[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6296682,"mediaKeyId","2513907-e84162cdeb24f5de4b249c2e37e3f7c5","parentId",2513907,"title","Council reviews draft ethics and rules-of-procedure, leans toward repealing and replacing existing ordinance","audioSeconds",658,"startMs",2133000,"endMs",2791000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2513907-e84162cdeb24f5de4b249c2e37e3f7c5&start=2133&end=2791","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2513907-e84162cdeb24f5de4b249c2e37e3f7c5/thumbnail_2133000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6296682/Tomball/Harris-County/Texas/Council-reviews-draft-ethics-and-rules-of-procedure-leans-toward-repealing-and-replacing-existing-ordinance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296682-2ac66b9204544d7fbb9e71ca35e737d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775742987&Signature=FL9kflc8LfnwZRFxR4fsLucA~CjMzaJqB1pdVvzJ5lpw0bOmrSkpJo8d-oYuaZTAqYKAOrwuoCCcsnXsNQpb~IyHmhBhvx4Tp7wTE~Od8r0DE6A4ogmtbvQR04PhIhH~LeLiI3R5Nzh0h4fPm-GRcSEXQwVvelwHs65AyGTA3sIuhgSChx0saVtxKJ49UKP5elLK3eMx~WMNtP8LASmeXWTDZ744aq4-xV~m9R8iREAGvLv9t6b0jvPQLTlu5jqsPqqLPY-qoKXD-kKu5A3UsaFqFE3Dskh9MVTKawXg0RhW3zdxI3XKVw3GNeN04xyWLeViwx2yPoorG5oKphMd4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Tomball, TX","date","2025-03-06T07:44:41.297Z","article","Tomball City Council on March 3 reviewed a draft code of ethics and rules of procedure and signaled a preference to repeal and replace the city’s existing ordinance rather than attempt piecemeal amendments.

City staff presented a draft modeled on the City of Pearland’s policy and contrasted it with the current ordinance on the books since 1993. Staff and council members said the Pearland-based draft contains additional, more-defined sections — including clearer language on executive sessions, attendance and joint meetings — that do not appear in the current ordinance.

Discussion topics included whether to amend the existing 1993 ordinance or repeal it and adopt a new code; how the draft should handle excused and unexcused absences for elected officials; the scope of executive session descriptions; public-speaking limits and exceptions; and how the proposed ordinance would align with state law on ethics and conflicts. A staff attorney reminded the council that some provisions are governed by state law and cautioned against local provisions that could conflict with statutory requirements.

Several council members recommended a section-by-section review in one or more dedicated workshops. Councilmember Ford and other members asked staff to define the consequences, if any, for unexcused absences and to clarify attendance rules without conflicting with constitutional protections for elected officials. Staff advised that enforcement mechanisms for elected officials are limited and that punitive measures such as removing an elected official for absences raise constitutional questions; possible remedies discussed were nonbinding sanctions such as public notice or censure language rather than automatic removal.

Council directed staff and the city attorney to confer with Lauren (city staff) to produce a refined draft focused on the council’s priority items and to return for further workshops. No ordinance was adopted at the workshop; council did not vote on repeal or replacement at this meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Special City Council Meeting March 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council reviewed a draft code of ethics modeled on Pearland’s policy, discussed options to repeal-and-replace current Ordinance 2.2 (1993), and asked staff to refine a draft focusing on excused/unexcused absences, public-speaking rules and executive-session language.","taxTitle","Tomball, Harris County, Texas","taxId",64481,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6296687,"Tomball council discusses arts-and-crafts market, asks staff to study second-Sunday event model",1612,513000,2125000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2513907-e84162cdeb24f5de4b249c2e37e3f7c5&start=513&end=2125","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2513907-e84162cdeb24f5de4b249c2e37e3f7c5/thumbnail_513000.jpg","/articles/6296687/Tomball/Harris-County/Texas/Tomball-council-discusses-arts-and-crafts-market-asks-staff-to-study-second-Sunday-event-model","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296687-07cbba474c70700f1a29f2f2b15becd9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775742987&Signature=kwyKaRoxokycEVa35mWn6M8jTkm6PQckjGdtKOuHWvyPzAeU1s2ZLyBL8x86QILO8MZ83xinZpa~zYc49Yri3BxD7y6Fs1CkgLcHYqmlt9Pt5s-FCXJiY9-NNFgSSNz2qnBrkx33WIniSv2~3BSYvO3QvxlEh-7EUHn2M9qquo~E-nOsAC3xNpIsPWPFamaKB4mCVR2NgYKI7HjgZe4qROSOblIfZXC8Iz2zAiZAzrNsDroJauMxFtRAeKtjECuKgG0JJmb~I-DSCQWV25C6~Mu-EV-CjioSn36sfGFdGqvA6gLuCM3kANbGasdu45VFKzTasJYdVmydAaigCkCd6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tomball City Council on March 3 heard community proposals to add an arts-and-crafts market downtown and asked city staff to study options and return with recommendations.

Supporters, including Michael Pierce and Amanda Kelly, urged the council to pursue an event that would draw visitors on Sundays — in some proposals converting a “Sunday into a Saturday” experience — to boost downtown foot traffic and support small businesses. Amanda Kelly, who identified herself as a local market operator, said the existing Tomball Farmers Market has been operating 17 years and that a recent review showed about 33% of market visitors come from Katy and the Cypress area.

The council discussion focused on several approaches: a large annual arts festival, a recurring monthly or quarterly arts market to build consistency, or a looser allowance for vendors to use business frontages. City staff flagged operational issues council would need to address, including traffic and safety, code compliance and the city’s role in providing in-kind services.

Staff noted an existing 36-inch minimum clear space requirement along frontages that would limit where displays or tents could be placed, and warned of enforcement burdens if unsanctioned setups remained on sidewalks. Amanda Kelly and market organizers discussed vendor vetting, insurance and permitting; Kelly said her market vets vendors for paperwork and insurance and aims to help vendors “outgrow” the market into brick-and-mortar businesses.

Speakers also raised public-health and permitting issues if prepared food is sold. Kelly advised that allowing prepared foods would require event permits from the county health department and that individual food sellers must hold appropriate permits. Organizers and council members discussed using nearby facilities (the depot restrooms and parking) and Tomball ISD lots for vendor or attendee parking. A potential model raised by multiple participants was a special-event format on second Sundays to leverage existing Saturday setups and provide recurring predictability for traveling artists.

Council direction: staff said they would “look at all three” options discussed (special-event/festival model, recurring market using business frontages, or a contract model similar to the farmers market) and come back with recommendations that define operational impacts, code compliance implications and parking/traffic plans. No formal motion or vote took place at the workshop.

Organizers emphasized vendor diversity and the need for both local artisans and traveling circuit artists, depending on whether the event would focus on supporting small local businesses or creating a larger regional festival. Several speakers warned against creating a flea-market atmosphere and proposed written bylaws or vendor standards to preserve an arts-and-crafts character.

Next steps: staff will prepare recommendations and cost/operations analysis for council consideration, including whether the city would provide in-kind services for a festival model, and how permitting (including health permits for food vendors) and code enforcement would be handled.","Council heard pitches from vendors and market organizers about creating a regular arts-and-crafts market in downtown Tomball, asked staff to study options including a special-event model (second Sundays), and to return with recommendations addressing parking, code compliance and health permits.","actionData","errors"]

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Council reviews draft ethics and rules-of-procedure, leans toward repealing and replacing existing ordinance

Tomball council discusses arts-and-crafts market, asks staff to study second-Sunday event model