The Tomball City Council finalized plans for the proposed Hotel Occupancy Tax Advisory Board at its Nov. 1 meeting, amending the original plan to include additional representatives on the board from the hotel/motel community.

Prior to the final vote by the council that would have formally established the board, Ron Tocci and Prakash Patel both addressed the council, suggesting that three representatives, rather than the proposed one, should be included on the board.

In its initial discussion last month, the council agreed that the Advisory Board would be made up of three city residents, three local business owners or managers and one representative from a local hotel or motel.

However, with the influx of hotels and motels opening in the Tomball community, and with the tax money generated by the city stemming from those hotels’ visitors, the council agreed more representation on the board was necessary.

“I like the addition of hotel managers,” Council member Rick Brown said. “I think these guys will have some good ideas.”

While council agreed with the additional members, Derek Townsend questioned the inclusion of city residents on the Board.

Townsend, who was the lone dissenting vote on the plan, explained that he believed the board should be made up exclusively of hotel and business representatives, since their experience more directly relates to increasing business in the city and encouraging outside visitors.

Assistant to the City Manager Shawn Cox explained that when researching similar committees throughout the Houston area, “just about all of them” have a resident component.

Now with final approval, the Hotel Occupancy Tax Advisory Board will be made up of nine members: three local business people, three Tomball citizens and three hotel/motel representatives.

Plans call for the committee to meet quarterly, but City Manager George Shackelford explained that it could also meet as needed throughout the year.

The purpose of the committee will be to review applications from groups and individuals wishing to obtain grant money from the City of Tomball that the City retains from a tax on hotel/motel bills.

The funds collected by the city must be used to promote tourism, or bring visitors to the city from outside the Tomball area.

The board will be advisory in nature only, with final approval for the allocation of grant funds to come from the city council.

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