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The Tomball City Council passed the proposed 2012-13 budget 3-2, during a regular session Aug. 6. Council members Derek Townsend and Mark Stoll voted no on the proposed budget.

City Manager George Shackelford explained the budget process and how staff members came up with the estimates.

“Obviously this year we are collecting more in sales tax revenue than we projected, but things happen so we wanted to be conservative with our estimates,” he said.

The budget process includes three major funds. The general fund provides for day-to-day operations of the city and its departments, the enterprise funds are revenues collected for water, sewer and gas services, while the debt service fund is the fund that pays off city debt like bonds.

The city is expecting about $16.3 million in revenues for the general fund and projects to spend about $15.5 million of that next fiscal year. Thos funds include about $20,000 designed to send all council members and some members of the Sister City organization to Telgte, Germany, for the sister city’s anniversary celebration. Townsend and Stoll took issue with that.

“I feel that council needs to reconsider this,” Stoll said. “The Tomball Sister City Organization is a separate organization which does not fall under the City of Tomball’s control. They do not need the taxpayer’s assistance (to send their members to Germany).”

Stoll went on to say that he would support the city paying the airfare for the mayor and city manager, so that they can represent Tomball at the event.

“Keep in mind that the council passed a 36 percent tax increase on taxpayers last year,” Stoll added. “How do you think this expense is being taken in their homes?”

Townsend agreed.

“I received several phone calls and I’ve got to agree with Councilman Stoll,” he said.

Both Townsend and Stoll said they could not approve of the budget with that expense in it.

In other business, the council approved spending $36,000 to purchase several pieces of property along Elm Street and also named Grady Martin, president of the Tomball Sister City Organization, as the 2012 Mayor’s Volunteer of the Year.

Martin was shocked by the announcement.

“Oh wow, this is a great honor, thank you so much,” he said.

Council also approved expenditures for several yearly events, including $12,000 in hotel-motel tax funds for the second annual Bugs, Brew and Barbeque event, $60,000 from the same fund for the annual Tomball German Christmas and the Tomball German Heritage festivals.

Council also approved a bid from TJ&T Enterprises of a little more than $210,000 to improve concrete streets within the city.

Finally council approved a two-year grant that will enable the fire department to hire nine more full-time firefighters.

There will be a final public hearing and vote on next year's budget, at the Aug. 20 meeting.

The Tomball City Council once again discussed changes to the city's fencing ordinance, after receiving a flood of comments from concerned residents.

The Jan. 21 meeting opened up with comments from residents, as well as email and written comments regarding the fencing rules.

"What right does the city council have to tell us what kind of fencing we can have in terms of how high – in terms of what our property can look like?" said Tomball resident Leslie Lagerquist. "Please reconsider and come up with something a little more thoughtful."

City Secretary Doris Speer then read more than a half dozen emailed remarks, all in opposition to the recent changes.

"With the current increase in violent crimes and home invasions in Harris County, I would like to retain the option of installing a fence in my front yard to aid in protecting my family against a home invasion," wrote Tomball resident Johnny Dove.

City Planner Rebecca Guerra told council she did not have a problem with amending the ordinance further, but was looking for guidance on how they wished to proceed.

"When I came to Tomball I read the existing fencing ordinance and found that it was not only difficult to understand, but difficult to enforce," she said.

Council did discuss more proposed changes to the ordinances, such as allowing for six-foot high fencing in certain zoning areas with larger lots. Guerra pointed out that residents concerned with the height of the fence was worth considering, but that the four-foot high fence rules for front yards had been in effect since 2008.

"The current zoning ordinance, which was passed by the city of Tomball in 2008, states that the maximum height for a fence in the front yard is four feet," she said.
Council will take up a first reading of amendments to the ordinance at their next meeting.

In other business the council debated on whether to continue to waive impact fees for new businesses looking to open in the downtown Tomball area.

The city has waived the sewer and water impact fees before, during a meeting last September. The fees were waived for 180 days for the Old Town area. Council members seemed in agreement that waiving the fees could encourage new development and help smaller mom and pop type businesses get started.

Council directed city staffers to write an ordinance waiving the fees, which will be presented at the next council meeting.

Tomball Public Works Director David Kauffman told council members that the project to build new restrooms at the Tomball Depot Center was moving along.

"We hope to bring the proposal (for final designs) to council at the next meeting," he said.

City workers estimate the project to cost around $125,000 and will be built to look like the depot building.

The Tomball City Council took steps to begin regulating donation canisters that are located within the city, while also hearing about a proposal for a new multi-family apartment building, during their regular meeting April 15.

The council unanimously passed an ordinance that will regulate donation boxes in Tomball.

"This will set the regulations for the type of containers that are allowable, who can operate them, where they can exist, a permitting process and then a process for violations," said Christal Kliewer Weber, Tomball Assistant City Manager.

The new ordinance will require that the containers must be operated on behalf of a non-profit organization, as well as be placed only in non-residential areas.

The new regulations also require that no more than two may be located on any lot and that they must be at least 300 feet away from any other container on any other lot.

They may not be larger than 96 cubic feet and must be neutral colored, while also maintained in good condition and emptied regularly.

The new law also requires operators of the donation boxes to get them permitted each year, at a fee of $25.

In other business, a joint workshop of the council and planning and zoning commission heard a proposal from Sean Rae, of Trammell Crow, about a planned multi-family apartment building on the northeast corner of SH 249 and Holderreith Road.

"A month or so ago we were approached by Trammell Crow Residential, wanting to talk about development of a multi-family complex here in Tomball," City Manager George Shackelford said. "We decided it would be best if they made a presentation before submitting a pro-posal."

Sean Rae, a development associate with the company, told the members about the proposal.

"This is not section eight or government subsidized housing," Rae said. "This is luxury, market rate housing."

The proposal laid out by Rae spells out a 376 unit complex on 19 acres. A formal proposal has yet to be submitted to the city.

Rick Brown, Tomball City Councilman for Position 3, filed to run for re-election recently. Brown said he is proud of the work the Tomball City Council has done the last three years in planning for the future and he wants to help keep the momentum going. Brown is currently serving as mayor pro tem.