Market noon to  4 p.m.
Sunday, December 14 Soundside Holiday Market noon to  4 p.m.

The next Dare County Tourism Board meeting is set for 9 a.m. on Friday, July 25.

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