During this week’s meeting, the Katy City Council approved two tourism funding grants, one for advertising in a tour manual and the other to cover change orders for repairs to the Depot Visitor Center.
A third, potentially controversial grant request from the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce was pulled from the agenda prior to council action.
The chamber grant request – $67,752 to provide funding for the 30th annual Rice Harvest Festival – was denied by the Convention and Tourism Bureau. The bureau said it denied the request on the basis there was no proof the festival, which annually draws between 40,00 and 50,000 attendees, would put “heads in beds” at local hotels and motels.
Council did approve a $1,775 request to include an ad for Katy in the fall 2010 and spring 2011 editions of the East Texas Tourism Association Group Tour Manual.
“The Group Tour Manual is a premier publication than targets visitors into East Texas and is a convenient way for destinations (City of Katy), hotels, restaurants and attractions to get noticed,” the application read. “ETTA hosts two groups of tour operators each year in spring and fall to give operators the opportunity to familiarize themselves with what Texas has to offer and they come to ‘see what they can sell.’”
The other grant application approved was a $4,795 increase in funding for an ongoing project to repair the Depot Visitor Center and help bring the historical structure into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Change Order #1 for $4,370 was to the contract between the city and Bluebay Construction “for construction and installation of decking system, exterior ramps, handrails, guardrails, flower beds and sprinkler system extension.”
The change order was for reconstruction of the landing from the depot building to the parking lot, including steel handrails, an ADA slope on the ramp and extension of a brick area for the sidewalk connecting to the parking lot. The work was necessary to comply with Texas Accessibility Standards.
Change Order #2 for $425 was to Code Consultants of Friendswood for Texas Accessibility Standards inspection and Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation project filing fees.
Both grants were approved on a unanimous vote with no discussion.
No reason was given for why the chamber grant request was pulled from the agenda.
By: John Pape on Wed, Jul 28, 2010
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