On 3/1/2019, Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan gave an update on happenings in the City of Tomball. Pictured left to right are: Lion John Phillips, Lion President Bubba Hardee, Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan, Lion Karen Halbach, and Lions Past President Bob Ervin. Photo provided by Lion Al Gerhardt.
Lion President Bubba Hardee introduced guest speaker Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan. Mayor Fagan told everyone that the Historic Depot has been expanded to include a model train / city layout in the caboose and an additional model train in the north side of the Depot. City Marketing Director Mike Baxter has gotten the City involved in the Texas Rail Trail. This is a unique network of Railroad communities that have teamed up to promote tourism and the preservation of Railroad museums & history. It includes Magnolia, Rosenberg, Hearne and other Texas towns. The Rail Road Museum is progressing as the City has purchased the necessary property south of the Depot for this expansion. The committee is now in the fund raising stage as about $1M will be required to have the museum’s railroad cars moved from storage in Houston to the Tomball site. The Mayor discussed the M121 drainage channel running along Cherry Street. This $10.8M project will help water drain from the downtown area and South along Cherry into a retention pond. Current drainage issues were discussed near the new Copper Cove development and effects on the nearby Cherry Meadows neighborhood. The Tomball Economic Development Corporation continues to add businesses in the 100 acre Tomball Business & Technology Park. The City encourages development that “brings jobs”. New residential subdivisions are being added to the community as job growth within the City and region continue at a brisk pace. The City consciously gives attention to quality of life through park and walking trail development and addressing transportation issues.