Mar 12, 2026 Commissioners Court Workshop

MOTION CARRIES,

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[A. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026, AT 10 AM. WE'RE CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER.

COMMISSIONERS, IF I COULD, COULD WE GET A MOTION TO SKIP INVOCATION, PLEDGE, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS? SO MOVED.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER THOMAS. WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HORNE. ANY DISCUSSION? NOT ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE.

OPPOSED? HEARING NONE, MOTION CARRIES. UH, WE GOT AN

[E. CITIZENS' COMMENTS (Part 1 of 2)]

YOU'LL HAVE 4 MINUTES TO DO YOUR COMMENTS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO WAIVE COMMENTS AND JUST WAIT TILL WE GET THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION, WE CAN DO THAT TOO. SO IT'S YOUR CHOICE. SO GO AHEAD AND OPEN CITIZENS' COMMENTS.

BONITA HEISEN. GOOD MORNING.

LET'S GET IT OVER WITH.

YES, MY COMMENTS ARE IN REGARDS TO US WANTING TO KNOW DETAILS ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND I WANT TO SAY THE STEWARDSHIP OF OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW THESE DATA CENTERS ARE IMPACTING US AND WILL IMPACT US AS WE'VE RESEARCHED OTHER COMMUNITIES AND THEIR IMPACT. AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO KNOW THE BEHIND THE SCENES. WHAT ARE THE ABATEMENTS THAT YOU'RE GIVING THESE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE ALLOWING THEM? AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WHEN WE REALIZE, HEY, THIS WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA AFTER ALL, WHEN IT AFFECTS OUR WATER AND OUR ELECTRICITY? AND WE WILL DESCRIBE A POWERPOINT, WE WILL DISCUSS ALL THAT. OKAY, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT. THANK YOU. I MEAN, IT MIGHT BE

[F.1 Workshop to review and discuss the scope of Caldwell County authority and regulatory limitations under Texas law related to data center development and associated infrastructure impacts for informational purposes only. No action will be taken. ]

I'M GOING TO STAND UP HERE IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU GUYS INSTEAD OF HIDING UP THERE ON THE DAIS. DID YOU GET THE THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. DO YOU CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT HAD THE PODIUM SELECTED? LET ME LOOK AT SOME THERE WE GO. WORKING NOW. YEP. OKAY, SO WE'RE GONNA WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL DO MY BEST. PRETTY MUCH WHAT YOU JUST SAID, MA'AM.

WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE POWER AND AUTHORITIES THAT COUNTIES HAVE TO REGULATE DEVELOPMENT, WHAT WE DON'T HAVE, AND WHO, IF WE DON'T HAVE IT, WHO DOES HAVE IT. AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT INCENTIVES AND WHY WE CONSIDER THOSE, ESPECIALLY WITH PROJECTS THIS BIG. OKAY.

SO UNDER AND I'M GOING TO TALK

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AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT, THEN I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTACT YOUR STATE REP OR YOUR STATE SENATOR. WE GO FIGHT FOR IT EVERY YEAR AND EVERY YEAR WE GET SHOT DOWN. SO, WE'LL CONTINUE THAT. BUT FOR THE MEANTIME, THAT'S HOW IT IS. WE HAVE NO ZONING AUTHORITY WHATSOEVER OR SIMILAR LAND USE AUTHORITY. WE HAVE NO VOTE AS FAR AS A PRIVATE TRANSACTION BETWEEN A DATA CENTER AND A LANDOWNER.

WE HAVE ZERO AUTHORITY OVER THAT, UNFORTUNATELY. AND SO, AND I'VE BEEN ASKED THIS A LOT OF TIMES, WE ARE NOT OUT THERE ACTIVELY COURTING DATA CENTERS.

THEY COME HERE, WE DON'T GO FIND THEM. THEY APPEAR ON OUR DOORSTEP AND THEN WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THEM. WE CAN REGULATE SUBDIVISION OF LAND, BUT IF THEY'RE BELOW 10 ACRES, AND IF IT'S IF IT IS, THOUGH, WE HAVE 30 DAYS TO, TO ACT ON THEIR SUBMITTAL. AND IF THEY CHECK ALL THE BOXES, WE HAVE TO ALLOW THAT SUBDIVISION TO OCCUR. WE CAN REQUIRE DEVELOPMENT PERMITS. THAT'S LIMITED TO DRAINAGE REVIEW PRIMARILY.

WE MUST ALSO GO THROUGH GO THROUGH THEIR SUBMITTAL, AND IF THEY CHECK ALL THE BOXES, WE IN 30 DAYS, WE HAVE TO APPROVE THOSE TOO. WE ARE NOT A WATER SUPPLIER, AND WE HAVE ZERO AUTHORITY OVER WHETHER OR NOT WATER SUPPLIERS CHOOSE TO DEAL WITH THE DATA CENTER. WE DON'T CONTROL THEM. WE DON'T HAVE ANY AUTHORITY OVER THAT. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE WATER SUPPLIERS THAT ARE OUT IN THE COUNTY. IT'S MAXWELL SPECIAL UTILITY DISTRICT, GO FORTH WATER SUPPLY, COUNTY LINE SPECIAL UTILITY DISTRICT, AND TRI COMMUNITY IS ACTUALLY A WATER SUPPLY. WE'RE ALSO NOT AN ELECTRICAL PROVIDER, AND SO UNLIKE YOUR MUNICIPALITIES, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PURVIEW OVER THAT EITHER. THAT WOULD BE LCRA FOR THE WHOLESALE POWER AND BLUEBONNET FOR THE RETAIL POWER. JUST YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THE NEWS WHERE HAYS COUNTY SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ENACT A MORATORIUM ON ALL THOSE BUSINESSES.

COUNTY IS ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY DO NOT HAVE THAT AUTHORITY WHATSOEVER. IF I STOOD UP HERE AND WE VOTED TO HAVE A SAY WE WERE GOING TO DO A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS, THE COUNTY WOULD BE IN A LAWSUIT 15 MINUTES AFTER I SAID IT OUT LOUD AND VOTED ON IT. WE CANNOT PAUSE OR STOP DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEIR DRAINAGE OR THEIR FLOODPLAIN. AND WE MUST APPROVE ALL PERMITS WITHIN 30 DAYS IF THE APPLICATION COMPLIES WITH THE REGULATIONS. OKAY, THESE ARE KIND OF SMALL, SO I APOLOGIZE. SENATE BILL 6 HEAVILY REGULATES LARGE POWER USERS, DATA CENTERS BEING AMONG THEM, CRYPTO MINERS, ERCOT REGION, TO ENHANCE GRID RELIABILITY.

IT MANDATES STRICTER INTERCONNECTION DESIGN, OPERATING OPERATION STANDARDS ON LOAD CUSTOMERS. IT REQUIRES LARGE LOADS TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION ON SITE GENERATION AND POTENTIALLY SHUT DOWN DURING OR HAVE BACKUP POWER FOR WEATHER EMERGENCIES.

PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION DEVELOPS MINIMUM RATES, ENSURING LARGE CUSTOMERS PAY APPROPRIATE TRANSMISSION CHARGES BASED ON THEIR DEMAND.

IN OTHER WORDS, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE PUSHED DOWN TO YOU LIKE IT IS IN SOME STATES. EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES BY RIGHT DATA CENTERS CAN DO THIS WITH THE POWER PROVIDERS AND THE WATER PROVIDERS, AND WE ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THAT DECISION. THEY DON'T COME HERE TO GET PERMISSION FOR IT. THAT'S UP TO THE PROVIDERS. WE DEVELOP WHEN THEY DEVELOP WHENEVER THEY WISH IN THE COUNTY, SUBJECT TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE BASIC SUBDIVISION AND DRAINAGE PERMIT RULES. WE CANNOT, FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, SAY THE FORMER MEGA SITE WE CAN'T SAY, NOPE, YOU CAN'T HAVE A DATA CENTER THERE. NOPE, YOU CAN'T HAVE A CRYPTO MINING CENTER THERE. NOPE, YOU CAN'T HAVE A WALMART THERE. WE DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY. POTENTIAL EXCESS IMPACTS THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF POTENTIAL EXCESS POTABLE WATER USE, AIR POLLUTION ASSOCIATED WITH DIESEL GENERATION SYSTEMS. 100% IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A LOT OF STORMWATER RUNOFF, LIGHT POLLUTION, AND POTENTIAL NOISE ISSUES.

NOW, WHEN WE WE'LL GET INTO THIS IN A MINUTE, BUT ONE

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YOU'LL USE DARK SKY HOODS ON YOUR LIGHTS. AND WE CAN GO THROUGH NOW WE HAVE SOME POWER TO NEGOTIATE IF WE DO THAT. IF WE DON'T DO THAT, THEY COME AND DO WHATEVER THEY PLEASE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF REGULATIONS. TEXAS LEGISLATURE LIMITS THE INCREASE IN NEW REVENUE ON THE COUNTIES TO 3.5% ABOVE THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, WHAT WE USED TO CALL THE EFFECTIVE RATE.

THAT'S CALCULATED ON THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY VALUE THAT'S HERE.

SO ALL THE PROPERTY THAT'S HERE THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR WHEN WE CALCULATE THE RATE, IF PROPERTY VALUES GO UP, FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE'S $7 BILLION WORTH OF DATA CENTERS THERE, WE, WE CANNOT RAISE MORE TAX REVENUE THAN WE DID THE YEAR BEFORE.

SO WE HAVE TO LOWER THE RATE.

SO, IF IT'S 4.3 NOW, AND THAT DOUBLES OUR PROPERTY VALUE, THE RATE GOES TO 0.2, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS FOR A HOMEOWNER, BAD NEWS FOR US BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PROVIDE SERVICES STILL AND OUR BUDGET DOESN'T GET LOWER, BUT OUR INCOME WILL BE LOWER FOR 12 MONTHS. AND SO THAT KIND OF GETS INTO THE OTHER POINTS ON THOSE SLIDES. AND THERE'S, THERE'S NO CAP ON THE BOTTOM.

IF THESE CONTINUE TO COME, THE TAX RATE COULD GO TO ZERO AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FUND OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

IN SOME YEAR. SO WE, SO WE ARE ALMOST FORCED INTO AN INCENTIVE SITUATION.

BECAUSE OF THAT THOUGH, WE GO AHEAD AND ASK FOR THE THINGS THAT WE ASK FOR.

SO WE DO NEGOTIATE 312 AGREEMENTS WITH THESE FOLKS.

312 AGREEMENTS BASICALLY HOLD THE TAX RATE STEADY EVEN THOUGH THAT COMES ON THE TAX ROLLS. WE ABATE THE TAXES AND THEN WE GET WHAT'S CALLED A PILOT PAYMENT BACK, A PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES.

AND WHERE I CAN'T REALLY GET INTO THE DETAILS OF IT, BUT FOR INSTANCE, THAT MIGHT BE $1. 5 MILLION A YEAR, EVERY YEAR, TO THE COUNTY, AND IT CLIMBS AS WE GO ALONG.

BUT IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE TAX RATE IN A NEGATIVE WAY. WE ARE REQUIRING OF THESE GUYS WHEN WE GET THEM INTO THESE CLOSED LOOP SYSTEMS, AND WE'RE PUTTING QUANTIFIABLE RESTRICTIONS ON HOW MUCH WATER THEY CAN USE. I GOT PERMISSION TO GO AHEAD AND TELL Y'ALL THIS. WITH PRIME, WE'RE TELLING THEM 20,000 GALLONS A MONTH IS ALL THEY CAN USE OF POTABLE WATER. IF THEY GO ABOVE THAT, WE HAVE CLAWBACKS IN THE 312 AGREEMENT. THEY'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT GOING ABOVE THAT, AND SO WE DO IT BY THE MEGAWATT, BUT THEIRS COMES TO 20,000 GALLONS A MONTH. WE REQUIRE STORMWATER QUALITY TREATMENT SPECIFIC TO TSS, TO THE TCEQ EDWARDS AQUIFER RULES, AND TECHNICAL GUIDANCE FOR BEST MANAGEMENT. WE REQUIRE 80% IMPERVIOUS COVER. WE REQUIRE DARK SKY PROVISIONS.

WE REQUIRE 2D MODELING ON FLOODPLAINS FOR MORE ACCURATE PERMITTING.

WE REQUIRE ON SITE NATURAL GAS GENERATION ONCE THEY GET PAST ONE SUBSTATION, SO THEY'LL HAVE TO GENERATE THEIR OWN POWER IF THAT'S IF THEY NEED MORE POWER THAN THAT.

WE REQUIRE THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF TCEQ WASTEWATER TREATMENT, WHICH IS 552.5, WHICH IS NITROGEN AMMONIA, KJELDAHL NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS.

THAT'S THE LOWEST LEVEL THAT TCEQ HAS PEOPLE TREAT TO, OR THE HIGHEST LEVEL, I GUESS. AND THEN WE OBTAIN COST FREE DEDICATION OF FUTURE ROADWAYS FROM THEM SO THAT IF WE NEED TO WIDEN A ROADWAY, WE CAN.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE WITH TRACT YOU'VE HEARD THAT A LOT IN THE NEWS WE HAVE NOT INCENTIVIZED THEM YET BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST DOING THE HORIZONTAL WORK RIGHT NOW AND ENTITLING THEIR PLANTS.

BUT WE HAVE GOTTEN THEM TO COMMIT TO, IN A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, $15 MILLION WORTH OF ROADWAY WORK ON 2720.

WITHOUT GIVING UP ANYTHING SO FAR. SO WE ARE, WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK OUT FOR Y'ALL, I PROMISE. THIS STRATEGY RESULTS IN A BETTER PROJECT FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY. AND OTHERWISE, WITHOUT DOING THESE AGREEMENTS, WE WOULD HAVE WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ASK FOR ANY OF THESE THINGS, AND THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD JUST PUT WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO PUT IN HERE. WE GET A LITTLE MORE FINANCIAL BENEFIT BECAUSE OF THE PILOT PAYMENTS AND THE, AND THE SHIFT OF THE TAX BURDEN. WE GET MORE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS AND LESS IMPACT ON OUR REGIONAL WATER SYSTEMS.

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[E. CITIZENS' COMMENTS (Part 2 of 2)]

ANGELICA MESA. MY BIGGEST CONCERN BESIDES KNOWING THAT MY UTILITIES, MY WATER AND ELECTRICITY RATES WILL GO UP, AND THAT'S A VERY DIFFICULT THING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.

ACTUALLY, MA'AM, THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING. THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR SUBSTATION.

IN OTHER STATES, THE THEY DON'T THE IT GETS SPREAD AMONGST THE USERS. HERE, THE, THE DATA CENTER HAS TO PAY FOR THAT SUBSTATION AND THEIR TRANSMISSION. CONDITION. IT DOES NOT GET PUSHED DOWN TO YOU. SO THEY AREN'T JOINING THEY'RE NOT AT SOME POINT CONNECTING TO ERCOT? THEY'LL CONNECT TO THE GRID, YES, MA'AM.

BUT THE INCREASE IN RATES WOULDN'T BE BECAUSE OF THE DATA CENTER AND THE SUBSTATION AND ALL THAT. SO I READ THAT WAS IT LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR THAT IF WE ERCOT CURRENTLY PROVIDES IS IT 85 GIGAWATTS? THEY'RE LOOKING TO MORE THAN DOUBLE BY, IS IT 2030, TO LIKE 216, OVER 200.

SO WHO'S PAYING FOR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE? AS FAR, THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION YOU'D HAVE TO ASK LCRA. I'M NOT SURE HOW THEY DO THAT. RIGHT. AND THAT'S HOW I UNDERSTAND WE'RE PAYING FOR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE. AS FAR AS MORE GAS FIRED PLANTS FROM LIKE LCRA, LCRA MAY RAISE THEIR RATE IF THEY HAVE TO BUILD A GAS FIRED PLANT, BUT IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THESE PEOPLE. WE HAVE 50,000 PLATTED LOTS HERE IN THIS COUNTY THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE HOMES BUILT ON THEM SOON. RIGHT. AND THAT'S 50,000 HOMES. NOW, ONE DATA CENTER CAN USE AS MUCH ENERGY AS 50,000 HOMES. UNDERSTOOD.

BUT WE HAVE 3 COMING RIGHT NOW.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SUBDIVISIONS GOING IN RIGHT NOW THAT ARE BEING BUILT OUT TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 5,000 MORE. AND WHEN YOU GET INTO THE WATER USAGE CONVERSATION, A 02,000 HOME SUBDIVISION IS GOING TO USE ABOUT 2 ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE MORE WATER THAN ONE OF THESE DATA SYSTEMS WITH THE CLOSED LOOP. SO IT'S KIND OF A TRADEOFF. YOUR RATES ARE NOT GOING TO GO UP ON WATER BECAUSE OF IT AT ALL BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING THEM USE THE SAME AMOUNT OF WATER AS A SCHOOL OR A RESTAURANT OR REAL COLD OUT HERE. IT'S JUST FLUSHING TOILETS AND BREAK ROOMS. I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT.

I KNOW THAT OTHER STATES HAVE OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, VIRGINIA FOR INSTANCE, WHO WE'RE LOOKING TO BEAT AS THE STATE WITH THE MOST DATA CENTERS.

THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM THEM REGARDING ALL THE PROMISES MADE AND PROMISES BROKEN AND HOW COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED. YES, I'M GLAD THEY'RE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO NOT WASTE SO MUCH WATER. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHEMICALS USED IN THEIR PROPRIETARY BLENDS FOR THAT CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM.

HOW WILL THAT, HOW WILL THAT BE RECLAIMED OR DISPOSED OF WHERE IT DOESN'T CONTAMINATE OUR WATER? IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE HAULED OFF AND DISPOSED OF IN A PROPER WASTE FACILITY.

THEY DON'T DISCHARGE IT TO THE WATER, TO THE WASTEWATER. YEAH. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS.

BUT REALLY, TRULY, ONE OF THE IMMEDIATE CONCERNS FOR ME IS THE IMPACTS TO OUR HEALTH AS A COMMUNITY.

HOW MANY POWER PLANTS ARE THEY GOING TO BE BUILDING FOR TRACT, FOR INSTANCE, THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO GENERATE 4 GIGAWATTS OF POWER, RIGHT, OR CONSUME 4 GIGAWATTS OF POWER? BEFORE THEY PURCHASED THE JANUARY 1,450 1,500 ACRES, I BELIEVE THAT GAS POWER PLANT WAS SUPPOSED TO GENERATE 1.6 GIGAWATTS. SO NOW THAT THEY DOUBLED, HOW WHAT IS THE CAPACITY, OR WILL THERE BE MORE THAN ONE? SO THEY HAVEN'T DOUBLED THE AMOUNT OF DATA CENTERS THEY'RE PLANNING. THE SECOND 1,500 THAT THEY'VE DONE IS BASICALLY GOING TO BE AN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING PARK SORT OF A PLACE WHERE OTHER TYPES OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING CAN COME IN AND PURCHASE LAND AND,

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THE SECOND 1500 IS NOT, SO THEY CAN HAVE TWICE AS MANY DATA CENTERS. SO, BUT IT, I MEAN, IT'S EVERYWHERE IN THE NEWS THAT WE'VE GONE FROM A 2 GIGAWATT CAPACITY, YOU KNOW, DATA CENTER TO A 4 GIGAWATT. SO THERE'S, IT'S ELECTRICITY THAT NEEDS TO BE GENERATED OR WILL BE CONSUMED. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT, AND IT'S NOT JUST HERE THOUGH.

I MEAN, THAT'S STATEWIDE, RIGHT? WE HAVE THEM IN GOING IN ALL THE WAY FROM FAR WEST TEXAS AND THE PANHANDLE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND ALL POINTS IN BETWEEN. YEAH, YES. AND I WAS DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WHEN I DON'T KNOW SOMETHING, I TRY TO INFORM MYSELF. IT'S USING THE THE POWER PLANT'S GOING TO BE USING NATURAL GAS BEING PIPED IN. AND I UNDERSTAND I WAS LIKE, WHAT IS NATURAL GAS? I FIND OUT THAT MOST OF IT ABOUT BETWEEN 70 AND 90% OF IT IS METHANE. AND METHANE IS A MUCH BIGGER TOXIN THAN THE GREENHOUSE GASES WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU MENTIONED. UM, AND HAS ANYBODY DONE AN ASSESSMENT ON HOW THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR COMMUNITIES? TCEQ REGULATES THAT, RIGHT? HOWEVER, RIGHT NOW THERE AREN'T ANY REGULATIONS IN PLACE REALLY TRULY, RIGHT? BECAUSE THESE DATA CENTERS ARE BEING BUILT SO FAST, THERE'S NOTHING TO STOP THEM.

AND THAT'S A SCARY THING. AND SO I THINK WE ARE HERE TODAY TO SAY WE NEED TO BE A PART OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

TRANSPARENCY IS IMPORTANT IF WE ARE TO TRUST THAT THESE COMPANIES WHO HAVE ALREADY WREAKED HAVOC IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AREN'T GOING TO COME AND DO THE SAME HERE.

WE HAVE PRECIOUS LAND. WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE. I DON'T WANT TO SEE A CONCRETE BOX EMITTING TOXINS, YOU KNOW, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO ENJOY WHAT WE HAVE HERE.

WE'RE REALLY BLESSED, AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF WE'RE NOT ASKING QUESTIONS AND FINDING EVERYTHING OUT THAT WE CAN TO STOP THIS. I AGREE. I MEAN, WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TELL YOU TODAY, THOUGH, IS WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY. I UNDERSTAND. AND ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID IS OUT OF OUR AUTHORITY. I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND THAT IS WHY I'M HERE AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE. WE NEED TRANSPARENCY.

THESE NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS THESE COMPANIES ARE USING, NOT EVEN TELLING US WHO THEY ARE COMING IN, IT'S TO PROTECT THEM AND THEIR INVESTMENT. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT OUR HEALTH.

THEY REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

THESE DATA CENTERS ARE NOT CREATING, YOU KNOW, FULL TIME POSITIONS, JOBS FOR US. DATA CENTERS ARE RUN BY A VERY FEW SMALL SKELETON CREW. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND ALL THAT. AGAIN, WE HAVE NO PURVIEW OVER THAT.

WE'RE HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS WHAT WE CAN CONTROL. I UNDERSTAND. AND SO AND WE DO GO TO THE LEGISLATURE AND WE DO TRY TO FIGHT FOR THESE THINGS.

I WAS THERE ALMOST NONSTOP DURING THE LAST SESSION. I WAS THERE MORE THAN I WAS HERE.

SO, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M ONE COUNTY JUDGE IN A COMMITTEE HEARING. THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS IN THOSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS.

AND SO IT'S MY JOB TO GO. AND BUT WITH EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID, ONE OF THOSE SENATE OR HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST TOPIC. WHEN IS THAT? ENERGY IT COMES UP IN NOT THIS COMING JANUARY LIKE THIS PAST ONE, BUT NEXT JANUARY THE SESSION STARTS, RIGHT? WE'RE ALREADY NOW THOUGH IS WHEN YOU NEED TO BE CONTACTING YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND YOUR STATE SENATOR, BECAUSE NOW IS WHEN THE BILLS GET WRITTEN SO THAT WHEN THEY OPEN FOR THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THEY CAN START CALENDARS AND START HEARING THOSE BILLS.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM. NOW IS THE TIME. HERE'S THE PROBLEM. YOU GUYS ARE MOVING SO FAST, AND I SAY YOU GUYS, DATA CENTER DEVELOPERS, ARE MOVING SO FAST ON THIS.

IT'S NOT GIVING US TIME TO EVEN LEARN. MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A DATA CENTER IS. I AGREE.

BUT WE ALL, HOW MANY HAVE ONE OF THESE IN HERE? YOU'RE THEIR CUSTOMER. I UNDERSTAND. SO THAT'S WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN WHEN THEY ARRIVE. BUT WE NEED TO WE CAN'T STOP THEM FROM ARRIVING HERE, AND WE CANNOT STOP THEM FROM PURCHASING THE LAND. I UNDERSTAND. WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO DO THAT AT ALL. I UNDERSTAND. AND WE NEVER WILL, FRANKLY, BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE IS NOT GOING TO GIVE US THAT POWER. THE REASON THERE AREN'T MORE PEOPLE HERE TODAY IS BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING, RIGHT? AND SO MANY PEOPLE DON'T FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. AND SO IT'S OUR JOB TO BE A LITTLE MORE OPEN.

WE'RE TRYING, AND WE POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND WE, WE GET IT

[00:25:01]

AND DO YOU THINK THAT SOMETHING THIS BIG AND UNREGULATED SHOULD BE SOMETHING THE PUBLIC SHOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO OPINE ON WHAT YOUR DECISIONS ARE MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, ON BEHALF OF US? YES, MA'AM.

LIKE PUBLIC HEARINGS? NO, A PUBLIC HEARING, RIGHT? TODAY WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.

SO IF WE DO, IF WE DO A 312 AGREEMENT, WE ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO POST THE PUBLIC HEARING AND HAVE IT. WE DO IT ON EVERY 312 AGREEMENT, EVERY 381 AGREEMENT. I JUST WANT TO SHARE ONE THING, ONE MORE THING WITH YOU, AND I'LL LET SOMEBODY ELSE SPEAK. I WAS LOOKING TO SEE, UM IF THERE'S AN EXAMPLE I COULD GIVE, I FOUND A TOWN IN VIRGINIA, BEAUTIFUL TOWN LIKE OURS, A COUNTY I MEAN, WITH AGRICULTURAL LAND, FARMLAND, AND THEY DID HAVE ASKED FOR AN ASSESSMENT TO BE DONE ON THE TOXINS GENERATED BY THE BACKUP GENERATORS, DIESEL, AND THE GAS POWER PLANTS, RIGHT? AND IT'S A STUDY OUT OF HARVARD I'M GOING TO SHARE IT. OKAY, THE REPORT OBSERVES THAT THE PROPOSED THEIR PROPOSED PLANT WOULD EMIT FINE PARTICULATE MATTER. IT'S CALLED PM 2.5, KNOWN PARTICULARLY SERIOUS FORM OF AIR POLLUTION. PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS AGREE THAT NO LEVEL OF PM 2.5 EXPOSURE IS SAFE.

BUT YET THE LIGHTS THAT ARE ON IN THIS ROOM ARE BEING GENERATED BY GAS FIRED POWER PLANTS. AND SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN KEEP ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, TOXINS IN OUR ENVIRONMENT. I AGREE, BUT ONCE AGAIN, I CANNOT REGULATE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY. AND SO WHAT WE'RE HERE TO WHAT WE'RE I, I'M HEARING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND BUT WE, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY, RIGHT? WELL, LET US TELL US HOW WE CAN HELP YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF POWER TO SPEAK UP, TO BE HEARD. YES, MA'AM. SO WE CAN MAKE SOME CHANGES. BEFORE THIS BECOMES A NO RETURN? SO WE'RE WE CONTACT OUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TOO. OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE IS STAN GERDES, AND OUR SENATOR IS JUDITH ZAFFIRINI. ONE'S A REPUBLICAN, ONE'S A DEMOCRAT.

IN FACT, SENATOR ZAFFIRINI IS THE MOST SENIOR PERSON IN THE SENATE. SHE'S THE DEAN OF THE SENATE. WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SHE'S BEEN FANTASTIC TO OUR COUNTY OVER THE YEARS.

WE WILL WE APPROACH THEM EVERY TIME ABOUT LEGISLATION TO GIVE US MORE POWER AND AUTHORITY, AND BILLS ARE SUBMITTED.

RARELY DO THEY EVEN GET TO COMMITTEE FOR A HEARING. IF THEY DO GET TO A COMMITTEE FOR A HEARING, THEN WE WILL PUT OUT A POST AND INVITE YOU AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO. BUT JUST LIKE HERE, THEY DO THOSE MOST OF THE TIME DURING THE DAY, OR IF IT'S A PARTICULARLY CONTENTIOUS HEARING, THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO HAPPEN ABOUT 2:30 IN THE MORNING. YEAH. SO WE WIND UP SITTING UP THERE. WE GET THERE AT 8:00, AND I HAVE SAT THERE UNTIL AS LATE AS 2:30 OR 3:00 IN THE MORNING FROM 8:00 IN THE MORNING WAITING FOR THE HEARING TO HAPPEN AND WAITING FOR MY TURN TO SPEAK, AND WE GET TO SPEAK FOR 3 WHOLE MINUTES. AND SO, BUT NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE THEY HEAR FROM US ALL THE TIME. IF THEY HEAR FROM 400 PEOPLE IN CALDWELL COUNTY THAT YOU WANT SOME LEGISLATION REGULATING WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANT TO REGULATE, THEN THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THEM. AND HERE'S WHY. YOU HAVE 5 VOTES SITTING HERE. I'M LOOKING OUT THERE, THERE'S PROBABLY 10 TIMES MORE VOTES SITTING OUT THERE THAN THERE ARE SITTING UP HERE. AND IF WE WERE OPPOSED AND Y'ALL WEREN'T, WHO DO YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO? THE THING IS, WE CAN'T WAIT A YEAR OR TWO.

WE THAT'S WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE. WE HAVE TO CHANGE LEGISLATION. UNLESS THE LEGISLATION CHANGES, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT.

WHAT CAN WE DO RIGHT NOW TO STOP WHATEVER IS GOING ON WITH TRAC, PRIME, AND ANY OTHERS COMING? YOU CAN WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING. YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, BE VOCAL ABOUT IT, BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T IT'S NOT GOING TO STOP THEM FROM BEING ABLE TO GO BUY LAND AND DO A DATA CENTER. THERE'S THERE ARE LAWS.

YOU KNOW MORE THAN I DO, AND I

[00:30:02]

YOU HAVE A FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO GET OUT AND PROTEST.

BEYOND THAT, YOU HAVE TO DO IT LEGISLATIVELY. THOSE ARE THAT'S ALL I CAN SUGGEST.

I'M OPEN TO OTHER SUGGESTIONS. SOMEBODY ELSE HAS ANOTHER IDEA. SO THERE'S NO EMERGENCY SHORTCUT TO GETTING ANYTHING? NO, MA'AM.

WELL, I WISH THERE WERE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF I WERE KING FOR A DAY AND COULD WAVE MY MAGIC WAND, I WOULD MAKE THEM GO AWAY.

YEAH. YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO BE A WAY FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. I'M A RANCHER HERE. I LIVE ON 1,200 ACRES OF BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THIS COUNTY. YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN TO MY PLACE. WHAT WE'RE RUNNING INTO, ESPECIALLY IN THIS COUNTY, ESPECIALLY UP IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTY, IS I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER FARMED OR RANCHED, BUT IT IS NOT AN EASY WAY TO MAKE A LIVING. NO. AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THESE KIDS, YOU KNOW, PARENTS DIE, THE GRANDPARENTS DIE, THE PARENTS DIE, AND THIS NEXT GENERATION IS SEEING THEIR LAND VALUED AT $50,000, $60,000 AN ACRE, AND THEY OWN 1,000 ACRES.

AND THEY'RE LIKE, I CAN CASH A BIG FAT CHECK AND NEVER WORK ANOTHER DAY IN MY LIFE, OR I CAN SIT HERE AND SCRATCH AROUND IN THE DIRT. AND THEY TYPICALLY CHOOSE THE EASY WAY OUT. SURE, SURE. YOU JUST BROUGHT UP SOMETHING THAT I HAD MEANT TO ASK ABOUT. YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE PRECIOUS LAND. IT'S CALLED WHAT IS IT? YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE TERM BETTER THAN I DO.

BLACKLAND PRAIRIE? PRIME, PRIME LAND. YEAH. NO, NO, THIS IS WE'RE NOT DOING CITIZENS' COMMENTS.

WE'RE GONNA IT'S A WORKSHOP, SO QUESTION AND ANSWERS.

THAT'S OKAY. PLEASE LISTEN, LISTEN. EVERYBODY WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK, BUT I DON'T WANT ANY OUTBURSTS AT ALL. EVERYBODY WILL HAVE THEIR OPPORTUNITY, AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION, AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IT CIVIL. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'LL BE THE LAST ONE. I JUST WONDERED IS THERE ANY POSSIBLE CHANCE THAT THE FACT WE HAVE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE DESIGNATED RIGHT ECOSYSTEMS USDA DEFINES AS PRIME FARMLAND, DOES THAT PROTECT US AT ALL? NO, MA'AM. IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THEY CAN THE PEOPLE THAT OWN IT CAN SELL IT TO WHOMEVER THEY PLEASE OR CONTINUE TO FARM IT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND, AND LETTING ME YES, MA'AM.

SARAH MILLER. COME ON UP. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS. I JUST WANT TO SAY REAL QUICK, THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS. I'VE LEARNED A LOT, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS COALITION THAT'S HAPPENING.

HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO SOME GOOD WORK. THANKS. AND WE WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU. IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF OUR AUTHORITY, WE WILL HAPPILY WORK WITH YOU. YES, MA'AM. CAROL PETERS. CAROL PETERS. SHE HAD TO LEAVE. OKAY. DAN KOHLER.

THANK YOU. I WILL BE PRETTY QUICK HERE. ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO COME OUT IS THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION AROUND DATA CENTERS AND THINGS IN THE SPACE. I'M DAN KALER. A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY OR IN THE COMMUNITY KNOW ME. I'M AN IT ENGINEER BY TRADE. I'M A NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR IN ETHICAL BUSINESS LEADERSHIP, AND I'M CO FOUNDER OF A CLEAN ENERGY COMPANY, SO I'M VERY CONNECTED INTO THIS SPACE. I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS

[00:35:01]

AS YOU MENTIONED, IT IS A CLOSED SYSTEM. SO FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, IT'S AN INTERNAL RADIATOR. YOU DON'T HAVE WATER WASTE. THE CITY WASTES MORE WATER WITH THE COMMUNITY POOL THAN THE DATA CENTER WASTES. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS GOING TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND.

ALSO, WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR ELECTRICITY RATES, HAVING A BIG DATA PROVIDER COME IN, THEY NEGOTIATE RATES DIRECTLY WITH THE WHOLESALERS AND THE PRODUCERS, AND AND THAT DOESN'T IMPACT YOUR RETAIL SIDE OTHER THAN BLUEBONNET AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE GROUPS WHO GET THE ELECTRICITY TO THE CITIZENS GET TO NEGOTIATE LOWER RATES BECAUSE THERE'S LARGER VOLUMES COMING THROUGH THEIR, THEIR TRANSMISSION LINES. SO THAT'S ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTOR. I ALSO DO WANT TO STATE THAT EVEN THOUGH I'M IN THE INDUSTRY, I HAVE ZERO AFFILIATION WITH ANYTHING GOING ON IN THE COUNTY. I DON'T KNOW WHO'S DOING ANY OF THE DATA CENTERS.

I'M NOT CONSULTING WITH ANY OF THEM. I HAVE NO PERSONAL CONNECTION TO IT OTHER THAN SEEING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY GROUPS NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. SO I WANTED TO COME AND SPEAK UP TO THAT A LITTLE BIT. AND WHEN IT COMES TO NATURAL GAS GENERATION, YOU KNOW, AS YOU MENTIONED, JUDGE, A VAST MAJORITY OF TEXAS ENERGY COMES FROM NATURAL GAS. IT IS ONE OF THE CLEANEST FORMS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IMPACTFUL THAN, YOU KNOW, ANY, ANY OTHER MAINSTREAM ENERGY PRODUCTION OUT THERE.

AND THE CARBON SCRUBBERS THAT MODERN TURBINES AND RECIPROCATING ENGINES HAVE ARE SO EFFECTIVE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE WASTE POLLUTION COMING OFF. HAVING A DATA CENTER OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD OUT THERE IS GOING TO BRING JOBS AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE VERY MINIMAL IMPACT AT ALL TO ANYONE'S QUALITY OF LIFE. IT'S NOT GOING TO HIT UTILITIES, NOT GOING TO HIT YOUR WATER USAGE. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A MAJOR, A MAJOR BLIGHT ON SOCIETY. SO JUST GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE IS BENEFICIAL.

ANYONE THAT WANTS TO KIND OF LEARN MORE CAN REACH OUT TO ME DIRECTLY AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT. I'VE TOURED 2 DOZEN DATA CENTERS IN MY CAREER. I'VE CONSULTED ON OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND REDUCTION OF WATER WASTE, AND A CLOSED LOOP WATER GLYCOL SYSTEM IS NOT GOING TO HAVE A WATER IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. OKAY, THANK YOU, SIR. DEVIN CISNEROS. HI, GOOD MORNING. FIRST, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND FOR ADDRESSING OUR CONCERNS. I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT FIRST I WANT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. I'M DEVIN CISNEROS. I HAVE A SMALL FARM IN DALE, AND SO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS DOES THE COUNTY HAVE THE POWER TO INCREASE RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS ON THESE DATA CENTERS? NO, NO, MA'AM, NOT OUTSIDE OF DOING A THE ABATEMENT AGREEMENT, THE 312. AND THEN THOSE THINGS THAT I LISTED IN THE PRESENTATION ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND, AND THAT WE DO ASK FOR. OKAY, SO YOUR SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO CONTACT STATE REPRESENTATIVES? YEAH, IF SO, IF IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE ANY AUTHORITY OUTSIDE OF DOING DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS OR DOING THESE ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS, THE STATE THE STATE LEGISLATURE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO GIVE US MORE AUTHORITY THROUGH STATUTE. AND THEY HAVE CHOSEN HISTORICALLY TO TAKE AUTHORITY FROM US AND NOT GIVE IT TO US. THEY TAKE IT AWAY WAY MORE THAN THEY GIVE IT. AND WE FIGHT THAT. WE HAVE AN ASSOCIATION CALLED TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES THAT FIGHTS THAT. WE HAVE LOBBYISTS.

YOU HEAR THIS TERM THROWN AROUND ALL THE TIME, NO TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING, AND THEY WOULD LOVE TO INCLUDE OUR ASSOCIATION IN THAT, LUMPED INTO THAT GROUP. AND THAT IS DESIGNED TO SILENCE US COMPLETELY. SO WE FIGHT BACK AGAINST THAT EVERY LEGISLATIVE SESSION. MAYS MIDDLETON, EVERY SESSION SINCE HE SINCE HE'S BEEN THERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OR A SENATOR, HAS FILED A BILL TO NOT ALLOW ANY ELECTED OFFICIALS TO LOBBY ON BEHALF OF THEIR COUNTY. SO, AND WHERE THAT REALLY GETS FRUSTRATING IS WITHOUT THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND HAVING JIM ALLISON TO GO AND LOBBY ON ALL 254 COUNTIES' BEHALF.

IT'S EASY FOR ME TO GO TO AUSTIN. I'M 30 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE CAPITOL. IF I'M THE COUNTY JUDGE IN PERRYTON, TEXAS, WAY UP ON THE OKLAHOMA TEXAS BORDER IN THE

[00:40:01]

THANK YOU. AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS, WAS I CORRECT IN UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TAX COLLECTED FROM THESE DATA CENTERS WOULD BE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE COUNTY BUDGET? AND IF YES, WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR MAKING UP THE LOSS OF REVENUE? SO WHAT WE DO SO IF, IF IT JUST DROPPED ON THE IT'S IT WOULDN'T ALWAYS BE NEGATIVE, BUT IT WOULD BE NEGATIVE FOR, FOR 12 MONTHS BECAUSE YOU DON'T GET YOUR TAX YOU KNOW, THE TAX BILL COMES IN JANUARY. SO THAT IMPACT OF CUTTING OUR REVENUE IN HALF WOULD CAUSE US TO GO INTO OUR FUND BALANCE AND GET HALF THE REVENUE TO OPERATE FOR ONE YEAR OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE UNTIL THAT KICKED BACK ON. AND IF WE HAD TO DO THAT TWO YEARS IN A ROW, WE'D BE BROKE. SO WE WOULD OPERATE AT A DEFICIT? WE WOULD, YES. AND SO WHAT WE DO TO AVOID THAT IS THESE 312 AGREEMENTS. AND SO IT'S, IT'S VERY COUNTERINTUITIVE, BUT WE ABATE THEIR TAXES AND THEN HAVE THEM DO WHAT'S CALLED A PILOT PAYMENT AND THAT STANDS FOR PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES, BACK TO US. SO FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, WE ABATE THEIR TAXES AND WE TELL THEM WE WANT 50% OF THAT TO COME BACK TO THE COUNTY IN THE FORM OF A PAYMENT FROM THEM. AND SO THAT STABILIZES OUR ABILITY TO FORECAST AND PROJECT OUR BUDGET AND KNOW THAT THAT MONEY IS GOING TO BE THERE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH A 12 MONTH CYCLE SOMEWHERE WHERE WE'RE OPERATING AT A DEFICIT. AND IT'S A 12 MONTH CYCLE LOOKING BACK AT THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND IT'LL BE IT'LL BE YEAH, IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING. SO THE WAY THOUGH, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS 8 YEARS, AND EVERY TIME DANNY AND I CALCULATE THE TAX RATE, IT'S LIKE PULLING OUR HAIR OUT, BUT SO ALL THE PROPERTY THAT'S ON THE ROLL THIS YEAR WILL GENERATE AN AMOUNT, LET'S JUST SAY IT'S $30 MILLION. NEXT YEAR, IF TWICE AS MUCH PROPERTY DOLLAR WISE COMES ON THE ROLL, WE HAVE TO LOWER THE TAX RATE SO THAT ALL THAT PROPERTY DOESN'T GENERATE ANY MORE REVENUE THAN WAS GENERATED THIS YEAR. AND SO WE LOWER THE RATE, AND THEN WE GOT HALF THE HALF OF THAT REVENUE COMING IN BECAUSE WE WON'T REALIZE THE REVENUE FROM THE PROPERTY UNTIL 12 MONTHS FROM THEN.

IN THAT 12 MONTH PERIOD OF TIME, WE WOULD OPERATE AT A DEFICIT. AND THEN THE FOLLOWING HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU ON A PIECE OF PAPER.

IT'S A LOT EASIER. YEAH, IT SOUNDS VERY COMPLICATED.

BUT EVERY YEAR WE LOOK BACK AT THE PREVIOUS YEAR, SO THERE'S A CHANCE IT GETS CUT EVERY YEAR. SO WE'VE LOWERED TAXES EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS, THE RATE, NOT YOUR TAX BILL. AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. SO WHEN I TOOK OFFICE, THE TAX RATE AND I'M NOT TAKING CREDIT FOR THIS, THIS IS A MATH CALCULATION BUT WAS LIKE 0.7725. SO FOR EVERY IF YOUR HOUSE IS A $100,000 HOUSE, YOU DIVIDE THAT BY 100 AND MULTIPLY IT BY 0.7725, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU PAY TO THE COUNTY. NOW IT'S 0.43 SOMETHING AND CHANGE. AND THAT'S BECAUSE RIGHT AFTER COVID, THERE WAS THIS RUSH OF SPECULATION HERE AND PROPERTY VALUES TRIPLED IN LIKE 3 YEARS.

A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVED HERE.

THERE WAS BIDDING WARS FOR HOUSES AND OUR, LIKE, AT 2019, THE AVERAGE PRICE HOUSE RIGHT IN TOWN, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE HOUSES THAT YOU SEE EVERYWHERE, WAS ABOUT $168,000. THE AVERAGE PRICE FOR THAT SAME HOUSE TODAY IS ALMOST $400,000. SO PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP, RATE CAME DOWN.

BUT THERE'S STILL, YOU KNOW, I GUARANTEE IF ALL THE HOMEOWNERS IN HERE SHOW OF HANDS HOW MANY OF YOU'S PROPERTY TAXES HAVE GONE DOWN THE LAST 7 YEARS EVEN THOUGH THE RATE'S GONE DOWN.

IT, YOU KNOW, AND SO YOU STILL, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO IS A PLACE WHERE THE PROPERTY VALUES STABILIZE AND HAVE INDUSTRY COME IN. DATA CENTERS ARE A TERRIBLE EXAMPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE SO BIG AND THERE'S SO MUCH MONEY INVOLVED.

BUT LIKE, WE COULD GET A $50 MILLION INDUSTRY IN HERE. IT DOESN'T IMPACT THE RATE SO BAD, IT DRIVES IT DOWN. AND IF PROPERTY VALUES LEVEL OFF, SO

[00:45:02]

AND SO WE'RE HAVING TO COME UP WITH CREATIVE WAYS TO WORK THROUGH THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT THESE 312 AGREEMENTS ALLOW US TO DO. IS THERE A CHANCE OF RAISED TAXES OR NEW TAXES BEING INTRODUCED TO MAKE UP FOR ANY LOSS? SO THE WE'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO DO AD VALOREM TAX, AND, AND THAT'S HOW THE COUNTY GETS ITS REVENUE. AND, AND I KNOW AN IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE, SO LIKE IF YOUR TAX BILL IS $5,000 ONLY ABOUT 16% OF THAT ACTUALLY COMES TO THE COUNTY. THE REST GOES TO ESDS AND TO WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS AND TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND, YOU KNOW, SO WE GET ABOUT FOR EVERY DOLLAR YOU PAY IN TAXES IN YOUR TAX BILL THAT COMES FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, WE GET 16 PENNIES. AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US NOT TO HAVE A BIG HIT ON THAT BECAUSE WE'VE ALSO, WITH THOSE 16 PENNIES, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE 22 SERVICES, INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT, JUDICIAL SYSTEM, ROADS, ADMINISTRATION, COUNTY CLERK, DISTRICT CLERK. ALL YOUR PERSONAL RECORDS ARE AT THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE.

AND SO WHEN WE'RE CHARGED WITH DOING THAT STATUTORILY, AND WE HAVE OF THOSE 22, 14 ARE REQUIRED. THE REST ARE SERVICES WE CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN, LIKE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND THAT KIND OF THING. AND IF WE TOOK A GIANT HIT ON OUR, ON OUR TAXES, SOME OF THOSE TYPE OF SERVICES, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I CONSIDER DO OUR PART. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID GETTING IN THOSE SITUATIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MARY EISENBERG.

HI, MARY EISENBERG, 1021 SPRUCE LOCKHART. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS FOR DOING THIS.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT, JUDGE HAYDEN. JUST ONE QUESTION THAT CAME INTO MY MIND. IS WE YOU TALKED ABOUT PRIME AND TRACK OUT ON 2720, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE EDGED? I KNOW THAT YOU HAD A PRESENTATION FROM EDGED ABOUT POSSIBLY ONE IN MARTINDALE, OR IS THAT GOING TO BE ON 142? WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? IS THAT HAPPENING? UH, THEY ARE STILL LOOKING. IT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET, BUT THEY'RE STILL LOOKING. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'VE ACTUALLY PURCHASED THE LAND FOR SURE YET OR NOT, AND WE WON'T HAVE ANY WAY OF KNOWING THAT UNTIL THEY ANNOUNCE THAT THEY PURCHASED IT. IS THAT GOING TO BE ON 142? IT WOULD BE ON WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS, THE TRACT OF LAND THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT IS DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE NEW LCRA PEAKER PLANT.

OKAY, I THOUGHT SO. ALL RIGHT, OKAY. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT ARE IN CALDWELL COUNTY BUT ARE REALLY UNDER SAN MARCOS JURISDICTION.

SO HOW DOES THAT WORK? ARE THEY ARE THERE SOME POSSIBLE THINGS GOING IN IN THAT AREA? SO THEY'RE I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THE AXIS INDUSTRIAL SITE, AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE ARE NO DATA CENTERS GOING IN THERE RIGHT NOW OR EVEN LOOKING AT IT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER. YEAH, MARY, THE SAN MARCOS HAS AN ETJ AND EXTENDS INTO THE COUNTY.

THEY DON'T HAVE ZONING WITHIN THAT AREA, SO THEY CAN'T VOTE ON A LAND USE ISSUE LIKE WHETHER OR NOT TO ALLOW SOME, BUT THEY DO HAVE PLATTING AND THEY HAVE WATER QUALITY AND BETTER STANDARDS THAN THE COUNTY DOES IN THOSE AREAS. OKAY, THANK YOU. KAYLEE STEWART. HI, NICE TO MEET YOU. THANKS FOR HOLDING THIS. APPRECIATE THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION.

SO I KNOW INITIALLY YOU TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY ISN'T ABLE TO DO AND THE AVENUES THAT YOU'RE PURSUING THROUGH THE MEANS THAT YOU DO HAVE CONTROL OVER THINGS LIKE THE SUBDIVISION APPROVAL AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO GO THROUGH A FEW ITEMS THAT COULD ARE THINGS THAT OTHER PLACES, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS, HAVE ACTUALLY DONE

[00:50:01]

BECAUSE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEING IN THE STATE SENATE'S OFFICE AND MAKING CHANGES BY NEXT JANUARY, YOU KNOW, IN THE MEANTIME, IF WE'RE ABLE TO DELAY THESE PROJECTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, TO HELP, YOU KNOW, AS YOU WOULD SAY IN YOUR WORDS, LIKE, IF YOU COULD MAKE IT GO AWAY, YOU WOULD. SOMETIMES THOSE DELAYS REALLY DO ADD UP AND CAUSE MORE OF A HEADACHE FOR THESE COMPANIES, WHICH DE INCENTIVIZES THEM TO, TO COME HERE. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PURSUED UNDER A FEW OF THESE ITEMS EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN. SO ONE IS, ARE WE REQUIRING, LIKE, DRAINAGE STUDIES FROM THESE DATA CENTERS AND ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, UTILITY EASEMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION, I GUESS, UNDER THE SUBDIVISION CONTROLS? OKAY, SO ALL OF THOSE MEASURES. AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE ROAD ACCESS PERMITS, ARE WE, YOU KNOW, USING THE ACCESS POINTS TO COUNTY ROADS, DRIVEWAY PERMITS, CULVERTS, ENSURING THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH ALL OF THOSE PROPER PROCESSES? YES, MA'AM. OKAY MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT SOMETIMES THAT CAN CAUSE THEM TO HAVE TO KIND OF REBUILD SOME ROADS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY ADDS MORE TIME INTO THE PROJECT. I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE FLOODPLAIN REGULATION, WHICH IS GREAT.

UM, AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION OR ITEM THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS UNDER OUR CONTROL WOULD BE THINGS LIKE SEPTIC PERMITS.

OKAY, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S WITHIN THE REALM OF CONTROL OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.

AND THEN PLATTING, FIRE MARSHAL INSPECTIONS. SO THOSE SO WE HAD WE ACTUALLY HAD THAT EARLIER ON OUR AGENDA.

THAT'S I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP. IT'S PRETTY PERTINENT. WE ARE CONSIDERING ADOPTING A FIRE CODE OUT IN THE, IN THE COUNTY. WE HAD A THIRD PARTY INSPECTOR COME IN AND JUST ADDRESS THE COURT A LITTLE EARLIER TODAY. WE DON'T HAVE THAT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

OKAY. IN ESD 1, WHICH IS IF YOU JUST IMAGINE DRAWING A HORIZONTAL LINE THROUGH LOCKHART, EVERYTHING NORTH OF THAT ROUGHLY IS ESD 1 THEY HAVE ADOPTED THE FULL FIRE CODE AND THEY HAVE A FIRE MARSHAL.

ESD 2 HAS ADOPTED PORTIONS OF TO THE FIRE CODE. AND I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY'RE USING TO DO INSPECTIONS OR IF THEY ARE, IF THEY HAVE A FIRE MARSHAL. I WISH SOMEBODY FROM ESD2 WAS HERE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. BUT WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING DOING, AND FOR ALL THE REASONS YOU JUST DESCRIBED, IS ADOPTING THAT FIRE CODE BECAUSE IT'S ONE MORE TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX TO WORK WITH THEM OR TO, YOU KNOW, DELAY THEM OR BUT REALLY, THAT IS ALL WE DO IS DELAY. WE DON'T PREVENT. BUT, YOU KNOW, YEAH, I MEAN, IT ALL ADDS UP, RIGHT? AND REGARDING THAT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE AS THE COMMUNITY CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE ADOPTION OF THOSE FIRE MARSHAL RULES? SO THAT'S ALL STATUTORILY DRIVEN. AND SO WE DO HAVE THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY IF THEY START, YOU KNOW, SUBDIVIDING OR PLATTING OR DOING THOSE THINGS BELOW A CERTAIN ACREAGE. WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO ALL OF THAT, AND WE DO. AND THEN WHERE WE PUSH THE REASON WE GET INTO THESE 312S IS TWOFOLD.

ONE, WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT REVENUE, BUT THE OTHER IS IT ALLOWS US TO ASK FOR THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE STATUTORY POWER TO ASK FOR NORMALLY, AND IT GETS US INTO A SITUATION WHERE WE CAN ASK FOR THOSE THINGS. AND WE DON'T JUST ASK, LIKE, PRIME IS A GOOD EXAMPLE. WE HAVE THAT LIMIT SET THERE, AND IF THEY VIOLATE THAT, IT'S GOING TO COST THEM MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. SO WE'VE GOT A LIMIT SET THERE THAT'S QUANTIFIABLE AND IT'S NOT SO THAT WE HAVE A MECHANISM TO, TO YOUR POINT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY BEHAVE.

AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE DO IT.

OKAY. THAT'S HELPFUL. AND THEN ONE THING I KNOW YOU MENTIONED LIGHT POLLUTION. SO THERE'S A MASSIVE DATA CENTER PUT INTO GRANBURY, TEXAS. MY GRANDPARENTS USED TO LIVE THERE. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE NOISE POLLUTION IS SO EXTREME THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAJOR HEALTH COMPLICATIONS AS A RESULT OF THAT. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALSO PUTTING, YOU KNOW, ANY LIMITS ON? SO THAT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF COOLING SYSTEM. SO THAT'S THE ONE THAT YOU READ ABOUT WHERE THEY HAVE A BIG COOLING EVAPORATIVE AIR COOLED COOLING TOWER. WITH THESE GIANT FANS.

AND THAT'S AND YOU, DAN, YOU

[00:55:01]

BUT THAT NOISE IS GENERATED BY THOSE COOLING TOWERS. WHEN YOU DO THESE CLOSED LOOP SYSTEMS, THAT GOES AWAY.

OKAY, THAT'S HELPFUL. AND THEN LET'S SEE THE LAST THING. SO, I JUST WANTED TO CHALLENGE WHAT THIS GENTLEMAN MENTIONED ABOUT THE JOB CREATION. SO MOST OF THE TIME WHEN THESE DATA CENTERS COME IN, THERE IS A TEMPORARY INFLUX OF JOBS THAT ARE CONSTRUCTION BASED. OFTENTIMES IT'S PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY KIND OF LIKE CHASING THESE PROJECTS WHO COME IN FROM OUT OF TOWN. I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN SITUATIONS WHERE THE RENT GETS REALLY INFLATED IN SMALL TOWNS BECAUSE OF THIS, WHICH CAN BE PROBLEMATIC.

USUALLY AROUND 1,500 PEOPLE COME IN TO HELP WITH THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.

AND THEN IN, ON AVERAGE, AROUND 20 TO 100 JOBS ARE WHAT IS ACTUALLY THE RESULT THAT GET CREATED. MOST OF THOSE ARE JANITORIAL JOBS AS WELL. SO THE IDEA THAT THIS WOULD BE LIKE CREATING SOME NEW, YOU KNOW, JOB INFRASTRUCTURE, I THINK IT'S JUST A NARRATIVE THAT I WANTED TO CHALLENGE. SO THEY DON'T HAVE A TON OF JOBS FOR THE SIZE OF CAPITOL INVESTMENT. THAT IS CORRECT.

THE JANITORIAL JOB THOUGH, THING THEY DO, MOST OF THOSE JOBS, LET'S SAY A DATA CENTER HAS 20 JOBS AND 2 OF THOSE MIGHT BE JANITORIAL, THE REST ARE PRETTY GOOD PAYING JOBS. BUT THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS IF YOU'RE SOMEBODY THAT DOESN'T LIKE SEEING FARMLAND COVERED UP BY SUBDIVISION AND HOUSING, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING. ALL RIGHT, OKAY, THANK YOU. LISA NELSON GERMER.

HI, I'M LISA NELSON GERMER. I LIVE IN THE CITY, BUT I ALSO OWN PROPERTY OUT CLOSE TO MAXWELL, AND I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS AND ONE COMMENT. THE QUESTION I HAVE IS YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WORK PRETTY CLOSELY AND YOU'RE THERE AT EVERY LEGISLATIVE SESSION TRYING TO PUSH, YOU KNOW, MORE CONTROL FOR THE COUNTIES. AND YOU MENTIONED THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. THERE IS OR WAS AN ORGANIZATION CALLED CAPCOG. THERE STILL IS.

I SIT ON THE BOARD. OKAY. AND SO ARE YOU IS THAT AN ORGANIZATION THAT COULD PROVIDE MORE LEVERAGE MAYBE IN WORKING WITH THE LEGISLATURE. IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU'RE GOING THERE AS AN INDIVIDUAL. DO THESE IS THERE ANY PUNCH IN THESE ORGANIZATIONS OF COUNTIES THAT WOULD HAVE, OR ARE YOU ALREADY, YOU KNOW, USING THAT LEVERAGE TO LOBBY THE LEGISLATURE? SO WITH TAC, YES, THE ANSWER IS YES. WE JIM ALLISON IS OUR LOBBYIST FOR TAC, AND HE HAS A WHOLE LEGISLATIVE GROUP. THERE'S ABOUT 10 OF THEM THAT GO UP THERE AND LOBBY ON BEHALF OF COUNTIES AND TRYING TO GET US MORE ZONING RIGHTS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.

SINCE I'VE BEEN IN COUNTY POLITICS, WHICH IS 10 YEARS, I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT SUCCESSFULLY DONE YET. WE CONTINUE TO AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY. KAPCOG, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS THE CAPITAL AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS. AND SO YOU HAVE AND THEY'RE ALSO VERY RESTRICTED LEGISLATIVELY BY WHAT THEY CAN DO.

BASICALLY, THEY'RE THERE TO PROVIDE 911 SERVICES AND THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO THIS IS A 911 ISSUE. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. I AGREE, BUT IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF AN 911. BUT SO THEY PROVIDE NO, I KNOW, AND THEY PROVIDE OUR CONSOLES AND ALL THAT STUFF FOR OUR DISPATCHERS, AND, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH, THAT IS THEIR ONE OF THEIR LARGEST FUNCTIONS.

AND THEY TRAIN POLICE OFFICERS, AND THEY HAVE A SCHOOL WHERE YOU CAN GO GET YOUR TCOLE CERTIFICATION TO BE A POLICEMAN AND THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO IT'S NOT REALLY THAT SORT OF A BODY.

I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR OR DRAG OUT MY TIME, BUT THAT KIND OF BEGS THE QUESTION, DO YOU KNOW THE HISTORY OF WHY THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE CITY GOVERNMENTS I MEAN, SAN MARCOS CURRENTLY DOING THIS AS AN EXAMPLE. WHY HAVE THE MUNICIPALITIES DO YOU KNOW THE HISTORY OF WHY THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN SO MUCH POWER FOR ZONING AND ORDINANCES AND THE COUNTIES HAVE BEEN GIVEN SO LITTLE? MY UNDERSTANDING IS BECAUSE IT WAS PRIMARILY RURAL PROPERTY AND FARMLAND. BUT MAN, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THAT'S BEEN THE CASE, PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST 5 TO 10 YEARS. AND THAT'S JUST NO LONGER THE CASE. AND DOES THE STATE NOT UNDERSTAND THAT ANYMORE? OR THEY DON'T THEY JUST DON'T CARE, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU CAN SAY IT. THEY PROBABLY JUST DON'T CARE. I'M PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST VOCAL PEOPLE

[01:00:01]

BUT I'M VERY FRUSTRATED BY THAT FACT. AND I RUN AS A REPUBLICAN, AND IT IS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE LEADERS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE THAT ARE PUSHING THAT. AND THEY HAVE STEADILY ERODED OUR AUTHORITY AND THEY HAVE INCREASED IT ZERO IN ANY AREA. AND IT IS SO FRUSTRATING FOR ME TO SEE SIT AND LISTEN TO MY OWN PARTY THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SUPPOSEDLY WE'RE THE PARTY OF LESS GOVERNMENT AND SMALLER GOVERNMENT, AND THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THE CASE HERE IN TEXAS.

AND I GET REALLY FRUSTRATED BY IT. AND I GET CALLED BECAUSE OF MY STANCE ON THIS. I GET CALLED A RINO AND I GET CALLED ALL THESE THINGS, RIGHT? SO IN FACT, I WAS TELLING ONE OF MY FRIENDS SITTING IN HERE THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT HANGING A PICTURE OF A RHINO IN MY OFFICE AND JUST OWNING IT.

BUT IT'S INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING TO US BECAUSE WE, WE GET CALLS FROM YOU GUYS ALL THE TIME SAYING YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. AND IT IS SO FRUSTRATING TO GO, OUR HANDS ARE TIED. WE CANNOT.

WELL, IN THE LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH I HAD THE TIME TO DO, I AM SEEING THAT MORE AND MORE.

WHICH IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING TO ME AS A CITIZEN AND A PROPERTY OWNER. BUT I APPRECIATE THE POSITION YOU'RE IN. I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE CAN FIND THE LEVERAGE, YOU KNOW, WHAT OTHER COMMISSIONS. AND ONE OF THEM, I DON'T KNOW IF SB 6 HAS JUST BLOWN EVERYTHING ELSE AWAY THAT USED TO BE IN PLACE, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE PUC DOES HAVE SOME AUTHORITY TO REGULATE AND LIMIT THIS. IS THAT STILL THE CASE? AND IF SO, ARE YOU WORKING WITH PUC ON INDIVIDUAL CASE BY CASE BASIS? WE DON'T SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT. I MEAN, WE CAN EXPRESS OUR OPINION ABOUT IT, BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT. OKAY. AND THE LAST THING IS JUST A COMMENT OR A REQUEST. YOU CAN TELL BY THE DEMOGRAPHICS HERE THAT WE ARE PREDOMINANTLY THE GRAY HAIRED CROWD HERE. THERE'S A REASON WHY THERE'S A REASON WHY PEOPLE HERE ARE HERE TODAY, AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T WORK AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE HERE DURING THE DAY. AND I WOULD REQUEST THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU HAVE A MEETING LIKE THIS I KNOW IT'S NOT YOUR NORMAL SCHEDULE, BUT COULD YOU PLEASE TRY TO HAVE ONE IN THE EVENING WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES AND KEEP THOSE FARMS GOING HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ATTEND? OKAY. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. CLAUDIA HOLLERN.

HELLO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS. THIS DID ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS. MY MAIN QUESTION NOW IS I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE WASTEWATER DOES GO. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE NAME OF THE COMPANY IT GOES TO. HOW FAR FROM US IS THIS WASTEWATER? HOW LONG IS IT STORED? IS IT FOREVER CHEMICALS? I JUST WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS STORY.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM? YEAH, IN THE CLOSED LOOP, BECAUSE IT IS STILL 20,000 GALLONS. THAT IS, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, WATER THAT CAN NEVER REENTER OUR ECOSYSTEM. SO I WANT TO KNOW WHERE IT GOES TO, THE NAME OF THE COMPANY, AND HOW THEY TREAT THAT AND HOW FAR AWAY FROM US IS THAT WASTEWATER.

SO MOST OF THOSE, A LOT OF TIME THAT KIND OF STUFF GOES TO A DEEP WELL INJECTION. SO COULD YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? DEEP WELL INJECTION. SO BEFORE I BECAME A GENERAL CONTRACTOR IN A WHOLE NOTHER LIFETIME AGO, I WAS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING BUSINESS AND SO THAT, THAT TYPE OF WASTE HAS TO GO TO A PERMITTED HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILL OR DEEP WELL INJECTION. NORMALLY LIQUIDS GO TO A DEEP WELL INJECTION, AND THERE ARE NONE OF THOSE CLOSE BY. OKAY. AND THAT'S JUST THEN THAT'S NOT THE NAME OF THE COMPANY, THAT'S THE NAME OF THE NO, THAT'S THE NAME OF THE OF THE PROCESS. THERE ARE A BUNCH OF COMPANIES THAT DO IT, JUST LIKE THERE'S A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT TRASH PICKUP COMPANIES. AND NO, DEFINITELY. SO JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION OUT THERE, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT COMPANY THEY USE? YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK THEM. I WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE ANY WAY OF KNOWING IT. THEY WOULD HAVE A CONTRACT WITH SOMEBODY, AND I SUPPOSE IF THEY WANTED TO, THEY I COULD TELL YOU.

YEAH, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW SO WE COULD RESEARCH IT TOO, YOU KNOW. THANK YOU.

AND, OR HE, YOU KNOW, SIT OUTSIDE THE PLANT AND WAIT FOR A TRUCK TO COME. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. FOLLOW ON BACK OF IT, JUMP ON THE SIDE OF THE TRUCK. SO THANK YOU.

YES, MA'AM. YES, SIR, COME ON UP. JUST ONE THING REAL QUICK TO HELP UNDERSTAND ON THAT. SO YOU MENTIONED THE 20,000 GALLONS A MONTH. THAT'S

[01:05:02]

THAT'S FLUSHING THE TOILETS.

THAT'S USING THE BREAK ROOM.

WHAT SHE'S REFERRING TO IS DRAINING OF THE DRY COOLER SYSTEM.

YES. THAT'S LIKE A ONCE EVERY 5 OR 6 YEARS IN MAINTENANCE KIND OF THING.

SO WHAT THESE OPERATE ON, THEY OPERATE ON A DEIONIZED WATER AND GLYCOL MIXTURE.

USUALLY IT'S PROPYLENE GLYCOL.

SO WHEN THAT'S EXTRA, WHEN THAT'S DRAWN OUT, IT CAN ACTUALLY BE REPROCESSED.

PROCESSED AND SEPARATED OUT.

IT CAN BE WARMED UP, THE GLYCOL GETS PULLED OUT, THE WATER CAN BE THEN PUT THROUGH A WASTE TREATMENT SYSTEM, BUT YOU'RE NOT HAVING A CONSTANT WATER CONSUMPTION MORE THAN THE EMPLOYEES FLUSHING THE TOILETS, DRINKING, DOING THE DISHES, WASHING THEIR HANDS.

AND BECAUSE GOING INTO THESE DRY COOLERS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DEIONIZED WATER, MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE GOING TO TRUCK IT IN. THEY'RE NOT CONNECTING UP TO THE TAP LINES TO FILL IT UNLESS THEY BUILT OUT A FULL RO INFRASTRUCTURE TO DO THAT. SO THEY'RE GOING TO TRUCK IN THE WATER, MIX IN THE GLYCOL, IT'S GOING TO GO INTO THE CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO COME OUT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. OKAY, IF THAT HELPS CLARIFY THINGS FOR YOU. YEAH BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE A FACTOR FOR A LONG TIME. YEAH. OKAY, ANYBODY ELSE? I HAVE NO MORE.

IS THERE YES, MA'AM, PLEASE COME UP. PLEASE COME ON UP HERE. WE'RE BROADCASTING THIS AND RECORDING IT, SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET YOUR VOICE. OKAY, MY NAME IS JOY YOUNGER FROM MARTINDALE, AND I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. I KNOW THAT THE GOVERNOR ISSUED OR REISSUED AND EXPANDED HIS DECLARATION, HIS PROCLAMATION OF DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY DUE TO DROUGHT AND WILDFIRE RISK.

AND IN IT HE SAYS, OR THEY SAY, PURSUANT TO SECTION 418017 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, I AUTHORIZE THE USE OF ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES OF STATE GOVERNMENT AND OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF COUNTIES, THAT ARE REASONABLY NECESSARY TO COPE WITH THIS DISASTER. HE GOES ON TO SAY, PURSUANT TO SECTION 418016, ANY ORDER OR RULE OF A STATE AGENCY THAT WOULD IN ANY WAY PREVENT, HINDER, OR DELAY NECESSARY ACTION IN COPING WITH THIS DISASTER SHALL BE SUSPENDED UPON WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR. IN MY MIND, THAT GIVES THE COUNTIES TEETH OR LEEWAY TO EXERT POWER OVER SOME OF THESE PERMITS AND PERHAPS DELAY THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE DATA CENTERS? I WISH IT DID, BUT IF YOU GO INTO THOSE CODES, IT THEN SAYS COUNTIES MAY DO THESE THINGS UNDER THAT CODE AND COUNTIES MAY NOT DO THESE THINGS UNDER THAT CODE. OKAY. AND SO IT'S SO IT'S HE SO WHEN HE CITES THE CODE, IT DOESN'T TELL YOU EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO. AND IT'S DIFFERENT FOR MUNICIPALITIES UNDER THAT THAN IT IS FOR US.

OKAY. AND MY OTHER COMMENT WAS THIS IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMIT OF 80%. THESE ARE MASSIVE PROPERTIES WITH A LOT OF CONCRETE AND ROOFTOPS.

AND THAT'S A LOT OF RUNOFF.

I MEAN, CAN THE COUNTY REQUIRE THEM TO RECAPTURE THIS RUNOFF AND PROCESS IT AND HAVE IT RETURNED TO THE WATER SYSTEM? SO I'LL LET COMMISSIONER TERRY FIELD THAT ONE.

BUT HE WE DO REQUIRE DETENTION.

SO, AND THAT'S AND THEN YOU SAW ONE OF THOSE BULLET POINTS WAS WE ALSO REQUIRE THEM TO REMOVE 80% OF THE SOLIDS.

FROM THE WATER BEFORE IT GOES OFFSITE. AND SO, AND THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED ATLAS 14 THAT WHEN ENGINEERING FIRMS DESIGN THE DRAINAGE, THAT THAT SITE CANNOT PRODUCE MORE OUTFLOW IN ITS ENGINEERED STATE THAN IT DID IN ITS NATURAL STATE. AND SO THE ENGINEERING COMPANIES HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THOSE ATLAS 14 RULES. I MEAN, THAT KIND OF DEALS MORE WITH THE DRAINAGE, BUT IT WOULD BE AWESOME IF WE COULD RECAPTURE THAT WATER, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE CARRIZO WILCOX BEING MUCH LOWER THAN THEY EXPECTED. AND YES, MA'AM, AND, AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN'T REQUIRE RECAPTURE WE COULD I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE CAN WE INCENTIVIZE? I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT. I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE, BUT I COULD LOOK INTO IT AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE COULD DO TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO DO THAT. OKAY, THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. YES, MA'AM. COME ON UP. GET HER AND THEN I'LL GET YOU. OKAY. I'M RHONDA REAGAN. I LIVE HERE IN LOCKHART. I JUST HAVE TWO QUICK QUESTIONS ARE THERE ANY

[01:10:01]

THEY I SUPPOSE IF THEY WERE WAY OUT IN THE COUNTY AND THERE WAS NO OTHER WATER SOURCE, THEY COULD. I MEAN, OUR DRINKING WATER HERE IN LOCKHART, I CAN SEE THE WELL FIELD AND THE TREATMENT PLANT FROM MY HOUSE. AND THEY HAVE, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING LIKE 17 VERY LARGE WELL SUCKING WATER RIGHT OUT FROM UNDER MY HOUSE TO SERVICE LOCKHART, BUDA, AND KYLE. SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, COMPANIES CAN DRILL WELLS AND SELL THE WATER OR USE THE WATER. I DON'T THINK THEY WILL WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING THOUGH. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS, HOW DID TCEQ PLAY INTO THIS? DO THEY REGULATE DATA CENTERS AT ALL? THEY REGULATE EMISSIONS. AND WATER AND WASTEWATER. SO THEY REGULATE THE STORMWATER AND WATER AND WASTEWATER. SO, LIKE IF THERE'S A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT NEARBY AND THEIR SEWAGE IS GOING TO THAT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, THAT'S REGULATED. AND THAT'S WHAT THAT WHEN WE SAY WE REGULATE THEM TO THE 5 5, 2.

5 0.5, THAT'S NITROGEN, AMMONIA, KJELDAHL NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS. THE NUTRIENTS THAT ARE IN RAW THAT ARE IN TREATED SEWAGE. THOSE PLANTS HAVE TO TREAT IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THOSE VERY LOW STANDARDS, AND WE'RE REQUIRING THEM TO DO THAT THROUGH THE USE OF 312 AGREEMENT. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE PUT IN IT.

OKAY, THANK YOU. YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS. COME ON UP.

DAVID MARQUEZ, LOCKHART TRUST COMPANY. I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL. MY QUESTION IS, IS I STARTED MY BUSINESS HERE 19 YEARS AGO AS A SMALL ONE OWNER FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS.

WE'VE, WE'VE DONE NOTHING BUT ENDURE TAXES OVER THE LAST 19 YEARS, TREMENDOUSLY OVER THIS LAST YEAR. WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AND HAVE TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, PROGRESS AND IS THERE ANYTHING WORKING? I AGREE WITH YOU ON THE INCENTIVIZING SOMEBODY TO DO, YOU KNOW, FOR RECAPTURING WATER AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. I BOUGHT A PIECE OF PROPERTY, PUT, YOU KNOW, ON A 56 ACRE PLACE, BUILT A WHOLE BIG FACILITY, PUT A BUNCH OF CONCRETE, AND I'VE DONE NOTHING BUT TRY TO HANDLE THAT WATER RUNOFF AND TRY TO DO, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE CARE OF OUR BUILDING SPACE AND DO WHAT WE'VE NEEDED TO DO. BUT ALL WE'VE DONE IS BEEN PUNISHED BY OUR COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. SO WE'RE COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THEM. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP MAKE IT BETTER FOR LITTLE SMALL BUSINESSES TO THRIVE HERE AND BE ABLE TO SUCCEED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE HERE. WE BUILD A GOOD PRODUCT. WE'RE HONEST PEOPLE AND WE DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY. I KNOW YOU BUY PRODUCT FROM US AND I THINK FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. BUT WE WANT TO BE HERE. WE'VE BEEN A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. WE OWN LAND TOO. WE FARM. WE BALE HAY AND WE'VE DONE NOTHING BUT FIGHT TO BE HERE, AND IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE THIS HARD. IT REALLY SHOULDN'T. WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M I DO, YOU KNOW, DAVID, YOU AND I KNOW EACH OTHER. WE DO BUSINESS WITH EACH OTHER. I DON'T GET TAX INCENTIVES EITHER. AND I'VE BUT MY BUSINESS IS THRIVING.

IT'S BETTER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN IN THE 22 YEARS THAT I'VE HAD IT. AND I, YOU KNOW, I JUST WORK WITHIN THE PARAMETERS THAT ARE GIVEN ME.

AND THERE'S NOT MUCH AS FAR AS INCENTIVIZING SMALL BUSINESSES.

WE REALLY IF WE INCENTIVIZE EVERYBODY, WE WOULD GO BROKE.

RIGHT. WHICH I UNDERSTAND. WE INCENTIVIZE THEM TO KEEP FROM GOING BROKE.

BUT IT'S THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT. THERE ARE SO HUMONGOUS THAT WE ALMOST HAVE TO. WE HAVE LOWERED OUR RATE EVERY YEAR.

YEAH, WE DO. WE LOWER YOUR TAX RATE. WE'VE LOWERED IT. MINE'S GONE UP 40 AND 50% FOR 18 YEARS. YOUR RATE HAS GONE DOWN, YOUR PROPERTY VALUE HAS GONE UP, AND YOU'RE ALSO PAYING ESD TAXES THAT, THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER. YOU'RE PAYING SCHOOL TAXES. CORRECT. THAT'S ALL IN YOUR TAX BILL. AND WE SHOULD PAY MORE THAN REGULAR PEOPLE, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I'M ALL FOR THAT.

MY BUSINESS HAS THRIVED TOO, BUT I HAVE TO GO GET IT ELSEWHERE. WE WANT

[01:15:01]

WE HAVE. WE'VE LEFT A LOT. I UNDERSTAND. AND WE JUST I GET THESE BUSINESSES ARE COMING IN.

I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW AND I GET IT, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF A DATA CENTER WORKSHOP. WE MAYBE YOU AND I CAN TAKE IT OFFLINE AND TALK ABOUT YOU GOT TAX RATES AND THAT KIND OF STUFF BECAUSE IT'S A THAT'S NOT REALLY ON TOPIC WITH WHY WE'RE HERE. OKAY.

OKAY. I JUST WANT TO SEE SOMETHING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. YES, SIR.

THANK YOU. WE'RE ALMOST EVERYBODY SITTING UP HERE AS A SMALL BUSINESS PERSON TOO. SO COME ON UP, MA'AM. GLAD TO BE HERE. MY NAME IS GUADALUPE GARZA. I AM A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE CITY OF ULAN, TEXAS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS WORKSHOP.

YES, MA'AM. UM, I WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON YOUR WEBSITE.

I CAN. YES, MA'AM.

I WOULD LIKE THAT, PLEASE, SO I CAN SHARE IT. WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNED RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF YULIN, BECAUSE IT WILL THE DATA CENTER WILL IMPACT US ON THE ETJ. YES, MA'AM. SO I HAVE ONE QUESTION. YOU HAD A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS ON THE DATA CENTER. MY QUESTION IS WHO'S GOING TO MONITOR THAT THE DATA CENTER COMPLIES WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS? AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. THE CITY OF KYLE LAST YEAR, I THINK, POSTED THAT ONE OF THEIR WATER COMPANIES PUMPED MORE WATER THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE, AND I GUESS THEY'RE GOING DEBATING ALL THAT. YOU SAID THAT THE COUNTY ALLOWED THEM TO HAVE 20,000 GALLONS PER DAY, OR IS THAT WHAT THEY REQUESTED THAT THEY NEED? IT'S PER MONTH.

EXCUSE ME, YEAH, PER MONTH.

SO, SO WE'RE I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHERE THAT NUMBER CAME FROM. WE WENT AND VISITED A DATA CENTER CALLED SABIE DATA CENTER IN ROUND ROCK.

IT'S A CLOSED LOOP DATA CENTER.

THEY USE 10,000 GALLONS A MONTH. AND SO WE AND THEY'RE A RELATIVELY SMALL DATA CENTER.

SO WE'VE CALCULATED SO MUCH WATER PER MEGAWATT. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE CAME UP WITH 20,000 GALLONS PER MONTH.

OKAY, SO MY QUESTION IS, IS WHO'S GOING TO REGULATE THEM THAT THEY, THAT THEY COMPLY WITH ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE SAID? WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON IT. AND COUNTY LINE SUD, I BELIEVE, IS SUD THAT'S GONNA, UH, BE SUPPLYING THEM WITH THE WHAT NOW, TRAC, WE HAVE NOT DONE ANY INCENTIVES WITH YET. SO VERY IMPORTANT, THEY'VE YET TO BUILD A DATA CENTER ON THAT PLACE. RIGHT NOW THEY'RE JUST LAND DEVELOPER AS FAR AS THE COUNTY IS CONCERNED.

WE'VE DONE ZERO INCENTIVES WITH THEM. AND EVERY YEAR WHEN THAT PAYMENT COMES UP, THE COUNTY REACHES OUT TO THOSE CENTERS AND SAYS, HEY, HOW MANY JOBS DO YOU HAVE? HOW MANY YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND SAY, ARE YOU FOLLOWING THESE RULES? GREAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS INTERESTED IN. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, DANNY. YES, MA'AM, COME ON UP. HELLO, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR HOLDING THIS. MY NAME IS ANNIE DONOVAN. I LIVE OVER IN MAXWELL. I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS TO ASK. SO EARLIER IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THE COUNTY WORKS WITH DEVELOPERS ON A 312 AGREEMENT, AND IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK INTO PUTTING A 20,000 GALLON A MONTH USE FOR THE WATER. OUR FRIEND OVER HERE SUGGESTED THAT THIS WATER USE IS FOR USING THE BATHROOM, WASHING HANDS, ETC. THIS MAY NOT BE A QUESTION FOR YOU, MAYBE FOR THE DATA CENTER, BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE THEY'RE GOING TO USE 20,000 GALLONS OF WATER TO USE THE BATHROOM. SO DO YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT WATER USE LOOKS LIKE IF IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM? NO, BUT I MEAN, JUST THEY ACTUALLY YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT WAS THE WATER USAGE COMING OUT OF THE SAVEY PLANT.

THAT'S HOW MUCH SEWAGE RAN OUT OF THERE. AND IT WAS ALL FROM HAND WASHING. AND BUT BEAR IN MIND TOO THAT THEY'VE BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE OF THOSE IS, YOU KNOW, THEY GET THEM OUT, THEY GET THE RACKS IN THERE, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO RETOOL AND THEY SEND ELECTRICIANS AND THEY SEND PLUMBERS BACK IN THERE AND THEY RETOOL AND THEY RETOOL AND THEY RETOOL. AND SO THERE'S, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S ONLY 20 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES IN THERE, THERE'S ALMOST CONSISTENTLY GOING TO BE 100 PEOPLE IN THERE WORKING EVERY DAY.

AND SO 100 PEOPLE USING THE BATHROOM USE A LOT OF WATER AND WASHING THEIR HANDS AND, YOU KNOW, COOKING THEIR MEALS.

THAT KIND OF STUFF. OKAY, THANK

[01:20:01]

YEAH. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? NO? OKAY. WELL, WE JUDGE, CAN I JUST SPEAK TO ONE ISSUE? SURE. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M USUALLY PRETTY CLOSELY AFFILIATED WITH AND FAMILIAR WITH, AND THAT IS THE FARMLAND ISSUE. I THINK WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE KIND OF IF YOU HAVEN'T LIVED AROUND HERE FOR A LONG TIME, A LOT OF THE FARMLAND THAT IS PART OF THE TRACK SITE AND IN THAT AREA OFF OF 20 BETWEEN 2720 UP TO HIGHWAY 21 BRACKETED OVER TO REEDVILLE AND UP TO SAN MARCOS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT PROPERTY WAS BOUGHT UP BY THE WALTON GROUP IN THE LATE TEENS. I MEAN, IT WAS '08, '09, 2010. THEY REALLY BOUGHT UP A LOT OF THAT PROPERTY IN THAT TIME PERIOD. AND SPECIFICALLY IN THE 2720 AREA, THEY BOUGHT UP A LITTLE OVER 03,000 CONTIGUOUS ACRES. I KNOW THAT BECAUSE THEY CAME KNOCKING ON MY GRANDFATHER'S DOOR YEARS AGO TOO. AND SO A LOT OF THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FARMLAND SELLING OUT AND INDIVIDUALS DOING IT, A LOT OF THAT PROPERTY WAS SOLD QUITE A LONG TIME AGO. AND IT HAS SAT, YOU KNOW, OWNED BY WALTON AND THEN EVENTUALLY WAS TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP OUT OF THAT UMBRELLA. AND SO I HATE TO SOUND LIKE IT WAS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION BECAUSE IT WASN'T NECESSARILY THAT, BUT A LOT OF THAT PROPERTY HAD BEEN SOLD AND BEEN LEASED FOR FARMLAND FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS. AND THERE'S ONLY ABOUT TO BE HONEST, THERE'S ONLY ABOUT I HATE TO EVEN SAY 5 REALLY ROW CROP OPERATORS THAT ARE LEFT HERE IN CALDWELL COUNTY THAT DO THE MAJORITY OF WHAT YOU SEE THAT IS LEFT AROUND HERE. AND I DON'T PUT MYSELF IN THAT GROUP. AND THEY'RE TRYING. THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY STILL STRUGGLING.

BUT JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO THAT A LOT OF THAT IS NOT RECENT SALES, THAT IT'S HISTORIC IN NATURE.

SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, I GUESS I'LL LOOK FOR A MOTION TO OH. ONE MORE QUESTION. COME ON UP, MARGARET. COME ON UP TO THE FRONT. GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING. HI, MY NAME IS MARGARET CARTER AND I AM FROM LOCKHART, TEXAS. I JUST HAVE A CONCERN BECAUSE I KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY BEEN WARNED ABOUT WATER SHORTAGE.

SO APPROVING A FACILITY THAT CONSUMES THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF WATER EVERY MONTH RAISES SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT GUARANTEES CAN THE COUNTY GIVE THE PEOPLE OF LOCKHART THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD NOT WORSEN OUR WATER SUPPLY? WELL, THEY'RE GOING TO USE 20,000 GALLONS A MONTH.

THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT 20 HOMES A YEAR. SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE ALL USING, IT'S NOT VERY MUCH.

BUT WE ARE ALREADY IN A CRISIS, THOUGH. WE ARE, BUT WE CAN'T KEEP PEOPLE I CAN'T PULL UP THE LADDER TO THE TREEHOUSE AND TELL PEOPLE YOU CAN'T COME. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. MY CONCERN IS THE WATER, THOUGH. WELL, NOT PEOPLE WHEN EVERYBODY MOVES HERE, NOBODY BRINGS THEIR OWN POWER AND NOBODY BRINGS THEIR OWN WATER.

THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. YEAH. SO, OKAY, ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU.

MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOTION TO ADJOURN BY COMMISSIONER WESTMORELAND. DO WE HAVE A

[01:25:02]