At a special Jan. 6 Conroe City Council meeting, multiple residents used the public-comment period to press city leaders over recent personnel actions, the closure of Westside Recreation Center and alleged conflicts of interest involving city employees.

Nancy McCheska, a city staff member, opened the public portion with an extended presentation that included a long list of alleged staff misconduct, cost overruns and management failures. McCheska described a series of concerns she said the administration had identified, touching on water planning, a downtown alleyway project, a proposed hotel and staffing problems. "This has catastrophic effects going forward," McCheska said in her remarks on water planning and staffing.

Former parks employee Scott Perry, who said he was terminated Dec. 19 after nearly 20 years with the department, disputed aspects of the citys characterization of programs and decisions. "Recommendations from staff in terms of program cuts for holiday camps, Fresh Fridays and coming soon after-school recreation programs  were directed. They were not staff recommendations," Perry said, describing a directive-driven process and asserting that program reductions and the closure of the Westside Recreation Center were not his choice.

Other speakers asked the council to investigate alleged nepotism and conflicts of interest. During public comment, Kristen Guardino asked the council to "request a formal investigation into the relationship between Greg Wells and Councilwoman Porter," saying public records and a background check suggested a possible family relationship and noting Wellssalary growth since 2017. Guardino asked for an independent review of the decision-making behind the Westside Center closure and for clarity on employee hiring and pay practices.

Several residents criticized the timing and lack of notice surrounding layoffs, including the termination of eight employees in mid-December, and said they felt the council and administration had not provided adequate transparency. Spouses and colleagues of terminated employees urged the council to reconsider personnel decisions and to restore community programs.

Other public comments touched on additional quality-of-life topics: a downtown merchant asked the council to expand Conroe Connection bus service and evening hours; callers urged enforcement of the fireworks ordinance and repairs and improvements to other recreation facilities including CK Ray; and residents from the Lake Conroe Forest area requested a prompt local meeting about annexation-related infrastructure concerns.

Why it matters: The comments reflect ongoing tensions between residents and city staff over personnel decisions, service-level changes and transparency. Several speakers asked the council to initiate investigations or to provide clearer, faster responses to constituent complaints.

Council response and next steps

Council members acknowledged the volume of concerns raised and said staff and the appropriate departments would be asked to follow up. The mayor and council scheduled a follow-up meeting with at least one resident group to address specific property and infrastructure concerns; staff committed to coordinate those follow-ups outside the meeting. Several citizens asked for an independent review of hiring and pay decisions; council members did not announce a specific independent investigation on the record during the meeting.