In a meeting that included the removal of attendees from council chambers, Conroe City Council voted Feb. 12 to end months of litigation with Willis ISD and approve a $1.8 million infrastructure agreement aimed at locking in permanent water and sewer service for three district properties.
What happened
Council first approved dismissing pending litigation tied to Calfee Middle School and related infrastructure matters. City officials said negotiations had stalled while the case was active.
“We could not negotiate while the lawsuit was being done,” council member Marsha Porter said. “The city came to the table when Willis ISD dismissed the lawsuit.”
Council then approved the utility function, cost share and infrastructure agreement between the city and WISD.
Under the approved agreement, WISD must pay the city $1.8 million, due within 45 days after execution of the contract.
The payment includes the district’s proportional share of infrastructure costs associated with extending water and sewer services. The agreement specifies a $708,797 proportionate share tied to surface water plant participation, with WISD’s responsibility capped at that amount even if construction bids exceed estimates.
Regarding utility rates, the agreement states that prior to annexation, the MP Clark and Calfee properties will be billed at “two times the in-city rate” for customers in the same classification.
The document further clarifies that the agreement does not obligate annexation at any specific time, if at all.
What they’re saying
Mayor Coon characterized the vote as a reset following last summer’s highly public dispute over water access.
“The county judge had no business involved in this, and he knows that,” Coon said.
Council members referenced the complexity of transferring service rights from Aqua Texas to the city through the Public Utility Commission of Texas, noting that legal and regulatory requirements shaped the timeline.
How we got here
As previously reported by Community Impact, tensions escalated in August when Conroe cited unauthorized water turn-ons at Calfee Middle School and issued a $5,000 fine and temporarily shut water off days before the 2025-26 school year began. The district filed suit Aug. 6, 2025, and water was restored shortly before classes started Aug. 13.
The dispute centered on development agreements, CCN releases and infrastructure participation costs, as reported. City officials maintained that certain regulatory steps had to be completed before permanent service could be finalized.
Why it matters
The agreement establishes a defined payment schedule, infrastructure participation terms and a firm service-connection deadline—steps city officials said are intended to prevent a repeat of last August’s water crisis.
