[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6491259,"mediaKeyId","5578008-0e63f1722355b809472be83c78579946","parentId",5578008,"title","Conroe council reviews proposed charter amendments; mayor‑council vs. city‑manager, quorum and other measures headed to possible November ballot","audioSeconds",3527,"startMs",5404000,"endMs",8931000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5578008-0e63f1722355b809472be83c78579946&start=5404&end=8931","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5578008-0e63f1722355b809472be83c78579946/thumbnail_5404000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6491259/Conroe/Montgomery-County/Texas/Conroe-council-reviews-proposed-charter-amendments-mayorcouncil-vs-citymanager-quorum-and-other-measures-headed-to-possible-November-ballot","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491259-03910caca02d56f4fba017ec3a44cd64/orig.mp4?Expires=1770402030&Signature=LgJa9NjdAtUlFWWA4pUZCKQ~qmVjsJskgFFEusfniWITClHv2VglhZ12ODMZx~-whh~GpnCazWmN3xWNYRcVBRfuTEsOoPEqruxXZYyTGuKuIxd5ODyCaVIx1eC9B~-IVZVXGCA~DQeKEOtdmPpCd0DPJkCT8GSnpkfjQgrcFM9r44tkWFfpjT7ugp4vW9jeUc0QCgoMvlFBV3D2JKnTxf8Ayh-s11qM1lRfB-pTv1FAN0vnA4~mMERdsKNidCWNloWQmERMJELepfsKB8diGFud2BAGavckZ3Kt2Rs-MBYHONyAhhr6s1ul1IHu-kNjjIkBBdT9G-cD0DSluqwsMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Conroe","date","2025-08-13T00:00:00Z","article","Conroe city officials presented a packet of proposed charter amendments and an ordinance to call a special election on Nov. 4 to submit those amendments to voters.

City attorney Charlie Zeck walked the council through more than a dozen proposed propositions Aug. 13, which the city is collecting into an ordinance that would place the measures on the Nov. 4 ballot if the council approves the ordinance in a forthcoming meeting. The packet also lists early‑voting dates and polling locations the county supplied and an estimated joint election cost from Montgomery County.

The measures cover structural governance, operational standards and procedural changes. Key items that drew discussion included:

- A potential change from the current mayor‑council framework to a council‑manager form of government. The proposed city‑manager language would vest policy authority with the elected council while placing day‑to‑day administration in a professional city manager hired and, in practice, removable by the council. The city attorney emphasized the charter would still vest ‘‘all powers of the city’’ in the council and that the manager would implement council policy; appointment processes for department heads would shift to manager recommendation and council confirmation in some sections.

- A quorum‑focused amendment to prevent three council members from meeting outside a posted public meeting to discuss city business; proponents said the measure would make the charter’s quorum language clearer and reduce the risk of deliberations occurring outside formal sessions.

- A proposed reduction in council member terms from four years to two years and other related changes that supporters said would increase accountability and opportunities for candidate turnover.

- A measure that would prohibit elected officials from maintaining private physical offices inside city buildings.

- Other measures ranging from board and commission appointment procedures to recall petition thresholds, an item limiting debt issuance without voter approval (the draft lists $25 million as a threshold), and housekeeping edits (for example, clarifying whether the city secretary may also serve as the finance director). Some measures are contingent: several provisions are drafted to apply only if a broader city‑manager proposition does not pass.

Council members questioned the packet’s scope and whether other frequently requested reforms — including adding council seats or single‑member districts — should be included. City staff and the attorney said they compiled the propositions from town hall input, staff review and earlier discussions and warned that some changes require careful drafting or further study; the attorney said the deadline to file the election order was Aug. 18.

Montgomery County staff provided estimated election logistics and an estimated joint cost of approximately $175,000; the county will set final polling locations and can alter logistics. Council members asked staff to return with fiscal impact language for each proposed charter change and to clarify potential budget or operational effects.

Ending

The council did not adopt the ordinance Aug. 13; staff and the city attorney will return with any requested amendments and fiscal impact information. Council members emphasized that voters would make the final decision and that some topics — such as adding council seats or establishing single‑member districts — may require additional study before appearing on a ballot.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Conroe - Workshop","oneSentenceSummary","City attorney and staff presented a packet of proposed charter amendments Aug. 13 and an ordinance to call a Nov. 4 special election; measures include a possible shift to a council‑manager government, a stricter quorum rule, shorter council terms and multiple procedural and housekeeping changes.","taxTitle","Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas","taxId",2810,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6491265,"Residents, business owners and experts urge Conroe council to back lawsuit blocking Blackfin compressor station",3792,1413000,5205000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5578008-0e63f1722355b809472be83c78579946&start=1413&end=5205","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5578008-0e63f1722355b809472be83c78579946/thumbnail_1413000.jpg","/articles/6491265/Conroe/Montgomery-County/Texas/Residents-business-owners-and-experts-urge-Conroe-council-to-back-lawsuit-blocking-Blackfin-compressor-station","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491265-46493435ac9939ecf986657b2a7417d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770402030&Signature=ZJOoOmTtfoaJArjGyxYWobVdK0x7yChiRUTmv3~rD3wgP8Ft4VaSbt9nd8o6~DWc3Qgtd-DHYA4hLxE3y-Cwh-Ri~O-cUXO9UXozLjX7eOYuouWqITiDl6hehtuLGgbBvL4OZKy6ylsgUUPdxFdftKY5aTUu-F-uH3fi33~X0dibW7uBLN0M8BfeoekFe0uyWXSt2tLgUMoHceL~0vKlotHMYugR0xvj1nSsKDdBt5-r1r9ERqRkh3nJWm63PzNzOSDoEu-ocQvUCWmZ-vPlRh7nxbMP-QOvZKazi9zx9l99JtqRMiRinJEIToM7hqg7TM3bcXRMtVsYnm4sghtJzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents, business and a retained pipeline expert urged the Conroe City Council on Aug. 13 to support legal action to stop a planned Blackfin Pipeline LLC compressor station that would sit beside Interstate 45 near Bartlett Home Furnishings and back up against residential neighborhoods.

They said the station’s proposed layout — four turbine compressors serving a 48‑inch pipeline — would be unusually close to homes, a business nursery inside the Bartlett store and two new Conroe ISD schools. The council scheduled consideration of a resolution supporting a temporary restraining order and other injunctive relief in Bartlett Properties LLC v. Blackfin Pipeline LLC for its next meeting; no vote occurred Aug. 13.

Public comments focused on safety, noise and air emissions. “Compressor stations are industrial facilities with real risk to public health and safety,” said Howard Leap, president of the Crichton Ridge Homeowners Association, during the public comment period. Multiple speakers said they received little or no information from Blackfin and described difficulty getting answers from the company or state regulators.

Justice Corley, a Grand Central Park resident who said the proposed site is “really close” to his home, told council members he and neighbors “love the outdoors” and were alarmed by company claims that the station would have frequent blowdowns. “This compressor station is supposed to have 144…off gases a year. That’s every 2½ days,” Corley said, adding he had personally heard loud test operations near his house.

Seth Rubinson, an attorney representing Bartlett Properties in the litigation, told council members the company's plans already include above‑ground mainline valves and a block‑valve launcher and receiver near the Bartlett property. He asked the council to back the property owner’s lawsuit and said the station’s proximity to populated areas is “unheard of in the industry.”

Doyle Sanders, a retained pipeline engineer who presented technical analysis at the meeting, said Blackfin’s project includes a rare 48‑inch intrastate pipeline with four compressor sites spaced across the route. He described design and operational hazards for a large‑diameter, high‑pressure line and said typical compressor stations of this size are sited in rural locations. Sanders told the council the Conroe site appears compressed to a roughly 6.9‑acre footprint and that industry standard mitigation — distance, remote siting and third‑party design review — had not been met.

City staff described what reviews have occurred: building and civil site‑plan reviews limited to stormwater, MS4 and floodplain concerns, not mechanical or operational permits for compressors. “When it was brought to us, it was sort of civil site plan only — only to review the SWIP, the MS4, which is stormwater, as well as the floodplain administration,” said Norman McGuire, who answered council questions on staff reviews. He said environmental operating permits and compressor‑specific authorizations are regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Railroad Commission, not by the city.

Council members and staff said they had only recently been alerted to the compressor station layout and promised to explore legal and administrative options. Councilwoman Porter and others said they were “outraged” that the city council and community had not been informed earlier in the pre‑development process. Several members pledged to “spare no expense” to support the Bartlett property owner’s injunction efforts and to seek rescission of local permits, additional legal review and coordination with county and state representatives.

Rubinson said the temporary restraining order hearing in Montgomery County District Court is scheduled for Aug. 29; the council placed a resolution supporting the restraining order on the agenda for the next council meeting. Bartlett family representatives and counsel said the lawsuit relies in part on restrictive covenants they allege were violated by the proposed facility.

Ending

Blackfin Pipeline representatives were not present at the Aug. 13 meeting; council members and staff said they had repeatedly sought answers and received little or no response from company contacts. Council members said they would consult with the county, state representatives and legal counsel and seek options — both administrative and legal — to contest the site. A vote on the council’s resolution supporting the Bartlett plaintiffs’ request for injunctive relief was scheduled for the council’s next meeting.","Residents, business and a retained pipeline expert urged the Conroe City Council on Aug. 13 to support legal action to stop a planned Blackfin Pipeline LLC compressor station that would sit beside Interstate 45 near Bartlett Home Furnishings and back up against residential neighborhoods.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6491261,"TCEQ lowers Conroe’s water capacity requirement; city staff recommends narrower moratorium area",2035,1209000,3244000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5578008-0e63f1722355b809472be83c78579946&start=1209&end=3244","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5578008-0e63f1722355b809472be83c78579946/thumbnail_1209000.jpg","/articles/6491261/Conroe/Montgomery-County/Texas/TCEQ-lowers-Conroes-water-capacity-requirement-city-staff-recommends-narrower-moratorium-area","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491261-62fc4d1494b133d635f39f2a2541c36d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770402030&Signature=gwh9dUTYBQRJcQpk-uEobfEdH6rtQ8uDl2ZP8100ybBtMH2Kz9JdFXbgMWUTb2i72xkgcn9tHlOKxJzT9uFEZUCn22l7FF6Fx8SgRXmhcw4W0ueVXxKamynBzCbBSHiaDfkkSJ8XzdqcFWRE7a~ixCZ-eHUaiqv9r9~jsjeeZe-K87GK1HGOoURD72pc3JDwYyh1mB-dZ76u67hIJ~Vl9CYw5zrdu~k3NhBydm3Y3KPAX9r6jLMYgnephtQXXe4vfCBg~vOUMQqy4P2vy31o51ldTViYw~fY8sUhE668IxHDZc~m42bOSd97mFx7ZOS-l098kBUafwwbhAtMyNy3fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Conroe city staff told the City Council on Aug. 13 that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has approved a revised Alternative Capacity Requirement (ACR) that lowers the citywide baseline used to judge water system capacity.

Nancy McKeska, city staff, said the TCEQ approved an ACR of 0.46 gallons per minute per connection — down from the statutory 0.6 baseline — and that the allowance was expedited after letters from state legislators. She said the revised ACR carries conditions, including a 42‑month expiration and monitoring requirements that the city must meet for continued use.

‘‘This is good information because this is related to our overall citywide capacity requirement,’’ McKeska told the council. She also said the ACR will expire in 42 months and that the city must show three consecutive years of the required usage numbers to obtain a subsequent ACR.

Staff recommended that the council extend an existing temporary development moratorium but in a reduced geographic footprint. City Engineer/department representative Norman McGuire said staff’s recommendation is to compress the moratorium area to the red zones shown in maps provided to councilors and to remove other areas from the moratorium as capacity projects come online. He warned the council that if the city’s usage rises above a regulatory threshold the ACR would be void and the city would revert to the 0.6 gpm baseline.

Council members asked for the hard data behind the ACR calculation and received a technical summary: with the new ACR the city’s measured usage would sit in the low‑80s percent of the applicable regulatory cap, under the 85 percent trigger associated with the 0.6 baseline. McGuire said staff had reviewed the hydraulic models and planned wells (wells 29 and 39, redrilling of well 6 and well 14) and that, with those projects, staff did not foresee the need for a citywide moratorium.

Mayor and council members discussed next steps and public process: staff will present an ordinance to extend the moratorium in the refined area at the council’s next meeting; staff said the council can further narrow or phase out the moratorium as new data arrives.

Ending

The council recessed a public hearing on the moratorium at the Aug. 13 meeting and left the matter on the agenda for further consideration. Staff emphasized that the ACR is a conditional, time‑limited allowance and urged caution to preserve the revised requirement while the city implements planned water projects and demand‑management steps.","City staff said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted Conroe a revised Alternative Capacity Requirement (ACR), lowering the permit baseline and allowing the city to narrow a temporary development moratorium. Staff recommended a reduced moratorium area and said the ACR must be preserved by monitoring demand.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Conroe council reviews proposed charter amendments; mayor‑council vs. city‑manager, quorum and other measures headed to possible November ballot

Residents, business owners and experts urge Conroe council to back lawsuit blocking Blackfin compressor station

TCEQ lowers Conroe’s water capacity requirement; city staff recommends narrower moratorium area