KINGWOOD — At Tuesday’s Kingwood Council meeting, a discussion about forming a small business committee was tabled until the first October meeting.
Council member Karen Kurilko said the committee will be made up of three council members, one member from the Economic Development Authority and one from the Chamber of Commerce.
During the last meeting, council voted to give Parks and Recreation $104,818, voted to set aside $50,000 for small businesses and put aside $192,119 for later use.
The small business committee would evaluate the information provided by small businesses and make recommendations for the allocation of the funds.
In other business, Kingwood Parks and Recreation Supervisor Kevin Stiles told council members three of his employees did not want to work the concession stand this weekend unless a mask mandate was put in place.
Mayor Jean Guillot said he spoke with Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department officials, who puts on the Buckwheat Festival, and was told they were strongly recommending masks but was not making them mandatory.
“I’m just not in favor of mandating masks,” councilman Josh Fields said.
Councilwoman Tina Turner agreed.
“If it rains and we crown Queen Ceres inside, I don’t want to ask her to wear a mask,” she said.
It was decided to have a sign stating it is strongly recommended masks be worn and have masks and hand sanitizer available for those who want to be masked.
Following the regular meeting, council members attended a ceremony for Citizen of the Year at the Craig Civic Center.
Susan Hardesty, who was chosen as Citizen of the Year by her peers and the public, said she was surprised she was chosen.
“I’m amazed, humbled and grateful all at once,” she said about being chosen “I never once thought anyone would notice my little piddling around Kingwood.”
Among her many accomplishments: Hardesty is a member of the McGrew Society, a nonprofit group devoted to preserving the McGrew House. Hardesty has also written a biography of James Clark McGrew.
She said the great thing about Kingwood is that everyone makes room for others to show their talents and their strengths.
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