📌 Montgomery County Wants a Say in How It Grows

📌 Woodlands Fire Coverage and Pool Upgrades Head to a Vote Wednesday

📌 She Won't Send You a Rate Sheet Until She Knows Your Business

🌦️ Rain possible · 91°F / 77°F

A warm, muggy Tuesday with showers likely and a chance of storms. Umbrellas are the call today.

Source: Vaisala Xweather

Montgomery County commissioners voted unanimously on October 8 to send a formal resolution to every state representative and senator in the county, asking them to introduce legislation that would give the county limited authority to regulate land use and development.

The county's hands are currently tied by Texas law. While commissioners can set certain safety and drainage standards for developers, they have no power to zone land or control where development happens. That gap matters because 78% of the county is unincorporated, meaning the majority of residents live outside any city or township and rely directly on the county for roads, emergency services, and public infrastructure.

The resolution is frank about what's driving the push: "The current pace and scale of growth are outstripping the county's ability to provide and expand infrastructure and public services." Commissioner Matt Gray of Precinct 4 was careful to frame the move as pro-resident rather than anti-developer. "Our position is not only to look after our residents and look after the county, but it's to protect your property investments, your property rights and the life you built here," he said. County Judge Mark Keough echoed that balance: the goal is a framework that "has to work for everybody."

Why it matters: the next Texas legislative session opens January 12, and if the county's resolution gains traction, it could eventually give local officials the tools to shape where this region's next wave of growth lands.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

The Woodlands Township board of directors meets Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Township headquarters on Technology Forest Boulevard, and two items on the consent agenda will touch most residents in some way.

The first extends the township's fire protection contract with the city of Shenandoah by ten years, through September 2036. The Woodlands Fire Department has covered Shenandoah since 2011, and the current agreement expires at the end of this year. The proposed amendment also shifts to a steadier funding model: instead of renegotiating fees periodically, Shenandoah would pay a fixed rate of $0.10 per $100 of net appraised value from the prior year's certified tax rolls.

The second item is $975,000 in pre-approved park and aquatics capital for 2027. Pool deck work and replastering are planned for Shadowbend, Lakeside and Alden Bridge pools. Lakeside is also getting a new shade structure. The Bear Branch Pool slide, Texas TreeVentures platforms and the Lake Robbins Fountain are all on the list for replacement. Every project is fully funded through the township's capital replacement reserve and requires board approval before January 1.

Why it matters: consistent fire coverage and well-maintained public pools are two things most people never think about until they're not there, and Wednesday's vote keeps both on track.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Carly Olson runs Divergent Marketing and Branding out of a suite on Technology Forest Place in The Woodlands, and she built the agency around a single conviction: before she proposes anything, she needs to understand your business. No rate sheet, no package menu. A conversation first.

The agency's name is intentional. Olson describes Divergent as "the marketing agency that hates marketing agencies," and what that means is this: most marketing today has started to look and sound the same. When businesses reach for the same AI tools and trend playbooks, they lose the one thing that's hard to replicate. Divergent's pitch is that brand strategy and voice are still worth building from scratch. The custom process covers your team's capacity, your past marketing efforts, and your actual goals, then proposes a strategy shaped around all of it.

The agency serves clients across 13 states, mainly small to mid-sized companies in trades, med spas, fitness studios, skincare and jewelry e-commerce, and B2B professional services. Website builds are a core offering, and Olson is explicit that they're never outsourced overseas or generated from templates or AI. The agency is also planning in-person events around The Woodlands in the coming months, covering how AI affects how people find and run businesses and what authentic brand strategy actually looks like.

Why it matters: in a market where most local businesses are running the same playbook, working with someone who starts with your specific situation rather than a catalog is worth knowing about.

🗓️ The Woodlands Township Regular Board Meeting | 2801 Technology Forest Blvd., The Woodlands | 6:00 PM | Free | More info

🗓️ Pigs on the Wall at Main Street Crossing | 111 W. Main St., Tomball | 8:00 PM | More info

🗓️ The Spicoli's at Main Street Crossing | 111 W. Main St., Tomball | 7:00 PM | More info

🗓️ The Woodlands Wildflower Festival | Rob Fleming Park, 6055 Creekside Forest Drive | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Free | More info

🗓️ Young Texas Artists Classic Cabaret | Dosey Doe, 25911 I-45 N., The Woodlands | Evening | More info

🗓️ Hayes Carll | Dosey Doe, 25911 I-45 N., The Woodlands | 7:30 PM | More info

Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.

Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
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In 1989, golf legend Arnold Palmer personally teed off at the opening of The Woodlands Country Club's TPC course, which he helped design. The course went on to host PGA Tour events and put The Woodlands on the national golf map.

"All hat and no horse." Translation: someone who looks the part but has nothing to back it up.

There's a "last time" you did everything for the first time, and you almost certainly don't remember any of them.

Why did the music teacher need a ladder? To reach the high notes.

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