Conroe residents will get more time to speak at City Council meetings, and downtown event organizers are getting a temporary break on street closure fees after two unanimous votes May 14.
The action came during the first regular meeting with newly seated council members Kristin Hoisington, Ken Blevins and John Sellars on the dais. Both items had drawn months of frustration from residents, small-business owners and downtown event supporters.
What happened
Council voted unanimously to amend its 2024-26 rules of procedure to allow residents to speak on both agenda and non-agenda items at the beginning of publicly called meetings.
The change reverses a January 2025 rule that limited comments to current agenda items only. Mayor Duke Coon said at the time he would not enforce that restriction, as previously reported by Community Impact.
While the agenda item originally listed a 30-minute cap for citizen inquiries, council members discussed giving residents more time when needed. Council ultimately agreed to allow up to one hour max for public comment on a case by case basis.
More details
Council member Shana Arthur said she thought the prior change had been intended to give residents more time—not limit them.
“I do apologize,” Arthur said during the meeting. “I’ll admit that I was wrong on how it turned out, but I really did have good intentions.”
At the January 2025 meeting Arthur said she had concerns of effectiveness regarding public comment. She was not alone; at the same meeting, council member David Hairel said he wanted clear communication.
Now, Hairel said he was “not opposed” to extending the time or allowing speakers five minutes instead of three, while Sellars said he did not want to limit public discussion but preferred council have discretion depending on the meeting.
“I don't want to limit public discussion at all, inquiry at all, but like I was saying earlier, never heard a whole lot of complaints about the way it was previously,” Sellars said.
Also of note
Council also voted unanimously to temporarily restore street closure fees and related requirements to where they stood before Nov. 13, while staff and council continue working on a revised pricing model.
The move walks back a $500 nonrefundable application fee approved Jan. 22 for events that close streets, restrict access or disrupt normal traffic flow, as previously reported by Community Impact. The original and reinstated price is $35.
That fee had become a flashpoint downtown. Residents and business owners said the cost, along with insurance and timing requirements, made smaller markets and community events harder to keep alive.
In March, Community Impact reported the issue was already reshaping how community events operated, with some residents asking council to consider a tiered system for smaller recurring gatherings.
What they’re saying
Several speakers urged the council to keep downtown events accessible.
Jessica Fuentes, who spoke as a resident and customer, said she appreciated council reconsidering the street closure fees.
“I believe this reconsideration is important because it shows that there’s still an opportunity to listen to community and correct course before more damage is done,” Fuentes said.
Conroe resident and small-business owner Savannah Schroeder also asked council to include residents and local business owners as the city works on a longer-term fix.
“I really appreciate it if the council would consider bringing in the citizens and local business owners in making these decisions; I think you've seen that we have many people willing to collaborate and work with everyone,” Schroeder said. “We’re all here to work with you, not against you.”
Arthur said the city had been trying to avoid making taxpayers cover street closure costs.
“We were trying not to let taxpayers have to subsidize these costs,” Arthur said.
She also said that insurance coverage of events remains a concern.
Coon said the rollback is temporary while the city reworks the model.
Looking ahead
Council members also asked for several future items, including a communications policy, an update on the city’s Main Street designation, a review of capital projects, a possible policy on council oversight and a revived planning commission.
Conroe City Council is also slated to meet during a special May 20 meeting to discuss and consider appointing a San Jacinto River Authority Groundwater Reduction Plan Review Committee member and begin the process of replacing city administration, according to the agenda.
