The Tomball City Council held an extended discussion on Dec. 15 over whether the 1973 ordinance that created the Tomball Hospital Authority should be amended to reflect the current operations of the Tomball Regional Health Foundation.

Mayor Lori Klein Quinn said the council’s governing ordinance dates to 1973 and may not reflect how the foundation operates today, asking whether the city’s creating ordinance should be updated so local rules align with current bylaws. "I didn't want an ordinance that doesn't reflect how y'all really operate," she said during the discussion.

Jeffrey Klein, speaking for the foundation, said the organization now serves 13 ZIP codes and "650,000 people" and sought flexibility in how directors are selected so the board better represents the communities it serves. Jeffrey Klein said the foundation was not seeking to remove the city from the partnership and expressed interest in the city continuing to have appointed representation on the board.

An attorney representing the authority told the council that once a hospital authority is created it generally operates under chapter 262 of the Texas Health and Safety Code and that the authority had acted within its statutory powers when it amended bylaws. "Once it was created, it operates under chapter 262 of the Texas Health and Safety Code," the attorney said.

Council members raised concerns about the bylaws having been amended without full prior notice to the council and about how many council-appointed seats remain; foundation representatives said they had preserved two council appointments and planned to retain most city-appointed directors. The council agreed to table the appointments and asked city and authority counsel to meet and clarify whether any ordinance changes are required; the matter will return for council action after legal review.