[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER]
Y'ALL FOR ATTENDING.UH, WE PUT IT OFFITE TO ANOTHER FACILITY TO ACCOMMODATE EXACTLY JUST THIS.
AFTER THE LAST MEETING WE HAD THAT, UH, THE STANDING ROOM ONLY, ONLY IN OUR LARGEST COURT.
UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT OF A FORMAT THAT WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW TONIGHT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A HARD CUTOFF AT SEVEN 30.
UH, THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, THE BUILDING WE'RE IN, WE DON'T OWN THAT, UH, FOR THE TIMELINES THAT, THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN.
BUT ALSO, UH, I THINK THAT THIS MEETING'S RUN A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENTLY AND MORE, UH, PRODUCTIVE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF ADDRESSING YOUR CONCERNS.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE OF THOSE CONCERNS AND AND NEEDS FOR INFORMATION.
UH, BUT I THINK IF WE RUN THIS MEETING MORE EFFECTIVELY, UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA POLITICIZE THIS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA GET UP AND VENT.
UH, I THINK THIS COURT HAS ALREADY DEMONSTRATED WHAT IT HAS IN PASSING A RESOLUTION THAT IS SUPPORTIVE OF A, UH, UM, YEAH, A POSITION THAT WE ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO EVADE, UH, ANY OF THE DATA CENTERS.
WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY THAT HAS COME FORWARD YET AND FILED A PERMIT FOR ONE IN THE COUNTY THAT NEEDS TO BE NOTED.
THERE HAVE BEEN ALL THESE RUMORS THAT ARE GOING OUT THERE.
SO I DO WANNA PROVIDE SOME UPDATES OF THIS.
BUT FIRST I'M GONNA GO OVER SOME OF THE GROUND RULES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TODAY.
UH, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT FRUSTRATING A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UH, TO COME UP, BE VERY SPECIFIC TO THE POINT.
UH, STATE YOUR QUESTION OR CONCERN, YOU'LL HAVE ONE MINUTE TO, TO SPEAK TO IN ORDER TO GET EVERYONE HERE.
IF YOU LOOK AROUND, UH, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT MORE PE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HERE, MORE THAN THE LAST MEETING.
SO I THINK IF IT'S RAN MORE EFFICIENTLY, BETTER, WE CAN ACCOMMODATE YOU AND ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, PROVIDE SOME UPDATES OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, THAT SAID, IF YOU LOOK OVER HERE AND SEE THAT, PLEASE, AS YOU GET UP AND SPEAK, UH, PLEASE LOOK AT THAT.
YOU'LL BE NOTED AT 10 SECONDS BEFORE, AND THAT IS A HARD CUTOFF THAT WE'LL CUT YOU OFF IN A MINUTE.
AND SO I DO WANNA UPDATE YOU ON A COUPLE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENED SINCE WE LAST, UH, MET.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT PROGRESSION TOWARDS THESE, UH, ISSUES WITH REGARD TO DATA CENTERS COMING TO PARKER COUNTY.
THAT NUMBER ONE, THERE WAS A RECENT, UH, EVENT THAT IN AUSTIN WHERE THE LEGISLATURE ACTUALLY STOPPED A CITY FROM BANNING DATA CENTERS.
THAT IS, AND, AND BEING A POOR MAYOR OF A CITY, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT MAJOR CHANGE BECAUSE WEATHERFORD HAS ALSO PASSED THE RESOLUTION, UH, NOT ACCEPTING IN THEIR LAND USE, UH, DATA CENTER.
SO HOW'S THAT GONNA AFFECT THAT SITUATION? SO THERE HAS BEEN THAT, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THAT, UH, THE COUNTY HAS CONTINUED TO PROGRESS, AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN THIS MEETING.
I GUESS I SHOULD, BEFORE I EVEN CONTINUE THAT, UH, THAT WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, AND I WANNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP
[Items I.A. & I.B.]
ITEM A AND B ON THE UPDATE OF THE DATA CENTERS AND, AND THE, UH, DISCUSSION ALSO ON THE 3 91 CHAPTER.AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT FRONT ON WHAT COUNTIES ARE ABLE TO DO.
AND IT'S THIS FORM RIGHT HERE.
IF YOU DIDN'T GET THAT, PLEASE GET THAT.
AND THAT KIND OF GOES OVER SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR.
UH, I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THAT WE ARE EXPLORING, AND I THINK WE'RE ALL VERY SUPPORTIVE AND ESTABLISHED IN A 3 91 AGREEMENT.
AND, AND WHAT THAT IS, BASICALLY LOOKING AT EITHER A PRIVATIZED OR A LOCAL 3 91.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, WE'RE ALSO A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS ALSO HAS A 3 91.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH THE, UH, COUNTY JUDGES THAT, UM, OUR NEIGHBORING, OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTY JUDGES, BOTH IN HOOD, TARRANT COUNTY, AND OTHERS THAT, UH, TO ESTABLISH UNDER THE THRESHOLD, UNDER THE FRAMEWORK THAT CURRENTLY IS UNDER THE, THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS WHO HAS A 3 9 1 AGREEMENT.
WE'RE LOOKING A REGIONALIZED 3 91 THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT.
AND, UH, YOU'LL BE GETTING UPDATES ON THAT AS WELL, OR YOU, WE'LL BE DOING A LOCALIZED ONE.
SO WE'LL BE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS, THAT, UH, WE'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT AND LOOKING AT EVERYTHING WE CAN AND WILL DO.
AND, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT, THAT IS AT OUR DISPOSAL THAT WE CAN WORK WITH.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A MAGIC BULLET THAT CAN STOP THIS, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO, UM, LOOK AT HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH THOSE DATA CENTERS COMING TO PARKER COUNTY.
SO AT THIS POINT NOW, I WANT TO QUICKLY GO TO, UH, THOSE THAT WANT TO SPEAK AND HAVE THOSE COME UP.
AND IF YOU WOULD PLEASE RESPECT AGAIN, UM, NO, NO ATTACKS, THEY'LL NO, UH, CRITICISM, POLITICIZING THE STATE.
YOUR QUESTION OF CONCERN, YOU'D HAVE ONE MINUTE AND MAKE, AND IF YOU WOULD, STATE YOUR NAME, WHERE YOU LIVE, PLEASE.
I'M A MOM OF TWO TODDLERS, AND WE LIVE OFF OF 51 IN SOUTH MAINE.
AND I HAD A WHOLE STREET WRITTEN UP THAT I'VE WRITTEN A HUNDRED TIMES OVER.
AS A TEXAN, YOU BELIEVE IN OUR LAND.
YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU SAY, THERE'S NO WAY TO
[00:05:01]
STOP THIS.WHEN IN REALITY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SITTING THERE TELLING US THAT THIS IS OUR FUTURE.
THAT IT'S THE FUTURE THEY'RE GIVING US.
I LOVE TEXAS MORE THAN I LOVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN MY KIDS.
IN MY VEIN, THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE RUNS DEEP IN MY VEINS.
AND I WANT YOU TO QUESTION AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS INEVITABLE.
WE'RE GONNA FIND WAYS TO PUT STIPULATIONS ON THIS.
WELL, THIS IS GONNA RUIN US EVENTUALLY, AND I HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT IT.
I'M A MAMA, AND I WANT YOU TO ALL DO WHAT YOUR MOM AS A LADY SAID.
THIS IS GONNA RUIN OUR WATER, OUR LAND, ET CETERA.
STATE YOUR NAME AND WHERE YOU LIVE, PLEASE.
AND, UM, SINCE MY TIME GOT SHORT CUT SHORT, I THOUGHT I WOULD TELL EVERYBODY THESE THINGS ARE BIGGER THAN ANY OF US IN THIS ROOM WHERE THERE IS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT GIVES COMPLETE AUTHORITY TO ALL OF THE SECRETARIES THAT ARE IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO FACT TRACK THESE PRODUCTS.
GOVERNOR ADAM HAS COMPLIED AND HAS BASICALLY DONE THE SAME THING.
BUT IF YOU WANNA STOP THIS NOW, THERE IS ACTUALLY A BILL IN US CONGRESS THAT I CALL OUR, UM, TWO CONGRESSMEN OVER EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND I, I, I'LL, I'LL TURN YOU IN A SECOND.
AND, UM, IT LITERALLY IS TO PUT A MORATORIUM NATIONWIDE ON THESE BECAUSE EVERY STATE IS TRYING TO BUILD OUT TOO MUCH POWER.
THEY'RE TRYING TO BUILD OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS ON WEIRD IN WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR WATER.
UM, IT HAS TWO REPUBLICAN SPONSORS AT THIS POINT.
WE ONLY NEED ONE MORE REPUBLICAN SPONSOR ON IT.
TO GET IT INTO THE COMMITTEE FOR A VOTE, PLEASE CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN.
OKAY, HANG ON, I GOTTA GET BACK INTO MY PHONE FOR THAT.
I'LL COME BACK AND GIVE IT TO YOU IN A SECOND.
THA I LIVE IN WEATHERFORD, TEXAS.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA READ THIS RIGHT OFF A PROJECT THIS LARGE SHOULDN'T MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT REAL PROTECTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE.
WE'RE ASKING FOR COMMONPLACE SAFE GROUNDS.
IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT THIS IS AN INEVITABLE, UH, TO HAPPEN, UH, EVENTUALLY, THEN IF WE CAN PUT IT AT BAY AS LONG AS WE CAN, UNTIL WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO SAFELY, UH, SUSTAINABLY, RESPONSIBLY, KEEP THEM HERE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM, UM, SHARE GROUNDWATER STUDIES BEFORE ANY VOTES HAPPEN.
UH, USE SOLAR AND RAINWATER BEFORE PULLING FROM PUBLIC RESOURCES.
THESE DATA CENTERS ARE WHAT, 40 ACRES LARGE WE CAN COVER.
THEY, THEY, THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THESE AND ARE MAKING ALL THE MONEY OFF OF THEM CAN COVER THEM WITH SOLAR, CAN PITCH THE ROOF AND CATCH THE RAINWATER AND USE THEIR OWN LOOP SYSTEM.
THERE'S WAYS TO BE SMART ABOUT IT AND THAT DOESN'T AFFECT THE CITIZENS, UM, OF THE COUNTY.
IF THERE'S A TAX BREAK, TIE IT TO REAL ENFORCEABLE COMMITMENTS TO THE CITIZEN OR FOR THE CITIZENS, UM, AND VOTE AS THEY ARISE.
YOU KNOW, DATA CENTERS ARE GONNA KEEP COMING.
HOW MUCH TRANSPLANT? I ESCAPED MOMANI FROM NEW YORK FIVE YEARS AGO.
UH, QUICKLY, I I, LET'S BE REAL.
THIS HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR YEARS.
YOU CAN'T, THESE PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THIS JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN.
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES FOR YEARS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUILT HOMES IN DALLAS AND AUSTIN AND THEY HAVE NO WATER, AND THEY TELL THEM, WELL, JUST DON'T WATER YOUR GARDEN.
UH, MY FAMILY AND I, WE LIVE AT 5 0 1 PEARSON RANCH ROAD.
IT'S THE SAME ADDRESS THAT THE DATA CENTER IS USING.
SO THANK YOU FOR NOT SHOWING UP AT OUR HOUSE, UH, COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS.
UM, BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, OBVIOUSLY MY FAMILY DOES NOT WANT THIS ON OUR BACK FENCE LINE.
UM, AND I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR THE FEW HOUSES THAT ARE ON OUR STREET.
WE DO NOT WANT THIS, UM, IN OUR BACKYARD, AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT OUR COMMUNITY DOESN'T WANT IT EITHER.
UH, SOMETHING THAT THE PAPER SAYS IS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT MAY REGULATE NOISES.
AND I CAN JUST SAY FROM EXPERIENCE, UH, WE HAVE THE ONLY COMPRESSOR STATION IN THE DFW AREA, AND THAT IS NOT EVER
[00:10:01]
REGULATED, NOT ONCE.SO I JUST WANNA SAY ANY, ANY GUARANTEES THAT COULD BE GIVEN TO US ONCE THIS MIGHT BE BUILT, UH, WILL NOT BE DELIVERED, UH, BECAUSE THERE IS NO CURRENT REGULATION ON THE CURRENT COMPRESSOR STATION.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THERE'S NOTHING GOOD ABOUT THIS, UH, DATA CENTER.
IT WILL RUN OUR WELLS DRIVE, AND WE WANT OUR FAMILIES TO HAVE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT TO GROW UP IN.
MAY WEATHER PROTECTED, DESPITE ASSURANCES THAT DATA CENTERS WILL COVER ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR OPERATIONS, RESIDENTS STILL END UP PAYING INCREASED FEES IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER.
THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS FALL ON THE TAXPAYERS, EVEN WHEN COMPANIES INITIALLY PROMISE OTHERWISE.
DATA CENTERS REQUIRE LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER.
IF WATER IS DRAWN DOWN FROM AQUIFERS, MANY RESIDENTS WHO DEPEND ON PRIVATE WELLS WILL BE AFFECTED.
A SUBSTANTIAL DROP IN THE WATER TABLE WILL BE WELLS DRY OR BARELY FUNCTIONING.
OUR WELLS CANNOT WITHSTAND THAT KIND OF DRAWDOWN.
THAT LEVEL OF CONSUMPTION RAISES SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OUR LOCAL RESOURCES CAN SUPPORT THESE FACILITIES WITHOUT FARMING RESIDENTS, FARMS, RANCHES, AND FUTURE GROWTH TOWNS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE TRIED TO LIMIT OR STOP DATA CENTER PROJECTS AND HAVE BEEN FACED WITH LAWSUITS FROM LARGE CORPORATIONS WITH SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
MY COUNTY IS, UM, I DO NOT WANT TO END UP PAYING HIGHER FEES OR TAXES BECAUSE THE COUNTY IS FORCED INTO LEGAL BATTLES.
I ASK THAT THE COUNTY PROTECT RESIDENTS, PRIVATE, WELL OWNERS AND LOCAL RESOURCES.
I LIVE HERE IN WEATHERFORD, TEXAS.
HOW OFTEN HAS TEXAS GOVERNMENT TALKED ABOUT SHORTAGE OF WATER? ARE WE WE GOING TO LET THEM PUT THEIR DESIRE TO MAKE MONEY ABOVE THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE? ARE WE GOING TO LET GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WE VOTED FOR TO PROTECT US, LET SOME OUTSIDE CORPORATION COME IN WITH BENEFITS NOT GIVING US, AND THEN TO STEAL OUR WATER WELFARE, ET CETERA, WHEN, WHEN THEIR ONLY INTEREST IS MONEY AND GREED, IF WE DON'T STAND UP NOW, THERE WILL NOT BE ANOTHER CHANCE.
THOSE WHO HAVE PROPERTY NEXT TO THE 2000 ACRES THEY PURCHASE HAVE TO STAND UP NOW.
AND WHY CAN'T THEY BUILD THOSE OUT IN THE OCEAN? WE PUT OIL WELLS OUT THERE THAT GOT PUT IN THE WATER OUT THERE, HAVE MUCH MORE COME FROM SOMEWHERE.
I WALKED IN THIS PAGE COUNTING REGULAR, SCARED ME TO DEATH BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE YOU GUYS ARE SAYING, HEY, IT'S NOT OUR FAULT.
YOU GUYS ARE UNITED IN SAYING NO TO THIS THING.
YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP UP THE CROWD
WE'RE ALL TEXANS BEING THE YOUNG LADY HERE.
FIVE YEARS FROM NEW YORK, TEXANS WILL DO THE FIGHT AGAINST LONG ODDS.
REMEMBER THE ALAMO? MY NAME IS JAMES LOW, AND I RESIDE HERE IN WEATHERFORD AS WELL.
I HAVE TWO ADULT SONS AND ONE GRANDSON.
WE NEED TO PROTECT THEM AND THE LAST VESTIGE OF OUR REMAINING FREEDOMS AND WAY OF LIFE.
I MOVED HERE FROM ILLINOIS IN 2020 BECAUSE OF THE DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY OF THAT STATE.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED THERE AND WATCHED IT SLOWLY DYING OVER A 40 YEARS SPAN.
I CHOSE TEXAS BECAUSE OF REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP AND LEGISLATURE.
WHOLESOME FAMILY VALUES AND THE PREVALENCE OF GOD, THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR FARMLAND, CONSUMPTION OF OUR WATER SUPPLY, NOISE, POLLUTION, ET CETERA, ARE ALL ONE THING.
THE GRADUAL DEGRADATION OF OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY.
IF THEY CONTINUE TO TAKE UP ALL THE LAND, WE WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO FARM.
WE WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO GROW OUR OWN CROPS, RAISE OUR OWN LIVESTOCK, AND WE WILL BE SUBSERVIENT AND DEPENDENT ON A GOVERNMENT SYSTEM DESIGNED TO MANIPULATE THE POPULATION BY CONTROLLING THE ACCESS TO AND INGREDIENTS IN OUR BASIC NECESSITIES.
THESE ARE NOT JUST AI DATA CENTERS.
THEY'RE MASS SURVEILLANCE CENTERS RUNNING ON AN AI LEARNING MODEL ON A DIGITAL NEURAL NETWORK.
IT'S MUCH SCARIER THAN YOU THINK.
HI, MY NAME IS GARY ENGLE AND I LIVE OFF AZEL HIGHWAY IN THE
[00:15:01]
COUNTY, AND I ALSO HAVE A RENTAL PROPERTY ON, UH, OUT THERE BY THE LAKE.UM, I'M JUST ASKING YOU GUYS, I'VE LIVED IN NORTH TEXAS FOR 44 YEARS.
TEXANS ARE STRONG WHEN THEY BELIEVE IN SOMETHING AND WE PUT OUR FOOT DOWN.
I'M WATCHING THIS STATE BEING TAKEN OVER BY CERTAIN FARMS. WHAT, WHAT HAVE WE NOT DONE ENOUGH TO THE FARMERS? HAVE THEY NOT STRUGGLED ENOUGH? THEY ARE GOING THROUGH HELL RIGHT NOW.
WELL, WHAT ABOUT OUR WATER WELLS? DO WE HAVE TO JUST KEEP DRILLING 'EM TO NEW ZONES AND NEW ZONES AND NEW ZONES? UM, WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR LAND? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ANIMALS? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN THAT DON'T HAVE WATER AND THEIR CHILDREN? ARE WE GONNA HAVE A TEXAS LAB? IS THIS GONNA RAISE OUR PROPERTY VALUES? I MEAN, THERE ARE SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS TYLER DAVIS AND I RESIDE IN ONE FOR TEXAS.
AND I LIKE TO KNOW THE DETAILS OF THINGS DETAIL.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT IS IN A RECENT INTERVIEW, A CEO OF ONE OF THESE MAJOR AI COMPANIES SAYS THAT THE AI MODEL THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON IS CURRENTLY NOT SUSTAINABLE.
IT DOES NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH PROFIT IN ORDER TO KEEP GOING.
FOR US, IN THIS SITUATION, THAT MEANS ONE OF TWO THINGS.
EITHER A, THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST DATA CENTER.
THEY WILL WANT TO CONTINUE TO MAKE MORE AND MORE AND MORE IN A DYING ATTEMPT TO SAVE THEIR OWN PROFIT.
OR THIS DATA CENTER WILL EVENTUALLY, AFTER THEY'VE TAKEN EVERYTHING THEY WANT IN THE GROUND WATER AND THE POWER SIT THERE AND BE ABANDONED AS THEY DUST THEIR HANDS OFF.
CALL IT A BAD INVESTMENT AND WALK AWAY.
AND WE ARE LEFT WITH A GIANT CRAP BUILDING THAT NO ONE WANTS AND HAVE TO PICK UP THE PIECES OF OUR OWN RESOURCES AFTER THEY'RE DONE.
THEY ARE ALREADY ADMITTING THE PATH THAT THEY ARE ON IN UNSUSTAINABLE, BUT THEY ARE CONTINUING ANYWAY.
SO IT'S OUR JOB TO PUT SOMETHING IN FRONT OF THEM.
MY NAME'S VINNY ROBERTSON, AND I'M NOT FOR THESE THINGS EITHER, BUT I'M 80 YEARS OLD.
I'VE BEEN IN PARK COUNTY ALL MY LIFE.
MY FAMILY WAS HERE FOR 114 YEARS.
I SOLD THE FAMILY FARM BECAUSE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS PUSHED ME OFF MY GROUND.
IF YOU WANT TO SAVE WATER, QUIT BUILDING HOUSES, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, UH, THE SUPREME COURT TODAY PASSED SOMETHING THAT YOU GOTTA WORRY A LOT MORE ABOUT THAN YOU DO.
I AM A NATIVE TEXAN AND A 26 YEAR FARMER IN PARK COUNTY.
THESE DATA CENTERS ARE FOR THE PRO TO GATHER PROCESS AND STORE DATA ON US.
UH, IT IS SURVEILLANCE FOR PERSONAL ADVERTISING AND IT'S FOR TARGET ADVERTISING.
THEY DO NOT TALK ABOUT HOW IT, UM, CAUSES LEUKEMIA IN CHILDREN, MY GRANDCHILDREN AND YOUR GRANDCHILDREN.
IF THESE THINGS ARE BUILT, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANY BEES BECAUSE THE, THE, THE HUMMING, IT MAKES IT INTOLERABLE FOR THEM.
WE WILL NOT HAVE A WAY OF LIFE THAT WE DESERVE.
WE ARE ABOUT TO CELEBRATE 250 YEARS OF FREEDOM IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND THIS IS NOT WHAT OUR FOREFATHERS FOUGHT FOR.
SO WE NEED YOU TO HELP US AND GUIDE US TO GET A MORATORIUM ON THESE DATA CENTERS IN PARKER COUNTY AND IN TEXAS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS SHELLY RUBINSTEIN AND I'VE BEEN TEACHING FOR 45 YEARS AND 72, AND I'M STILL TEACHING.
AND I CARE ABOUT OUR CHILDREN.
AND THE TWO THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO DESTROY THEIR FREEDOM HERE IN TEXAS AND HERE IN AMERICA ARE ISLAM FASCISM AND DATA CENTERS THAT ENSLAVED ENSLAVE THEM TO THE, TO THE HANDOUTS OF THE STATE.
WE ELECTED YOU TO STAND YOUR GROUND FOR US AND FOR OUR CHILDREN.
AND IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO FIGHT FOR US, THEN LET SOMEBODY ELSE SIT IN THAT CHAIR.
[00:20:07]
I THOUGHT WE HAD TWO MINUTES.ABBOTT GOT PAID HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FROM BLACK MOUNTAIN AND ALLOWED THEM TO SET FOOT IN OUR COUNTY.
HOW MUCH MONEY DOES OUR COMMUNITY NEED TO RACE TO MAKE ABBOT AT THESE DATA CENTERS OFF OUR BACKYARD? AARON BROCKOVICH RECENTLY SAID, WE'RE UP AGAINST FORCES THAT HAVE ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD.
AND I KEEP HEARING OFFICIALS AND A LOT OF MY FELLOW CONSTITUENTS HA USE LANGUAGE AS IF THE DATA CENTERS ARE ARE INEVITABLE.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT, THESE COMPANIES NEED US TO BELIEVE THAT THEY'VE ALREADY WON BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN ACTUALLY WIN.
BRUCE D ONCE SAID THAT ONE CAN ONLY BE DEFEATED ONCE THE FEED HAS BEEN ACCEPTED AS A REALITY.
LET'S NOT ACCEPT THAT AS OUR REALITY COMMISSIONERS.
LET'S SEE, I HAD
UM, QUESTION, HAVE YOU SIGNED NDAS WITH BLACK MOUNTAIN OR ANY REPRESENTATIVES? WE NEED TRANSPARENCY.
SECOND, WE PROPOSE, I PROPOSE AN INSTALLATION OF A REZONING COMMITTEE THAT BANNED DATA CENTERS FROM OUR LAND.
UM, SOMETHING THAT CLAYTON TUCKER REFERRED TO AS AG DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.
MY NAME IS TED GAGE, MY WIFE AND I HAVE A SMALL RANCH ON SEVEN 30.
I HAVE A QUESTION AND IT'S FOR YOU.
HOW DO WE STOP IT? EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM WANTS TO KNOW.
HOW DO WE STOP IT? I'M NANCY FAUST.
AS WAS STATED PREVIOUSLY, THE WHOLE COURT HAS BEEN COMMUNICATING ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH ALL COUNTIES.
'CAUSE THIS IS A STATEWIDE ISSUE.
THIS IS STATEWIDE AND IT'S IMPACTED COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, CURRENTLY THERE IS A MEETING SET UP IN AUGUST WITH THE COG TO VISIT ABOUT THE THREE 90 ONES.
THAT THAT'S ONE SOLUTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WE'RE EXPLORING IN IT AND TURNING EVERY STONE THAT WE CAN TO EXPLORE WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO US.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT THAT FIGHT, VISIT WITH OUR ASSOCIATIONS, VISIT WITH OTHER COUNTIES, COLLABORATE WITH THEM, AND FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
I I WANNA ADD TO THAT, UH, THE MEETING IN AUGUST IS GONNA BE A, A, A DIRECTOR OF, OF THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT'S MEETING.
THERE'S GONNA BE MEETINGS BEFORE AUGUST WITH THE COUNTY JUDGES, THE REGIONAL COUNTY JUDGES LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THAT MEETING IN AUGUST.
WE'RE NOT GONNA WAIT TILL AUGUST, UH, TO DISCUSS A 3 9 1 AGREEMENT AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE TALKING WITH, UH, OUR LOCALIZED HABIT OF LOCAL.
SO THERE ARE OTHER THINGS INVOLVED WITH THIS.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE AND CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
SERGEANT
I HAVE NOT SIGNED ANY NDAS REGARDING ANY DATA CENTERS WHATSOEVER FOR THE RECORD AND A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT, UH, THAT'S NOT LEGAL.
SO ANY DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, THEIR SUBJECT OPEN RECORDS.
SO THOSE DOCUMENTS WOULD NOT BE EXECUTED BY A COUNTY EMPLOYEE LEAD.
SIR, TO BE CLEAR, I HAVE NOT SIGNED ANY NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS REGARDING DATA CENTERS.
NEITHER
WE BELIEVE THAT, UM, FOLKS LIKE YOU IN A UNIFIED VOICE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
IF WE WERE TO HAVE A SPECIAL SESSION THAT OPENED NEXT WEEK TO ADDRESS THIS, IT WOULD HELP EVERYBODY IN HERE FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE SITUATION.
THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU, UM, BRING YOUR FORCES TOGETHER, BRING YOUR VOICE TOGETHER AND CONTACT OUR STATEWIDE ELECTED OFFICIALS, GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE OUT HERE STRUGGLING AS COUNTIES TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN
[00:25:01]
TO PROTECT ALL OF YOU.BUT OUR HANDS ARE TIED WITH MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY HERE THAT, THAT SOMEBODY SAYS THAT THE LANGUAGE SAYS THAT DATA CENTERS ARE INEVITABLE.
THAT DIDN'T COME FROM ANYBODY UP HERE BECAUSE WE DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE.
WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR POWER TO HELP YOU BECAUSE WE'RE ON, WE'RE ON BOARD WITH YOU.
WE'VE ALREADY PASSED RESOLUTION.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR EVERY OTHER SOLUTION TOO.
ONE OF THOSE IS WORKING WITH OTHER COUNTIES WHO ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION THAT WE ARE, THAT HAVE CITIZENS JUST LIKE YOU SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A REGIONAL VOICE AND STAND, HAVE A LARGER FOOTPRINT WHEN WE ADDRESS THE STATE OFFICIALS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO, UH, DON'T, DON'T MISUNDERSTAND.
NOBODY UP HERE IS IN FAVOR OF THOSE THINGS COMING TO PARKER COUNTY.
AND WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, PRESERVING ALL OF OUR RESOURCES, EVERYTHING THAT SHOULD YOU TALK ABOUT.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU BEING HERE, BUT I JUST HAD TO COVER THOSE THINGS WHILE I HAD MICROPHONE.
I'M SURE MANY HERE KNOW THIS ALREADY, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO, THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT, IT'S, IT'S VERY SIMPLE TO LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, WELL THEN JUST DON'T ALLOW THEM.
WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH HOW WE GO ABOUT PREVENTING OR OPPOSING DATA CENTERS.
IF WE DO IT IN A WAY THAT IS NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT LEGAL, WE WILL GET SUED AND THEN THERE WILL BE A VERY LARGE SETTLEMENT AGAINST THE COUNTY.
WHO PAYS THAT? EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM? EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM.
SO WE ARE OPPOSED TO DATA CENTERS, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU SEE THAT PROPERTY TAX BILL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, IT DOESN'T GO THROUGH THE ROOF EVEN MORE BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S ALREADY HIGH ENOUGH.
IT DOESN'T GO THROUGH THE ROOF EVEN MORE BECAUSE OF A MASSIVE LAWSUIT AGAINST US.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE BEING SO METHODICAL AND CAREFUL WITH THIS TO PROTECT ALL OF US HERE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN EVERY WAY.
FAR AS I KNOW, NO, NOBODY OWNED THIS PANEL.
THAT THEY EVER TALK TO ANYBODY FROM BLACK MOUNTAIN.
CORRECT? WE'RE WE'RE GONNA DO ALL WE CAN DO TO KEEP 'EM FROM COMING.
I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF PARKER COUNTY AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AND INVITING ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT.
WATER, WATER, WATER, WATER IS LIFE.
WE'RE HUMANS, ANIMALS, INSECTS, CROPS AND DATA CENTERS ALL DRINK WATER.
THIS HYPERSCALE FACILITY COULD EASILY USE MORE WATER THAN ALL OF PARKER COUNTY COMBINED.
ONE OTHER AVENUE, THE WILLOW PARK.
WELL, AT THE NORTH END OF THE, UH, LAKE WEATHERFORD DAM WOULD BE RIGHT IN LINE OF THE RUNOFF FROM THAT, FROM THE DATA CENTER THAT WOULD PUT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY MAKE THAT WATER TOXIC IN THAT AREA.
AND ALSO THE LIGHT, THE WATER AND LIGHT WEATHERFORD THAT IT WOULD BE A CONSIDERATION FOR THE CITY OF WEATHERFORD.
THERE'S ALSO MANY ENDANGERED SPECIES THAT ARE AROUND THE LAKE.
THERE ARE FAMILIES OF, UM, UH, EAGLES THERE THAT HAVE BEEN NESTING THERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND WE HAVE LOTS OF DOCUMENTATION OF THOSE EAGLES THERE, WHICH THE TWO EAGLES THAT WERE BORN THERE THIS YEAR PERISHED BECAUSE OF WEATHER.
MY QUESTION IS, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? THANK YOU.
SO MY NAME'S ELENA THA I'M FROM WEATHERFORD, TEXAS.
UM, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
LIKE, SO YOU SAY YOU HAVE THESE MEETINGS WITH HIGHER LEVEL, UM, LEGISLATURE LATER ON IN THE YEAR.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP THEM? LIKE WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS TO HELP MITIGATE THE KEEPING THEM AWAY? AND IF THOSE LIKE, LET'S PLAN A, PLAN B, PLAN C, WE TRY TO KEEP THEM AWAY.
IF WE CAN'T KEEP THEM AWAY, HOW CAN WE MAKE IT DIFFERENT? DO THEY HAVE TO BE 40 ACRE DATA CENTERS? WHY CAN'T THEY BE SPLIT UP IN SMALLER SECTIONS IN EVERY BUILDING? WHY CAN'T, WHY WHY DOES IT HAVE TO? WHY DOES IT HAVE TO DESTROY THE LAND? WE ALL KNOW THE BAD THINGS THAT, OKAY, I'M SORRY.
I'VE LIVED IN PARK COUNTY 61 YEARS.
JUST MY MAIN QUESTION IS, COMMISSIONER, WE ALL KNOW THAT MONEY
[00:30:01]
RUNS EVERYTHING.SO I WOULD SUGGEST INVESTIGATE WHO IS GETTING PAID THE MONEY FROM THE LEGISLATURE THAT CREATES THE LAW THAT LETS THESE COMPANIES COME IN AND DO IT.
BECAUSE SOMEBODY ALL THE MONEY, YOU'LL FIND OUT EXACTLY HE'S PUSHING IT.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MARINA HARRIS.
MY FAMILY MOVED HERE FROM CALIFORNIA ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO.
THE REASON WHY DATA CENTERS ARE TARGETING TEXAS IS BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE NOT AS STRICT ON WATER AND AIR REGULATIONS HERE.
UM, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE A LOT IS GONNA COME OUT OF THIS MEETING.
I THINK THIS IS JUST A FORMALITY.
UM, I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO, THOSE OF US THAT ARE HERE, WE NEED TO GET TOGETHER WITH OUR FRIENDS, OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR CHURCHES, AND GET INFORMED OF WHAT DATA CENTERS REALLY ARE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRMLY AMERICA THAT'S GOING IN AMARILLO, IT'S GONNA BE AN 11 GIGAWATT DATA CENTER.
THIS HAS A POTENTIAL OF BEING JUST AS BIG AND THEY'RE GONNA BE USING NUCLEAR FUSION TO HELP POWER THEIR FACILITY.
IF YOU'RE AFRAID OF DATA CENTERS AND HOW MUCH WATER THEY USE, THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH CONSUMPTION AND NUCLEAR FACILITY WILL USE A WHOLE LOT MORE.
SO LET'S GET TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.
LET'S GET INFORMED, LET'S GET THE REST OF OUR COMMUNITY INFORMED ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES SO WE CAN ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING.
THESE COMMISSIONERS, AS THEY STATED, CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH.
I'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN MANY YEARS NOW.
I'VE TALKED ABOUT WATER FOR 15 YEARS AND NO ONE'S LISTENED TO ME.
MY QUESTION IS, WHO ALLOWED THE REZONING OF THE AREA WHERE THIS DATA CENTER IS GONNA BE TAKING PLACE BECAUSE SOMEONE ALLOWED IT, SOMEONE MADE IT SO IT COULD CHANGE ITS ZONING SO THAT THIS CAN TAKE PLACE.
AND JUST TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, THIS AREA IS OUT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF THE COUNTY.
AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WISH WE HAD AS A COUNTY AND WE WISH THAT THEY WOULD ADOPT THIS NEXT TIME AROUND WOULD BE ZONING AUTHORITY FOR THE COUNTY.
THE CITY HAS ZONING AUTHORITY AND THAT'S HOW A LOT OF CITIES ARE, ARE ALLOWING OR KEEPING DATA CENTERS OUT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE THAT AUTHORITY CURRENTLY.
AND SO ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AS I'VE HEARD DOWN HERE, PUSH FOR A SPECIAL SESSION TO GET LAWS DRAFTED IMMEDIATELY.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED THESE LAWS A YEAR FROM NOW.
WE NEED THOSE LAWS IN EFFECT TODAY FOR US.
SO, UM, MY NAME IS RICHARD SIMS PARKER COUNTY.
UM, YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN WITH THE PASSING OF THE RESOLUTION AND OF TAX ABATEMENTS.
YOU DID TELL US, UH, IN JUNE 9TH MEETING TO GO TO AUSTIN AND A LOT OF US WERE THERE AND THERE WERE A LOT OF COUNTY JUDGES AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE THERE FIGHTING FOR US.
MY QUESTION IS, WHY WEREN'T YOU OKAY SPECIFICALLY POSSIBLY JOB CONTINUES, COUNTY JUDGE, UH, OVERSEE PROBATE, GUARDIAN
WE WERE WELL REPRESENTED AND WE HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH OUR LEGISLATORS.
WE HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH OTHERS.
UH, AGAIN, I DON'T WANT THIS POLITICIZED, UH, THIS GROUP AND THIS IS COURT HAS DONE EVERYTHING WITHIN ITS POWER.
IF WE WERE ALL ABLE TO GO DOWN THERE, WE CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE.
AND, UH, ANYTHING ELSE Y'ALL WANNA ADD? CHRISTINE? CHRISTINE, I'M BACK JUST FOR A SECOND.
I'M THE ONE THAT TOLD YOU ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL BILL THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN THAT WE NEED ONE MORE SPONSOR ON AND EVERYBODY ASKED FOR THE BILL NUMBER.
IT'S CALLED THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AI DATA CENTER MA MORATORIUM ACT.
IT IS THE PRIMARY FEDERAL LEGISLATION PROPOSING A PAUSE ON AI INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE BICAMERAL LEGISLATION SEEKS TO HALT THE CONSTRUCTION AND EXPANSION OF CERTAIN LARGE SCALE AI DATA CENTERS UNTIL COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL SAFEGUARDS ARE ENACTED.
THE LEGISLATION FEATURES TWO IDENTICAL COMPANION BILLS IN CONGRESS.
THE SENATE BILL IS NUMBERED 4 2 1 4.
THE HOUSE BILL IS NUMBERED HR 9 4 4 2.
AND THE DETAILS OF THE MORATORIUM IS AN IMMEDIATE FREEZE ON BUILDING OR EXPANDED HIKING.
OKAY, WE CAN, I'M SORRY, LET ME INTERRUPT YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
[00:35:01]
NEXT.I'VE BEEN HERE 27 YEARS AT EAST PARKER.
WE ALL KNOW THAT POTENTIAL HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES.
UM, I CAME TO TALK ABOUT PROTECTED SPECIES AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY ALLUDED TO THAT.
WE DO HAVE A PAIR OF NESTING EAGLES.
WE ALSO HAVE FEDERALLY PROTECTED, UH, ENDANGERED WHOOPING CRANES.
UM, THE WHOOPING CRANES ARE PROTECTED FEDERALLY AND THIS MIGHT BE AN AVENUE TO AT LEAST SLOW THIS DOWN.
SO THE MAP SHOWS THE ORANGE AREA IS THE HUM ZONE FROM THE EPICENTER OF WHAT THE PROPOSED SITE.
THE GREEN AREA ON THE MAP IS THE ONE MILE BUFFER ZONE FOR THE EAGLES NEST.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE IT OVERLAPS THE PHYSICAL SITE RIGHT HERE.
SO THE OTHER THING THAT'S ENDANGERED IS OUR PARKER COUNTY COMES UP.
I LIVE ABOUT AS FAR NORTH WEATHERFORD AS YOU CAN GET.
UM, I DIDN'T THINK I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY, BUT A THOUGHT REALLY STRUCK ME.
UM, IF WE CAN'T STOP THESE DATA CENTERS, CAN WE MAKE 'EM GO UNDERGROUND? CAN WE MAKE 'EM BE OIL COOLED OR GEOTHERMAL COOLED OR FRACKING WATER COOLED THAT I'M SURE THEY CAN MITIGATE ANY SORT OF CORROSION.
UM, I JUST, I JUST THINK IF WE CAN'T STOP THEM FOR WHATEVER REASON, IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE THEM, UH, SO THEY ARE NOT IN ICE SOURCE SO THEY ARE NOT RUINING OUR FARMLAND AND SO THAT THE LAND IS STILL USABLE, IT WILL MITIGATE NOISE.
HELLO, MY NAME'S SETH MCCARTY.
I'VE GROWN UP IN PARKER COUNTY.
UM, JUST WANTED TO START OFF BY SAYING, REMINDING YOU GUYS THAT YOU REPRESENT US IN THIS COUNTY.
SO EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS IS IN LIGHT OF THAT.
UM, THESE DATA CENTERS DO NOT BENEFIT OUR COUNTY IN ANY WAY.
SO ALL THE PEOPLE IN PARKER COUNTY ARE GONNA BE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED BY THIS.
IT'S GONNA BENEFIT THE LARGE CORPORATIONS COMING IN HERE TO BUILD IT.
IT DESTROYS OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ANYWHERE AROUND IT.
UM, I WORK AS A FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND DEALING WITH THIS ACROSS THE STATE WITH PEOPLE WHO OWN BUSINESSES, UM, COMPLETELY LOSS OF VALUE, DESTROYS THE BUSINESS, DESTROYS HOME VALUES, ANYWHERE THAT'S NEAR THAT.
UM, SO QUESTION THERE IS HOW ARE THESE DATA CENTERS GONNA, UM, BASICALLY REPAY THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOST COMPLETE VALUE IN THEIR BUSINESSES AND HOMES? AND THEN JUST WANNA ALSO SAY, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU, YOU SAY YOU ARE AGAINST THESE THINGS.
UM, BUT, BUT IF PARKER COUNTY SUPPORTS ANY MEANS NECESSARY OF KEEPING THESE OUT OF OUR COUNTY, THEN EVEN IF THAT MEANS A LAWSUIT, THAT'S UP FOR THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE.
NOT NOT YOU GUYS AS OUR REPRESENTATIVES BECAUSE YOU, YOU GUYS ARE, WE ARE YOUR BOXES.
BUT YOU JUST NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU GO IN.
AND I WANNA, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT 'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HILL COUNTY IS DEALING WITH.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT GOT THE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS LAWSUIT BECAUSE THREE OF THEIR COMMISSIONERS BROKE THE LAW THAT THEY WERE GIVEN BY THE STATE BY PASSING THE MORATORIUM SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THEY RESCINDED THAT, BUT THE LAWSUIT DID NOT GO AWAY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST A HUNDRED MILLION ON THE COUNTY.
EACH COMMISSIONER HAS A PERSONAL LAWSUIT FILED ON THEM THAT IS NOT GOING AWAY AND THE TAXPAYERS AREN'T DEFENDING THEM.
SO I THOUGHT THAT THAT'S WORTH, BUT NOW THERE, JUST SO PEOPLE I'LL PROCEED IF YOU NEED TO SPEAK, PLEASE COME UP AND GET GET AND GET.
SO SHELLY MCCARTY, I I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO, AND I DID
[00:40:01]
SEND THIS TO ALL OF YOU, HOPEFULLY YOU GOT IT.BUT I JUST WANTED TO SUGGEST THIS IN CALIFORNIA, I KNOW WE'RE NOT CALIFORNIA, BUT THEY HAVE DIFFERENT LAWS.
BUT IS THIS A POSSIBILITY? THEY BAN DATA CENTERS PERMANENTLY, SOME TOWNS IN A LANDSLIDE BALLOT MEASURE.
THERE'S MANY OTHER TOWNS THAT HAVE, UM, PUT ON THE MORATORIUMS AND THEY'RE ALL OVER.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY, LIKE I SAID, YOU DID READ THIS, THE DENVER CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A ONE YEAR MORATORIUM.
OKLAHOMA CITY APPROVED A SIMILAR MORATORIUM, UM, BLOOMINGTON AND NORMAN NORMAL IN ILLINOIS, AND THEY HAVE APPROVED A MORATORIUM.
SO JUST WANTED TO FOR SURE MAKE THAT SUGGESTION.
I MEAN, CAN WE JUST VOTE AGAINST THIS AND BAN IT? AND UH, BEFORE WE, BEFORE YOU SPEAK, IF YOU HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE AND ARE IN LINE, PLEASE HAVE A SEAT.
BUT I HAVE ONE QUESTION REALLY QUICK.
NO, I KNOW WE WE'RE LIMITED ON TIME.
NO, PLEASE HAVE A SEAT IF WE HAVE TIME FOR YOU TO SPEAK, THEN YOU CAN SPEAK NEXT.
HEY, SO HOW DO YOU GET RID OF BEING BOUGHT OUT BY THESE? I'LL LEAVE AFTER THIS.
I, MY FIRST TIME I WANT TO MENTION WHAT THIS IS GONNA DO TO OUR FREEDOMS LONG TERM.
WE'RE GONNA LOSE SO MUCH OF OUR PROPERTY RIGHTS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO JUST COME IN AND DO A LOT MORE THINGS IN THE FUTURE.
AND I WANNA REMIND Y'ALL WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THIS IN THE STATE.
AND LET'S, LET'S GET HIM OUT OF OFFICE.
HE DESERVE TO BE KICKED OUT THERE.
THANK YOU DAVE EAGLE COUNTY COMMISSIONER IN WHO COUNTY, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'M HEARING TONIGHT.
KEEP COMING UP HERE ASKING THE GOVERNMENT TO FIX THINGS.
SOMEBODY EVEN WANTS THE FEDS TO COME IN.
WHAT HAS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DONE TO FIX ANYTHING? SO HERE'S MY SUGGESTION.
YOU GUYS NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND FORM A PAC, FORM A COALITION, RAISE MONEY AND SUE THE LANDOWNERS THAT ARE SELLING THEIR LAND.
SUE THE COMPANIES THAT ARE PUTTING, THEY'RE TRYING TO PUT THEIR DATA CENTERS IN UNDER A CAUSE OF ACTION.
THAT'S NOT IN TEXAS YET, BUT IT IS RECOGNIZED IN GEORGIA AND OKLAHOMA CALLED ANTICIPATORY NUISANCE.
SUE 'EM QUIT COMING UP HERE AND ASKING THEM TO FIX SOMETHING THEY CAN'T FIX.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE LIMITED POWER OVER LAND THAT'S OUTSIDE OF MUNICIPALITY.
WE JUST, THE STATE, WE'RE A SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE.
WE, WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS IN HOOD COUNTY NOW FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND WE GOT EIGHT COMING INTO HOOD COUNTY, EIGHT THAT ARE TRYING TO COME IN.
SO I AM PUSHING MY PEOPLE IN HOOD COUNTY TO, TO SUE 'EM, SUE THE LANDOWNERS THAT'S TRYING TO SELL THE PROPERTY TO THEM, MAKE THEM GET INTO THEIR POCKETBOOK.
YEAH, I JUST HAVE A FEW THINGS.
UH, YOU DON'T NEED TO ANSWER IT NOW BECAUSE I KNOW YOU SPEAK TO IT.
HOW DO YOU PLAN ON, IF THIS GOES FORWARD, HOW YOU PLAN ON UTILIZING THAT AND, UH, CALL GOVERNOR ABBOTT.
I HAVE HIS PHONE NUMBER AND I'M CALLING HIM A LOT.
AND HE KNOWS HE'S UNDERWATER POLITICALLY BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN, UH, CALLING HIM, UH, PAUL AND THAT I BELONG TO A LOT OF FACEBOOK GROUPS OF ALL THESE TEXAS COUNTIES AND IT'S AMAZING WHAT A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE, UH, GOTTEN DONE BY UH, GETTING TOGETHER.
JUST TO ADDRESS WHAT YOU JUST SAID, UM, ON THE RESOLUTION THAT WE PASSED, UH, RECENT, UH, COMMISSIONER'S, COURT RESOLUTION 26 DASH 25, UH, DOES NOT SUPPORT THE, UH, USE OF ABATEMENTS FOR DATA CENTERS.
MY NAME'S LARRY BARATO AND I'VE JUST GOT A QUICK POINT TO, TO MAKE
[00:45:02]
GREG ABBOTT CALLED THREE SESSIONS, SPECIAL SESSIONS FOR SCHOOL VOUCHERS.AND IT WAS BECAUSE WE RAISED SO MUCH CANE ON THE ISSUE ISSUE.
THAT WAS WHAT HE SAW WE NEEDED.
IT'S EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CALL GREG ABBOTT AND EXPRESS YOUR VIEWS FOR A SPECIAL SESSION ON THESE ISSUES.
OKAY, MY NAME IS CIGNA WRIGHT HALL.
I LIVED IN PARKER COUNTY MY WHOLE LIFE AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY.
MY DAD WAS A COMMISSIONER FOR 20 YEARS.
PARKER COUNTY IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND MY FAMILY.
I STILL LIVE ON OUR FAMILY FARM.
UM, WE JUST GOT THE 100 YEAR DESIGNATION FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS LAST YEAR.
I JUST HOPE WE CAN PROTECT THAT.
AND UM, JUST PLEASE THANK YOU
UM, THE PANEL TALK ABOUT CALLING THE STATE.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE CALLED GREG ABBOTT'S OFFICE? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE CALLED PHIL KING'S OFFICE? HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE CALLED MIKE KOTS OFFICE? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER HAD A FREAKING ANSWER? SO WE ARE MAKING THOSE PHONE CALLS.
I CALL CONSISTENTLY AND I WILL MAY, I WILL CONTINUE TO CALL CONSISTENTLY, BUT WHEN WE DON'T RECEIVE A RESPONSE, WE LOOK TO YOU FOR GUIDANCE AND YOU JUST KEEP TELLING US THE SAME THING.
WE NEED FOR YOU ALL TO CONVEY TO THEM WHAT, WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE SAYING TO YOU.
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO GET SQUEEZED.
SO I'M CALLING, I URGE EVERYBODY IN HERE TO MAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS.
AND IF YOU HAVE TO CALL EVERY DAY, CALL EVERY DAY.
UH, AT THIS POINT I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA HOLD OFF AND I'M GONNA HAVE, UH, OUR REP STATE REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL
MIKE, IF YOU WOULD COME UP PLEASE.
AND I'M GOING, I WANT LOOK BEFORE, UH, HE SPEAKS, I WANNA SAY THIS.
I'M GONNA GIVE HIM, BECAUSE HE IS THE ONLY STATE REPRESENTATIVE THAT CAME TONIGHT AND YOU GAVE HIM A HAND.
'CAUSE MIKE, THANK YOU THE GUY.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA GIVE, I'M GONNA GIVE HIM FIVE MINUTES 'CAUSE I THINK WHAT HE IS GONNA SAY IS GONNA BE VERY RELEVANT TO THIS PROCEED.
DEAN, I DON'T THINK I'M GONNA NEED FIVE MINUTES, BUT I MIGHT NEED MORE THAN ONE MINUTE.
UM, YEAH, IT'S, UH, IT'S OBVIOUS I THINK TO EVERYONE UP HERE, AND I KNOW IT'S OBVIOUS TO ME.
MY OFFICE HAS BEEN INUNDATED WITH MORE EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER ISSUE SINCE I WAS ELECTED, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS AGO.
AND, UM, UNLIKE, UH, THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, UH, I'M, I'M GONNA HAVE TO TAKE ISSUE WITH HER BECAUSE I'VE PERSONALLY CALLED BACK ALMOST EVERY SINGLE PERSON, UM, THAT'S EITHER EMAILED OR CALLED ME.
IF I HAVEN'T YET, YOU WILL GET A PHONE CALL.
UM, SO I, I'M SORRY THAT I WASN'T HERE LAST TIME, BUT I HAD A MEDICAL PROCEDURE THAT HAD BEEN PLANNED MONTHS BEFORE AND I COULDN'T GET OUT IT, BUT I DID HAVE MY DISTRICT DIRECTOR, UM, READ A STATEMENT ENCOURAGING THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING A 3 91, UH, ZONING OR COMMISSION.
AND I WAS VERY ENCOURAGED WHEN I WALKED IN THE DOOR TONIGHT TO HEAR THAT YOU ALL ARE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING IT.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH EVERYONE, ALMOST EVERYONE UP THERE ABOUT THE 3 91 COMMISSION.
I WISH I COULD SAY THAT I COULD GO DOWN TO AUSTIN TOMORROW AND FILE LEGISLATION TO DO SOMETHING TO ADDRESS THIS BECAUSE YOU ALL Y'ALL'S HANDS ARE TIED, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IN CASE NOT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM KNOWS CITIES CAN BAN IT AND ISSUE A MORATORIUM.
IF THEY ISSUE A MORATORIUM, THEY GET SUED AND IT'S ILLEGAL AND THAT'S WHY THEY CAN'T DO IT.
BUT THE STATE CODE DOES PROVIDE, PROVIDE FOR THE CREATION OF SOMETHING CALLED THE 3 9 1 COMMISSION.
AND SO ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO WHEN I LOOKED INTO IT AND CALLED, UM, SOME PEOPLE THAT I HAD A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THIS ISSUE, THEY RECOMMENDED 3 9 1 COMMISSION.
SO I KINDA LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND UM, I WAS, LIKE I SAID, ENCOURAGED THAT Y'ALL ARE SERIOUSLY, I'M THINKING ABOUT IT.
I WANTED TO JUST GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW, UM, IT'S, IT'S RARELY USED IN TEXAS, BUT IT HAS BEEN USED.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL REMEMBER THE TRANSEX CORRIDOR ROUGHLY 20 YEARS AGO.
THE 3 91 COMMISSION IS WHAT KILLED IT.
UM, Y'ALL REMEMBER UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WHEN THE ILLEGALS BEGAN FLOODING ACROSS THE BORDER, SO MUCH SO THAT THE SMALL TOWNS OF SOUTH TEXAS
[00:50:01]
WERE COMPLETELY OVERRUN, CRIME WERE BEING COMMITTED LEFT AND RIGHT.AND I JUST LEARNED TODAY THAT A 3 91 COMMISSION WAS FORMED AND IT WASN'T UNTIL IT WAS FORMED THAT THEY STARTED GETTING THE FUNDING THEY NEEDED TO EXPANDING, EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR THE HOUSING, THE ILLEGAL SO THEY COULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VET AND PROSECUTE CRIMINALS.
AND SO THAT WAS SUCCESSFULLY USED.
IT'S ALSO CURRENTLY BEING USED.
HOW MANY OF Y'ALL HEARD THE 7 65 TRANSMISSION LINES? SOME PEOPLE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS CORRECT OR NOT, BUT SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT ACTUALLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONNECTS THE DOTS ABOUT DATA CENTERS, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA BE PROVIDING ELECTRICITY AROUND THE STATE.
WELL, AMERICANS, UM, STEWARDS FOR LIBERTY HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN USING AND AND ENCOURAGING COUNTIES AND THEY'VE BEEN COMPLIANT AND FORMING 3 91 COMMISSIONS.
AND THEY, IT'S, IT'S NOT A A DONE, THE STORY'S NOT OVER, BUT THEY ARE SUCCEEDING IN SLOWING DOWN THE PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, IT HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE, BUT IT'S NOT A GUARANTEE.
IT DOESN'T, I'M NOT HERE TO SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO STOP THE DATA CENTERS.
I'M NOT HERE TO TELL YOU ALL, YOU ALL HAVE TO DO THE 3 9 1 COMMISSION.
ALL I'M DOING IS SAYING WE DON'T MEET AGAIN UNTIL JANUARY.
AND SO I'M TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE BEST SOLUTION I CAN THINK OF TO GIVE YOU A TOOL TO AT LEAST SLOW THINGS DOWN.
I ALSO WANNA LET YOU KNOW, UM, THAT EVEN IF THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO WAS THAT YEAH, BUT MAYBE THE WATER DISTRICT CAN SLOW THINGS DOWN BECAUSE WE ONLY GOT SIX MONTHS TO GO.
BUT EVEN IF, UM, YOU SLOW DOWN TILL JANUARY MOST, I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE YOU THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA GET A TWO THIRDS VOTE ON ANY BILL AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE VOTED ON UNTIL LATER IN THE YEAR.
THE EARLIEST OF GO IN EFFECT WOULD BE SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2027.
AND I THINK MOST OF EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM REALIZES THAT'S TOO LATE.
AND SO WE NEED SOMETHING BEFORE THAT.
AND SO I'M TRYING TO SIMPLY GIVE YOU ALL THE TOOLS TO AND EXPLORE IT.
AND I'M NOT TELLING YOU TO DO IT, I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S THE BEST IDEA THAT I HAVE AND I'M ONLY ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER IT.
AND TO REACH OUT TO SOME OF THESE COUNTY JUDGE THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN 3 91 COMMISSIONS OR ONES THAT HAVE USED IT IN THE PAST AND ASK THEIR OPINION ON IT.
I SPOKE WITH A COMMISSION THE OTHER DAY, UM, WHO'S SOMEONE THAT'S VERY THOUGHTFUL AND ACTUALLY LIKES TO DO ALL HIS RESEARCH AND HE DECIDED TO CALL A COUPLE OF ATTORNEYS, YOU KNOW, IN AUSTIN THAT ACTUALLY RE YOU KNOW, THAT GIVES ADVICE TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
AND I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THESE ATTORNEYS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS, THERE ARE A LOT OF MONEY, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY BEHIND THESE DATA CENTERS AND A LOT OF THAT MONEY IS GOING TO LOBBYISTS IN AUSTIN AND I LIVE WITH THOSE THAT SWAMP DOWN THERE.
OKAY? AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S VERY WELL FUNDED AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ON WHO YOU'RE GETTING ADVICE FROM.
AND SO THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING IS BE I'M ASKING EVERYONE UP THERE, THIS IS WHAT I'M ASKING YOU.
PLEASE CONSIDER IT AND PLEASE BE, UH, SMART ON WHO YOU GO TO FOR ADVICE AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT WILL AT LEAST SLOW THINGS DOWN UNTIL WE CAN GET SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED AND AWESOME.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION.
FIRST OF ALL, UH, AGAIN, A SPECIAL SESSION IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL GET THE BALL ROLLING NOW.
AND THE ONE THING ABOUT A SPECIAL SESSION FOR DATA CENTERS IS IT'S GONNA TELL YOU HOW YOUR REPRESENTATIVES VOTE AND THAT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION.
NUMBER TWO, THE BILLS THAT, UH, A LADY MENTIONED IN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE, JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE THOSE ARE AND WHERE THOSE MIGHT GO.
I'M JUST GONNA TELL YOU WHO INTRODUCED THOSE.
THE SENATE BILL WAS INTRODUCED BY BERNIE SANDERS AND THE HOUSE BILL WAS INTRODUCED BY A OC.
SO YOU JUST HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
NOW THE LAST THING I WANNA JUST SAY IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF DATA CENTERS.
ONE OF MY FRIENDS IS AN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CONSULTANT AND HE TOLD ME, 'CAUSE THIS IS WHAT HE DOES, UM, HE SAID HE HAD TO DO A SECURITY ANALYSIS ON A DATA CENTER IF YOU WANNA KNOW HOW BIG THEY CAN BE.
IT TOOK ME TWO DAYS TO DRIVE AROUND THE PARAMETER OF THE ONE BUILDING.
PLEASE COME UP IF YOU WANNA SPEAK.
OKAY, SO HAVE YOU HAVE YOU SPOKE REPORT? YES.
I TALKED ABOUT US GETTING TOGETHER, SO IF YOU HAVE YOUR PHONE OR A PEN AND PAPER, PLEASE WRITE DOWN MY NUMBER.
I'M GONNA GET A GROUP TOGETHER.
I'M GONNA FIND A PLACE FOR US TO GET TOGETHER TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DATA CENTERS AND THREE NINETY ONE COMMISSIONS.
MY PHONE NUMBER IS (530) 383-3310.
[00:55:04]
AND ONCE WE HAVE THESE MEETINGS TOGETHER, Y'ALL ARE INVITED TO.MARINA HARRIS MARINA 5 3 0 3 8 3 33 10.
I HAVE ONE POINT I WANNA MAKE.
UM, ON THE 7 65 KILOWATT LINES, THEY ARE NOTHING MORE THAN STRAWMAN ARCHITECTURE FOR AI CENTERS.
BIG HILL, UM, BELL COUNTY, THEY'VE GOT 59,000 ACRES RIGHT NOW SITTING AT THE COUNTY WITH RECORDED DEEDS FOR EMINENT DOMAIN SEIZURE.
BUT MIKE, YOU VOTED YES FOR THOSE POWER LINES.
YOU YOU DID AND I TALKED TO YOU ACTUALLY REPRESENTATIVE HARRISON A FEW DAYS AGO, AND WHAT HE TOLD ME WAS THAT YOU GUYS DID NOT THINK THAT ERCOT PUC AND ENCORE WOULD TAKE OVER AND RUN WITH THESE AND TAKE OVER THE AUTHORITY FOR THESE.
MA'AM, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO DIRECT IT TO THE, TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT APPEAR ON THE SPECIFICS OF THE DATA CENTER AND STATE AGENDA PLEASE.
SO MY POINT IS, IS THAT ALL OF THESE, THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE BILLS THAT WERE PASSED IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE THAT, THAT HAVE ENCOURAGED AND HAVE BUILT FRAMEWORK FOR THESE DATA CENTERS TO COME INTO TEXAS AND FOR THE POWER GRIDS TO BE BUILT IF GREG ABBOTT CALLS A SPECIAL SESSION.
WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE QUESTIONS I HAD EARLIER OF WHAT Y'ALL PLAN TO DO FOR PLAN A, KEEP IT AT BAY PLAN B IF IT'S COMING ANYWAY, LIKE THE ONE THAT'S PROPOSED BY THE LAKE, WHAT IS THE STATUS ON THAT? AND HOW ARE YOU ALL YOUR, OUR REPRESENTATIVES HELPING TO, UH, ENSURE THAT WE GET A SPECIAL SESSION FROM GREG ABBOTT? YES, WE ALL NEED TO CALL, WE'RE DOING OUR THINGS.
HOW, WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING TO HELP IMPROVE THAT OR TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN? THANK YOU.
UM, I THINK RATHER IN THE SPIRIT OF THE TIME FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HEAR EVERYONE, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IS PUTTING TOGETHER A FACT AND ALSO A, AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THIS, WITH WHAT THE, THE RESPONSES ARE AND SOME OF THESE ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS AND PUT THOSE ON OUR WEBSITE AND ADDRESS THESE KEY ISSUES.
WE'RE MAKING NOTES OF THESE THINGS AND WE WILL BE PUTTING THEM ON WEBSITE BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY DETAILED RESPONSE.
IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT AGAIN, AGAIN, THE KEY ISSUE IS THIS.
WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO LISTEN TO YOU.
THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF CONCERN IN THIS ROOM AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE STRICT PARAMETERS, BUT IT'S, IT, IT'S NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HEAR AS MANY OF YOU AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
MY NAME'S BRAD BLAZE AND I LIVE IN THE WAR ZONE, 2.4 MILES TO THE TURBINES THAT ARE GONNA BE USED AS THE BACKUP, SO-CALLED BACKUP.
AND THE SIZE OF THAT CAMPUS HADN'T REALLY BEEN PUBLISHED, BUT WHAT I CAN FIND, THERE'RE TALKING ABOUT 1400 ACRE CAMPUS.
SO THE AMOUNT OF COOLING THAT THEY'RE GONNA USE, EVEN IF IT'S A CLOSED LOOP, THERE WILL BE CHILL WATER SYSTEMS IN THERE AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL USE GROUNDWATER.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE'S GONNA BE A WASTE DISPOSAL WELL DRILLED ON THAT SITE TO SHOVE IT BACK IN WHEN THEY'RE THROUGH.
AND CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION? AND I'M NOT BIG ON ANYBODY ANNEXING, ANYONE, CAN'T WEATHERFORD ANNEX JUST THAT SITE AND THEN THEY WILL FALL UNDER THE CITY RULES AND THEY, THAT'S MAUREEN.
UH, CAN MANDATES BE PUT IN THAT REQUIRE THESE DATA CENTERS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RECYCLING AND CLEANING UP THE MESS THEY'LL MAKE IN THE WATER AT GREAT EXPENSE TO THEM IF THEY DON'T DO IT? THANK YOU, MA'AM.
IN THE SPIRIT OF TIME, UH, IF YOU'RE THINK YOU'RE GONNA SPEAK, UM, PLEASE GET UP AND GET IN LINE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FINISH IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAY WITHIN THE MINUTE.
I WANTED TO FINISH WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO BEFORE AND JUST BRING UP THE ISSUE OF LONG-TERM EFFECTS FROM A FREEDOM STANDPOINT.
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THESE DATA CENTERS ARE BRINGING NOT ONLY THAT, BUT JUST CONTINUED ENCROACHMENT ON OUR FREEDOM.UM, SO I THINK WHATEVER NUMBER YOU WANT TO THROW OUT THERE, WE'RE ABOUT TO CELEBRATE OUR 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR COUNTRY.
AND SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES FOR OUR FREEDOM.
BEYOND OUR A HUNDRED MILLION NUMBER OR WHATEVER WE WANNA BRING UP.
I THINK IT ULTIMATELY WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER IT'S FREEDOM OR WHETHER WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO JUST ALLOW IT TO BE TAKEN AWAY.
UM, JUST WANTED TO ASK IF WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY FOR THE PEOPLE IN PARKER COUNTY TO HELP YOU GUYS, IF YOU SUPPORT KEEPING DATA CENTERS OUT, WHAT CAN WE DO, UM, TO BE HELPING YOU GUYS DO THAT? AND THEN JUST ALSO WANTED TO SAY IF EVERYONE IN HERE CALLED GOVERNOR ABBOTT TOMORROW AND JUST TOLD ONE PERSON TO CALL HIM AS WELL, HIS HIS YOUR TIME IS UP, SIR.
THE ANSWER
YOU HEARD MIKE TONIGHT WHO HAD THE, THE, UM, APPRECIATE YOU COMING TONIGHT AND THEN THE WILLINGNESS TO DO SO.
AND ALSO REPRESENTATIVE HABU IS ALSO HERE.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
AND THEY SHOULD BE COMMITTED, THANK YOU.
AND THEY SHOULD BE COMMITTED AS WELL BECAUSE WE, I HAVE PERSONALLY REACHED OUT TO EVERY SINGLE LEGISLATURE LEGISLATOR THAT REPRESENTS US.
AND HERE'S WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT HERE.
SO IF YOU ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, GET WITH OUR LEGISLATORS THAT REPRESENT YOU, PLEASE.
I LIVE JUST NORTH OF WEATHERFORD ON A SMALL FAMILY FARM.
UM, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDE TO OUR COUNTY.
SECOND, I HAVE AN ISSUE THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY ELSE HAS TALKED ABOUT YET, AND THAT IS FIRE PROTECTION FOR CENTER LIKE THIS.
MY HUSBAND HAS SERVED AS A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN IN THIS COUNTY, AND THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
THEY HAVE LITHIUM BATTERIES, THEY HAVE ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE AN EXTREME FIRE HAZARD TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS, TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO OUR FIELDS THAT ARE GONNA BURN AND YOU CAN'T STOP 'EM.
THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT SHOULD GIVE US SOME AMMUNITION AGAINST THIS.
WE ARE NOT EQUIPPED IN THIS COUNTY TO FIGHT A FIRE AT A FACILITY OF THIS SIZE.
IT HAS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE CHANCE TO SPEAK COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, FOR LETTING US SPEAK AGAIN.
UM, I WANTED TO, UM, SAY I, I MISSED HAVING THE PLEDGE HERE.
UM, THAT'S A LITTLE OFF TOPIC, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO ENCOURAGE THE CROWD, UM, AND ASK, IS IT OKAY IF I PRAY? JESUS, WE ASKED TONIGHT, GOD, THAT YOU WOULD BREAK OPEN SOME, SOME WAYS AND SOME SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
GOD, AND I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US FAVOR TO HEAL OUR LAND GOD, AND TO PRE PREVENT DESTRUCTION.
GOD, I PRAY BLESSINGS ON OUR COMMISSIONERS.
GOD, I PRAY BLESSINGS ON OUR FARMLAND AND, AND THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE, GOD AND GOD UP.
JUST PRAY THAT YOU WOULD HELP US ALL.
JUST REMIND US TO GET ON OUR KNEES AND ASK YOU TO HEAL OUR LAND AND TO PREVENT THAT DESTRUCTION.
WE ASK THIS IN YOUR MIGHTY NAME.
JUST A COUPLE OF FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, UM, ON THE REZONING, CAN YOU HELP, UM, THE AREA TO BE REZONED AT THIS POINT? YOU KNOW, ARE THOSE THINGS BEING EXPLORED? HOW SOON WILL YOU GET TO WORK ON THE 3 91 COMMISSION? UH, IMMEDIATELY WE'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW.
UH, AND TO ADDRESS YOUR OTHERS, WE DON'T HAVE ANY ZONING AUTHORITY TO CHANGE OR NOT CHANGE.
WE DON'T, THAT'S NOT, WE WE NEED TO CONTACT FOR THE REZONING.
YEAH, THERE'S NOT ZONING IN ANY OF THE 243 COUNTIES IN THE, IN THE STATE AND IT THAT'S IN CITIES ONLY THAT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED WITH.
SO HOW DID IT GET REZONED? IT DIDN'T GET REZONED.
THERE'S NO ZONING IN THE COUNTY.
UM, I'VE HEARD YOUR HANDS ARE TIED.
UM, BUT IT, IT, YOU'VE BEEN DEALING RIGHT NOW WITH REPAVING AND
[01:05:01]
TRASH AND STUFF LIKE THAT.WE'RE GONNA NEED YOU TO GET REALLY CREATIVE AND I'M SORRY, WORK VERY HARD FOR US.
I JUST WANTED TO COME BACK UP AND SPEAK OF A CAUTIONARY TALE BECAUSE ALL OF THIS REMINDS ME OF WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID AND I GREW UP IN WEST TEXAS AND IF YOU DRIVE THROUGH WEST TEXAS, LIKE THE TOWN I'M FROM SLATON THIS, IT'S A MIRROR IMAGE OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE, BECAUSE IN WEST TEXAS FOR MY ENTIRE, MY MOM'S ENTIRE LIFE, THEY WENT THROUGH ALL OF THIS KIND OF STUFF WITH COTTON AND THE COTTON GINS OVER AND OVER TALKING ABOUT GROUNDWATER AND WHAT IT'S GONNA DO.
AND EVERYONE PROMISED THAT IT WAS GONNA BRING MONEY IN AND NO ONE WAS GONNA GET HURT MY ENTIRE LIFE GROWING UP, I WALKED PAST OR DROVE PAST THREE, CLOSED DOWN COTTON GINS THAT WERE FALLING APART.
MY BASEBALL TEAM AS A CHILD WAS SPONSORED BY A COTTON GIN THAT WASN'T OPEN ANYMORE, BUT WAS STILL ON BOOKS.
WE HAD A SPECIAL SET OF TOWELS IN MY HOUSE TO THROW IN THE TUB AND SOAK TO PUT BENEATH WINDOWS AND DOORS FOR WHEN THE DUST STORM CAME.
SO YOUR HOUSE WASN'T DAMAGED BY THE DIRT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO MOISTURE LEFT IN THE GROUND.
KATHY KSKY, OUR PETITION HAS NOW 6,000 SIGNATURES TO PAUSE DEVELOPMENT OF DATA CENTERS.
OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS NEED TO SHOW US WHO THEY SERVE, THE DATA CENTERS OR THE PEOPLE THAT PUT 'EM IN OFFICE.
AND IF THEY DON'T TAKE ACTION, NOT WORDS, WORDS ARE NICE, BUT WE NEED TO SEE LEGISLATION.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WANTS TO COME UP WITH STEVE? I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL.
UH, THIS IS NOT EASY AND IT'S TO RESTRICT YOU TO A MINUTE AND GET EVERYBODY THROUGH THAT, THE ABILITY TO COME BACK AND ALLOW YOU TO COME UP AND SPEAK AGAIN.
UH, THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOU, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE.
I DON'T RECALL EVER IN THE EIGHT YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN A COUNTY JUDGE, UH, OR EVEN AS A, AS A MAYOR, UM, TO HAVING A FORUM LIKE THIS TO HAVE THIS MANY PEOPLE FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE TIME.
AND, UH, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE AND WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE IT, UH, AT AN OFFITE FACILITY TO ACCOMMODATE IS THIS CONTINUES.
IN FACT, I EXPECT THE NEXT ONE TO PROBABLY EVEN SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PEOPLE THAN THIS.
UH, BUT I WANTED HIM THIS OPEN UP THIS TO THE COMMISSIONERS IF THEY HAVE ANY COMMENTS THEMSELVES, BECAUSE I'M OBVIOUSLY, UH, YOU'RE PROBABLY TIRED OF HEARING ME SPEAK.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONERS, Y'ALL HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD TO THIS? OKAY, JACOB.
SO I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T PREPARE ANY COMMENTS.
UM, BUT I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE WRITING DOWN EVERYONE'S NAME AND YOUR CONCERNS.
AND I, I THINK IF YOU'VE HEARD US BEFORE, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ME SAY THIS RIGHT HERE IS WHAT MAKES PARKER COUNTY SO SPECIAL.
EVERYBODY HERE HAD OTHER THINGS YOU COULD HAVE DONE WITH YOUR NIGHT, BUT YOU CHOSE TO ST TO SHOW UP, TO STAND UP AND TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN.
I WANNA SAY THAT WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
WE ADAMANTLY OPPOSE DATA CENTERS AND EVERYTHING THAT WE LEGALLY CAN DO, WE WILL DO.
AND TO BE VERY CLEAR, SOMEBODY ASKED ABOUT IT BEFORE, THERE WILL BE ZERO TAX ABATEMENTS FOR DATA CENTERS IN PARKER COUNTY.
WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN A RESOLUTION ON THAT, THAT HAS ALREADY PASSED.
ALL OF US ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WATER, THE NOISE, THE LIGHT, THE CONVERSION OF RURAL LAND TO AN URBAN HELLSCAPE.
THAT IS NOT WHAT ANYONE HERE WANTS FOR PARKER COUNTY.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS SITTING OF ONE SITTING NEXT TO ME, WHOSE FAMILY'S BEEN HERE, I BELIEVE FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, AND HAS QUITE A BIT OF, UH, RANCHING HISTORY.
I WAS GONNA SAY REAL QUICK, UH, THERE'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
UH, IF, IF THIS DATA CENTERS COME UP ALL OVER TEXAS, IT'S GONNA INCREASE THE COST OF OWNING A HOME DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF WATER AND POWER BEING USED WILL, WILL JUST CAUSE A LOT OF CITIES TO NOT BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF HOMES IN THEIR COUNTY OR THEIR CITY.
AND SO THIS IS BASICALLY GREAT AGAIN FOR BLACKROCK.
[01:10:01]
IS, WHO IS BEHIND ALL OF THESE DATA CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND UH, AGAIN, JUST A REMINDER, THERE'S A VIDEO OF GREG ABBOTT, UH, SPEAKING WITH LARRY FINK, THE BLACK, THE OWNER, BLACKROCK, AND HOW THIS IS THEIR GRAND PLAN.AND IT'S, IF YOU CAN GO WATCH THE VIDEO AGAIN, JUST POINTING OUT, ABBOTT IS TOTALLY IN BED WITH THESE PEOPLE.
UM, WE REALLY NEED TO PRESSURE HIM LIKE THESE PEOPLE, THESE OTHER PEOPLE WERE SAYING.
UM, JUST, JUST PRAY THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WILL BE TURNED BY THE PEOPLE BECAUSE AS ALONE, AS HE STANDS ALONE, HE'S A COWARD.
I I WANT YOU TO KNOW I SUPPORT YOU GUYS AND I'M THANKFUL THAT YOU PASSED THE RESOLUTION ON THE TAX ABATEMENT.
BEFORE I SAY THIS NEXT THING, I WANNA KNOW HOW AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO TO KEEP THESE COMPANIES FROM GOING AROUND YOU AND GOING TO, UM, ABBOTT TO QUALIFY FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT SALES TAX EXEMPTION ON ELECTRICITY, ON COOLING SYSTEMS, AND MORE FOR 15 YEARS.
THEY CAN GET PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENTS FROM THE GOVERNOR AND THEY'RE GETTING THEM RIGHT NOW OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS.
LOOK AT SAN ANGELO, TOM GREEN COUNTY.
UM, THEY GET 10 YEARS IN REDUCED PROPERTY TAXES OR FRANCHISE DEDUCTIONS FOR WAGES, EQUIPMENT MORE.
IN ADDITION TO GETTING CASH GRANTS FROM AVID'S, TEXAS ENTERPRISE FUND, WHICH YOU AND I FUND THROUGH OUR PROPERTY TAXES.
UM, TEXAS IS REQUIRED TO POST LOST REVENUE, PASSIVE REVENUE AS A RESULT OF, UM, SOMETHING LIKE THIS COMING IN AND GETTING ABATEMENTS.
AND WE ONLY HAVE HAD ONE LARGE OPERATIONAL DATA CENTER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND TEXAS IS ONE OF THE FEW STATES THAT HAS TO REPORT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THEY REPORTED OVER 2 BILLION IN LOSSES TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE DATA CENTER.
WE STILL HAVE, UH, PLENTY OF TIME.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SPEAK EVEN IF YOU SPOKE BEFORE, YOU COULD COME UP AND SPEAK.
I'M FROM RENO, UM, RENO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, THAT MY MAYOR WHO'S HERE WITH ME, JUST MADE TO ME, GOT ME THINKING, AND I'M AT THE DISADVANTAGE OF NOT HAVING ANY MAPS THAT SHOW SHOWING THE SEA LIMITS AND ETJ LIMITS.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THIS, THIS PROPERTY IS WITHIN FORT WORTH CTJ? BUT I KNOW FORT WORTH HAS EXPANDED THEIR LIMITS OVER THE YEARS.
THEY'RE SOUTH OF RENO, THEY'RE NORTH OF ALMOST THE NORTH OF BASIL.
UM, THEY'RE COMPLETE SURROUND WILLOW PARK.
AND THEN THAT IS, UM, RIGHT UP TO THE LIMITS FOR WEATHER FROM.
SO THIS PROPERTY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, IS IT WITHIN FORT WORTH CTJ? BECAUSE IF IT'S, THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO ANY ZONING AGAINST THIS, AND THAT MAY BE WHERE WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT.
JUST DON'T KNOW THAT WHERE THAT'S HAPPEN.
IT'S NOT, IT JUST HIT ME THROUGH CONVERSATIONAL HAD, SO WE GET MAPS WITH THOSE LINES, GET AN ANSWER ON THAT MIGHT VIEW FORT WORTH AS THE SERGEANT SOUTH.
UM, IF YOU WANNA SPEAK, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UH, MAYOR BOSS, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK? YEAH, TOM PAGE LIVE OVER ON FOX ROAD.
I JUST WANNA GET A CLARIFICATION TONIGHT.
ARE Y'ALL READY TONIGHT TO VOTE ON THE 3 9 1 AND START THAT? IS IT, I MEAN, IS IT, THEY ALL TALKS ABOUT HAVING BYLAWS AND HAVING TO WORK THAT UP? NO, I JUST, I JUST, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA BE BROUGHT UP TONIGHT AND VOTED ON AND ACTUALLY STARTED.
THAT, THAT, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, SIR.
AND UH, I CAN TELL YOU THIS, THAT, UH, PROBABLY SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY OVER THIS COURT, BUT FIRST THAT WE NEED TO, TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, UM, WE NEED TO GET ON THE AGENDA OBVIOUSLY AND, AND TALK ABOUT IT AND, AND HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
IT'S GONNA BE A REGIONAL ONE, WHICH WE'VE TALKED WITH REPRESENTATIVE
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, POINT BLANK, I THINK I COULD SPEAK AND PLEASE FORGIVE ME, BUT I DON'T THINK I'M OFF BASE ON THIS.
THIS COURT IS VERY UNIFIED AND, AND, AND COMMISSIONER HALL, COMMISSIONER WALDEN, EVERY SINGLE COMMISSIONER UP HERE HAS BEEN VERY ADAMANT ABOUT WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN LEGALLY TO SLOW THE PROGRESS.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF DATA CENTERS IN
[01:15:01]
HARVARD COUNTY.SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, YES, WE ARE, WE ARE COMMITTED TO THIS WITH WHATEVER TOOLS AVAILABLE, INCLUDING A 3 9 1 AGREEMENT THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED HERE VERY QUICKLY.
UH, I JUST REALLY WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THIS IS NOT A PARKER COUNTY ISSUE.
THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING WHATEVER IS WITHIN THEIR POWER TO DO.
THIS IS A STATE TEXAS ISSUE, AND THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS NEED TO FIND A WAY TO COME TOGETHER, GET OFF OUR DUCKS, WRITE PETITIONS, GO AND HANG OUT AT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, AND HE NEEDS ANOTHER CONSERVATIVE TO RUN AGAINST HIM.
THIS STATE NEEDS A REALLY GOOD, STRONG CONSERVATIVE GOVERNOR.
I'M SORRY ABOUT THE POLITICAL INNUENDO, BUT THAT'S HOW I FEEL FROM MY HEART.
I'VE COME FROM NEW YORK, I'VE COME FROM, UH, SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISM AND ALL OF THAT.
I PROMISE YOU, YOU DO NOT WANT THAT HERE.
SO AS PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO UNITE.
THEY HAVE A VERY LIMITED ABILITY TO DO WHATEVER THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO DO.
BUT THIS, THERE ARE THESE DATA CENTERS ALL OVER THIS STATE, EATING IT UP, POISONING THE WATER, DESTROYING THE POWER.
IF YOU WANNA KNOW, GET IN A CAR AND DRIVE TO AUSTIN AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE WATER BEING DESTROYED.
YOUR TIME IS UP AND IT REALLY, THANK YOU.
IT WAS REALLY HARD TO SHUT YOU DOWN.
AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A POSSIBLE TO YOU.
I LIVE IN NORTH OF TOWN ABOUT SEVEN MILES.
UM, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WHEN I READ THIS PIECE OF PAPER THAT SAYS THE COUNTY HAS NO AUTHORITY TO CONTROL NOISE, NO AUTHORITY TO CONTROL OR REGULATE WATER USAGE.
UM, NOT THAT I WANT TO GIVE GOVERNMENT MORE CONTROL OVER, YOU KNOW, MY LIFE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I'M, IT'S DISAPPOINTING.
SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN GIVE THAT AUTHORITY TO THE COUNTY, UH, GIVE THAT AUTHORITY TO SOMEONE? AND THEN IS THERE, IS THERE NO ONE THAT DOES REGULATE THE WATER? AND WHO DOES REGULATE THE WATER? 'CAUSE PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE PERMITS TO BUILD WELLS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, RIGHT? SO, AND THEN LET ME, LEMME JUST GO BACK TO YOU, JUDGE.
UM, CAN YOU JUST GIVE US A LITTLE RUNDOWN OF HOW MANY DATA CENTERS ARE TRYING TO COME INTO THE COUNTY AND THAT WE KNOW ABOUT AND WHAT'S THE STATUS? 'CAUSE THAT I'M A LITTLE BEHIND ON THAT ONE.
I'VE ANSWERED THAT WE HAVE NOT, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ONE THAT HAS FILED A PERMIT OR FILED TO, UH, APPLY FOR A PERMIT OF ANY DATA CENTER YET.
SO FAR EVERYTHING HAS BEEN A RUMOR OR SOME, SOME COMMUNICATION THROUGH THIRD PARTY OR WHATEVER.
SO NO, NO DATA CENTER HAS APPLIED FOR ANYTHING AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
ALSO, YOUR OTHER QUESTION WAS WITH REGARD TO THE WATER, THERE IS THE UPPER TRINITY GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT IS DOUG SHAW HERE? DOUG, COME UP HERE.
DOUG SHAW IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE UPPER TRINITY GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT.
WHO'S THE BEST ONE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION? I, I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA GET OUT OF THIS WITHOUT, UH, HAVING SAY ANYTHING.
I MEAN, REALISTICALLY, IT SEEMS LIKE IN THE UNINCORPORATED PARTS OF THE COUNTY WITH LARGE PROJECTS LIKE THIS, GROUNDWATER DISTRICTS LIKE OURS ARE ABOUT THE ONLY HURDLE THERE IS.
UM, THEY WILL HAVE TO GET A PERMIT IF THEY LOOK TO DRILL A WELL, IF THEY LOOK TO USE ANY EXISTING WELLS, IF THEY WANT TO DR.
PUMP A DROP OF WATER, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET A PERMIT FROM US.
UH, IT'S A VERY PUBLIC PROCESS.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, UH, EMAIL ME, DOUG, GET UPPER TRINITY GCD.COM AND PUT YOU ON A MAILING LIST SO THAT YOU GET ALL OF OUR AGENDAS.
BUT IT WOULD BE ON A PUB, IT WOULD BE A, A PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LANDOWNERS TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE, RIGHT? WHICH IS BASICALLY, UH, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, IT'S LINED OUT IN CHAPTER 36, WHICH WHAT WE OPERATE UNDER, UH, IF SOMEBODY REQUESTS A CONTESTED CASE, WE BASICALLY PAUSE THE HEARING.
UH, WE HOLD A SEPARATE HEARING ON THE REQUEST FOR CONTESTED CASE.
WE GRANT THE CONTESTED CASE, THEN IT COULD GO TO SOA, RIGHT? OR AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE TO WEIGH IN ON, UH, SEND THEIR OPINION, UH, RECOMMENDATION
[01:20:01]
BACK TO THE DISTRICT THAT WE CAN CHOOSE TO ACT ON THAT OR DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.THAT'S ABOUT THE EXTENT, YOU KNOW, I'VE SPENT A, YOU KNOW, THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS IN HOOD COUNTY, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DIGGING INTO THIS AND, AND LOOKING INTO WHAT, WHAT ACTUALLY THE REQUIREMENTS ARE.
AND, AND THERE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, UH, HURDLES, BUT IF THEY'RE GOING TO PUMP A DROP OF WATER, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME THROUGH US.
THEY'LL HAVE TO GET A PERMIT, THERE WILL BE AN ANNUAL ALLOCATION.
THEY CAN PUMP NO MORE THAN A CERTAIN VOLUME.
IF IT'S A VERY LARGE VOLUME, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO A STUDY TO SHOW HOW THAT WILL IMPACT THE AREA.
IF THE IMPACT, IF IT SHOWS TO HAVE UNREASONABLE IMPACTS, THEN WE CAN LIMIT THEIR, LIMIT, THEIR PERMIT, OR WE CAN PUT IN MITIGATION, UH, REQUIREMENTS OR THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS WE CAN DO.
SO I, I DO ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO PAY ATTENTION.
UM, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, YOU KNOW, DON'T HESITATE TO CALL OUR OFFICE AND AS THE JUDGE SAYS, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SINGLE APPLICATION, UM, IN PARKER COUNTY.
WE RECEIVED ONE IN HOOD COUNTY, BUT IT'S NOT ADMINISTRATIVELY COMPLETE YET.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY OPEN, VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAVE IF Y'ALL WANNA CALL OR EMAIL ME.
BUT YOU KNOW, HEY, DO, YES, SIR.
WILL YOU GIVE THE PHONE NUMBER AND THEN I WANNA ASK YOU ONE QUESTION.
PHONE NUMBER, THE OFFICE (817) 523-5200.
DOUG, WILL YOU EXPAND? YOU SAID A LANDOWNER CAN CAUSE A CASE TO BE CONTESTED, WHICH SENDS IT TO SOA AND DELAYS THE PROCESS, WHICH IS AWESOME.
WILL YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE SIMILAR TO HOW YOU DID AT THE JUNE 9TH MEETING ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS? THAT A LANDOWNER, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SOMEONE WHO'S IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT.
IT CAN JUST BE SOMEONE IN THE AREA, CORRECT? YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S VERY BROAD, RIGHT? THE, THE WAY WE'VE WRITTEN IN OUR RULES, THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN IN THE WATER CODE, IT'S VERY BROAD.
ANY, ANY, ANY, IT BASICALLY SAYS ANYONE WHO HAS A DISIBLE RIGHT? IN GROUNDWATER.
AND BECAUSE CHAPTER 36 ALSO STATES THAT GROUNDWATER IS A PROPERTY RIGHT OWNED IN PLACE.
THEREFORE THAT MEANS ANYBODY WHO OWNS LAND HAS A JUST CIVIL RIGHT IN GROUNDWATER AND YOU CAN THEN REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE.
CAN I JUST TRANSLATE IT TO MY LEVEL? SURE.
I SEE A LOT OF LANDOWNERS OUT HERE THAT COULD CONTEST THAT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, IF A PERMIT DOES GET, IF AN APPLICATION DOES GET ISSUED TO THE UPPER TRINITY, DOUG WILL NOTIFY US.
I'M SURE IT'LL MAKE THE ROUNDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOLKS HERE WHO OWN LAND IN PARKER COUNTY CAN CONTEST IT AT THAT POINT, WHICH WILL SEND IT TO THE STATE OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS DEFINITELY A DELAY IN THE PROCESS.
SO LET'S ABSOLUTELY USE THAT AS A TOOL TO HELP DOUG FIGHT AGAINST THESE.
WHAT? SO, SO OUR AUTHORITY IS LIMITED TO THE WATER THAT'S UNDER THE GROUND, UH, HOW IT'S EXTRACTED, HOW MUCH CAN COME OUT, AND THEN WE'RE CHARGED WITH PROTECTING THE QUALITY OF THAT WATER.
SO IF SOMEBODY WERE TO DO SOMETHING THAT COULD IMPACT, FOR EXAMPLE, SO I MENTIONED INJECTION WELLS DISPOSAL WELL EARLIER.
UH, WE REVIEW ALL THE INJECTION WELLS THAT GO TO THE RAILROAD COMMISSION.
WE'VE ACTUALLY PROTESTED PROBABLY 50 OR SO OF THEM IN THE LAST 10 OR 12 YEARS.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE SOME AUTHORITY WITH WHAT HAPPENS UNDERGROUND, BUT AS FAR AS DISCHARGES INTO THE STREETS AND CREEKS AND WHAT COULD BEEN POTENTIALLY END UP IN LAKE WEATHERFORD, WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY REGARDING THAT.
THE XI IS JUST THE UPPERMOST LAYER OF TRINITY.
SO, SO THE WAY OUR PROCESS IS SET UP, AND SO WE HAVE A, A REQUIREMENT FOR A STUDY FOR WHAT WE CALL LARGE VOLUME PERMITS, RIGHT? SO IF IT COMES IN AND IT IS A, AND IT IS ACTUALLY A, A VERY LARGE PERMIT REQUEST, THEN THEY IMMEDIATELY HAVE TO BEGIN AND START THEIR, THEIR STUDY, UH, I'M GUESSING ANYWHERE FROM SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR FROM TO FINISH THAT STUDY.
THEIR APPLICATION IS NOT ADMINISTRATIVELY COMPLETE UNTIL THAT STUDY'S FINISHED, UNTIL IT'S FINISHED.
THEY SAT DOWN WITH US, UH, ALL THE, UH, PROFESSIONAL GEOSCIENTISTS, ALL THE SCIENTISTS I HAVE ON STAFF LOOK AT IT AND SAY, YES, THEY DID THIS RIGHT.
THEY DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO GET SOMETHING OVER ON US.
THEN WE SCHEDULE THE, THE HEARING,
[01:25:01]
UM, AT WHICH TIME I PRESENT, YOU KNOW, THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY TO MY BOARD.UH, I PRESENT THE APPLICATION TO MY BOARD AND THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME, COME, COME, MAKE COMMENT ON THE APPLICATION AND ALSO CONTEST IT.
IF THEY, IF THEY SO WISH, I THINK WE WOULD WORK WITH A 3 91, RIGHT? I THINK WE WOULD WORK WITH THEM.
DO YOU, I'M, I'M SORRY, THIS ISN'T MY MEETING.
I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS CONT CONTINUE.
DO YOU WANT ME TO ASK ANSWER QUESTIONS? YES, MA'AM.
WE'RE NO, I MEAN, THE CONTESTED CASE IS, IS BASICALLY LIKE A, BASICALLY LIKE A HEARING OR A LAWSUIT, RIGHT? IT, IT'S FROM IN FRONT OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE.
SOMEBODY ASKED IF THERE'S A COST.
I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY, RIGHT? SO THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S THE COST, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S BASICALLY LIKE GOING TO COURT AND ASKING A JUDGE LAYING OUT ALL THE FACTS AND ASKING A JUDGE TO, TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
SO THEY MAY BREAK UP THE REQUESTS FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT MAKE IT SMALLER
SO, SO, SO THAT, THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE PERMIT, RIGHT? WE WOULD PUT EVERYTHING ON, ON.
SO SAY SOMEBODY COMES IN AND BOUGHT, HAS A THOUSAND ACRES.
EVERYTHING ON THE THOUSAND ACRES IS ON THE PERMIT, RIGHT? WE DON'T, THEY CAN'T SPLIT IT UP.
IT'S A, IT'S THE DISTRICT'S DETERMINATION ON WHAT GOES ON THE PERMIT.
RIGHT? SO, SO I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY AND I WILL NOT MAKE ANY LEGAL RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT I DON'T SEE, I DON'T SEE WHY THAT COULDN'T BE DONE.
YES, I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO REGISTER YOUR WATER WELLS.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, AND I REAL QUICK, SO IF YOUR WELL WATER WELL WAS DRILLED BEFORE 2009, IT'S VERY UNLIKELY THAT ANYONE KNOWS WHERE IT IS.
UM, WE HAVE SPACING REQUIREMENTS AND I, I GET IT.
PEOPLE ARE LIKE, I DON'T WANT THE GOVERNMENT IN MY BUSINESS.
WE CAN'T PROTECT YOUR WELL IF WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS, UM, MOST FOLKS NEVER KNOW THEIR WELLS REGISTERED.
I WOULD THOROUGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT.
THAT WAY IF THEY DO, BECAUSE WE HAVE SPACE.
IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO COME AND DRILL A BIG WELL, AND IT DOES HAPPEN AND THEY DO DRILL THE WELL WITH OUR SPACING REQUIREMENTS, WE CAN PUSH THEM FURTHER INTO THEIR PROPERTY TO LIMIT THEIR IMPACT.
RIGHT? RIGHT HERE, CONSTRUCTION THAT DELAYED THE CONSTRUCTION FOR SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR ABOUT SEPTEMBER.
Y YOU, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T PUMP A DROP OF WATER UNTIL THEY HAVE THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL GET SOME TO DO THE STUDY, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO AN AQUA TEST AND PUMP A LITTLE BIT.
THEY'D GET AN, YOU KNOW, VERY MINIMAL, UH, YOU KNOW, AUTHORIZATION TO PUMP JUST TO DO THE TEST.
AND OTHER THAN THAT, THEY CAN'T PUMP A DROP OF WATER.
I WILL SAY I'VE DEALT WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT.
A LOT OF FOLKS SEEM TO THINK OF WATER AT THE VERY END AND DO A LOT OF BUILDING BEFORE THEY EVER EVEN CONSIDER WHERE THE WATER'S COMING FROM.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO.
RIGHT? WE ENCOURAGE RAINWATER COLLECTION AND WE HAVE A GRANT PROGRAM.
UH, THE AQUIFER HERE REALLY DOESN'T RECHARGE.
UM, IT'S SUCH A SLOW PROCESS FOR THE WATER TO GET DOWN THERE.
SO, UM, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF WATER RAINWATER GETTING BACK INTO THE AQUIFER, RIGHT? I THINK ANYBODY THAT PUTS IN A LARGE STRUCTURE SHOULD BE COLLECTING THE RAINWATER OFF THE TOP OF IT USING THAT.
SOME CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HA WE'VE HAD, AND, AND TALKED ABOUT LIKE, AS PART OF A PERMIT APPLICATION.
IF SOMEONE CAME IN AND, AND THEY HAD TO DO THIS STUDY AND IT'S SHOWING TO HAVE ALL THESE UNREASONABLE IMPACTS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD, AS PART OF THE, THE MITIGATION, WE COULD SAY, NO, YOU NEED TO START CATCHING RAINWATER TO OFFSET A LOT OF THIS AND NOT USE GROUNDWATER.
I DON'T WANNA TAKE ANY MORE TIME.
PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE DOUG.
UH, YOU JUST HAVE A LIKE A MINUTE.
[01:30:01]
HIM SPEAK AND DOUG DON'T, DON'T GO ANYWHERE.FIRST, REALLY ONLY QUESTION I'VE GOT, UH, SORRY.
IS, SO MY UNDERSTANDING WOULD BE MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE ANNEXATION, COULD THE CITY OF WEATHERFORD TURNAROUND AND TRY AND TO ANNEX THAT THE LAND THAT'S BEEN BOUGHT BY BLACKROCK, THAT'S, WE WE'RE OUT OF TIME.
AND SO THAT WE'RE GONNA, I'M GONNA HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAW.
THIS ONE, WE'RE GONNA, UH, MOVE TO A GERMAN ON THIS THAT SAID.