Both items could have affected the flow of hotel and motel occupancy tax funds to the Bee County Chamber of Commerce.
Councilman David Carabajal, the one who had requested the items to be on the evening’s agenda, asked for any discussion or action to be postponed, saying he had not yet completed his research.
Agenda item number eight called for discussion and possible action pertaining to the current agreement between the CofC and the City of Beeville concerning the use of so-called H.O.T. funds.
The funds are collected at motels in the city at the time that customers rent rooms in the facilities.
The Chamber of Commerce receives half of the tax receipts the city receives and the amount of money coming into that fund has ballooned in recent months because of Eagle Ford Shale oil field activity.
Item nine on the agenda would have involved a discussion and possible action on moving the office of the tourism director from the chamber offices at 1705 N. St. Mary’s St. to the Beeville Community Center, 111 E. Corpus Christi St.
Carabajal and Councilman John Fulghum have been critical of the chamber’s use of H.O.T. funds.
However, chamber officials have defended their use of the funds and have repeatedly said they use the money properly and account for every penny.
Carabajal did not say when he wants the two items on a future council agenda.
In other business, the council voted to:
— Congratulate City Ordinance Compliance Officials Lanny Holland and Ronald “Buddy” Hardy for their work on the recent Spring Clean event.
— Postpone the official acceptance of the city’s 2009-2010 audit report until they have had time to review the documents.
— Accept a report from the Fiesta Bee County organization on the spending of H.O.T. funds for the 2010 Diez y Seis festival.
— Authorize the city staff to provide Fiesta Bee County with $26,800 in H.O.T. funds for this year’s festival in September.
— Allow the city to hire one or two temporary employees for the summer to work in the parks department.
— Table action on reappointing three members to the Beeville Economic Improvement Corporation board.
Appointees Jessy T. Garza, Jody Alaniz and Bill Shroyer are facing expiring terms on the board.
Councilman Carabajal said he wanted to consider the possibility of setting term limits for board members and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Scotten wanted to know how long each of those members had served on that board.
— Approve a special use permit for property at 1206 W. Sylvia St. so the resident there can operate a snack bar.
— Authorize improvements to the entry way to Veterans Memorial Park.
— Name Councilman Fulghum to replace Scotten on the Bee County Action Agency’s Rural Transit board of directors.
— Formally cancel elections originally scheduled for May 14 for council positions in Wards 1 and 5. Council members Scotten in Ward 1 and Libby Spires in Ward 5 were not opposed this year.
The two council members are expected to be declared the winners and the council will be reorganized at the May 24 meeting.
— Approve an interlocal agreement that will allow the Bee County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office to refuse to issue new vehicle registration stickers to the owners of cars and trucks who have outstanding municipal court fines.
— Approve the purchase of accessories for two new, marked police cruisers for the Beeville Police Department.
— Hire Emily Garza to fill a vacant position at the municipal court offices.
— Hire AGCM, Inc. to perform cost estimate services for a parks improvement project. The company has said it can prepare the estimates for a fee of $3,500.
Gary Kent is a reporter at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 120, or at reporter@mySouTex.com.
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