Conroe council approves dismissal of Willis ISD litigation, signs $~1.86M infrastructure agreement after tense debate

Conroe — The Conroe City Council on Feb. 12 voted to accept Willis Independent School District’s nonsuit in pending litigation and authorized dismissal of the city’s related appeal, and approved a companion utility cost‑sharing agreement for three school properties.

Council members and staff framed the outcome as a restoration of cooperation between the city and Willis ISD after months of dispute. City staff recommended approval so the parties could move forward as partners, and the council adopted the motion by voice vote.

The dispute and settlement drew sharp remarks from several councilmembers and members of the public. One councilmember accused Montgomery County Judge Kehoe of making false public accusations toward the city and raised concerns about unauthorized negotiations; another councilmember disputed that narrative and said Willis ISD dismissed its lawsuit to enable productive negotiations. The exchange became sufficiently heated that the mayor called for order, cleared the chamber and recessed the meeting briefly before reconvening to complete the vote.

Staff and councilmembers also described why the final cost figure in the packet differs from earlier public references. Packet materials and public remarks included figures of $1,580,000 and, later in the meeting record, a figure given as $1,858,623. Staff said the change reflected a different cost calculation tied to surface‑water availability from the city’s SJRA settlement and additional infrastructure elements (water, sewer, road work and tree‑ordinance compliance) for the Calfee, ninth‑grade and MP Clark properties. Councilmember Harry Hartman and others said regulatory timing (TCEQ release dates and CCN issues) constrained what the city could do earlier in the project.

The council’s action also approved staff’s request to dismiss the city’s pending appeal so project teams can proceed with negotiated terms. No roll‑call vote tally of named votes was recorded in the public discussion; the council adopted both measures by voice vote and the mayor announced “motion carries.”

What happens next: Staff said the signed agreement will be executed if the council approves and payments are to follow the contract terms; the items passed at the meeting will allow the district and the city to proceed with the utility work and related construction under the negotiated terms.

Representative quotes: "We were able to go to the table and have a fair and purposeful discussion with Willis," staff said in recommending approval. "It was a good deal for the city and it was a good deal for Willis," a councilmember said of the negotiated settlement.

Ending: The council approved Item 2 and Item 3 and moved on to later agenda items. The public record contains both packet numbers and an in‑meeting stated correction of the amount; staff said the packet includes the full agreement for review.