Tomball City Council appoints Shon Davis police chief after nationwide search

The Tomball City Council appointed Shon Davis as police chief on October 19, ending a months-long search for a permanent leader. Council members voted unanimously to confirm Davis after meeting in executive session to discuss the appointment. Davis, a 19-year veteran of the Tomball Police Department, had been interim chief since July, when former Chief Jeff Bert left to take a job with Sam Houston State University.

Before the vote, City Manager David Esquivel told the council the city had conducted a nationwide search and ultimately chose someone already inside the department. "I am just proud and honored to put forth our finalist in this long process that we went through," Esquivel said. "And lo and behold we had him in our midst."

Davis joined the Tomball Police Department in 2007 and moved through its ranks over nearly two decades. Most recently, he was captain of the department's patrol operations division. Before that assignment, Davis oversaw the department's school resource and criminal investigation divisions.

The appointment follows Bert's retirement after six years as chief. Bert left the department this summer to work at Sam Houston State University, creating the vacancy that prompted Tomball to launch a national recruiting effort.

At the same October 19 meeting, the council also considered other city business, including a request to rezone a residential lot for a small real estate office. In a separate 3-2 vote, council members approved changing the zoning at the corner of Cherry Street and McPhail Street from residential to mixed use. The change allows Luke Tamez and Michelle Tamez to open a brokerage office inside a home they purchased in the neighborhood.

Council members Shelley Michna and Paul Garcia voted against the rezoning. Some residents told the council they worried the mixed-use designation could eventually permit a restaurant or bar. Others said they supported the Tamezes' plan and were pleased with the proposed business. City staff told the council that uses other than an office would likely struggle to meet the city's minimum parking requirements.

"We plan to maintain a small brokerage," Luke Tamez said. "We want this to be ... a small family-oriented business."

The council also approved hiring Dean and Company LLC to finish erosion repairs in the North Star Estates neighborhood near Bearing Star Lane. City officials terminated the previous contractor, iDig Katy, on August 31 after saying the company made insufficient progress and failed to communicate or coordinate with the city.

According to agenda documents, the city filed a claim with the former contractor's performance bond, and the surety will cover the money the city spent on that contract and the cost of hiring the replacement firm.

Council member Dane Dunagin described the erosion project as unfinished work that needed to be completed. "It is a mess," Dunagin said. "It has to get done."