Commissioner's Court December 9 25, 2025

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Commissioner's Court met in regular session on December 9, 2025, and received 21 citizen comments addressing concerns about proposed data center development in Hood County, including environmental, water consumption, air quality, property value, and community character impacts, as well as a previous in-custody death case. The court approved routine administrative matters including a DPS driver's license office agreement, community cleanup vouchers, soil and water conservation funding, and various plat and infrastructure approvals. Notably, the court appointed five members to a newly established Hood County Development Commission to review and recommend modifications to development regulations under Subchapter K, responding to public requests for regulatory oversight of industrial expansion. The court also reappointed the Fire Marshal, established a Radio System Advisory Board, and authorized negotiations with the City of Granberry for radio network access.

• Meeting convenedCommissioner's Court met in regular session on December 9, 2025.
• Procedural matters and public comment rulesThe court outlined ground rules for the 21 citizen comments to follow.
• CJ Gisham: First Amendment and decorum rulesFirst speaker presented constitutional and legal arguments against the court's decorum rules as prior restraint on free speech.
• Scott Clayton: Ruby McPeders in-custody deathSecond speaker presented detailed narrative of his sister's death in Hood County Jail in 2018 following childbirth complications and requested three remedial actions.
• Matt Long: Opposition to data centers on religious and environmental groundsThird speaker presented biblical and statutory arguments against data center development, emphasizing protection of Hood County's natural resources and recreational character.
• Kirk Tesky: Professional concerns regarding data center developmentFourth speaker, an architect with executive oversight of six billion dollars of construction, raised transparency, environmental, and tax abatement concerns regarding data center proposals.
• Eric Amadio: Property value and community preservation concernsFifth speaker emphasized quality-of-life and property value impacts, drawing parallels to displacement experienced in California.
• Mitch Moore: Operational and economic viability questionsSixth speaker raised technical concerns about data center designs, water consumption impacts, and economic benefits to the county.
• Brian Crawford: Cumulative impact studies and legal liabilitySeventh speaker urged moratorum pending cumulative impact studies and warned of potential legal liability from inadequate due diligence.
• Brian Glenn: Cumulative air quality and river basin protectionEighth speaker invoked statutory authority under subchapter K and called for creation of a Hood County Development Commission to address unregulated industrial expansion impacts.
• Brazos River Basin Environmental Protection OrdinanceA speaker proposed requiring air dispersion and runoff impact studies before approving new industrial permits in Hood County.
• Pan Plantation resident concerns about data centers and environmental impactLindseay Patterson, a Pan Plantation resident with four children, expressed concerns about AI data centers affecting her community's quality of life.
• Pan Plantation resident Scott Morgan on data center impactsScott Morgan, living in Pan Plantation with his wife and two daughters, expressed concerns about large data centers and power plants planned for the area.
• Jim Bell on data center water use and TCEQ trustJim Bell raised concerns about water issues, stating the TCEQ cannot be trusted to protect air and water quality and has become a permit-to-pollute agency.
• Gary Foreman on technology change and soil and water protectionGary Foreman, with decades of media experience, warned of technology's rapid evolution and raised concerns about Americans' health rankings despite high healthcare spending.
• Greg Harold on Lancium project tour and data center funding concernsGreg Harold, who toured the Lancium data center project near Abilene with commissioners, described the facility as devastating and noted Saudi Arabian funding backing the project.
• Mary Joe Bloomquist on Pacifica Energy Partners air permit and Fort Spunky facilityMary Joe Bloomquist, a Hood County resident of nine and a half years, expressed fury over a California company's natural gas plant air permit for a private data center on the Brazos River banks.
• Leandra Loen from Alberta on family legacy and protection of future generationsLeandra Loen, visiting from Alberta where the world's largest data center is planned, shared her family's immigration and entrepreneurial history as context for requesting commissioners to protect Hood County's resources for future generations.
• Gordon Coher from Alberta on data center control and choice concernsGordon Coher from Alberta expressed concerns that AI data centers are about control rather than money, and represent a threat to human freedom and child development.
• Mark Lowry on moratorum and Ruby McPers caseMark Lowry thanked commissioners attending community meetings and urged a research moratorum on data centers; he also raised concerns about mistakes made in a Hood County jail case involving a woman's death.
• Dominique on opposing data centersDominique, a Hood County resident living one and a half blocks from the courthouse, urged commissioners to vote no on any data center proposals to set a lesson for other communities.
• Item one pulled from agendaItem one was withdrawn from consideration.
• DPS driver's license office interlocal agreementHood County approved a five-year interlocal cooperative agreement with the Texas Department of Public Safety for continued driver's license office operations under the tax assessor's control.
• Community cleanup vouchers for Brazos River areaThe court authorized 10 vouchers for the citizens collection station to facilitate community cleanup in the Brazos River area along Manbrano Highway and Hworth Highway.
• Authorization for county judge to execute OSF letter for designated representativeThe court authorized the county judge to execute a letter permitting a designated representative to perform OSSF (On-site Sewage Facility) activities outside Hood County.
• County attorney negotiations with City of Granberry for radio network accessThe court authorized the county attorney to enter into discussions and negotiations with the City of Granberry for full and unrestricted access to the Granberry Regional Radio Network, excluding a purchase option pending further study.
• Braz Valley Soil and Water Conservation District annual flood control dam maintenance drawThe court authorized the annual $5,000 draw for Braz Valley Soil and Water Conservation District 557 for maintenance of two flood control dam locations, funded from the road operations budget account.
• Five-member development commission appointmentThe court proceeded to appoint five commissioners to the Hood County Development Commission per Title 7 County Regulatory Authority Chapter 231.227 to review and recommend modifications to Subchapter K development regulations.
• Public speaker Brian Glenn on data center and environmental concernsBrian Glenn, speaking from Pond Plantation area regarding a proposed data center, urged the development commission to focus on water and wastewater requirements, drainage monitoring, and environmental impact studies.
• Public speaker John Highmith on existing and proposed power and data center projectsJohn Highmith, from Pond Plantation, detailed the proliferation of gas-powered plants and data centers in Hood County and surrounding areas.
• Public speaker Bob Slater on community character and industrial developmentBob Slater from Conroe Plantation area addressed the question of whether Hood County/Granberry should be defined as a gateway to recreation or to industrial development.
• Public speaker Donna Keller on building standards and infrastructure requirementsDonna Keller, with experience building in Hood County and managing large distribution center projects, outlined specific building code, fire protection, environmental, and land-use regulations needed to prevent low-cost, substandard construction.
• Development commission composition and precinct distributionThe court reviewed the existing development commission regulations, membership requirements, term limits, and precinct representation based on 17 applications received.
• Development Commission eligibility and appointment proceduresThe court clarified residency and application requirements for development commission members, then proceeded with nominations for precinct positions and the ex-officio chair role.
• Fire Marshal reappointmentThe court reappointed Jeff Young as Hood County Fire Marshal with approval of required bond per government code 352.011.
• Hood County Radio System Advisory Board creationThe court established an initial four-member advisory board for the radio system based on AISTA evaluation recommendations from November 17, 2025.
• CPS board memorandum of understandingThe court authorized the county judge to sign a memorandum of understanding with Hood County CPS board for public assistance grant funds from the 2025 budget.
• Twin Sisters Court road acceptanceThe court conditionally accepted Twin Sisters Court into county maintenance system pending 100% property owner participation on amended application with new liability language.
• Consent agenda adoptionThe court adopted the consent agenda with one item pulled for continued negotiation.
• Dickova Hills plat subdivision approvalThe court approved the plat subdivision of lot 27R into lots 27R1 and 27R2 for landscaping, monument sign, and future roadway.
• Butterfly Grove RV Park infrastructure development plan conditional approvalThe court conditionally approved infrastructure development plan for Butterfly Grove RV Park contingent on Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approval of public water wells.
• Development commission workshop schedulingThe court discussed need for workshop to clarify development commission duties and meeting schedule to comply with 30-day requirement.
• Financial reports and expenditure authorizationThe court reviewed and approved financial reports, bank reconciliations, and audits for November 2025 through current period.