League City Historical Society presents museum update; HOT grant vote tabled until board receives budget and P&L

The League City Hotel Occupancy Tax board on Thursday tabled consideration of a Hot Occupancy Tax (HOT) grant request from the League City Historical Society after board members said the application lacked a profit-and-loss statement and a detailed budget.

The vote to delay consideration passed 4–0 with one abstention. Board members said they will revisit the grant at the next scheduled meeting after the historical society submits the missing documents.

The motion to table followed a presentation by Mike Peterson, president of the League City Historical Society, and museum assistant Miranda Hart. Peterson and Hart outlined visitor counts, staffing and outreach efforts funded in part by HOT board support, and described recent and planned museum programming.

"If you've not had the opportunity to come out and see it, please please please do," Peterson told the board during the presentation. He and Hart said the museum is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and has added QR-code audio content, music events in League Park and new ticketing materials distributed to area hotels.

Peterson provided attendance figures for recent months: 206 visitors during a special December period, about 104 in January and 68 in February. Museum staff described outreach to both local and out-of-town visitors, citing visitors from Puerto Rico, France, Australia, Germany and Mexico. The presenters said the museum is tracking ZIP codes and other demographic information to show HOT-funded activity drives tourism to League City businesses and attractions.

Hart described three tour formats developed for visitors: a visual self-guided tour, a general guided tour and a more in-depth historian—s tour. "There are 3 options," Hart said. "...so they can come back to the museum multiple times and have a different experience every time."

Board members asked about the HOT-ticket program the museum placed in hotel lobbies, and whether the tickets were being redeemed. Peterson said staff have not yet seen visitors present the tickets on arrival and suggested museum staff will begin asking visitors whether they have a ticket as they check in.

During follow-up questions, a board member noted the historical society's HOT grant application did not include a required P&L and detailed budget. Stephanie Paul (CBB manager) confirmed the board had received the application materials that were submitted and that the P&L and budget were outstanding. Mike Peterson said he planned to deliver the missing documents to staff after his board meeting.

A board member moved to table the grant vote until the next board meeting "until we have all the documents." The motion passed 4–0 with one abstention. The meeting record shows the board tallied four votes in favor and one abstention; individual vote names were not recorded on the public transcript.

The historical society presentation also highlighted the museum—s one-room schoolhouse program (which presenters said is self-funded), a growing number of out-of-area visitors, and partnerships with local businesses and other area museums. Presenters encouraged hotel staff in the room to help promote the museum to guests and to request additional ticket supplies when inventory runs low.

The board expects the historical society to provide the missing P&L and budget before the next meeting so members can reconsider the HOT grant application.