Commissioner's Court February 24, 2026

Open with transcript & summary →Search this meeting's transcript →

The Hood County Commissioner's Court met on February 24, 2026, to address development matters, service awards, and substantial public comment regarding data center projects. The court approved a replat and residential subdivision concept plan, heard extensive citizen testimony both supporting and opposing data center development, and voted on a proposed temporary moratorium on data center permits, which failed three to two on legal grounds. Additional business included approval of routine matters such as a firefighter equipment request denial, culvert bid award, facility improvements, and a resolution urging the governor to address rapid data center growth statewide. The court also considered requesting an attorney general's opinion on the county's regulatory authority under state law and approved implementing safety briefings at future meetings due to high public attendance.

• Meeting opening and safety briefingThe Commissioner's Court meeting for Hood County was convened on February 24, 2026, with an invocation and safety briefing due to overcapacity.
• Service awards ceremonyFive county employees were recognized for service to Hood County, with special commendation for office staff.
• Development agenda items (Clint Head, medical accommodation)Two development items were heard out of order to accommodate Commissioner Clint Head, who was under doctor's orders not to attend but chose to participate.
• Landings East replat approvalThe court approved a replat combining two lots into a 4.771-acre parcel in the water corridor district, precinct 2.
• Bell Village subdivision concept plan approvalThe court approved a 71-lot residential subdivision concept plan on 22.2 acres in precinct 3 with professional engineering for drainage.
• Citizens comments at large—procedural explanationJudge clarified rules for public comment, noting citizens should address only agenda items during designated item times, not during open comments, to avoid repetition and manage time efficiently.
• Shauna Wallen—data center concerns and accusationsResident Shauna Wallen spoke opposing data center projects, alleging commissioners ignored constituents and questioned Ryan Hughes's promises regarding job numbers and project viability.
• Kenneth Meadow—thoroughfare plan concernsResident Kenneth Meadow raised concerns that industrial development would change the thoroughfare plan, affecting traffic flow from Highway 377 to Highway 144 south.
• Dominique Ging—vigorously opposing data centersResident Dominique Ging strongly opposed any data center projects, urging commissioners to approve a moratorium and warning that conditional approvals already given provide a foothold for Sailfish investors.
• John Highmith—Acton MUD victoryResident John Highmith reported that Acton Municipal Utility District board voted unanimously on February 18, 2026, to decline Fort Spunky data center project water usage from Pacifico Energy, praising the board's commitment to residential service.
• Cindy Highmith—Projects Red and Yellow data centersResident Cindy Highmith detailed ongoing citizen protests against data centers since 2022, noting that conditional approvals and an LLC from Miami submitted concept plans days before a moratorum vote.
• Jim Bell—appeal to commissioners' ethics and philosophyResident Jim Bell offered philosophical guidance to commissioners, urging them to prioritize community good over development and not sit passively while voting against constituent concerns.
• Robin Sutherland—AI-related data centers unprecedented threatResident Robin Sutherland characterized AI-related data centers as unprecedented projects taking advantage of Texas freedoms and lack of regulations, arguing commissioners are unprepared and unwilling to stop them.
• Alex Wolf—questioning government accountabilityResident Alex Wolf challenged whether government is working for the people or development interests, asking commissioners to fight for constituents using every tool available and stand firmly with citizens.
• Carolyn Reeves—water theft and corrupt politician parallelsResident Carolyn Reeves compared data center threat to California's treatment of farmers, describing the pattern as corrupt politicians selling out property owners to globalists through resource extraction.
• Donna Keller—Alzheimer's disease and air pollution linkResident Donna Keller presented medical research linking air pollution to Alzheimer's disease, warning that new gas-fired plants will harm Hood County residents' health.
• Air quality impacts and Texas Property Rights Act protectionsA speaker discussed concerns about air quality impacts from proposed gas-fired plants and referenced the Texas Private Real Property Rights Preservation Act as a legal protection for implementing state-mandated regulations.
• Water resource concerns related to data center developmentBelinda Smith, a landowner near proposed data center sites, expressed concerns about potential impacts to groundwater from water wells required for data center operations.
• North Hood County Volunteer Fire Department capital asset request and denialNorth Hood County Volunteer Fire Department requested formal denial of specific capital equipment to release internal budget restrictions and complete their 2026 purchasing plan.
• Corrugated steel culverts bid award to Wilson Culverts Inc.Request for bids 2026-02 for corrugated steel culverts closed with one bid from Wilson Culverts representing a zero price increase from current contract.
• Granberry Founders Day Festival courthouse parking lot event approvalCommissioners approved authorization for the county judge to sign the city of Granberry's event application for use of the historic courthouse parking lot.
• Rifle resistant body armor grant resolutionCounty auditor Miss Matlock presented the resolution associated with the rifle resistant body armor grant previously approved by the court.
• Hood County Appraisal District forensic audit and District Attorney investigation requestCommissioners considered requesting formal written response from the Hood County District Attorney regarding plans to investigate issues identified in the forensic audit of the Hood County Appraisal District.
• Public comment on HCAD misappropriation and accountabilityRetired federal agent Mark Lowry and other speakers emphasized the seriousness of the HCAD misappropriation and called for swift action and accountability.
• Public comment on HCAD forensic audit findingsA speaker urged the court to request the district attorney investigate HCAD wrongdoing and outlined impacts to multiple government entities.
• Commissioner motion for formal DA request on HCAD investigationA commissioner moved to request a formal written response from the Hood County District Attorney regarding investigation plans for the HCAD matter.
• Chief appraiser Jeff Law information provision and disputed priorityDiscussion clarified the timing of wrongdoing relative to current chief appraiser tenure and fund recovery status.
• Item 5 reconsidered: Development permit regulations and moratorum authorityThe court reconvened to discuss and reconsider adoption of amendments to Hood County Development Permit regulations and a temporary moratorum.
• Commissioner Andrews legal analysis: No county authority for moratorumCommissioner Andrews presented extensive case law arguing that Texas counties lack statutory authority to institute development moratoriums.
• Commissioner Andrews rule of law and constitutional concernsCommissioner Andrews expressed conflict between constituent demands and oath to uphold law and emphasized adherence to constitutional constraints on government.
• Data center site visits and noise documentationCommissioner Andrews described field visits to multiple data center facilities in Texas to assess noise levels and operational impact.
• AWS data center south of county line and regulatory limitationsDiscussion focused on AWS facility in Somerville County just south of Hood County line and county inability to regulate it.
• Commissioner Eagle legal argument: Implied power and watershed stewardshipCommissioner Eagle argued counties possess implied authority to enact temporary moratoriums under subchapter K due to unique watershed stewardship duty.
• Judge's assessment: Multiple legal opinions and subchapter K enforcement toolsJudge summarized four separate legal opinions all opposing moratorum authority and affirmed that subchapter K provides adequate regulatory tools.
• Data center water use and regulatory concernsA county judge expressed opposition to unrestricted water use for data centers, citing concerns about Trinity River water depletion and preferred regulatory approaches over litigation.
• Water scarcity and resource prioritiesThe judge articulated concerns about national water depletion and advocated for protecting the county's water resources from industrial consumption.
• Public testimony from James MatlockA written statement from a Nacadoches County resident and former Marine was read into the record supporting a data center moratorum.
• Brian Glenn's remarks on development regulationsA speaker advocated for development regulation amendments as a necessary first step toward managing industrial development and acknowledged the legal complexity surrounding moratoria.
• John Hottenbach's environmental baseline sampling proposalA retired chemist advocated for environmental baseline sampling before data center construction to establish grounds for future litigation over water contamination.
• Kenneth Mador's legal framework for gray-area regulationA former law enforcement officer explained the distinction between letter and spirit of law, advocating for a moratorum to allow development commission time to craft appropriate regulations.
• Jennifer Carrick's testimony on relocation pressureA disabled combat veteran living near Marathon data center described psychological distress from noise and the pressure to relocate caused by data center expansion.
• Jim Bell's critique of closed-loop system claimsA speaker challenged representations about closed-loop cooling systems by citing detention pond specifications from a data center proposal.
• Bob Slater's commentary on investor prioritiesA speaker warned that venture capital investors prioritize return on investment over community welfare.
• Cindy Highmith's comparative regulatory analysisA speaker analyzed development regulations from other Texas counties, particularly noise abatement provisions, as models for Hood County.
• Matt Long's critique of vested rights on unrealistic concept plansA speaker satirically critiqued data center concept plans with unrealistic specifications and challenged the granting of vested rights.
• Data center permit application and Chinese battery suppliersA speaker questioned the permit authority and raised concerns about Chinese parts in battery systems similar to companies under investigation.
• Chris Paulson's statewide data center advocacy and regulatory effortsA speaker reported attending Austin meetings to educate legislators about data center impacts and coordinated with multiple stakeholders across 37 counties.
• Cammy Janis testimony on Granberry's crossroads and data center impactsA DFW real estate agent and Granberry resident spoke against massive industrial development, citing historical precedents of harm and advocating for moratorium.
• HL Barrett on dotcom bubble parallels and infrastructure overexpansionAn engineer critiqued data center investment frenzy as mirroring dotcom bubble excess, citing 79% venture-backed failure rates and Warren Buffett's concerns.
• Tax abatement concerns and moratarium argumentsMultiple speakers criticized tax incentives as counterproductive and urged moratorium, citing design purpose and absence of necessity.
• Meredith Bennett on family legacy and multi-generational concernsA descendant of 1850s settlers spoke for families across generations and precinct representation, noting children present and future voter accountability.
• Andrew Wolford on inadequate regulations and precedent from hazardous industriesA nuclear engineer with 40 years in risk assessment criticized Hood County regulations as insufficient for large-scale data center permitting.
• Lori Barton on constitutional guidance and intergenerational responsibilityA native Texan from historic pioneer family urged commissioners to take action and pass moratorium to protect county assets and future generations.
• Brad Morgan on endangered species and community destruction concernsA property owner documented bald eagle nests and raised concerns about golden cheek warblers and DDT precedent, urging protection.
• Mark Lowry on courage, subchapter K legal standing, and time constraintsA speaker invoked courage definition and noted subchapter K has never been tested in court while emphasizing limited remaining time.
• Concept plan flaws and moratorium requestCitizens voiced concerns about poorly planned concept plans and requested a moratorium on data center development.
• Rachel Jacobson on data center impacts and water concernsRachel Jacobson testified that data centers are industrial-sized facilities requiring extensive resources and argued for a meaningful one-year moratorium.
• Brian Crawford on power plants and court inactionBrian Crawford, adjacent to Comanche Circle Data Center, criticized commissioners for appearing indifferent and stressed that power plants are the primary concern.
• Mac Bent on water usage data and regional precedentMac Bent cited an upper Brazos River Authority resolution requiring geological studies for water usage over 50 million gallons annually and presented water consumption data from Taylor County.
• Molly Tanner on concerns for youth and family quality of lifeFourteen-year-old Molly Tanner expressed concerns about data center proximity to her home and the impact on her family's outdoor activities and health.
• Jeff Stevens on delay tactics and legal actionJeff Stevens urged commissioners to use the moratorium to study water impacts and suggested delaying development through extended legal processes.
• Alan Kramer on responsible stewardship and statutory authorityAlan Kramer, a recent resident and rule follower, urged a meaningful 12-month moratorium to allow time for developing clear development standards.
• State Representative David Cook on Chapter 231 Subchapter K authorityState Representative David Cook explained that Hood County has unique statutory authority under Chapter 231 Subchapter K, passed unanimously in 1999, specifically to protect Lake Granberry and the Brazos River.
• John Loper on narrow legal interpretation and watershed obligationsJohn Loper analyzed Chapter K's legal structure, arguing that narrowly tailored temporary suspension for watershed protection is legally defensible and necessary before development rights vest.
• Jordan Schmidt on tax equity and quality of lifeJordan Schmidt questioned the disparity in tax treatment between homeowners and data centers and warned of permanent environmental and community harm.
• Public comment on data center surveillance concernsA speaker expressed opposition to data centers, characterizing them as surveillance infrastructure benefiting tech oligarchs while imposing environmental and financial risks on taxpayers.
• Jennifer White public comment on data center moratorumA hospice nurse and resident of Pan Plantation spoke in favor of a moratorum, citing community concerns, health and safety code authority, and the example of Vanzant County's recent action.
• Commissioner remarks on data centers and legislative contextA commissioner provided historical context on data center development in Hood County and referenced changes to state law and regional moratorum activity.
• Regional moratorum activity and statewide industrial development concernsA commissioner documented recent moratorum actions across rural Texas counties and outlined the strategic rationale for Hood County to act.
• Battery energy storage systems and infrastructure riskA commissioner detailed lithium-ion battery technology used in data center facilities and cited Governor Abbott's prohibition on certain battery suppliers.
• Legal authority under subchapter K and local government codeA commissioner outlined Hood County's specific statutory responsibilities under state law to protect watershed and recreational areas.
• Representative letter and moratorum legal basisA commissioner cited correspondence from a state representative supporting Hood County's legal authority to adopt protective measures under subchapter K.
• Moratorum as time-bound regulatory measureA commissioner defended the moratorum as a temporary, deliberate measure aligned with existing state law and not an overreach.
• Motion to adopt moratorum order and voteA commissioner made a motion to adopt amendments to Hood County development permit regulations and establish a temporary moratorum, which was seconded and voted on.
• Commissioner opposition to moratorum on legal groundsA commissioner voting against the moratorum argued it violated principles of limited government authority and lacked legal foundation in express statutory powers.
• Moratorum vote resultThe motion to adopt the moratorum order failed by a vote of three to two.
• Item 6 discussion on attorney general opinion requestThe court considered whether to instruct the county attorney to seek an attorney general's opinion on Hood County's implied powers under subchapter K.
• Ron Sutton public comment on water authority and subchapter KA Pan Plantation resident spoke in support of using subchapter K and water authority as tools to defend against unwanted industrial development.
• Declaration of Independence and individual rights referenceRon Sutton concluded his remarks by referencing foundational American principles on individual rights to life, liberty, and property.
• Alan Kramer public comment on attorney general opinion and subchapter KA resident from Houston urged commissioners to pursue the attorney general's opinion while cautioning against overweighting political opinions on subchapter K authority.
• Jim Bell public comment on subchapter K structure and procedural concernsA resident reviewed the statutory structure of subchapter K and questioned the repeated votes on moratorum proposals.
• County attorney remarks on permanent solution via lot development percentage regulationThe county attorney outlined an alternative regulatory approach grounded in express subchapter K authority that could serve as a more permanent alternative to the failed moratorum.
• Development commission proposed rules and technical review processThe county attorney outlined the process for attorneys and engineers to review and refine the development commission's proposed regulatory language before the March 10 vote.
• Item 7 – Hospital district quorum notice on commissioner's court agendaThe court unanimously approved adding a notice of quorum to every commissioner's court agenda reflecting the statutory requirement that all five commissioners constitute five of nine hospital district board members.
• Item 8 – Safety briefing at beginning of commissioner's court meetingsThe court approved implementing a standard safety briefing at the start of each commissioner's court meeting, given large public attendance and potential emergency scenarios.
• Courtroom safety briefing proceduresThe court discussed whether to conduct safety briefings at every commissioner's court meeting or only during high-capacity events.
• Data centers resolution and legislative actionThe court adopted a resolution calling on Governor Abbott to convene a special legislative session to address rapid growth of data centers in Texas.
• Vehicle transfer to Mission GranberryThe court approved transferring a used Tahoe from the sheriff's office to Mission Granberry to support law enforcement and emergency response services.
• Animal control sidewalk installationThe court approved installation of a sidewalk along the south side of the animal control facility, funded entirely by animal control donations with labor from road operations.
• P25 radio consultant RFQ evaluation and selectionThe court reviewed RFQ 2026-3 proposals for a P25 radio consultant and approved interviewing the top four firms to evaluate options for the county's radio system.
• Invoice certification and bill paymentThe court certified and approved payment of invoices for the period of January 30 through February 12, 2026.