HPMC Member Sue Howey said at the Dec. 17 regular City Council meeting that HPMC is working with Atlanta-based Floyd Green Financial Services, a CPA firm, to process a request for a 501(c)(3) to be established as a nonprofit called the Fulshear Historical Association.
The CPA firm is in the process of preparing all necessary documents, including bylaws and form 1023-EZ, which is a streamlined version of the application for recognition of tax exemption.
The filing to the IRS will be done by Jan. 10 and will be processed within 8-10 weeks, Howey said. The commission estimates this processing step will be done by March 20, by which time the Fulshear Historical Association will be able to begin raising funds.
The cost of the filing and CPA services are being paid by the founding members of the Fulshear Historical Association, Howey added.
“It’s been difficult to hold monthly meetings of our commission due to [being unable] to meet the quorum restriction,” she said. “However, with the creation of the nonprofit, we have a committed group of four members who have met every other week to move forward so that funds can be raised—not just for the museum project but for anything related to preserving the history of Fulshear.”
The Fulshear Historical Association will work side by side with HPMC to raise funds needed to achieve the common goals of both organizations.
Howey also said HPMC has a letter of intent from Don Purser, owner of Purser Architectural Inc., who has volunteered his services to create the site plan and architectural rendering of the Section House museum.
The two-story, five-room Section House—located next door to Encore Arts at 7926 FM 359, Fulshear—is an original building from the Fulshear Railroad Station. The building was moved to its current location at Frances Smart Park in 2016. The date of the structure's construction is unknown, but it is believed to be one of the oldest buildings left in Fort Bend County.
Purser is waiting on a survey from Clay & Leyendecker Inc., which will be provided in the next two weeks, to begin the site plans with an estimated completion by the end of January, Howey said.
The commission has another letter from George Lane, the chairman and CEO of Explore America LLC, Howey said, expressing his interest in exploring the option to promote Frances Smart Park as well as the Section House.
Additionally, at the Dec. 17 meeting, Fulshear City Council agreed to treat the Section House for termites to ensure it remains standing and safe.
Council previously green-lit treatment of the Section House for its flea infestation, and now, it will pull funds that were previously earmarked to do some of the repair works to eradicate termites from the structure, City Manager Jack Harper said.
The next step for the Fulshear Historical Association will be to present the architectural plan to council for approval in or before March 2020.
“I would like to thank the people who are working to get this done,” City Council Member Joel Patterson said. “It’s very difficult for them ... but the members have been able to go and work individually on some of the actions to be able to get to this point. You are making progress, and the effort that is being put in is good.”
