Township Board approves proposal for MCSO Mounted Patrol Services, Cell Tower Installation

The Woodlands Township Board of Directors held a regular meeting on Thursday, September 17, 2026. The following is a recap of The Woodlands Township’s regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting.

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Proclamations

Proclamation Recognizing October as Walk & Roll to School Month
Director Cindy Heiser read a proclamation recognizing October as Walk & Roll to School Month in support of the National Center for Safe Routes to School’s Walk & Roll to School Day. The proclamation highlights the health and safety benefits of walking and bicycling to school and recognizes The Woodlands Township’s more than 220 miles of pathways connecting neighborhoods, schools and recreational areas. The Woodlands ranks third in Texas for the number of schools registered to participate.

Proclamation Designating October 4, 2026, as National Night Out Day in The Woodlands
Director Adam Lamb read a proclamation designating Sunday, October 4, 2026, as National Night Out Day in The Woodlands. The proclamation recognizes the importance of police-community partnerships, neighborhood safety and crime prevention and encourages residents to join The Woodlands Township Neighborhood Watch and communities across the country in supporting National Night Out.

Regular Agenda

APPROVED – Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol Services
President and CEO Monique Sharp presented a proposal to transition the Township’s mounted patrol services from the current civilian courtesy patrol model to a commissioned law enforcement model through the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). The Township’s current mounted patrol contract expires December 31, 2026.

The proposed MCSO mounted patrol unit will include one sergeant, six deputies and seven horses funded by the Township in addition to resources provided by MCSO, combining the highly visible and community-focused presence of mounted patrol with full law enforcement capabilities. The unit will also support large-scale events, traffic and crowd management and community engagement.

The agreement includes approximately $1.37 million in annual operating costs and $954,000 in initial capital costs for horses, vehicles, trailers, facilities and related equipment. Staff estimates the new model will provide approximately $133,000 in annual operating savings compared with continuing the current service model with its proposed rate increase.

The Board unanimously approved the MCSO proposal and authorized the President and CEO to negotiate and enter into a final agreement with Montgomery County, subject to approval as to final form by Township legal counsel. The motion passed 6 to 0. Chairman Brad Bailey was not in attendance.

ACCEPTED – Cell Tower Installation on Township-owned Property
Following a public hearing and presentation by Chief Technology and Innovation Officer William Pham and Katie Harms, Manager, Strategic Partnerships & Site Acquisition for Diamond Communications, the Board unanimously approved cell tower installations at Terramont Park, Cattail Park and the Rob Fleming Recreation Center. The public hearing was required because the proposed installations would place non-recreational uses on Township parkland.

These three sites are the first phase of a broader effort to improve cellular coverage in areas of The Woodlands with limited or unreliable service. The proposed 120-foot towers will be designed as mono-pines to blend with the surrounding environment, with locations selected in coordination with the Township’s Parks and Recreation Department to minimize impacts to park users and surrounding areas.

Diamond Communications will complete required environmental, Federal Communications Commission and Federal Aviation Administration reviews as part of the site development process. Construction of the first three towers is anticipated to take approximately nine to 10 months following execution of the leases.

The Board unanimously authorized the President and CEO to execute the lease agreements, subject to approval as to final form by Township legal counsel. The motion passed 6-0. Chairman Brad Bailey was not in attendance.

CONSENT AGENDA

The Consent Agenda consists of non-controversial, or “housekeeping” items required by law. One motion with modifications, if applicable, approves for action, all items contained within the Consent Agenda. Items may be moved from the Consent Agenda to the Regular Agenda by a Board Member making such a request prior to a motion and vote. To view more information about each item, please review the Meeting Agenda online.

The following items were unanimously approved by the Board of Directors:

• Receive, consider and act upon Administrative Reports for Community Services;
• Receive, consider, and act upon Administrative Reports for Law Enforcement and Community Policing;
• Receive, consider and act upon Administrative Reports for The Woodlands Fire Department;
• Receive, consider and act upon an award of contract for certified disposal of assorted household hazardous waste collected at a Township-sponsored drive-thru event (C-2026-0465);
• Receive, consider and act upon a First Amendment to Standard Professional Services Agreement with Terracon for materials testing services (C-2023-0243);
• Receive, consider and act upon a Task Order for Planning Services from Burditt Consultants, LLC (C-2025-0352) for the development of a transit maintenance facility;
• Receive, consider and act upon Utility Easements with GTE Mobilnet of South Texas Limited Partnership, dba Verizon Wireless, related to streetlight poles with small cell nodes (P-2026-0512, P-2026-0513, P-2026-0514, P-2026-0515, P-2026-0516, P-2026-0517, P-2026-0518, P-2026-0519, P-2026-0521, P-2026-0522, P-2023-0523)

Watch meeting online at https://woodlandstx.new.swagit.com/videos/401430?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Source: The Woodlands Township

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