Meeting highlights
Commissioners approved the historical courthouse master plan last year. The plan is almost 50% completed, including the historical and architectural research, said Jason Smith, deputy chief of staff for Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough.
Smith is meeting with the Texas Historic Commission in the next few weeks to get feedback on which parts of the Montgomery County Courthouse at 301 N. Main St., Conroe, would qualify for funding. Smith did not specify the amount the county needs from the state legislature.
A courthouse has to be at least 50 years old to be eligible for funding through the legislature, according to the Texas Historical Commission website.
The courthouse was built in 1936 and was renovated in the 1960s to add wings, Smith said. In 1978, a second story was added to the courthouse wings. As it stands, the entire courthouse will be eligible for the grant in 2028, but only the part of the courthouse renovated in the 1960s is eligible now, Smith said.
“The purpose of the meeting next week is to figure out ... does the Historical Commission believe that we can move forward with only the 1936-style courthouse?” Smith said.
In January, Smith and his team will bring the commissioners a plan after meeting with the commission.
To be eligible for construction funding, the county must submit the architectural drawings in the application, Smith said.
Some context
The state of Texas has more than 240 courthouses that are at least 50 years old, and it has more historic courthouses than any other state, according to the Texas Historical Commission website.
To be eligible for a grant from the commission, the courthouse must be at least 50 years old. The Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program awards eligible counties up to $10 million through a biannual, competitive application process.
Items worth mentioning
The commissioners also approved $117,500 for the expansion of the Montgomery County Mental Health Treatment Facility in Precinct 1.
The facility, which broke ground Aug. 18, is aimed at increasing care access for justice-involved individuals experiencing mental health crises, according to previous reporting by Community Impact. The expansion is possible through a portion of $50 million awarded to Montgomery County in 2023 through the Texas Health and Human Services’ Mental Health Inpatient Facility Grant Program, as previously reported.
Before you go
The commissioners court meets at 9:30 a.m. on alternating Tuesdays at 501 N. Thompson St., Ste. 402, in Conroe.
