The Woodlands Township Board of Directors will undertake a new meeting schedule in 2013, one that divides its official business in two days nearly a week apart.

Beginning with its meetings in January, the board will now meet first on typically the third Thursday of the month at 9 a.m., during which it will run through about half of the agenda. The remaining portion of the agenda will be addressed five or six days later on the following Wednesday at the board's 6 p.m. meeting.

Karen Dempsey, township management analyst, said that during the Thursday meetings, the board will typically address items, such as the consent agenda, business briefings, quarterly reports from agencies such as the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and receive briefings "that are of larger interest to the community."

The Thursday meetings will see the continuation of deliberation on more significant items, during which time the board will take action on those items, Dempsey said.

In addition, Dempsey said public comment will only be taken during the first meeting.

The board of directors' current meeting format follows a similar schedule, with workshop meetings held at 7:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of the month and business meetings held on the following Wednesday at 6 p.m.

During the workshop meetings, the board discusses in detail each item proposed for the business agenda. Those meetings sometimes last up to four hours.