Montgomery County Commissioners Court will hold a public hearing Thursday, Sept. 17, on proposed changes to drainage rules for unincorporated areas. The agenda also covers temporary operations for the new 523rd District Court and the David Memorial Drive extension near The Woodlands.
The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Alan B. Sadler Commissioners Court Building in Conroe, according to the county agenda.
Drainage rules for unincorporated areas
Commissioners will consider amendments to the county's Drainage Criteria Manual, the engineering rulebook that governs how stormwater systems are designed and built in unincorporated Montgomery County. The manual sets minimum standards for flow rates, flood levels, water collection and conveyance.
A core principle in the manual is "No Adverse Impact." It requires that no development project increase peak water flow, surface elevation or velocity leaving a site. Post-project runoff must equal or fall below pre-project levels.
Thomas E. Woolley Jr., the county's director of engineering services, and County Engineer Brian C. Clark submitted the proposed amendments, which were prepared by the engineering firm Halff Associates. The agenda does not detail which specific sections would change.
523rd District Court operations
Commissioners will also discuss temporary office and courtroom space for the 523rd District Court. County commissioners voted in August 2025 to create the court to address growing caseloads and overcrowding at the county jail, Community Impact reported.
County staff estimated the court's annual operating cost at about $1.5 million, covering positions in the district attorney's office, county clerk's office and court staff. The state pays the judge's salary. The county covers personnel and space.
Funding for the court is part of the $546.8 million fiscal year 2026-27 budget that commissioners approved in a 3-2 vote Sept. 8. Commissioners Ritch Wheeler of Precinct 3 and Matt Gray of Precinct 4 voted against the budget. The new county tax rate is $0.3860 per $100 of home value, up $0.009 from the prior year. The median homestead will pay about $30 more in county property taxes.
"This has probably been one of the hardest budgets I've ever been through," Precinct 1 Commissioner Robert Walker said at the Sept. 8 session. He added that commissioners and department heads alike must "try to live within our means of what we bring in."
David Memorial Drive extension
The court will review progress on connecting David Memorial Drive to State Highway 242. The roughly 1,500-foot, four-lane extension runs from the Conroe city limits near Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital to Hwy. 242.
Commissioners approved an interlocal agreement for the project April 23. Commissioner Gray signed on behalf of the county; Conroe Mayor Duke W. Coon signed for the city. The county's share is capped at $3 million. Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital is donating right-of-way land for the project.
The road sits partly in Shenandoah and partly in unincorporated county territory. Once complete, Montgomery County will maintain the new segment even though it falls within Conroe's city limits. The agreement includes a 24-month deadline to begin construction or it can be terminated.
Thursday's meeting will stream live at mctx.org.
