Explained: The Woodlands Township board of directors voted 6-0 to authorize President and CEO Monique Sharp to execute lease agreements for three new cell tower sites. The approved locations are at Cattail Park, Tamarac Park and the Rob Fleming Park Recreation Center. Out of AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, one carrier is currently interested. The township's contractor, Diamond Communications, selected the sites based on several factors:

• Coverage gap proximity

• Elevation

• Geographic distribution to serve identified problem areas

• Feasibility for three-carrier infrastructure deployment

The discussion: Katie Harms, a representative for Diamond Communications, stated that if the leases are countersigned, the three towers could become operational in the third quarter of next year. Getting all proposed towers running will likely be a five-year process. The towers will extend cell coverage up to a mile and feature generators for storm outages.

The framework: Based in Austin, Texas, The Alpha School opened a campus in The Woodlands in the fall of this year. The school uses an artificial intelligence learning platform to provide one-on-one, mastery-based tutoring. This allows students to learn twice as much in only two hours of academic schooling per day. The Woodlands location accepts a maximum of 65 students and has already enrolled more than 50 students.

More details: After academic instruction, teachers, who are known as guides, help children develop five essential life skills:

• Teamwork and leadership
• Storytelling and public speaking
• Entrepreneurship and financial literacy
• Relationship building and socialization
• Grit and hard work

Stay tuned: The school is already expanding and plans to move into another space by the end of this school year or next fall. A new campus will also open in January in the Houston area.

Montgomery County commissioners are slowing the timeline for a justice center bond, deciding not to rush the project onto the May ballot.

During a Sept. 17 workshop, officials agreed they need a clearer picture of long-term courtroom, office, parking and security needs before asking voters for funding.

Diving in deeper: Commissioners asked architects to evaluate if the selected Conroe site can accommodate these long-term needs through 2050, requesting updated square-footage and cost estimates. Department heads and the sheriff's office also requested more involvement to address security, parking, and public access.

While a previous $350 million concept proposed 21 courtrooms, County Court at Law No. 2 Judge Claudia Laird noted the county currently needs 23 courtrooms and could require 31 by 2029. Filings are projected to increase by 2050, potentially requiring 35 to 42 courtrooms.

What’s next: BSW Architects will survey county departments, taking about three months to revise the proposal. Commissioners plan to hold another workshop around December or January.

According to the latest report from the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), renters across the Greater Houston area are experiencing slight decreases in rent rates as the supply of units remains steady.

The breakdown: HAR officials stated in a Sept. 16 update that the continual availability of rental units has helped stabilize rent costs, with the rental market remaining well-balanced in August.

The report highlights the following key trends for August:

• The number of available rental units jumped nearly 5% year over year.

• The average cost of rent saw a small decrease.

• Townhome and condominium renters experienced the opposite trend, with average costs increasing by 2.4% year over year.

• The number of available townhome and condominium units on the market decreased as more renters filled those spaces.