Missouri City plans to capitalize on the 2017 Super Bowl in Houston to raise funds for city parks. Here are some takeaways from City Council’s Monday meeting.

Super Bowl celebrations


In conjunction with the Super Bowl in February, Missouri City will host events to raise money for the Missouri City Parks Foundation. The city will partner with the NFL Hall of Fame Players Association for a ticketed tail gate party and a ticketed game watch party, foundation Chair Adrienne Barker said.

Net revenues from the events as well as from a possible silent auction would benefit the foundation as well as a charity chosen by the Players Association, Barker said.

City Council approved allocating $50,000 in hotel occupancy tax funds for players’ appearance fees, promotional materials and transportation to events.

The city’s Hampton Inn will include two tail gate party tickets in every three-night stay package sold, City Manager Anthony Snipes said.

“Our hotels get a benefit not only from a branding and marketing standpoint,” he said.

Barker said Missouri City-area former NFL players, including city resident and former Houston Oilers player Elvin Bethea, were expected to appear at the events.

Code enforcement changes


The council also approved an amendment allowing code enforcement officers to issue residents notices to appear in municipal court for code violations. The move was done as a way to better ensure violators would appear, which police said in August was not happening about 40 percent of the time.

Council members also approved an amended fee structure for violations in Chapters 14, 30 and 78 of the city code.

Reuben Davis dedication


The city proposed renaming Orchard Street to Ruben Davis Drive The city proposed renaming Orchard Street to Ruben Davis Drive[/caption]

On the first of two readings, the council approved an ordinance to rename Orchard Street to Ruben Davis Drive after the late Precinct 2 Constable who died Oct. 18.

Council member Jerry Wyatt said he was concerned about going forward with the ordinance without first creating a policy for renaming city streets.

“Personally, I think Ruben is bigger than a street,” Wyatt said. “I really think we should wait to establish a policy to determine how we are going to rename streets in Missouri City.”

The ordinance requires a second to take effect. No locations have an Orchard Street address, Mayor Allen Owen said, but the street runs behind the Fort Bend County annex.

“I wanted us to consider doing this after so many people had contacted me about trying to do something to remember him for the years of service that he gave to our community and gave back to the citizens of Missouri City,” Owen said.