The Woodlands Township board approved Thursday a series of agreements with Montgomery County that would ensure an orderly transition and continued law enforcement services and road maintenance services if the township board puts the incorporation question to voters for possible approval to become a city and voters OK the issue.

In a unanimous 7-0 vote, the board approved three agreements with the county that would allow for continued contracting out of law enforcement services if The Woodlands does become a city, one of the most debated issues related to the ongoing incorporation studies that have been underway since January 2018.

Township board Chairman Gordy Bunch told board members and attendees at the May 16 meeting that the agreements will provide assurances to community members that the current level of law enforcement services will not diminish if the township becomes a city, as well as other services such as road maintenance done by the county.

“I think this provides our community certainty,” Bunch said, addressing month’s worth of questions and unfounded claims from citizens and opponents of incorporation about the future policing model if the township becomes a city. “This agreement gives us a four-year window to leverage that great service the sheriff provides.”

The first agreement is actually an amendment to a pre-existing Interlocal Agreement between the township and the county for law enforcement services that was signed in 2016. Under the pact, if The Woodlands incorporates, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide all law enforcement services and that 22.5 county-funded positions would transition to the township over a three year period. In year one, the 22.5 positions would be funded by Montgomery County, but in years two, three and four, the township would pay for one-third of the cost of those 22.5 positions each year until by year four they are fully paid for by the township.

Township President and General Manager Don Norrell said the law enforcement agreement is merely a transition agreement for a specific time period, after that period is over, township leadership and elected officials — possibly a city council — would need to make choices about how to continue with policing services, whether to continue contracting out with the county or form an independent city of The Woodlands police force.

“This is a transition agreement and takes us to year four,” Norrell stressed. “This does not take care of the Harris County (issues) though. We’d need to take a look at — under the hybrid (policing) model — hiring police for that area.”

One of the complicating factors for law enforcement services for the township if it does incorporate is that fact that a small part of The Woodlands — the Village of Creekside Park — is located in Harris County. During the months of discussions over law enforcement services during incorporation planning, how to deal with the two areas has created disagreements and debate among the board members and public. The hybrid policing model Norrell mentioned has been one proposal, and would be comprised of Montgomery County deputies still contracted to cover that area of the township while forming a smaller, independent city police force that would only patrol in Harris County areas of The Woodlands.

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Photo By Jeff Forward/The Villager / Photo By Jeff Forward/The Villager Photo: Photographs Courtesy The Woodlands Township / Photographs Courtesy The Woodlands Township Photo: Courtesy Image/The Novak Consulting Group & The Woodlands Township / Courtesy Image/The Novak Consulting Group & The Woodlands Township

The second agreement is a memorandum of understanding between the township and the county that would ensure that maintenance services for county roads would continue to be done by the county over a one-year period after a potential incorporation. This agreement also includes provisions that guarantee the county would maintain and operate all traffic lights and signal management after a possible incorporation.

The third agreement allows for the acquisition of existing law enforcement vehicles — patrol cars, motorcycles and SUVs as well as any other vehicle used by deputies or detective — as well as the south county sheriff’s office substation by The Woodlands in the event the township does become a city. Under previous plans, if The Woodlands incorporates and creates its own independent police force, refurbishing the existing substation where more than 100 deputies are based was deemed more financially beneficial to the township than building an entire new facility from the ground up.

Township Director Bruce Rieser was in full support of the three agreements, and quashed concerns shared by fellow Director John McMullan, who said he supported the moves but had questions about some specifics of the arrangement.

“(The agreements) codify that the sheriff is willing to provide services as he does to everyone else,” Rieser said. “It also says the commissioners court is not going to throw up roadblocks to whatever we want to do (as a township or city).”

The possible incorporation of The Woodlands would require the seven-member board to first place the question of whether or not to incorporate on a ballot — something Bunch has said will not happen before November 2020 — and then once on the ballot, the issue would need to be approved by township voters before The Woodlands could potentially become a city.

jeff.forward@chron.com