The Woodlands Township voted unanimously to schedule a public hearing May 21 in regards to revisions to establishing and expanding Covenant Administration Department (CAD) fees during an April 23 board meeting.

CAD fees will include expenses for both residential and commercial building improvements.

The background: The original administrative expenses and fees philosophy was first introduced to the township in 2024 and implemented in 2025, Director of Covenant Administration Kim McKenna said.

What’s changing? Most of the changes to fees will affect commercial properties with minor changes to residential property requirements. Modifications to commercial land will include fees for:

• Tree removal
• Signs
• Cell towers
• Lighting

Fish Gallery officials said the aquatic pet store celebrated its 10-year anniversary at its The Woodlands-area location in March.

Founded in 1985, Fish Gallery has other locations in Houston and Dallas, according to its website.

What they offer: Operated alongside a team of aquarium specialists, per its website, Fish Gallery offers a range of pet fish, aquatic plants and aquarium supplies for fish keepers, from beginner-friendly freshwater fish to exotic marine species.

• 26002 I-45, Spring

At its April 21 regular board meeting, the Conroe ISD board of trustees approved the purchase of a new virtual school program named Subject, as well as planned changes to the current virtual program’s model, switching from its current hybrid learning model to a more asynchronous program. 

How we got here: The current model for virtual school learning at CISD is a hybrid model for a five-day school week for grades 5-12. Three of the days in the school week are synchronous, where students are engaged and online with direct instruction from a teacher. The remaining two days are asynchronous, where students are given assignments and are expected to complete them on their own time without teacher supervision.

The future: For the 2026-27 school year, the district has planned to move to an asynchronous model with the Subject virtual learning program with CISD teacher support. CISD hopes to be fully asynchronous with an open enrollment policy by the 2027-28 school year, with the board's approval.

Montgomery County commissioners voted unanimously to approve a resolution ordering the adoption of an artificial intelligence system code of ethics, during the April 23 court meeting. 

What happened: County IT Director Bobby Powell said the AI policy is required by the state of Texas, along with the appointment of an AI risk management official. Powell said currently, he’s the only person within the department who can handle the task.

The approved resolution enacts the minimum standards required by the Texas Department of Information Resources.

Another detail: High risks with AI are defined as anytime AI uses the county’s data. Though Powell said he’s unsure of the cost, the resolution is an unfunded mandate and will require a full-time position once the policy is implemented. First Assistant County Attorney Amy Davidson said that the county is trying to get ahead of the challenges with AI.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from April 20-24.

• New DPS building coming soon to League City

• Lake Conroe Dam celebrates new state historical marker

• Neighborhood Fishin' program bringing catfish, rainbow trout to local lakes

• Picos sets official closing date as owner Arnaldo Richards continues to search for new location

• Registration opens for West U summer classes

The March Housing Market Update from the Houston Association of Realtors, released April 8, shows signs of stability and growth in the Houston housing market. Factors behind this stability include slowly falling house prices and sales gains in single-family homes and townhomes/condominiums.

The conditions: According to HAR, single-family home sales rose by 3.7% with 7,644 homes sold in March compared to the 7,369 sold last March. Home prices fell slightly as well by 1.5%, leveling to a median price of $333,000. Houses saw a slight increase in days on the market, rising to 67 days compared to 62 days last year. Total property sales across the Houston area grew by 3.6%, with 9,001 properties sold, and the number of active property listings rose by 8.8%, equaling 55,611.

What the experts say: HAR Chief Economist Ted C. Jones said the current state of the global economy has led to some instability in interest rates; however, the market has stabilized in comparison to last year.

Texas residents are increasingly facing damaging storms that drive up home insurance rates and other housing costs. Ahead of the state's 2027 legislative session, consumer advocates and insurance industry representatives are urging lawmakers to consider affordability solutions.

What's happening: The average Texas home insurance premium—the amount paid to an insurance company—was $3,291 in 2024, according to the latest Texas Department of Insurance data. In total, premiums rose about 50% between 2022-24.

Texas’ high propensity for natural disasters has been “the No. 1 driver” behind recent rate increases, said Rich Johnson, a spokesperson for the Insurance Council of Texas.

Stay tuned: While Texas can't legislate itself out of weather risks, lawmakers have considered some policy changes to increase disaster resiliency and boost regulatory oversight of the insurance industry. Proposals range from creating grants to help residents weather-proof their homes to placing limits on future rate hikes.