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Tomball staff propose loosening acreage and assessment caps in special-financing (PID) policy
Summary
City staff outlined recommended revisions to Administrative Policy No. 18 removing a 50-acre minimum and assessment caps for 15- and 30-year PIDs, shifting initial scoring to staff using a public-benefit matrix and adding a council-discretion section; councilists asked clarifying questions and staff said a revised policy will be brought forward for action.
City staff presented proposed amendments to Administrative Policy No. 18 on March 2 that would change how Tomball evaluates requests for Public Improvement District (PID) special financing.
Megan (staff) said the recommended revisions remove the policy's 50-acre minimum and eliminate previously set assessment caps for 15- and 30-year PIDs. Instead of strict acreage and cap thresholds, staff would use a scoring matrix to evaluate applications for consistency with the city's adopted master plans, the quality of proposed amenities and the public benefit the project offers. "The higher priority projects may be considered more favorably for creation based on the demonstrated benefits," Megan said.
The proposed amenity-priority framework assigns priority-level scores: high priority would score 75 points or higher, medium 50'174, and low below 50. Staff also proposed that two staff members would complete reviews and average their scores for a final recommendation. The draft includes an added requirement for developers to install and maintain signage at development entrances identifying the area as a PID.
Megan emphasized that the city still retains final authority: the revisions add a "council discretion" section making clear council must approve or deny PID formation even if staff recommends otherwise. Council members asked about the scoring process, consistency with master plans and whether staff could recommend denial; Megan said only proposals inconsistent with adopted master plans would be screened out automatically.
Staff will prepare the revised policy for a future meeting so council can consider formal adoption; no ordinance or final approval occurred at the March 2 workshop.
