The Economic Development Advisory Board on Tuesday discussed the impact a proposed cultural district would have on the town’s economic goals.

Member Kelly Grill, the executive director of the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, noted that a meeting is scheduled for Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at the HCA to discuss this project.

“Cultural districts establish place-based identities and foster collaborative initiatives which reflect the unique cultural, artistic, and economic lives of local communities,” according to a calendar posting on the town website. Its goals are to “[f]oster and preserve local cultural development; [e]ncourage businesses and job development; and [e]stablish the district as a tourist destination.”

The town is applying to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for official designation and funding and is seeking the input of residents and business owners at this meeting.

The definition of a cultural district’s layout has expanded since the town started this application process more than two years ago, according to Grill.

“Previously, it needed to be 1 square mile of walkable space, preferably downtown,” she said. “[MCC] loosened that. They realized that it’s too restrictive.”

To determine the cultural district’s parameters, an MCC representative will tour the downtown area with town staff and stakeholders. Initial speculation focused on a triangular district including the HCA (which sits next to the high school on Hayden Rowe Street), the former Center School (on Ash Street across from the Town Common) and the CVS store (at the intersection of Route 135 and Route 85). It also likely would include the International Marathon Center planned for East Main Street.

The benefit of a cultural district designation is twofold, according to Grill. It will provide the town with funding for marketing and give individual businesses an opportunity to apply for marketing funding.

New chair Finley Perry called the cultural district a “precursor” to more substantial projected economic development.

Director position discussed

Board members talked about the momentum to hire a town economic development director and how the salary would be funded.

The town has been collecting a meals tax of 0.75%, with the money designated primarily to be used toward this person’s salary. This charge is in addition to the state’s 6.25% sales tax on meals. Approved by the Select Board on Oct. 15, 2024, it was passed by Special Town Meeting on Nov. 18, 2024. This tax was implemented in January 2025.

Perry said he received an email from Town Manager Elaine Lazarus indicating that Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill in August that would allow the town to create a special revenue account for the economic development director position. The fund could not be set up until after the home rule petition passed the Legislature and was signed into law, he explained.

Members wondered how and when the town meals tax revenue would be transferred.

“That money has not gone to economic development,” said Perry. “It’s gone to the general fund.”

Perry’s understanding  from his conversation with Lazarus is that the money from the first quarter of this fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30, will be placed in the new account.

“She said we can’t post the job until we have the money,” he said. “And we won’t know we have the money until we get the quarterly report.”

Added Perry: “I said, ‘As much as I admire you, I don’t think I can defend you on this.’ ”

New secretary Wilson St. Pierre cautioned members not to jump to any conclusions about the allocation at this time.

“I don’t think anything untoward has happened,” he said.

St. Pierre noted it likely was placed into the general fund to be extracted once the special revenue account is created. He advised Perry to check with Kyla LaPierre, the town’s chief financial officer, for more details.

Vote on STM articles tabled

New vice chair Jordan Thayer pointed out that the town’s Special Town Meeting will be held on Oct. 26. The expected inclusion of several citizen’s petition articles proposed by former Planning Board EDAB liaison Parker Happ prompted discussion on a few that could have economic impacts for the town.

“Some, I suspect, might get shot down just because of pure legalities of the language,” said Thayer. “I just don’t see how some of these could pass as written, for sure.”

Article 24, he explained, proposes that the town impose a fee on owners of vacant properties or unoccupied buildings.

Article 21 calls for a periodic review of the zoning bylaw and the town’s zoning map.

New Planning Board liaison Brian Johnson pointed out that the zoning bylaws are part of the town charter. The town charter is being reviewed, as is done every 10 years.

Johnson added that the article calls for a “quinquennial review.” When he looked the term up in the dictionary, he told members he found two definitions.

“One is ‘occurring every five years,’ the other is ‘lasting for five years,’ ” he said. “So I’m hoping [for] the first.”

Article 23 sought the creation of a community center. Johnson mentioned that the town may be too financially strapped to consider it.

Article 19’s goal was to promote a townwide sidewalk master plan, Thayer told the group. St. Pierre said he thought that the town already had one, either with the town engineer or the Department of Public Works.

Because of the ambiguity of some language contained in the articles, the board decided to table taking an official position on any of them until town counsel rules on their validity.

The issue of potential article support may be raised again at the next meeting on Oct. 13.

MAPC presentation postponed

Thayer noted that Julia Chun, the town’s sustainability, economic development and equity project manager, was unable to attend the meeting. She was scheduled to give an overview of a draft presentation of the economic development strategy prepared by the Massachusetts Area Planning Council.

MAPC senior economic development planner Camille Jonlin presented this plan to the Planning Board on Sept. 14. It recommended business retention and set a goal to attract new commercial ventures. It focused on South Street as a target area for redevelopment.

The Select Board is scheduled to review this presentation at its Oct. 6 meeting. This is one step in the process the town must take in order to be eligible to hire an economic development director.

New officers elected

At the start of the meeting, Thayer indicated that he no longer wished to serve as chair. Perry received a 6-0 vote to succeed him. Thayer was elected as vice chair, and St. Pierre was voted in as clerk to succeed Perry by the same margin.

The board welcomed Johnson, who will serve for a three-year term. Grill also began a three-year term at this meeting as a returning member.