Chamber requests in-kind city support, TxDOT resolution for Tomball Night

Tomball — During public comments on June 16, Bruce Hillgaist, president and CEO of the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce, asked the Tomball City Council to provide in-kind services and a resolution to the Texas Department of Transportation to permit partial closure of Main Street for the chamber’s 53rd annual Tomball Night.

Hillgaist told the council the event is designed to promote local shopping and bring visitors to Tomball. “It’s our 53rd annual event that the chamber does to shop local, encourage people to come and notice Tomball and to come back and spend lots of money here,” Hillgaist said. He requested in-kind services from the city and a resolution for TxDOT because “we will close down portions of Main Street.”

Hillgaist provided the chamber’s address (20339 Telgi Road, Tomball) and thanked the council for continued support. His remarks were made during the public-comment portion of the meeting; the mayor and staff did not engage in detailed discussion of the request during that public-comment period.

Later in the meeting the council approved the new-business consent agenda — which the mayor described as containing routine new-business items — by a 5-0 vote after no member requested an item be removed for separate discussion. Hillgaist had identified the chamber’s requests as items G-2 and G-3 on the evening’s agenda; the record shows the consent agenda was approved without items being pulled for separate consideration.

The chamber’s Tomball Night is an annual community event; Hillgaist told council members he expects the event encourages repeat visits and local spending. He asked for the city’s in-kind support and for the necessary TxDOT resolution to permit the street closure.