Board moves covenant administration fee updates to public hearing after residents press for clarity

The Woodlands Township Board on April 23 set a public hearing for May 21 to consider proposed revisions to covenant administration fees and related resolutions. Kim McKenna, director of Covenant Administration, told the board the revisions are largely intended to capture administrative costs and to discourage post‑facto improvements that bypass the application process.

Key changes staff described include new commercial fees (for cell facilities and building signage that previously had no fee), addition of administrative expense fees for enforcement of unpermitted improvements (including tree removal), separate fees for partial versus full demolition reviews, and increased variance and rehearing fees to reflect staff and third-party review costs. McKenna said the proposed fee schedule will encourage proactive permitting and recover staff/consultant costs for complex reviews.

Resident concerns and public comment: multiple public commenters addressed enforcement practices and the role of outside counsel. Lisa Cohen said she had sought a private meeting with the chair and raised concerns about communications being routed through an outside law firm; she told the board that, after following the law firm’s instructions, she had ‘not heard from’ the chair and therefore wanted a public record of her concerns. Arthur Brenenhoff (resident) urged board support for the covenant department and previewed Kim McKenna’s presentation on revised fees for commercial items such as cell towers and signs.

Board direction and next steps: directors asked clarifying questions about how fines for unpermitted tree removal would be applied, whether replacements would be required caliper-for-caliper and how reforestation standards differ for commercial and residential lots. Staff said enforcement begins with an application and mitigation plan; unresolved matters may proceed through cease-and-desist orders or legal action. The board voted to schedule a public hearing on May 21 to take public testimony and consider adopting the proposed fee revisions.

What was not decided: the meeting scheduled the hearing but did not adopt the fee schedule; adoption would follow public notice, comment and a separate board action. Staff additionally said it is exploring multi-permit or package-permit approaches for common backyard remodels to reduce applicant burden.