By Jay Ermis
Managing Editor
HUNTSVILLE — The Huntsville Hotel Occupancy Tax Board voted Thursday night to make a recommendation to the City Council to approve funding to two groups.
The five-member board – chair Charles Forbus, Dick Lindeman, Dalene Zender, Lanny Ray and David DeShaw – gave unanimous approval to giving $6,000 to the Walker County Historical Commission and $3,000 to the Gen. Sam Houston Folklife Festival.
This marked the first time for both groups to receive HOT funds, pending approval by the nine-member council.
Forbus, Ray and Zender also serve on the City Council.
The $9,000 exhausts all HOT funds available during the current fiscal year for groups.
The council also approved HOT board recommendations to provide funds to the Stan Musial World Series, the Samuel Walker Houston Museum and Cultural Center and the Veterans HEARTS Museum of Texas.
Tuesday night, the council approved giving $10,000 to the Walker County Pro Rodeo Committee to advertise the annual rodeo scheduled for March 26-27 at the Walker County Fairgrounds during the 32nd annual county Fair.
It also marked the first time for the rodeo committee to receive HOT funds.
Ray said the rodeo qualifies for HOT funds “under several of the specific statutory mandates you can use this for, specifically for a sporting event in a small town which we are by this definition, and advertising, solicitation and promoting tourism in the community.”
Forbus said the historical commission and the folk festival both submitted applications for the HOT funds, initially seeking $10,000 and $14,000, respectively.
Zender said the historical commission will use $4,000 to paint the exterior of the Gibbs-Powell Home at the corner of Avenue M and 11th Street and the remaining $2,000 will be used to start a night cemetery tour.
She said Walker County is matching the $4,000.
“I support the historical commission getting the funds for preservation efforts,” Zender said. “This is the first time the commission has received any money and had asked for some for a long time.”
The Sam Houston Folk Festival, sponsored by the Sam Houston Historical Museum, will use the $3,000 to advertise and promote the festival scheduled the first weekend in May.
“This is the first year historic preservation had the HOT money available for it,” Ray said. “These are some good projects coming and use the money to paint the Gibbs-Powell House and update.
“I was thrilled the county is going to match it, so we have some city-county cooperation despite all the contrary rumors. If the project is worthy, the project is worthy. The folk festival, of course, is a great tourist event.
“Glad to give it some and see if it makes a difference and hopefully next year we will have more for both.”
Lindeman said “virtually every group we have given money to has not received any before. There may be one or two exceptions.
“For example, the Veterans Museum, the Walker County Fair and Rodeo and the Naomi Lede group. Virtually all of them have not received HOT money before for whatever the reason.
“These groups qualify under the state law. That’s the thing. You have to meet two criteria in order to get HOT funds. One if you qualify for it under the state law and second is it’s got to be something that promotes the hotel convention industry and is beneficial to the city.
“These groups all qualify on both counts. There’s no logic to not fund them to the extent you can fund them and to the extent they have a good plan for doing those things.”
Also Thursday night, the HOT board:
• Heard a report from Charlotte Oleinik, representing the Veterans HEARTS Museum, about herself, Tom Oleinik and Bettye Nelson attending the Reunion Friendly Conference in Galveston in mid-February, strictly for military planners from across the United States and exhibitors are limited to 20.
• Heard a report from Director of Tourism Kimm Thomas about organizing a 12-member Tourism Advisory Board.
• Heard a report that HOT funds for February totaled $29,901, or 16.49 percent down from the $35,807 received the same time a year ago. HOT funds collected from newer hotels was up 35 percent while funds received from older facilities was down 50 percent.
• The board also discussed receiving applications for HOT funds in June or July during the city’s budget process.
