[00:00:01]
[I. Call to Order]
4:00 PM I'M CHAIRWOMAN CATHERINE GARRA, AND I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE J ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO ORDER.WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR MEETINGS, IN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR PREFERENCE.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TRANSLATION OR OTHER ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES, PLEASE CALL 4 6 9 7 2 4 6 5 3 8 AT LEAST TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE SEPTEMBER 9TH AT 5:30 PM ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, JUST A REMINDER TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY YOUR CAMERA MUST BE ON FOR THE DURATION OF THE MEETING.
[II. Public Speaker(s)]
WE ARE GONNA GET STARTED.WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS THIS EVENING.
I'M GONNA RECITE SOME SPEAKER GUIDELINES AND THEN WE'LL GET STARTED.
UM, SPEAKERS MUST OBSERVE THE SAME RULES OF PROPRIETY TO GORE AND THE CONDUCT APPLICABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
ANYBODY MAKING PERSONAL AND PERTINENT PROPANE OR SANDERS REMARKS OR WHO BECOMES BOISTEROUS, UH, WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE MEETING.
EVERY SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES.
AND WHEN YOUR TIME IS ENDED, JUST PLEASE CONCLUDE YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, FOR THOSE FOLKS PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA BEFORE YOU SPEAK.
UH, AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DAVID CAR CARRANZA.
YEAH, THERE'S A BUTTON THERE ON THE MICROPHONE.
MY NAME IS DAVID CARRANZA AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE KLEBERG NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN PRIME RANCH IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS.
I'M HERE TONIGHT FOR THE VERY SIMPLE REQUEST.
PLEASE START PAYING ATTENTION TO KLEBERG RILEY.
OUR COMMUNITY WAS ONCE AN INDEPENDENT TOWN OF KLEBERG IN 1978.
WE BECAME PART OF THE CITY OF DALLAS NEARLY 15 YEARS AGO.
I BELIEVE IT'S TIME THAT WE ACTUALLY ASKED WHAT'S HAPPENED ENVIRONMENTALLY IN OUR COMMUNITY SINCE THEN.
WE HAVE LANDFILLS, MINING OPERATIONS ALONG THE KLEBERG ROAD CORRIDOR.
WE HAVE HAD DILE CONTAMINATION ISSUES WITH CONTAMINATED MATERIALS, WITH, WITH VARIED, UH, IN GROUNDWATER MONITORING BECAUSE OF, UH, WHICH BECAME UNNECESSARY.
I KNOW THIS PERSONALLY BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, MONITORING WELLS IN MY BACKYARD.
WE'VE DEALT WITH THE LEGAL DUMPING, INCLUDING SERIES OF, UH, OCCURRING PROBLEMS ALONG WOODY ROAD, RURAL ROADS AND EVEN TRINITY RIVER.
WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS INVOLVING JUNKYARDS AND SALVAGE OPERATIONS WITHIN FLOOD PLANS, ALONG WITH TRUCK TRAFFIC, DEBRIS, NOISE, VISUAL PLIGHT, ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN THAT CAN ACCOMPANY THOSE ISSUES.
AND OUR PART OF THE SOUTHEAST DALLAS HAS LIVED WITH THE CUMUL CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF INDUSTRY USES, CONTAMINATING SITES, FLOODING AND DRAINAGE PROBLEMS, HEAVY TRUCKS, INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LAND.
ONE OF THESE ISSUES MIGHT BE TREATED AS AN ISOLATED PROBLEM, BUT WHEN YOU START TO PUT IT ON A MAP AND LOOK AT THEM CHRONOLOGICALLY, A VERY DIFFERENT PICTURE EMERGES.
THIS IS WHY THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS STARTED DOCUMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE HISTORY OF CLEAVER RILEY, PARTICULARLY COMPARING THE COMMUNITY BEFORE DALLAS ANNEXATION IN 1978 AND WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS.
WE WANT FACTS, WE WANT DATA, AND WE WANNA UNDERSTAND WHY ALL THIS ENVIRONMENTAL BURDENSOME USES HAS ENDED UP AROUND OUR SOUTHEAST DALLAS AREA.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO COME SIMPLY JUST TO COMPLAIN.
I WANT AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO BECOME A PART OF CHANGING THE FUTURE.
COME TO CLEAVER RILEY, TOUR OUR COMMUNITY WITH US.
LET US SHOW YOU THE LANDFILLS, THE MINING AREAS, THE DUMPING SITES, JUNKYARDS, THE MONITORING WELLS, AND THE FLOODING CONCERNS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL AREA OF OPEN SPACE, UH, PARKS AND TRAILS THAT WE'RE FIGHTING TO PROTECT AND GET UNDERWAY.
WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER 50 YEARS OF BEING IN A PLACE WHERE DALLAS PUTS THE THINGS, THE OTHER THINGS, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS WE DON'T WANT.
WE WANT ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT.
WE WANT ENFORCEMENT, AND WE WANT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE WANNA SEAT THE TABLE BEFORE DECISIONS ARE MADE, NOT AFTER THE DAMAGE IS DONE.
SO TONIGHT I'M ASKING THAT THIS COMMISSION WORK WITH US, VISIT OUR COMMUNITY, AND HELP US DEVELOP AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF CLEAVER RILEY, WE'RE READY TO WORK WITH YOU.
WE SIMPLY NEED DALLAS TO START SEEING US.
I'M GLAD TO TAKE YOU UP ON YOUR, YOUR OFFER.
WE'LL BE IN TOUCH TO DISCUSS IT.
ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JANET
[00:05:01]
GOIN.UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO SAY, UH, THAT, UM, IT'S HERE NOW MEANING THAT THERE'S AN INVASIVE MOSQUITO SPREADING IN AFRICA THAT IS RESISTANT TO ALL PESTICIDES, AND IT'S GARY MALARIA ACROSS AFRICA.
UM, I DID SEND THE ARTICLE TO STEPHANIE AND IT SHOULD BE ON YOUR, UH, DESK SO YOU CAN READ IT BY YOURSELF.
BUT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE DALLAS MOSQUITO ABATEMENT MEETING WITH THE SUPERVISOR, THE ABATEMENT SUPERVISOR, UH, THAT WE HAD IN JUNE.
UM, AND, UM, UH, THE CITY OF DALLAS SPRAYS WITH PYRETHROID BASED, UM, UH, UH, PHRASE AND, UM, WHICH THEY USE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO, UH, AVOID OBVIOUSLY, UM, WHAT'S NOT VIRUS.
UM, AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO WATCH SOMEONE THAT HAS CONTRACTED WHAT, UH, ENCEPHALITIS FROM WHAT'S NOT VIRUS VIRUS.
INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO SEE THAT.
UM, BUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, EPA ONLY TESTS FOR CANCER.
UM, AND SO THERE'S, UM, NEW RESEARCH THAT, UH, ENDOCRINE, THEY DON'T TEST FOR ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS THAT PESTICIDES ARE ON THE LIST IS SUSPECTED FOR ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS.
UM, AND MY NIECE, UM, HAS LUPUS, WHICH IS A DIS HAS DE SHE'S GOTTEN DE DEBILITATING ARTHRITIS AND ALMOST DIED FROM HEPATITIS.
AND ONE OF THE TRIGGERS IS PESTICIDES.
UM, THE HALFLIFE FOUR PESTICIDES THAT ARE OID THAT WE SPRAY AS FIVE TO 2, 209 DAYS.
AND THE DROPLETS STICK TO PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AND OTHER HARDSCAPES AS WELL AS WASH INTO OUR WILD, INTO OUR WATERWAYS KILLING AQUATICS.
UM, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS IS NOT A ZERO SUM GAME.
IT'S NOT THAT WE, UM, CAN'T FIGURE OUT SOME OTHER SOLUTIONS.
UM, SO I'VE FOUND, UM, TWO CITIES, UM, THAT ARE DOING PESTICIDES THAT AREN'T USING PESTICIDES AND USING OTHER METHODS.
WE ALREADY, I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY THAT, UM, AUSTIN DOES NOT SPRAY, UM, DO USE ANY SPRAY AND HAS OUTREACH AND OTHER METHODS.
WASHINGTON DC IS ALSO USING THIS APPROACH WHERE IT'S TARGETING OUT OUTREACH LARVICIDES AND THOSE THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE.
UM, BUT I FOUND ANOTHER ONE, BOULDER, UH, COLORADO IS ALSO, UM, USING A ECOLOGICAL APPROACH AND TRYING TO BOOST BIODIVERSITY TO COMBAT, UM, MOSQUITOES.
AND, UM, SO THESE ARE TWO APPROACHES THAT WE HOPE THAT CAN COME FORWARD.
I ALSO WANTED TO THANK, UM, DR.
LACKMAN AND CHAIRMAN ROBERSON FOR, UM, JUST BEING FANTASTIC AND, AND HELPING WITH HELPING WITH ALL OF US WITH CREATIVE IDEAS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THESE UPDATES.
GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT THESE VARIOUS CITIES.
ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SIMON MATTHEWS.
UH, BRENDA
THAT WHAT IS THAT? THERE'S A LIGHT ON THE MICROPHONE.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS BRENDA GROOM.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE AND I'M PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST OF AMERICA.
UM, I'M JUST HERE TO EXPRESS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE DATA CENTER PROPOSED AT, UH, MARKET HALL.
AND I HAVE HESITATIONS ABOUT PUTTING FUTURE DATA CENTERS IN THE CITY, UM, WITHOUT MORE KNOWLEDGE AND, UM, DISCUSSION OF THE EFFECTS.
I DID SEE THAT MY COUNCIL NUMBER AND FOUR OTHERS PUT OUT A FIVE SIGNATURE MEMO CLARIFYING, UH, STRICTER ZONING AROUND DATA CENTERS, WHICH IS GOOD.
UM, THE CURRENT MARKET HALL IS IN AN AREA WITH THE HEAT ISLAND IN DISTRICT TWO WHERE I USED TO LIVE.
AND I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, THE HEAT MANAGEMENT AND THE IMPACTS ON UTILITY BILLS OF HAVING SUCH A DATA CENTER THERE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE VALUABLE FOR THE CITY TO DO FURTHER ENGAGEMENT AND TALK TO RESIDENTS ABOUT HAVING SUCH A CENTER, UM, AND EXPOSING THEM TO SOME OF THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE SUBJECT.
[00:10:01]
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO LISTEN TO RESIDENTS AND MAYBE BUILD TRUST IN AN ERA WHERE WE'VE KIND OF SEEN SOME LACK OF TRUST WITH THE CITY.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, I MYSELF USED TO LIVE AND STILL WORK IN DISTRICT TWO IN THE MEDICAL DISTRICT.
UM, SO ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, PLANNING ALSO INVOLVES QUALITY URBAN PLANNING AND WITH THE DART STATION RIGHT THERE AT, AT THE MARKET CENTER STATION, I THINK THIS IS A CORE LAND USE.
NOT TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE THAT STATE-OF-THE-ART, UM, MENTAL HOSPITAL OR RATHER, UM, YES, UH, MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS.
AS MY PREDECESSOR JUST SAID THAT, UM, OF THE LOCAL POPULATION THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, ON TOP OF THIS JUST BEING A LEACH ON WATER AND ELECTRICITY, I DON'T SEE ANY REAL VALUE TO THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS BEING, YOU KNOW, THE CROW HOLDINGS MARKET, AIR MARKET CENTER, DATA CENTER, UM, MARKET, WHOLE DATA CENTER.
AND SO IT, THIS TO ME IS GOING TO REALLY BE POOR USE OF THE DART STATION THAT IS THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, POOR USE OF LAND NEAR THE MEDICAL DISTRICT AND, YOU KNOW, COULD BE BETTER USE OF, UM, OF THIS CAMPUS.
YOU COULD HAVE MIXED USE HOUSING, THINGS LIKE THAT, OR EVEN JUST STILL MAINTAIN AN EVENT SPACE THERE.
UM, THE, THERE'S SOME NEXT TO NO BENEFITS REALLY I SEE OF, OF WHAT THIS WILL BE USED FOR.
UM, ESPECIALLY WITH LOCAL RESIDENCES.
THERE'S BAD ENOUGH THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, THAT I'VE SLOWLY BEEN SEEING SOME GINGER CUBES, A LITTLE BLACK AND WHITE OVERPRICED HOUSES POP UP, UM, THERE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIVE AND WORK THERE WITHIN THE MEDICAL DISTRICT.
I DON'T SEE MUCH VALUE THAT THIS WILL BRING, UM, OTHER THAN SOME INFRASTRUCTURE THAT A PRIVATE, UM, WILL OWN.
I THINK WE CAN ZONE IT TO BE MORE ADEQUATE FOR THE SURROUNDING AREA, ESPECIALLY TO THE, UM, THE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL THAT IS GOING TO BE OPENING SOON.
AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE DART STATION, AS I HAVE FOUGHT HARD TO ELIMINATE PARKING MINIMUMS SO YOU COULD HAVE MORE DENSITY, UH, NEAR THESE DART STATIONS.
SO, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I'M A STUDENT AT DALLAS COLLEGE AND A MEMBER OF NORTH, UH, DSA NORTH TEXAS.
I'M HERE TODAY IN THE COMMON NUMBER REGARDING THE BOTH DATA CENTER AT DALLAS MAR HALL.
I BELIEVE THE CITY SHOULD NOT BE ENTERTAINING A HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER AT THIS LOCATION.
IT'S SIT NEAR THE HEART OF THE DALLAS URBAN CORE AT HALF A MILE FROM A LARGE TRANSIT CENTER NEXT TO ONE OF THE STATE'S LARGEST HEALTHCARE HUBS.
THERE HAS BEEN MUCH PUBLICIZED BY THE DIRE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES THAT HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER GOES TO SURROUNDING ECOSYSTEMS AND POPULATIONS, MORE SPECIFICALLY AS THEY RELATE TO OUR SHARED AIR AND WATER RESOURCES.
I FEAR THAT LA LACKS REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT AND ITS RELATIVE DUR ENFORCEMENT CAPACITY.
AND THE RELATIVE DUR ENFORCEMENT CAPACITY WITHIN OUR STATE MAY ALLOW FOR SOME OF THE MOST SEVERE EXTERNALITIES RECEIVED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
CURRENT HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS HAVE NOTORIOUSLY ABUSED THEIR ABILITY TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY WITH ONSITE BACKUP GENERATORS TO SKIRT ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS AND GLUE THE AIR WE BREATHE.
AS AN EXAMPLE, IN MEMPHIS NA NATURAL GAS TURBINES AT THE XA IDENTIFIER, WERE CREATING AN ADDITIONAL 45 TONS OF NITROUS OXIDE EMISSIONS.
THEY WERE RUNNING THESE BACKUP GENERATORS MORE THAN THEY THEY COULD BECAUSE OF THE HIGH ENERGY PRICES IN THAT MARKET.
THE MEDICAL DISTRICT IS FULL OF AT-RISK POPULATION SEEKING CARE.
PUT A DEVELOPMENT LIKE THIS AT THE HEART OF OUR MEDICAL DISTRICT IN SERIOUS DANGER LIFE.
I URGE THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION TO PROVIDE PROPER OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE THE CITY IS FULLY AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THESE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN A DENSELY POPULATED URBAN CENTER.
I URGE COMMISSIONERS TO USE THEIR INFLUENCE TO FULLY ENSURE DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THESE ARE FULLY COMPLIANT WITH THE CCAP.
THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
UM, I AM ALSO HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PROPOSED DATA CENTER AT MARKET CENTER HALL.
UM, DATA CENTERS ARE QUITE A HOT TOPIC RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK THAT'S FOR GOOD REASON BECAUSE THESE HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS ONLY, UM, NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE MATERIAL CONDITIONS AROUND THEM.
UM, THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE WHEN IT COMES TO TEMPERATURE.
SO HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS LIKE THE ONE BEING PROPOSED CAUSE WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE KEY ISLAND EFFECT, WHERE THE DATA CENTERS RELEASE EXCESS FEET INTO AREAS SURROUNDING THEM AND CAUSE THE TEMPERATURES TO RISE SIGNIFICANTLY.
UM, THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE ACTUALLY DID A STUDY THAT, UM, SHOWED THAT THE TEMPERATURE INCREASE COULD RANGE FROM 3.6 DEGREES TO 16.4 DEGREES AND COULD BE FELT BY THOSE UP TO 6.2 MILES AWAY.
[00:15:01]
UM, THIS AREA OF DALLAS THAT THE DATA CENTER IS PROPOSED TO BE IN IS ALREADY AN URBAN FEET ISLAND THAT, UM, AND THAT'S ACCORDING TO A STUDY DONE BY DALLAS CLIMATE ACTION.AND SO I BELIEVE THAT THE LAST THING THIS AREA NEEDS IS ANOTHER TEMPERATURE INCREASE, PARTICULARLY WHEN EACH YEAR THE SUMMERS GET HOTTER AND HOTTER.
UM, I THINK THAT UNLIKE SMALLER SCALE DATA CENTERS, THESE HYPERSCALE FACILITIES ARE SCOURGES ON THE COMMUNITY AROUND THEM, AND THERE ARE COUNTLESS BETTER WAYS FOR THE LAND TO BE USED.
AND I URGE YOU TO WORK WITH THE CITY COUNCIL TO HELP THIS PROJECT AND DEVELOP STRICTER REGULATIONS FOR HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS TO PROTECT DALLAS CITIZENS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
MY NAME IS SAM COX, UH, MEMBER OF DSA AND RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 11.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE CORAL HOLDINGS.
PROPOSED 245 MEGAWATT DATA CENTER ON 40 ACRES OF LAND AT THE DALLAS MARKET CENTER SITES.
UH, A DATA CENTER OF THIS SIZE WOULD BE A BAD DEAL FOR ALL DALLAS RESIDENTS.
EVEN A MEDIUM SIZED DATA CENTER PLACES A MASSIVE BURDEN ON LOCAL WATER USAGE AND STRAIN ON ELECTRICAL GRIDS.
A 100 MEGAWATT US DATA CENTER MAY CONSUME ROUGHLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF WATER AS 2,600 HOUSEHOLDS, WHILE CONSUMING ENOUGH ENERGY TO POWER 100,000 HOMES IN A YEAR.
AND THIS PROPOSED DATA CENTER WILL BE OVER DOUBLE THE CAPACITY.
UH, THIS WATER AND FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCY CLEARLY CONTRADICTS THE COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE ACTION PLAN THAT THE CITY APPROVED.
AND 2020, UH, SINCE THE PROPOSED LOCATION IS ALREADY EXTREMELY WARM, THIS DATA CENTER WILL HAVE HIGHER COOLING ENERGY DEMANDS.
THIS CREATES A LEVEL OF CONTINUOUS NOISE, EXTREMELY DETRIMENTAL TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THOSE LIVING AND WORKING NEAR THE DATA CENTER.
IF THIS FACILITY PRODUCES AS MUCH NOISE AS OTHER HYPERSCALE CAMPUSES, I TRULY FEAR THE LIVELIHOOD OF RESIDENTS AROUND THE AREA AND THE EMPLOYEES AND PATIENTS OF PARKLAND AND THE CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER JUST DOWN THE ROAD.
WHILE IT'S TRUE THAT SMALL SCALE DATA CENTERS HAVE EXISTED FOR YEARS, THESE HYPERSCALE CENTERS ARE UNIQUELY DESTRUCTIVE, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY SURROUNDING THEM.
WE, AS RESIDENTS DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO HELP THIS PROJECT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA GO TO JESSICA RAMIREZ AND SHE'S VIRTUAL.
YOU HEAR ME? HI, MY NAME IS JESSICA RAMIREZ AND I REPRESENT THE CLEAVER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND CRIME WATCH AND DISTRICT EIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS TO DALLAS RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE.
THESE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AFFECT WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY THE AIR WE BREATHE, THE WATER THAT SURROUNDS US, INCLUDING ROADS AND DRAINAGE TO KEEP US SAFE.
IN RE RE RILEY, WE SEE AN ONGOING AND CURRENT ISSUES OF ILLEGAL DUMPING SAND MINING WITH MORE THAN MORE THAN UNUSUAL TRAFFIC AND NOTICEABLE AIR AND WATER QUALITY ISSUES, FLOODING, DRAINAGE, AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.
HICKORY CREEK FLOWS RIGHT ALONG THE TRINITY RIVER AND HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO YEARS OF NEGLECT.
OUR PRECIOUS TREES ARE BEING CUT DOWN FOR AUTO ZONES AND WE NEED COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT, NOT SIMPLY LOOKING AT ONE FACILITY OR ONE PERMIT AT A TIME.
TONIGHT, I HAVE THREE REQUESTS, MEANINGFUL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN SOUTHWEST DALLAS, DISTRICT FIVE AND DISTRICT EIGHT COLLABORATIONS.
THERE IS A SYSTEMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE HERE, AND DALLAS RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BECOME ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE, IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
NUMBER TWO, TREAT DATA CENTERS, DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENTS AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE.
WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT THAT DOES NOT PLACE AN ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN ON COMMUNITIES ALREADY FACING EJ ISSUES.
AND NUMBER THREE, I'M ASKING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACTION PLAN FOR SOUTHEAST DALLAS AND WHERE WE CAN IDENTIFY CONCERNS, ESTABLISH SOME GOALS, ESTABLISH RESPONSIBILITY AND SOME ACCOUNTABILITY, AND REPORT BACK TO RESIDENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER.
I LOVE BROOK RILEY, AND SUSTAINABILITY MEANS PROTECTING THE BEAUTY OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THE CITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
FOR ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO, TO JOIN US THIS EVENING.
[III. Announcements]
LET US GO INTO OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS.UH, COMMISSIONERS OF BUDGET TOWN HALL MEETINGS HAVE BEGUN AND THEY WILL RUN THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH.
UH, THERE ARE MULTIPLE OPTIONS TO PARTICIPATE WITHIN EACH DISTRICT IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL OPTIONS.
UM, AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, UH, ABOUT THE, UH, BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR OEQS, PLEASE BE SURE TO REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO, UH, DIRECTOR ANGELA HODGES.
[00:20:01]
ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.[IV. Approval of Minutes]
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO INTO THE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 10TH, 2026, UM, MEETING.IS THERE A THAT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY OPPOSED? I LIKE THOSE MEETING MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
LET'S GET RIGHT INTO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR THIS EVENING.
[V.a. EPA Rulemaking on Public Participation for Minor Air Pollution Permits]
OUR FIRST ITEM AND THEN A SUBSEQUENT VOTE, UH, IS REGARDING AN EPA RULEMAKING.WE HAVE SO FEW PEOPLE THAT I THINK EVERYBODY'S HERE.
WE'RE GONNA START IN DISTRICT ONE.
JORDAN, DISTRICT TWO, MARK WOOTEN.
REBECCA POSTON, DISTRICT 14 HOLIDAY AND DISTRICT 15, JULIE HARTO.
JACK PRESENT? DID I MISS ANYBODY? ALL RIGHT, THANKS.
LET'S GET ONTO OUR, UM, DISCUSSION ITEMS. ALL RIGHT.
UH, ITEM A IS AN EPA RULEMAKING ON THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FOR, UM, MINOR AIR POLLUTION SOURCES.
SO EARLIER IN JULY, THE US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, UH, ANNOUNCED A RULE PROPOSAL, UH, TO ESSENTIALLY ELIMINATE THE FEDERAL MINIMUM OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FOR MINOR SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION.
UH, THAT INCLUDES, UM, A NUMBER OF TYPES OF FACILITIES, UH, HERE IN TEXAS, UM, CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS, ROCK CRUSHERS, UM, AND EVEN, UH, TO SOME EXTENT THE, THE, UH, AUTHORIZATIONS THAT ARE PRESENTLY BEING OBTAINED BY DATA CENTERS.
UH, WE HAVE, I, I HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT THE WAY THIS WOULD IMPACT RESIDENTS IN DALLAS.
I THINK THAT IT WARRANTS US TO NOT ONLY HAVE A DISCUSSION AND FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS RULE PROPOSAL ENTAILS, UH, BUT TO ALSO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS TO THE EPA IN OPPOSITION OF THIS, THIS RULEMAKING.
UM, THE RULE IS, IT, IT BECOMES A LITTLE COMPLICATED, BUT WHAT ESSENTIALLY EPA AIMS TO DO IS WHAT IT SAYS, UH, IS ALLOW STATES TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION THEY DEEM NECESSARY.
AND FOR SOME STATES, THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A STATE REGULATOR THAT IS THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, OR TCEQ, WHO HAS HAD TO BE LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED TO ALLOW FOR MEANINGFUL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, THEN IT PRESENTS A CHALLENGE.
AND FOR RESIDENTS IN DALLAS TO WAKE UP AND REALIZE THAT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, A FACILITY THAT IS AN INCOMPATIBLE LAND USE, UH, HAS BEEN PERMITTED BY THE TCEQ WITH NO PUBLIC NOTICE, NO ACCESS TO THE APPLICATION MATERIALS, NO PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, NO PUBLIC MEETING, AND NO OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE.
AND I THINK THERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND ADVOCATES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WHO ARE WORKING TO OPPOSE THIS RULE.
THERE WAS A PUBLIC HEARING NATIONALLY ON JULY 22ND, AND THE EPA HEARD COMMENTS, UH, FROM, FROM FOLKS, A HUNDRED SPEAKERS WERE REGISTERED, A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED SPEAKERS WERE REGISTERED, 45 OF THEM WERE FROM TEXAS BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS KNOW THAT IF TCQ IS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION THEY DEEM NECESSARY,
[00:25:02]
IT WILL BE KNOWN.AND SO WHAT I THINK WE, WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND ARE SOME ASPECTS OF THIS RULE.
SO ONE OF THE MORE CONCERNING THINGS, UH, THAT EPAS IS, UH, ASSERTING IN THIS RULE IS FIRSTLY, THAT MINOR SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION, UH, DON'T IMPACT CHILDREN.
AND THEREFORE, THIS RULEMAKING IS NOT SUBJECT TO ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS, SPECIFICALLY INTENDED, UH, TO PROTECT, UH, CHILDREN.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER, UH, CONCERNS, UM, WAS AN ASSERTION THAT I THINK IT WAS STATED AND SUPPORTED BY EPA, THAT QUOTE, PROVIDING THE PUBLIC WITH INCONSEQUENTIAL INFORMATION OVERWHELMS THEM AND DIS DISSUADES THEM, ESSENTIALLY FROM PARTICIPATING, UM, IN PERMITTING.
AND FRANKLY, AND I SAID THIS DIRECTLY TO THE EPA, THE ASSERTION THAT PEOPLE ARE TOO STUPID IS INCREDIBLY OFFENSIVE TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT EPA IS SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING.
UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS, AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANTED FOR ME TO SORT OF GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM, I, I ABSOLUTELY CAN THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED WITHIN THIS RULE.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IF THE FEDERAL FLOOR FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, WHICH BY THE WAY, HAS BEEN PART OF TEXAS STATE LAW SINCE THE 1990S WHEN WE ADOPTED OUR STATE COMPENSATION PLAN, IF THE FLOOR IS REMOVED, UH, AND STATES ARE NO LONGER HELD TO IT, UM, I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS WOULD SUBMIT A REVISION TO ITS STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ALSO REMOVE THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
AND I THINK IT BEHOOVES US AND FOR FOLKS, OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE SIMILARLY CONCERNED, UH, TO SUBMIT COMMENTS.
AND THE COMMENT DEADLINE IS, IS AUGUST 21ST.
UM, AND IF WE'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO FOR DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT NOW, MR.
I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE WHAT, UH, CHAIR SAID, AND, AND TWO, THIS IS REALLY ABOUT THE LIGHT OF DATA.
THE MORE WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO OPERATE IN DOCUMENTS FROM THAT OVERSIGHT, THE MORE WE ALLOW THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN.
WHAT WE SEE, HOW IMPORTANT PROCEDURAL MATTERS ARE, IS ONE THING TO BE PROPOSED TO ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION SOLUTION.
THE OTHER THING TO REALLY MONITOR AND KNOW HOW TO FIGHT IT ON REGULAR BASIS, BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE, YOU DON'T HAVE THE LIGHT OF DAY TO LOOK INTO WHAT THE PROCEDURES ARE, THEN YOU HAVE NO CHANCE OF STOPPING BEING
SO I REALLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE HERE TO REACH OUT TO NUMBER THAT THEY SPECIAL, THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND THE STATE LEVEL TO MAKE CLEAR.
WE HAVE TO HAVE WAYS TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU KNOW, AIR THAT WE BRING, THE WINE THAT WE DRINK.
SO AS A RESULT, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO JOIN IN JARED, MYSELF, AND OTHERS, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE EPA GUIDELINES ARE CRITICAL ON HEALTH AND HEALTH.
AND I CAN GUARANTEE DON'T DO THIS AND ALLOW THIS TO BLOW OVER US, YOU THINKING GET WORSE INFECTIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IN THE NATION.
SO REMEMBER, PROCEDURAL MATTERS WILL COUNT ONE THING TO MARCHING THE STREETS TO WRITE THOSE OP-EDS DOWN TO, YOU'VE GOT TO FIND WAYS TO KNOW THE LAW TO AFFECT THE LAW.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A GENTLEMAN WHO LIVES HERE IN THIS CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, ONLY NOW, BUT HE WAS THE LAWYER WHO WROTE THE CLEAN WATER BACK IN 1970S.
THE GOVERNMENT LAWYER YOU WROTE DOWN ON PAPER WITH THE CLEAN WATER ACT WAS, AND THE EFFECT THAT'S HAD ON THE OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS EVER SINCE THOSE PAPERWORK.
BUT IT MATTERED, AND THIS REALLY MATTERED.
SO I WANT REEMPHASIZE WHAT THE CHAIR SAID.
THESE ARE ISSUES THAT WE MUST BE AWARE OF, THE PROCEDURAL OF
AND SO I ENCOURAGE TO BE INVOLVED IN MS. PLA.
THANK YOU, MR. MARLIS, MR. HOFFMAN, AND THEN DR.
AND THEN I KNOW HE HAS GOT HER HAND UP TOO, BUT, UH, SHE'LL BE ABLE TO CITE CHAPTER VERSE WHAT BILL THIS WAS, BUT IT WAS PROPOSED AT THE STATE LEGISLATOR OUR LAST, UH, LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THAT THEY WERE GOING
[00:30:01]
TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF CITIES BEING ABLE TO MONITOR OUR AIR QUALITY.SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTION AS THE DIRECTION OF WHAT TEXAS WILL DO AS A RESULT OF THIS RULE THAT MAY BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE EPA, THERE IS NO DOUBT WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
SO WE HAVE TO SPEAK UP, UH, AND DO WHAT WE CAN.
LACHMAN, AND THEN MS. BE, UH, UH, I, UH, I, UH, TAKE SERIOUSLY THAT, UH, EACH OF US SHOULD SUBMIT OUR COMMENTS AND THAT, UH, WOULD, UH, IF IT'S, IF WE NEED TO FORMALLY MOVE, I FORMALLY MOVE AND SUBMIT, UH, COMMENTS TO THE EPA.
UM, I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT, UM, WHAT THE EEPA HAS NOT CONSIDERED IN THIS RULEMAKING AND LEAVING IT UP TO STATE, UH, WE LIVE IN TEXAS, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT BE AFFECTED IF WE'RE IN, IN MIDLAND.
WE MAY NOT BE AFFECTING OKLAHOMA MUCH, BUT WHAT ABOUT LIVING IN RHODE ISLAND? UH, IN RHODE ISLAND? YOUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY FROM THIS RULE BECAUSE WHAT MASSACHUSETTS DECIDES WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY HAVE AN EFFECT, PARTICULARLY AN AIR QUALITY.
SO, UM, TO, TO BELIEVE THAT THERE'S NOT EFFECT, THAT AN EFFECT THAT FLOWS OVER FROM SAFE TO SAY IS VERY SHORTSIGHTED AND NOT VALID.
MS. BE, UM, AS, AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, CATHERINE, I TESTIFIED TOO, BESIDES YOU, I ACTUALLY HAD A BIGGER COUNT OF TEXANS ON THAT PARTICULAR, UM, DAY OF EPA TESTIMONY.
AND HAVING WORKED ON PERMITS, WHICH YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT WE DEAL WITH BIG INDUSTRY DUMMY DOWN PERMITS AND TRYING TO SKIRT THE LAW ALREADY.
WE ALL KNOW HOW MANY COMMUNITIES HAVE COME BEFORE US ON CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS, AMONGST OTHER THINGS LIKE TAMCO, GAF, UM, AND OTHER THINGS.
AND I STRONGLY URGE OUR, UH, COMMISSION TO GO FORWARD AND HAVE COMMENTS WRITTEN.
OH, UM, I
SO I, UM, SINCE EVERYONE HAS THAT, I MEAN, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE LINE I'M SORRY TO, SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, TRACY.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND YOU.
IT'S, IT'S ANY BETTER? I THINK YOU HAVE A BAD CONNECTION.
WHY DON'T YOU MUTE AND GIVE ME A CALL ON MY CELL PHONE AND I WILL PUT MY PHONE TO THE MICROPHONE SO THAT, BUT REMAIN ON CAMERA.
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE THE MEETING, BUT JUST MUTE AND GIMME A CALL AND I'LL LET YOUR COMMENTS GO THROUGH NORMAL.
TRACY, ARE YOU THERE? UM, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, I WAS JUST SECONDING WHAT EVERYBODY SAID.
WE'VE HAD JOHN, WE'VE HAD CLEAVER TONIGHT, UM, AN ATTEMPT IN EAST DALLAS, UH, A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
WE, I WOULD LIKE TO SECOND IF BARRY HAS OFFICIALLY MOTIONED, UH, DR.
I MEAN, UM, THAT THIS COMMITTEE, UH, THAT THIS COMMISSION SUBMIT FORMALLY AS A GROUP, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IN THE CITY, A SIZE OF DALLAS.
VICE CHAIR WALLACE, IF YOU WANNA LEAVE THE MEETING AND REJOIN AND SEE IF YOUR CONNECTION WOULD GET BETTER, YOU CAN DO THAT.
AND THEN, AND THEN WE'LL VOTE, UM, WHEN YOU REJOIN.
ANYBODY ELSE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS RULEMAKING ABOUT ITS IMPACT? THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, I DID WANT, UM, TO POINT OUT THAT AT THE SAME TIME THIS REGULATORY ACTION
[00:35:01]
WAS ANNOUNCED, UM, THAT EPA ALSO, UM, SHARED A PRESS RELEASE, UM, AND ESSENTIALLY STATED THAT THIS REFORM WILL ALLOW POLLUTERS TO OBTAIN THEIR PERMITS FASTER WITHOUT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.UM, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SORT OF REITERATING MY COMMENTS THAT I MADE DIRECTLY TO EPA, I FEEL LIKE THAT IS A SHAMELESS SURRENDER TO POLLUTERS.
UM, AND THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO DEPEND ON EPA NOT TO ABANDON ITS FEDERAL OVERSIGHT OF, OF OF TCEQ.
UM, BECAUSE FAST TRACKING PERMITS FOR INDUSTRY AND SILENCING COMMUNITY VOICES, UM, AT THE EXPENSE OF CLEAN AIR AND PUBLIC HEALTH IS NOT, UH, HOW WE DO BUSINESS.
RIGHT? UM, SO AGAIN, JUST REITERATING THAT FOLKS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS SHOULD SUBMIT THEIR OWN COMMENTS TO THE FEDERAL REGISTER.
UM, EPA ACCEPTS ONLINE COMMENTS.
WRITTEN ONLINE COMMENTS, UM, THAT RULE IS POSTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER AS THE MINOR NEWS SOURCE REVIEW PROGRAM, AIR PERMITTING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS.
UM, AND IF YOU GOOGLE THAT, IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THE FEDERAL REGISTER LINK.
SO, UM, BECAUSE WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS WRITE A SET OF COMMENTS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO DALLAS AND DALLAS'S NEEDS.
UM, I WOULD NEED, UM, TRACY'S JOINING IF YOU'LL, I THINK TRACY'S TRYING TO TURN HER CAMERA ON, SO WE'LL JUST GIVE HER ANOTHER MINUTE.
UM, ESSENTIALLY, AND I APPRECIATE THE MOTION, BARRY AND THE, THE SECOND BY TRACY, UM, WILL NEED TO CONSIDER A VOTING ITEM, UM, TO ALLOW ME TO DRAFT AND SUBMIT FORMAL WRITTEN COMMENTS TO THE EPA SO THAT THEY CAN BE TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO THE NEEDS OF DALLAS.
I THINK TRACY LEFT AGAIN, SO LET'S GIVE HER A SECOND.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL VOTE ON THAT THERE.
SO IF YOU'LL RESTATE YOUR MOTION, BARRY, TO ALLOW ME TO DRAFT THOSE COMMENTS.
UM, CHAIR WALLACE, DO YOU WANNA SECOND THAT AGAIN? VICE CHAIR WALLACE, I SECOND.
ALRIGHT, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
[V.b. Request for Information from the City of Dallas on Data Centers]
LET'S GO RIGHT ON INTO, UH, DISCUSSION ITEM B, WHICH IS OUR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS ON DATA CENTERS.SO FRIENDS, AS YOU'LL RECALL, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION VOTED IN FEBRUARY TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE POLICY TO RECOMMEND TO THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL ABOUT THE REGULATION OF DATA CENTERS.
WE HAVE SEEN DATA CENTERS PROLIFERATE TAXES, UM, IN 2030, AS WE SAW IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE GAVE IN FEBRUARY.
TAXES IS, UH, IS ESTIMATED TO LEAD THE NATION AND THE NUMBER OF DATA CENTERS.
UM, OUR STATE LEADERSHIP, DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF LEGISLATION, HAS WAVED THE FLAG AND INVITED BIG TECH INTO TEXAS.
UM, AND SO WE ARE GRAPPLING WITH THE INABILITY TO EFFICIENTLY REGULATE THIS INDUSTRY LOCALLY HERE IN DALLAS, UH, WE HAVE DATA CENTERS THAT ARE DEFINED IN THE ZONING CODE, BUT THOSE ARE THE FOUR STORY AT T OFFICE BUILDINGS WITH ALL THEIR WINDOWS BLACKED OUT.
AND THAT ZONING CODE DEFINITION DOES NOT MEET WHAT THE REALITY IS OF A HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER OF 2026.
UM, I DID SEE, LIKE MOST OF YOU, AND MAYBE NEWS TO SOME, THAT FIVE OF OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SIGNED A MEMORANDUM DIRECTING CITY STAFF TO OPEN A ZONING CODE REVISION FOR, UH, DEFINING DATA CENTERS.
AND WE MUST AT THE SAME TIME DEVELOP THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT FULLY ENCOMPASSES ALL OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT DATA CENTER, DATA CENTERS
[00:40:01]
BRING, AIR POLLUTION, LAND USE, WATER, ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION, UM, HEAT, AS MENTIONED BY SEVERAL OF OUR SPEAKERS TODAY.UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT DALLAS IS NOT ANTICIPATING ONE DATA CENTER.
WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE DATA CENTER RIGHT NOW THAT IS BEING PROPOSED.
THE SECOND IS AT 1550 WEST MOCKINGBIRD, AND THAT IS ALSO IN DISTRICT TWO.
IT'S NOT FAR, IT'S JUST NORTHWEST OF THE PRO HOLDINGS PROPOSED DATA CENTER.
UM, THE, MY INITIAL ASSESSMENTS OF THE ZONING, UH, APPEARS TO BE THAT THEY HAVE A, UM, WAREHOUSE AND OUTDOOR PARKING, UH, ZONING USE RIGHT NOW.
NO ZONING CHANGES HAVE BEEN PROPOSED AS OF YET, BUT IT COULD VERY WELL BE THAT THE BILL HOLDING STATUS CENTER HAS, UM, ZONING BY RIGHT FOR THAT DATA CENTER.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER CONCERNS TO CONSIDER.
UM, THE FIRST WOULD BE THE, THE SOURCE OF POWER.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS EXTENSIVELY, HOW, UH, STATE LEADERSHIP IS URGING DATA CENTERS NOT TO CONNECT TO THE GRID, BUT INSTEAD TO BRING THEIR OWN GAS PLANT.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT BRINGS ALSO WITH ITS POLLUTION.
UH, DATA CENTERS UTILIZE DIESEL POWERED GENERATORS FOR BACKUP POWER WHEN, UH, POWER FAILS.
UM, THAT'S ALSO A SOURCE OF, OF AIR POLLUTION.
THERE'S THE ISSUE OF WATER CONSUMPTION.
UM, THERE'S THE OTHER ISSUE OF, UH, ECONOMIC INCENTIVE.
UM, IN MY OPINION, NO COMPANY WITH A MARKET CAP OF $50 MILLION SHOULD BE ASKING FOR STATE OR LOCAL TAX INCENTIVES OR TAX BREAKS.
UM, AND SO, UH, BECAUSE MY CURIOSITY GOT THE BEST OF ME BEFORE THIS MEETING, I WENT AHEAD AND SUBMITTED A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST TO DETERMINE WHETHER EITHER THE CROW HOLDINGS OR THE EQUINIX DATA CENTER THAT'S BEING PROPOSED ON MOCKINGBIRD, UH, HAS APPLIED TO THE CITY OR INQUIRED ABOUT ECONOMIC INCENTIVES.
UM, I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR OUR CITY, GIVEN THE CURRENT BUDGET SITUATION THAT WE GIVE BIG TECH A BIG BREAK.
UM, AND SO I'M, I'M VERY INTERESTED TO SEE THAT, BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS AND HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON IDEAS ON WHAT OTHER INFORMATION SHOULD WE BE REQUESTING OF THE CITY OF DALLAS IN ORDER TO MAKE A AN INFORMED RECOMMENDATION.
WHEN WE GO INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION, WE DEVELOP THIS, UH, COMPREHENSIVE DATA CENTER POLICY RECOMMENDATION.
WE WOULD WANT TO BE SITTING DOWN WITH ALL OF THAT DATA SO THAT WE CAN THEN FORM THE POLICY BASED ON THE EXISTING NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS.
AND TWO, THE POINTS OF OUR, OUR SPEAKERS.
THAT PROCESS WILL INCLUDE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
WE WILL BE HAVING, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS ON A BIGGER LEVEL.
UM, I ALSO THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR US TO OPEN A FORM OR A SURVEY SO THAT FOLKS CAN BEGIN TO GIVE US THAT INFORMATION.
UM, AND SO WE WILL WORK TO GET THAT OPEN AND AVAILABLE SO THAT IT CAN BE SHARED OUT WITH FOLKS AND WE CAN BEGIN RECEIVING INPUT FROM RESIDENTS OF THE CITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT THOSE CONCERNS MAY BE, NOT JUST FOR THESE TWO PROPOSED DATA CENTERS, UM, BUT FOR FUTURE DATA CENTERS.
UM, THAT MAY BE COMING DOWN THE WAY.
I'VE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH ON THE CROW HOLDING STATUS CENTER, WHICH, BY THE WAY, DAVID AND I HAD A MEETING, UM, AND DISCUSSED.
AND, AND TRAMMELL DID MENTION TO ME THAT THE STATUS CENTER WAS COMING TO MARK THE HALL.
UM, AND SO I, I DON'T HAVE ANY DOUBTS THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
UM, SO, UH, I DO ANTICIPATE, UH, IN THE, THE PRESS RELEASE, UM, IT MENTIONED A COMPANY CLEAN ARC, UM, AND IT APPEARS THAT SOME OF THEIR DATA CENTERS ARE BEING DEVELOPED WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY AS THE POWER SOURCE.
UM, MORE INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT, BUT COULDN'T POSSIBLY SUPPORT A DATA CENTER, YOU KNOW, IN THAT LOCATION UNLESS, UM, WE HAD ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WOULD BE NO IMPACT TO RESIDENTS.
AND IT JUST SEEMS NOT VERY FEASIBLE.
BUT, UM, GIVEN ALL WE KNOW ABOUT DATA CENTERS TODAY, SO, UM, LET'S START WITH DR.
LACKMAN AND THEN COME OVER HERE WITH MR. KAUFMAN AND GO TO MS. BEVIN AND, UM, SHARE BY SHERWELL.
UM, I'M GONNA SPEAK TO THIS ISSUE FROM THE, UM, LENS OF MYSELF AS A PEDIATRICIAN.
UM, THE, UM, I ALSO SERVE AS THE SENIOR CO-CHAIR FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE OF THE TEXAS PEDIATRIC SOCIETY.
[00:45:01]
UM, E EACH YEAR WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL PLANNING MEETING IN APRIL.AT OUR MEETING IN APRIL, UH, THE ISSUE OF DATA CENTERS WAS SURFACED BY CLAYTON TRAVIS, WHO ADVOCATE, WHO WAS THE LOBBYIST, THE ADVOCATE FOR TEXAS PEDIATRIC SOCIETY.
AND HE POINTED OUT THAT THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S CHARGE TO THE LEGISLATURE WAS ALL ABOUT HOW TO PROLIFERATE DATA CENTERS.
THERE WAS NO ATTENTION TO, UH, THE ELECTRICAL COSTS AND NEEDS, THE WATER COSTS, ANY OF THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, MY COLLEAGUE, DR.
RENEE BARCO, WHO WAS IN PRACTICE IN UM, AUSTIN, HAS COMPILED A REPORT, UH, WHICH, UM, I BELIEVE I CAN SHARE, UH, ON THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF DATA CENTERS ON CHILDREN.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, ON THE, UH, IN A REPORT THAT I HAVE WRITTEN AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL CO-CHAIR, UH, FOR THE TEXAS PEDIATRIC SOCIETY, UH, I HAVE ASKED THE P THE TEXAS PEDIATRIC SOCIETY TO DRAFT A FORMAL POLICY, UH, HAVING TO DO WITH THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF DATA CENTERS ON CHILDREN.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THE CONSIDERATION OF THOSE ISSUES IS VERY KEY.
UM, AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, THE WORK THAT, UM, THAT I DID WHILE, UH, WE, WE HAVE SEEN THAT THE, UM, BATCH PLANTS, UH, 7 5 2 4 1, WHICH IS WHERE THE ONE THAT TCQ APPROVED, UH, A PERMIT FOR, HAS THE SECOND HIGHEST ASTHMA VULNERABILITY OF ANY, UH, DA, UH, OF ANY ZIP CODE OF THE 96TH IN DALLAS COUNTY.
WE NEED TO DO A SIMILAR THING LOOKING AT DATA CENTERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ENDANGERING, UM, OUR CHILDREN.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT THE HEALTH EFFECTS, UH, OF DATA CENTER BROADLY AND, UH, AND CHILDREN AND ADULTS REALLY NEEDS TO BE PART OF ANY POLICY THAT THE CITY GRANTS.
SO WE DO NOT WANT A REPEAT OF THE LEAD ISSUES THAT WE HAD IN WEST DALLAS.
AND I'D VERY MUCH BE INTERESTED IN SEEING DR.
THAT'S, UH, LET'S GO THAT TO MR. HOFFMAN.
UH, IT'S ENTIRELY WITHIN THE DOMAIN OF THE, UM, BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING BUILT, WHETHER IT BE FOR THE INHABITANTS OF THE BUILDING OR PEOPLE THAT OCCUPY THE BUILDING OR PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
UH, WE HAVE TRAFFIC STUDIES THAT ARE CONSTANTLY DEALING WITH WHEN A NEW IMPACT OR THE DEVELOPMENT'S GONNA DO FOR AN AREA WITH REGARD TO TRAFFIC SAFETY, HEALTH SAFETY PEOPLE IN AND AROUND THE BUILDING.
IT IS ENTIRELY WITHIN DOMAIN OF OUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO LEGISLATE A, THIS IS AN ENTIRELY TWO NEW TYPE OF BUILDING.
THIS IS A TYPE OF BUILDING THAT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE OCCUPANTS IN ANY SENSE OF THE WORD.
AND SO, UH, AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THERE IS GENERATING A LOT OF HEAT.
SO IT WOULD BE INCUMBENT OF US TO WRITE CODE IN THE CITY OF CODES THAT APPLY TO THE FACT THAT THE HEAT GENERATED IN THIS BUILDING SHOULD BE CONTAINED WITHIN THE BUILDING.
AND THEN ANOTHER REASON THAT WE CAN ADDRESS ANOTHER WAY, CAN, WE CAN ADDRESS THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF EMF THAT'S GONNA BE COMING OFF THESE LARGE, LARGE SPOOLS OF ELECTRICITY THAT ARE GENERATED THROUGH THESE BUILDINGS.
SO I WOULD EXPECT THAT THE BUILDING SHOULD HAVE ELECTRONIC OR SOME KIND OF SHIELDING ON THE WALLS TO PERFECT TO PREVENT ANYTHING COMING FROM OUT INSIDE THE BUILDING TO IMPACT THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE SURROUNDING THE BUILDING.
SO ALSO THOSE WALLS THAT ARE BUILT, THESE BUILDINGS ARE BUILT OUT OF, SHOULD BE INCREDIBLY INSULATED AND SHOULD BE ISOLATING WHATEVER'S INSIDE THE BUILDING TO STAY INSIDE THE BUILDING.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE SHOULD BE USING ANY, UH, UH, ALL RENEWABLE FOR THE GENERATION OF THE POWER FOR THE SYSTEMS. AND THE BACKUP SYSTEMS SHOULD NOT BE, UH, GAS GENERATED OF ANY SORT.
THEY SHOULD BE BATTERY BACKUP OR GENER, UH, AND HAVE LARGE SOLAR IN THE SLICE SYSTEM TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT SPACE.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, THE HEATING SYSTEMS SHOULD BE ALL GROUND SOURCE, MEANING LOOPED, GROUND SOURCE COOLING, GEOTHERMAL HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS THAT WILL HAVE, UH, WHEN WE'RE DOING THEM ON HOMES, WE'RE DRILLING WELLS 250 FEET DEEP INTO THE GROUND WITH A LOOP LINE THAT ALLOWS THE GROUND, WE ABSORB THE HEAT.
[00:50:01]
THERE ARE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW FOR THESE TO BE BUILT IN A MANNER EXACTLY AS I HAVE DESCRIBED, AND IT SHOULD BE CODIFIED BY OUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO PREVENT THESE BUILDINGS BECOMING HEALTH HAZARDS FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.ALAN, DO YOU KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY SUCH STANDARDS FOR EMF SHIELDING OR CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM OR COOLING OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS? YOU KNOW, I DON'T BELIEVE IT.
I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION THAT WE SHOULD DEFINITELY ASK CITY STAFF.
SO IT'S INCUMBENT ON THE CITY OF DALLAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS ARE IMPACTED NEGATIVELY.
I MEAN, I CAN'T TELL YOU THE BATTLES THAT OCCUR WITH A CURB CUT,
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMETHING BIGGER THAN A CURB CUT, A GIANT EMF CLOUD THAT WILL ELECTRO AUTOMATICALLY IMPACT EVERYBODY'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THEIR BODY AS THEY WALK BY THIS GIANT ELECTRICAL PULSE.
AND YOU KNOW, TO THAT POINT, THERE IS A, UH, CITY OF DALLAS RECREATION CENTER, 500 FEET FROM, UH, TO THE SOUTH OF THE MOCKINGBIRD FACILITY.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG? 600 FEET FROM RESIDENCES, UH, JUST OVER A THOUSAND FEET FROM UTSW, THE HOSPITAL.
I'LL COME BACK TO MR. MARQUIS.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO, UM, MS. BE, UH, VICE CHAIR WALLACE, AND THEN DR.
UH, JUST WANNA BRING UP A FEW THINGS SINCE I'VE BEEN IN SEVERAL COUNTIES ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, ONE CONCERN IS THE WATER USE.
WE ALL KNOW, UM, THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF WAYS TO COOL A DATA CENTER, BUT THERE'S AIR COOLING, THERE'S WATER COOLING, THERE'S IMMERSION, ET CETERA.
BUT A WATER COOLED DATA CENTER, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE, CAN TAKE 300,000 GALLONS PER DAY TO 5 MILLION IF IT'S A HYPERSCALER.
UM, SO I AM WORKING WITH FOLKS RIGHT NOW IN LAKE LAVONNE WHO, FOR INSTANCE, WENT TO NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT, AND ALREADY IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE FOUND EIGHT PERMITS FOR LARGE, UH, AMOUNTS OF GALLONS OF WATER.
I DON'T KNOW IF DW COULD DO THIS.
GRANTED, I THINK A LOT OF THE DATA CENTERS IN TOWN ARE BUILDING VERTICALLY, AND THEY'RE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE MANY HYPERSCALERS IF THAT, LIKE RED OAK OR LANCASTER.
BUT I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN GATHER WATER INFORMATION, IF WE CAN TALK TO SARAH STANDIFER ABOUT THAT.
I JUST WANNA BRING UP IN REGARDS TO WATER GUYS, THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH WATER DISCHARGE.
UH, THE WATER DISCHARGE FROM A WATER COOLED SYSTEM CAN RELEASE ETHYLENE APO, GLYCOLS, OTHER KINDS OF GLYCOLS CORROSION INHIBITORS, BIOCIDES, UH, TRACE METALS.
AND WHEN YOU MULTIPLY THAT TIMES THOUSANDS TO MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER, THAT'S A LOT OF METALS.
IT CAN OVERWHELM A WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE ADDRESS THAT WITH DALLAS WATER UTILITIES.
IT WOULD BE AN IDEA TO DISCUSS, AND ALAN MENTIONED A LOT OF THINGS.
THE OTHER THING I JUST WANNA BRING UP REAL QUICK IS NOISE IS A CONCERN.
OFTENTIMES THESE DATA CENTERS WILL COME IN, THEY'LL SAY, OH, WE'LL BE BELOW 60 DECIBELS.
WELL, I HAVE FOLKS IN TOLAR RIGHT NOW BY GRANBERRY THAT HAVE MEASURED UP TO A HUNDRED DECIBELS ON A CRYPTO MINER.
AND A CRYPTO MINER IS TECHNICALLY A DATA CENTER.
LAMAN KNOWS, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING LIKE EIGHT HOURS OF EXPOSURE AT 85 DECIBELS WILL GIVE YOU PERMANENT HEARING LOSS.
WELL, FOLKS OUT THERE ARE DEALING WITH THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I HAVE FOLKS WITH DEAF LIVESTOCK AND PETS EVEN.
SO ANYWAY, JUST WANNA BRING UP THOSE FEW THINGS.
SO ADDING TO THE LIST OF STAFF REQUESTS IS THE WATER CONSUMPTION BY ANY OF THE CITY'S EXISTING DATA CENTERS.
UM, I THINK WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION THAT MAKES ME, THAT MAKES ME RECALL SOMETHING, DAVID, THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST.
UH, HAVEN'T WE, AS A COMMISSION TALKED ABOUT
[00:55:01]
OUR SALE OF WATER TO OTHER UTILITIES AND HOW THEY, WE DO NOT MANDATE THAT OTHER CITIES IMPLEMENT ANY CONSERVATION MEASURES.I'M WONDERING IF THIS WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BROACH THAT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TO INQUIRE HOW MANY OF THOSE CITIES ARE SELLING OUR WATER TO DATA CENTERS THEMSELVES.
I WONDER IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
LET ME ADD THAT TO AND DRINK OR FEED THE DATA CENTER.
RITA, DID YOU TALK TO LAUREN POWER AND LAVONNE? IS THAT WHO YOU'RE WORKING WITH? YOU'RE MUTED.
SORRY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY DEAL IS TONIGHT, BUT YES, I TALKED TO HER AND I TALKED TO ERICA.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ON THEIR OWN IS REGULAR CITIZENS.
FOUND EIGHT PERMITS ALONE WITH NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT AND WHY I'M BRINGING THAT UP, NUT MUD, AS WE CALL IT, ALONG WITH DW TARRANT REGIONAL, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ARE ALL PART OF REGENCY AND PART OF THE REGENCY PLAN IN THE APPENDICES ON PAGE 1159, TALKS ABOUT JUSTIFYING BUILDING NEW RESERVOIRS BECAUSE OF DATA CENTERS.
CAN YOU HEAR ME ANY BETTER NOW? IT IS SLIGHTLY BETTER, YES, GO AHEAD.
UM, SO MY CONCERN IS BASED ON WHAT I READ, IS THAT EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SUPPOSEDLY A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS IN TEXAS RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'VE STARTED THIS BATCH PROGRAM TO STUDY THE FIRST HUNDRED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT PERMITS FOR THE GAS GENERATION PLANTS ARE STILL HAPPENING.
THERE'S NO MORATORIUM ON THAT.
AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUES HAVE ALREADY BEEN BROUGHT UP ABOUT AIR POLLUTION AND, UH, THE HARM TO OUR, OURSELVES, OUR PLANET, IF WE KEEP BURNING NATURAL GAS.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT.
UH, AND IS THERE ANY WAY FOR THE CITY TO SAY, TO PREVENT THE CHAIRMAN, UH,
UM, AND, UM, AND JUST FOR ANY OF OUR COMMISSIONERS OR, UM, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS HERE THAT DON'T KNOW, IT IS ALWAYS GOING TO TAKE LONGER TO BUILD GAS GENERATION PLANT THAN IT IS TO, UH, PUT IN A SOLAR ARRAY.
IT'S ALWAYS FASTER, ALWAYS CHEAPER TO DO RENEWABLE ENERGY.
UM, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE MORATORIUM, I, UH, STRONGLY OPPOSE THAT THIS IS A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WHAT HAS ORDERED, UH, IS ACTUALLY A MORATORIUM MODE AT ALL.
I THINK WHAT HE ORDERED WAS THAT THE DATA CENTERS THAT ARE SEEKING GRID CONNECTION MUST FIRST MAKE DISCLOSURES AND BE AUDITED AND RESPOND TO THE AUDIT, UH, AND THAT THE PUC AND AIRCO WILL MAKE THAT, UH, AUDIT AND IT WILL BE MONTHS AND THOSE DATA CENTERS WILL BE BACK UNDERWAY.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
WE HAVE, UH, A MORATORIUM HAPPENING IN, IN TEXAS ON DATA CENTERS.
UH, IF HE CALL, IF, IF THE GOVERNOR CALLED A SPECIAL SESSION, UH, THEN PERHAPS, RIGHT? BUT THIS IS NOT A LEGISLATIVE REMEDY.
UM, IT IS A WAY TO, UH, GET A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION FROM THESE DATA CENTERS THAT THEY HAVE TO DATE, BEEN UNWILLING TO DISCLOSE.
UM, THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD SENT OUT SURVEYS ABOUT WATER CONSUMPTION.
THE MAJORITY, I THINK 17% OF THE DATA CENTERS RESPONDED.
THE MAJORITY OF THEM WHOLLY IGNORED, UH, THAT, UM, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION.
AND SO IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARDS TO DO ITS LONG RANGE PLANNING OR WATER PLAN.
UM, SO I, I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE, THE, UM, NATURAL GAS PLANTS THAT ARE NOT SEEKING TO BE INTERCONNECTED TO THE GRID IS THAT THEY'RE NOT SUBJECT TO THOSE DISCLOSURES.
[01:00:01]
'CAUSE THEY DON'T WANT ANYTHING FROM ONCO OR TO PUC.WE READ TODAY THAT ONE OF THE DA THE DATA CENTERS IS BEING PROPOSED IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, VANTAGE AND ANOTHER DATA CENTER IN, UH, AROUND THE AMARILLO AREA, FERMI AMERICA.
UM, THEY HAD THEIR TCEQ PUBLIC MEETINGS CANCELED WITH NO NOTIFICATION TO THE PUBLIC AS TO WHY THOSE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN CANCELED.
UH, AND THEN JUST SHORTLY AFTER, UH, THE GOVERNOR PUT OUT A PRESS RELEASE AND SAID THAT ONE OF THOSE DATA CENTERS IS GOING TO VOLUNTARILY COMPLY WITH THE AUDIT REQUEST, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BUILDING A GAS PLANT THAT'S NOT CONNECTED TO THE GRID.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S A MORATORIUM.
UM, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET THESE, THESE DATA CENTERS THAT ARE CO-LOCATING A GAS PLANT TO ACTUALLY DISCLOSE THE SAME INFORMATION ABOUT ENERGY CONSUMPTION, WATER CONSUMPTION, ECONOMIC INCENTIVES, HOW THEY'RE GONNA BE PROTECTIVE OF NEIGHBORHOODS, THE NOISE, THE, THE LIGHT POLLUTION, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND LUCKILY, YOU KNOW, WE IN DALLAS DON'T HAVE, UH, DATA CENTER OVER THE CO-LOCATED GAS PLANT BEING PROPOSED RIGHT NOW.
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY COMMUNITIES NEAR US AND AROUND US THAT ABSOLUTELY ARE GETTING CLOBBERED WITH THEM.
UM, SO I'M SPEAKING, I HAVE TO SAY SPECIFICALLY I'M SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, MARKET CENTER, UM, AND NOT AN EMPLOYEE.
MARKET CENTER SHARES, UH, SEVERAL, UM, DRIVEWAYS WITH CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER.
UM, IT'S NOT JUST CLOSE TO IT.
IT, IT'S, IT'S PRACTICALLY INTEGRATED AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY BLOCKED OFF CERTAIN WAYS, BUT THEY, YOU KNOW, PATIENTS USED TO DRIVE THROUGH MARKET CENTER TO GET TO, UM, CHILDREN'S.
UM, UH, AND I'M IN DISTRICT TWO, UM, UH, FOR, UH, EXPOSURES, RIGHT? AND WHAT THOSE EXPOSURES LOOK LIKE.
I, I FIND IT REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT.
I DON'T FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THERE ISN'T A LOT OF DATA ON THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF THESE DATA CENTERS.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S PUR PURPOSELY FULLY CHALLENGING TO GET THAT DATA.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, THE REPORTS THAT YOU HEAR ARE PRETTY, UM, CLEAR THAT THERE IS NOISE POLLUTION, THAT THERE IS WATER POLLUTION, THAT THERE IS WATER, THERE ARE WATER PRESSURE ISSUES.
UM, UH, THE, UM, BUT THE ACTUAL DATA ON THE HEALTH EFFECTS, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE MODELING THAT'S NEEDED IS, IS GOING TO BE CHALLENGING, ESPECIALLY FOR THESE SMALLER DATA CENTERS WITHIN URBAN COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND SO I, I REALLY WONDER WHAT THE INFORMATION LIKE FROM HEALTH EFFECTS THAT WE, WE NEED TO GATHER OR HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO GATHER THAT DATA BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT AND I JUST DON'T REALLY THINK THE DATA'S GONNA BE VERY ROBUST OR VERY STRONG, AND IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT, UM, THEY, UM, UH, THAT THEY MIGHT, UH, THAT, THAT THE POWERS THAT WE MIGHT, UM, OPPOSE.
I, YOU KNOW, I I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A, A, A COUNCIL THAT COULD DO SOMETHING AS FAR AS LIKE GETTING DATA AND GETTING INFORMATION AND GETTING JUST, UM, UH, LIKE SURVEY DATA FROM, UM, PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE CITY ABOUT HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT DATA CENTERS CLOSE TO THEM.
WHAT ARE THEIR FEARS? WHAT ARE THEIR CONCERNS BEFORE THESE DATA CENTERS START TO BECOME PLENTIFUL AND, YOU KNOW, ALSO GET DATA FROM, UM, FROM FOLKS THAT ALREADY LIVE CLOSE TO DATA CENTERS.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE POWER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS OR WHAT THE CAPABILITIES ARE.
UM, BUT OEQS MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING AS WELL.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO, BUT, UM, I I I THINK THAT IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THAT INFORMATION IF WE CAN.
HELGA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT INPUT.
UM, AND WANNA REITERATE THAT, UH, THE COMMISSION, I BELIEVE SHOULD AND, AND LIKELY WILL OPEN A RESIDENCE INPUT FORM SO THAT FOLKS CAN EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS AND THAT WE CAN QUANTIFY THOSE CONCERNS IN OUR RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AS FAR AS GETTING AT THE HEALTH DATA, I AM, UM, VERY EAGER TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND, AND PERHAPS DR.
LACKMAN AND ALSO, UH, RENEE AND, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR OPTIONS MIGHT BE.
THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DEALING WITH NOT ONE, BUT MULTIPLE DATA CENTERS WHO MAY HAVE, UM, PERSONAL DATA THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THOSE FACILITIES.
UM, AND MAYBE WE CAN TRY TO, UH, QUANTIFY THAT FOR FOLKS BEFORE THEY COME, BEFORE THOSE DATA CENTERS COME TO DALLAS.
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE WE ARE, UM, IN A BETTER POSITION THAN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES, UM, WHO HAVE DATA
[01:05:01]
CENTERS BREATHING DOWN THE MIX RIGHT NOW, ESSENTIALLY.UM, AND I'LL JUST MENTION THAT, UH, THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, UH, INITIATED THE STEPS FOR A DATA CENTER MORATORIUM ON THEIR CITY COUNCIL MEETING LAST NIGHT.
UM, SO, UM, THAT IS GONNA BE A LENGTHY PROCESS, BUT IT'LL, IT'LL EQUAL A 90 DAY MORATORIUM, UM, EVENTUALLY.
I, I WANTED TO POSE A QUESTION TO RITA WITH REGARD TO THE COG AND WHAT WE COULD DO AT COG BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE A, A REGIONAL ISSUE FOR US, UH, WITH REGARD TO POSSIBLY
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THE COG DOES THE CODE, UH, AMENDMENTS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A NEEDED CODE AMENDMENT TO THE BUILDING CODE FOR DEFINING THIS ENTIRELY NEW TYPE OF BUILDING.
SO, UH, IS THERE SOMETHING WE COULD DO AT THE COG OR DO WE NEED TO START HERE? UH, I'LL JUST JUMP IN.
UM, ALAN, I HAVE TALKED TO, UH, DIRECTOR SUSAN ALVAREZ OUT THERE AND COG HAS HAD NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE REGION, OUTSIDE THE REGION ABOUT DATA CENTERS.
UM, I KNOW CATHERINE KNOWS SUSAN WELL AS WELL.
UM, PERHAPS WE CAN REACH OUT TO HER AND GET MORE INTO DETAIL ON WHAT SHE'S DISCOVERED AND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH COG ON THAT.
I'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT MUCH OF WHAT WE DO HERE BEGAN WITH OUR DISCUSSIONS REGARD INCLUDE BUILDING CODE BACK IN 2017 BEFORE THAT, UM, BEFORE, BUT FIRST ORDER IS PASSED IN 2008 AND THEN THE SECOND ORDER IS THREE.
WE TRACK THE ORDINANCE AND THE MULTIFAMILY ORDINANCE AND
AND I THINK A BIG PART OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO WITH THAT DO COING, UM, A VARIETY OF
SO I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION IN A HOLISTIC AND UNIVERSAL WAY REGARDING EVERYTHING IMPACT BEING GREENER AND MORE RENEWABLE.
I REALLY THINK THIS IS A CODE ISSUE.
MID WHAT? UM, SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BEGIN THAT DISCUSSION.
BUT WITH THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, HE IS VERY INVOLVED IN MORE REORDER.
I DO THINK WE NEED THE LOOK AT BUILDING CODE SPEED.
SEE IS THEY AFFECT ALL OF THE
IF WE'VE HAD RAIN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS MATTER, IT'S GETTING PROBABLY SOMETHING GETTING DRY.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE GOOD WATER SUPPLY SHOULD IT DOWN.
BUT IF WE GO INTO DROUGHT AND STATE OF EFFECT HAS A LONG OF DROUGHT, WE ARE A DROUGHT STATE, WE WILL HAVE MORE DROUGHTS.
WE'LL COME TO FORTH WITH A WATER CHALLENGE.
2011, IF THIS WAS THE SUMMER OF 2011, WE'D REALLY BE IN TROUBLE LETTING THERE SOME NEXT SUMMER'S GONNA COME BACK.
SO WE'VE BEEN LOOK AT OUR CODES IN, IN THE POSITION OF THE EXTREMES IN REPLACE STATE WE FACE EXTREME, WE FACE EXTREME DROUGHT, FACE EXTREME CODE.
AND THOSE CODES WHEN HAVE WRITTEN GOING TO BUSINESS, ALL THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
SO I'M SAYING NOW WE NEED TO QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITH THE COUNSEL, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE FINISH THAT LOOK AT THE CODES THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THE BOOKS AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO CHANGE THEM IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THESE THINGS.
SO WHAT'S UNDERTAKE THE, IF WE DON'T, THEN WE DO NOT HAVE WHAT WE NEED FROM A STATUTORY POINT OF VIEW.
THE CODE IS VERY IMPORTANT IN THIS MATTER AND WE NEED TO BE IN FRONT OF THAT ISSUE.
UH, IT HAS TO INCLUDE WATER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN, IF WE HAVE A REGULAR DATA CENTER, WATER AND THE DROUGHT, IF WE GETS THE WATER RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, BACK IN 2011 THERE WERE WATER POINTS DRIVING AROUND MCKINNEY AND FRISCO LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WATERING THEIR LAWNS AND GIVING 'EM TICKETS.
WHICH
AND IT'S ISSUE THAT WE ACCOUNT THE EXTREMITIES IN NATURE, WE DON'T CONTROL THAT IT WILL COME BACK.
[01:10:01]
WELL THESE ARE ISSUES THAT TO FACE, FACE,WALLACE, DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION IN YOUR HAND? IS IS STILL RAISED? NO.
ANYBODY ELSE WANNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE? I JUST WANNA PIGGYBACK ON, UH, DAVE'S COMMENT.
LAKE LAVONNE WAS IN DANGER OF JUST BECOMING A WETLAND.
UM, I KNOW A LAKE RICHLAND CHAMBERS, WHICH IS A ONE OF THE LARGEST LAKES IN THE STATE, WAS DOWN ALMOST 10 FEET, A 53,000 ACRE LAKE.
SO THIS CAN HAPPEN AT A BLINK OF AN EYE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE IN A DROUGHT AND THEY'RE DRAINING THE LAKE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
I WAS ACTUALLY, UH, A WATER RIGHTS MANAGER FOR THE TCEQ IN 2011 DURING THE DROUGHT OF RECORD, AND MY JOB WAS TO CALL JUNIOR WATER RIGHTS HOLDERS MOM AND POP FARM AND AGRICULTURAL USES AND TELL THEM THEY NO LONGER HAD RIGHTS TO USE THE WATER.
THAT A SENIOR WATER RIGHT HOLDER DOWN THE RIVER, AN INDUSTRIAL SOURCE, HAD A SENIOR WATER RIGHT, AND MADE A, A SENIOR WATER RIGHT CALL, AND THEY ESSENTIALLY HAD TO FOLD OR PAY THE TRUCK WATER IN.
AND, AND THAT IS WHAT IS THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY AGAIN FOR US IN TEXAS.
AND THERE ARE PARTS OF TEXAS THAT HAVE BEEN IN, IN VARIOUS SEVERE STAGES OF DROUGHT, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, ESPECIALLY SOUTH.
SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE WITH THEIR HAND RAISED.
I'M GONNA RECAP THIS LIST FOR STAFF.
SO THE FIRST IS, UH, MR. HOFFMAN'S REQUEST FOR THE BUILDING CODES THAT MIGHT PERTAIN TO, UH, BUILDING SAFETY, HEAT NOISE, UH, EMF SHIELDING, UH, GROUND SOURCE, LOOP COOLING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
UH, REED'S RECOMMENDATION FOR WATER CONSUMPTION, UH, OF EXISTING DATA CENTERS FROM DWU, UH, WATER DISCHARGE WOULD STILL GO TO TCQ, BUT WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH T WITH, UH, DW STAFF ABOUT STORM WATER, STORM WATER QUALITY, THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
THE STORM WATER, UH, PROTECTION PLAN.
UM, THE, THE ISSUE ABOUT WATER, OUR, OUR WATER SALE TO OTHER CITIES AND THE REQUIREMENT OF CONSERVATION, UM, I THINK IS WORTH DISCUSSING.
AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK WE SHOULD WRITE A MEMO AND OUTLINE THOSE THREE ISSUES FOR DWU STAFF.
UM, VICE CHAIR WALLACE, YOU BROUGHT UP THE, THE NON MORATORIUM MORATORIUM AND HOW WE SHOULD, UH, POTENTIALLY TRY TO INCORPORATE THAT, UH, INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN REQUESTED IN THE AUDIT.
UM, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD IN OUR RECOMMENDATION TO INCLUDE THAT, UH, ANYBODY WHO WHO WANTS TO ADD CENTER HERE IN DALLAS HAS TO DISCLOSE THAT INFORMATION TO THE CITY, UH, WHETHER THEY DISCLOSE IT TO THE STATE OR NOT.
LOBBY AND OTHERS WHO MENTIONED THE HEALTH EFFECTS, UM, AND TRYING TO QUANTIFY THOSE HEALTH EFFECTS.
WE MENTIONED THE LACK OF CODES, UH, CONVERSATION WITH THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT AND, AND, AND DAVID, I THINK, UH, WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION THAT LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY THAT WE ARE GOING TO NEED AHEAD OF THE UPCOMING, UH, JANUARY LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET WHERE WE'RE NOT IN THE REGULATION OF THESE FACILITIES.
AND I THINK THAT THE CITY HAS A VERY KEY ROLE TO PLAY, KEY BEING ONE OF THE LARGER CITIES IN THE STATE, AND WE SHOULD BE READY TO OFFER SOME SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
WE HAVE AN INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD A COALITION WITH RURAL LAND OWNERS ARE UP IN
SO I THINK THIS NEXT LEGISL SYSTEM WILL BE ALL ABOUT FINDING WAYS TO BRIDGE GAPS AND BUILD COALITIONS WITH PEOPLE THAT NORMALLY BE ON SIDE.
AND SO WE GOT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THOSE
AND REMEMBER THAT ONE OF THE WORDS MAY REACH YOU SECTIONS IN A GOOD WAY.
IT MAKES YOU PROJECT FROM ONE, INCLUDING SAY THIS ONE, ESPECIALLY
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GO TO FALL BEFORE DURING THE FILE.
LEGISLATION VARIES FOR THE SECTION OF CRITICAL WE NEED RIGHT THERE, READY TO BE MISSING.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS TOPIC FROM ANYONE? ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, ENGAGING IN THAT CONVERSATION AND SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS.
[V.c. Monthly District Updates from Commissioners]
[01:15:01]
OUR MONTHLY DISTRICT UPDATES FROM COMMISSIONERS.WE ARE GONNA START DISTRICT ONE.
I DID JUST WANNA REINFORCE THE COMMENTS ON THE MOSQUITO CONTROL, UH, QUESTION, JUST TO SAY THAT, UH, YEAH, I, I THINK THERE'S SO A LOT OF RESEARCH FROM DOUG, TAMI AND OTHERS ON THE BIODIVERSITY IMPACTS OF MOSQUITO FOGGING.
UM, NOT A, NOT A GREAT SOLUTION FOR CONTROLLING MOSQUITOES, BUT IT IS A REALLY EFFECTIVE WAY TO KILL ALL THE OTHER INSECTS LIFE AND HAVE RIPPLES UP THE FOOD CHAIN.
SO IN EFFECT, PRETTY GOOD FOR MOSQUITOES ULTIMATELY IF YOU TAKE AWAY ALL OF THEIR PREDATORS.
UM, SO JUST WANNA REINFORCE, UH, MIS UH, MOSQUITO FOGGING DOESN'T REALLY WORK, COSTS MONEY AND DESTROYS BIODIVERSITY.
UM, MS. GMAN GAVE US A HANDOUT, UH, THAT HAS SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION.
SO IF YOU DIDN'T GET A COPY OF THE STANDOUT, YOU'RE ALSO WELCOME TO JOIN THE MEETINGS THAT, THAT, UH, MS. GELMAN IS HAVING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO DISTRICT TWO, NO UPDATES.
ALL OF THAT ABOUT THE MOSQUITO SPRAYING.
ALRIGHT, VICE CHAIR WALLACE, DISTRICT FIVE.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO DISTRICTS 11.
UM, UH, YES, I HAVE A, A QUESTION.
UM, I DON'T SEE ON THE RULE, UH, I DON'T SEE ON THE AGENDA REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES.
YEAH, OUR COMMITTEES ARE PAUSED RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND BECAUSE OUR CHAIR HAS NOT BEEN REAPPOINTED TO THE COMMISSION JUST YET, UH, THE, UM, HEALTH COMMITTEE HAS BEEN PAUSED.
BUT YOU ARE WELCOME TO GIVE THE HEALTH COMMITTEE UPDATE RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU HAVE AN UPDATE YOU SHARE WITH US, THAT'D BE GREAT.
SO, UM, I THINK, UH, MS. GELMAN ALREADY, UM, UH, POINTED TO THE FACT THAT, UH, WE WERE LOOKING INTO, UH, THE WEST NILE ISSUE BASED ON, UH, HER HAVING BROUGHT THIS ISSUE.
CLEARLY IT IS AN ISSUE WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND, UM, WE, UH, THE CITY STAFF WERE VERY COOPERATIVE IN MEETING WITH US AND EXPLAINING THEIR PRESENT POLICIES.
AND THEY ARE CLEARLY FOLLOWING THE PRESENT POLICY.
HOWEVER, THAT POLICY LOOKS LIKE IT WAS WRITTEN 14 YEARS AGO, AND IT'S SERIOUSLY OUTDATED AND NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO UNDERSTAND MODERN ISSUES.
IT ALSO IS, UM, WAS GEARED, UH, PROBABLY, UH, AND AND PRESENT LITERATURE SAYS THAT WHAT THEY DID WAS PROBABLY NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS THEY THOUGHT, UH, BUT THE, THAT BASED ON SPRAYING AND IT REALLY CONSIDERED IT DID NOT CONSIDER THE POSSIBLE HARMS, PARTICULARLY ENVIRONMENTAL HARMS. SO, UM, WHAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST IS, IS THAT, UM, THAT THEY, UM, THAT, UH, UH, THAT THERE BE CONSIDERATION BY THE CITY AND BY THE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OF AN UPDATED REPORT THAT LOOKS AT ALL THE ARMS OF BENEFITS.
I WILL SAY THAT WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE BENEFITS THERE, WHEN COMPARED TO CITIES WHICH DO NOT SPRAY, THERE IS NO CLEAR BENEFIT.
OKAY? AND, UM, AND THERE IS A CITY COST AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITY'S, UH, YOU KNOW, SPENDING MONEY.
WHY SHOULD WE, WE BE SPENDING MONEY ON AN INEFFECTIVE POLICY? UH, SO THAT, UM, I THINK THAT THIS POLICY NEEDS TO BE RE-LOOKED AT AND UPDATED AND, UH, MAKE A REQUEST THAT THAT OCCURRED.
LOCKMAN, WHICH DEPARTMENT IS THE, OF THE CITY IS CHARGED WITH THE PESTICIDE APPLICATION? DO WE KNOW? I'M NOT SURE.
IS IT CODE CODE ENFORCEMENT? JANET.
LET'S REACH OUT TO, TO CODE STAFF AND SEE IF WE CAN GET AN UPDATE AND AGAIN, HAVE A DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, PROVIDING A COMMITTEE REPORT.
DID YOU WANNA PROVIDE A DISTRICT REPORT? I'M SORRY, WHAT? A DISTRICT REPORT? UM, I, I HAVE NO PARTICULAR ACTIVITIES, UH, IN THE DISTRICT.
I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE, UH,
[01:20:01]
EXCESS PEDIATRIC SOCIETY, UM, UH, AND, UM, UH, ALSO WANT TO, UM, ANNOUNCE NOT NECESSARILY IN THE DISTRICT THAT, UM, UH, REVEREND PETER JOHNSON, BRADWE HAVE ABOUT A DOZEN CHURCHES, WHICH HAVE ENDED IN INTEREST AND TWO, WHICH ARE DEFINITELY IN, UH, FRIENDSHIP WEST AND GOLDEN GATE MISSIONARY BAPTIST.
THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE, BARRY.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO DISTRICT 13.
DISTRICT 14, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE? I WAS ASKED TO MEET WITH THE CONSTITUENT, WHO IS THE CHAIR OF ADVOCACY FOR THE DALLAS LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
UM, AND SHE BROUGHT ALONG ANOTHER MEMBER WHO WANTED UPDATES ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES FACING DALLAS, AND THEY ALSO HAVE DATA CENTERS ON THEIR MINDS, SO I'LL BE REPORTING BACK TO THEM.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BRING THEIR MEMBERS TO ADVOCATE ON ANY, NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY LIMITED DATA CENTERS, BUT, UM, OTHER ISSUES AS WELL.
UM, I HAVE TWO PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, ONE LOCAL AND ONE FEDERAL.
UH, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT IS HOSTING A SERIES OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND LISTENING SESSIONS RELATED TO EV PARKING.
I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE ASK THEM TO PROVIDE A MEMO TO THIS GROUP, UM, ON WHAT THEY'RE EXPLORING AND WHAT QUESTIONS THEY'RE ASKING AND WHERE THEY NEED SOME GUIDANCE SO THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING WE CAN COME PREPARED WITH A DRAFT OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS BODY TO REVIEW SO THAT WE COULD FORMALLY SUBMIT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS A, AS A GROUP.
UH, THE SECOND IS SIMILAR ALONG THE LINES OF THE EPA CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING EARLIER TODAY.
UH, SECTION 1 0 6 OF THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT IS IN DANGER.
UM, SIMILARLY, THERE IS A RAPID FIRE PROCESS THAT MAY REMOVE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD THAT MAY REMOVE A LOT OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY.
UM, THIS IS MORE THAN JUST ABOUT HISTORICALLY PRESERVING THE BUILDINGS, UH, BUT ALSO A LOSS OF IRREPLACEABLE PLACES, SACRED SITES, FORESTS, PARKS, DESERT AQUIFERS, AND ALL OF THE THREAT TO NATURE AND OUR SOCIETAL MONUMENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN.
UM, UNDER THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, UH, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM STEPHANIE WITH A, A WEBSITE EXPLAINING WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, IT'S HTTPS SAVING PLACES.ORG, SECTION 1 0 6.
UH, IF YOU CARE TO READ MORE ABOUT IT AND ENGAGE ON THIS TOPIC.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE UPDATES ON THE, UH, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT LISTENING SESSIONS.
WHEN ARE, WHEN ARE THOSE TAKING PLACE? ARE THEY IN AUGUST? OH, YES.
THAT WAS IN MY NOTES AND I DIDN'T SAY IT OUT LOUD.
UH, THE NEXT ONE IS ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 20TH FROM 10 TO 1130 AT THREE 20 EAST JEFFERSON BOULEVARD, ROOM 300.
IS THAT THE OKAY, I KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
UH, WE'LL SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO COMMISSIONERS WITH THE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT MEETING, UM, AND GET WITH CITY STAFF TO SEE IF WE COULD POTENTIALLY GET A MEMO FOR OUR UPCOMING SEPTEMBER MEETING.
YEAH, AND IF THEY CAN SEND IT TO US BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER MEETING, THEN WE CAN COME DRAFT WITH A RESPONSE TO REVIEW WITH THIS GROUP TO VOTE TO APPROVE.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST BASED ON THE TIMING.
CANDIDLY, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE CHALLENGING TO ASK ANYTHING OF CITY STAFF BEFORE THE BUDGET GETS ADOPTED, BUT WE WILL DO OUR BEST, RIGHT? OF COURSE.
UH, DO ANY OF OUR, UH, TECHNICAL ADVISORS HAVE ANY UPDATES AND INFORMATION TO SHARE? MR. MARK? GO AHEAD.
UH, INTERESTING FOOTNOTE ON RIVERS AND WRITING ON AUGUST 22ND, I BELIEVE THE WORKSHOP, DR.
THE SPRING RIVER RIDING WORKSHOP, UM, FOR WRITER'S CARE, UH, ON SATURDAY MORNING OVER NEAR THE TRINITY AND THE, UH, THE ABANDONED RIVER BED AT TRINITY RIVER OVER NINE
[01:25:01]
DISTRICT.AND SO, UM, IT'S INTERESTING, COME AND MEETING A WORKSHOP ABOUT ABANDONING RIVERS, JUST DALLAS, NORTHERN CENTURY AGO, ABANDONED RIVER AND, AND PUT BETWEEN 11TH, THAT'S ONE THING, NORTH 27TH, ALSO BASED PUT ON YOUR CALENDARS.
OCTOBER 27TH TO TUESDAY EVENING WITH THE NATIONAL LAUNCH BOOK PARTY ON THE THIRD PIECE OF THE TRILOGY OF RIVER OF BLESSINGS, A BIG PARTY OF MUSIC.
UH, IT, UH, THE T OUTSIDE HERE IN TOWN.
AND, UH, WE'LL ALL BE INVITED.
SO THE THIRD BOOK IS FINISHED.
IT'LL BE RELEASE WEEKS NATIONALLY THAT DAY, AND BIG BIG PARTY THAT NIGHT AND GOT INVITED.
SO OCTOBER 27TH EVENING FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK LAUNCH OF THE ENTIRE TRILOGY, INCLUDING BOOK FREE RIVER OF BLESSINGS.
JACK AND THEN MS. THANK YOU CHAIR GIDA.
UM, I HAD AN UPDATE ON GOAL SIX, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE CAP ACTIONS, UM, WAS TO INTEGRATE NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS INTO THE PUBLIC REALM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGY.
AND, UM, BACK IN, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT YEAR WE RELEASED IT.
I WAS AT THE CONSERVANCY AT THE TIME, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY WORK WITH TEXAS AND AGRILIFE PARTNER WITH THE CITY TO RELEASE A GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND URBAN FLOOD RESILIENCE JUST TO CONSIDER NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR FLOOD RESILIENCE WITHIN OUR URBAN ECOSYSTEM.
AND IN MID-JULY, THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT OR RELEASED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, IT'S ALREADY CLOSED.
UM, THEIR DRAFT, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR TWO YEARS.
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR FLOOD RESILIENCE GUIDANCE MANUAL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT ON PEOPLE'S RADAR, INCLUDING CITY OF DALLAS.
THE REPORT WAS FEATURED AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO THAT WAS A GREAT KUDOS TO THE CITY OF DALLAS AND OUR WORK HERE.
BUT ALSO JUST THE REPORT IS CURRENTLY 300 PAGES LONG.
BUT THAT, THE GOOD NEWS WITH THAT IS, IT REALLY IS, IT'S NOT JUST, IT ACTUALLY LOOKS AT THE ENTIRETY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AND ACROSS SCALES FROM BRAINSTORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, SITE BASED WORK TO LANDSCAPE SCALE WORK, AND IN ALL THE DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEY SPENT TWO YEARS, THEY GOT A LOT OF EXPERT OPINION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REQUESTS ACROSS THE STATE.
AND THE INTENTION IS NOT ONLY TO EDUCATE PRACTITIONERS AT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND, UH, ENGINEERS ON WHAT THESE SOLUTIONS CAN BE KIND OF TO TEE UP POTENTIAL PROJECTS AND WAYS TO REQUEST FUNDING THROUGH FEDERAL, FEDERAL AND STATE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THEN ALSO THEY HAVE SAMPLE LANGUAGE LIKE GUIDANCE LANGUAGE OR CODES AND DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT SAMPLE LANGUAGES, WHICH I THINK IS GONNA BE VERY HELPFUL.
UH, SINCE WE'RE TALKING DATA CENTERS TONIGHT, I JUST, IF FOLKS WANT TO START LOOKING AT OR ENGAGING IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS NEXT WEEK ON THE 19TH, CHAIRMAN, KEN KING OF STATE AFFAIRS IS HAVING A HEARING REGARDING DATA CENTERS.
UH, AND, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU LOOK AT THAT.
HE ALREADY HAD ONE STATE AFFAIRS MEETING ON APRIL 9TH, WHICH WAS INVITED TESTIMONY ONLY WITH PUC ERICA, THE DATA CENTER COALITION, AND SOME OF THE BIG PLAYERS.
ALSO, MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER 1ST, SENATOR PERRY AT WATER AG AND RURAL AFFAIRS IS GONNA BE DISCUSSING DATA CENTERS AND WATER.
AND AT THE END OF LAST MONTH, FINANCE HAD A HEARING OVER ALL THE, UH, TAX, UH, PERKS THAT DATA CENTER GETS, AND BUSINESS AND COMMERCE CHAIRED BY SENATOR SCHWART ALSO HAD A HEARING ABOUT DATA CENTERS THAT WENT ON TILL MIDNIGHT.
AND IF YOU WANNA SEE TANYA TUCKER, SHE ACTUALLY TESTIFIED AND S AT THE END OF HER TESTIMONY IF YOU WANT A LITTLE ENTERTAINMENT.
UM, SO ANYWAY, IF YOU WANT THE DATES OF THOSE, I'VE GOT THEM.
I JUST CAN'T REMEMBER THE DATE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I HAVE 'EM ALL.
WALLACE, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? STILL YOUR HANDS UP? YES, I'M SORRY.
I, UM, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEES WERE NOT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, MY SUBCOMMITTEE NO, NO LONGER HAS MEMBERS BECAUSE THREE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS WERE NOT REAPPOINTED TO THEIR POSITIONS.
SO THAT'S A SUBCOMMITTEE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO REBUILD.
UM, AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS, UH,
[01:30:01]
NEW INFORMATION ON WHEN OUR STRATEGY SAYS YES.SO WE ARE STILL TRYING TO PLAN OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION.
UH, I THINK AN EMAIL WENT OUT TO THE, UH, VOTING MEMBERS TO SEE IF WE COULD ESTABLISH A QUORUM.
AND THEN OVER THE SUMMER WE LOST THOSE THREE, THREE MEMBERS.
I BELIEVE TWO OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REAPPOINTED.
THEY HAVE TO START FROM THE BEGINNING.
SO IT'S GONNA TAKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS IN COUNCIL SESSIONS FOR THEM TO GET ON THE AGENDA SO THAT THEY CAN BE REAPPOINTED.
I WOULD NOT FEEL RIGHT MOVING FORWARD IN A STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION WITHOUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR MEMBERS, UM, BEING REAPPOINTED OR, OR SOME DIRECTION FROM THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS TO IF THEY'RE GOING TO APPOINT SOMEONE IN THEIR STEAD.
UM, AND I THINK IT GIVES US A LITTLE MORE TIME TO NOT ONLY GET THIS INFORMATION REQUESTED OF CITY STAFF, BUT ALSO TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC BEFORE WE GO INTO THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION AND UNDER AND, AND SIT DOWN WITH ALL THE INFORMATION, UM, AND JUST MAKE IT, MAKE IT AVAILABLE.
SO I'M, I'M THINKING THAT WE WILL PUSH THAT TO THE LATE FALL.
UM, AND IN THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION, WE WILL, UH, REEVALUATE OUR PRIORITIES AS A COMMISSION AND THEN, UH, IDENTIFY THE SUBCOMMITTEE NEEDS AND DIVVY FOLKS BACK UP INTO THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES ACCORDING TO THEIR PREFERENCE AND CHOICE.
UM, AND I HEAR YOU, A LOT OF THE COMMITTEES, UH, HAVE, HAVE, HAVE CHANGED.
UM, AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO REEVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THOSE, THOSE, UH, UH, GOALS AND ALSO, UH, DECIDE IF WE WANNA PURSUE OTHER PRIORITIES.
UH, THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT, UM, SCHEDULING ISSUE BACK UP TO THE TOP.
UH, JUST A NOTE FOR FOLKS THAT, UM, THAT BECAUSE OF THE CITY'S BUDGET SITUATION, UM, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT LIMITED, UH, IN HOW WE HOST THAT MEETING.
UM, AND SO PLEASE ANTICIPATE, UH, THAT YOU WILL, UH, BE BRINGING YOUR OWN LUNCH AND SNACKS.
IT WILL NOT BE LIKE THE YEARS BEFORE WHERE WE'VE, UM, ENJOYED A LUNCH OR COFFEE OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
I THINK I'LL PROVIDE COFFEE FOR FOLKS, UM, TO GET US GOING.
BUT IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA BRING, UH, FOOD, YOU'LL HAVE TO, TO BRING IN YOUR STOCKS THOUGHTS.
I HAVE NOW REACHED OUT TO EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT, NOT HAVE
WE SPOKE DIRECTLY WITH THE COUNCIL PERSON, YOUR STAFF.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT UNTIL EVERY SINGLE TOO.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
I DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO HOUND COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THE MOMENT, BUT I'VE, I'VE BEEN TRYING.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOME OF THESE FOLKS, UH, BACK IN THEIR SEATS AND, AND, AND KEEP MOVING AND WE'VE GOT IMPORTANT WORK TO DO, SO THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, IS THAT ALL OF THE UPDATES? UH, MS. BEVIN, YOU STILL HAVE YOUR HAND UP? DO YOU HAVE A, ANOTHER? NO.
ALRIGHT, WELL, UH, THOSE ARE OUR UPDATES.
UM, THE ONLY UPDATE THAT I WANTED TO PROVIDE WAS THAT MR. MARQUIS ORGANIZED A FANTASTIC CONVENING OF LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS, UH, SO THAT WE COULD DISCUSS PRESSING ISSUES.
FOLKS FROM REALLY, UH, THE, THE, THE BREADTH OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP OF DALLAS WERE PRESENT AND, AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONVENE AND DISCUSS AND, AND SHARE IDEAS AND SHARE CONCERNS.
AND HOPEFULLY THOSE DISCUSSIONS WILL CONTINUE SHARE HER MODO WAS THERE, UM, SOME OTHER FOLKS THAT, THAT WE, WE'VE KNOWN AND BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, AND, AND OUR COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS ARE THERE.
SO HOPEFULLY THOSE DISCUSSIONS WILL BE GREAT.
AND I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY HAD A REALLY, UH, ENJOYFUL, UH, SUMMER RESTFUL SUMMER AND THAT YOU WERE READY TO JUMP BACK IN AND GET SOME OF THESE REALLY TOUGH TOPICS, UM, UH, TACKLED, UM, WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, THIS MONTH WE GAVE STAFF, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY NOT TO PRESENT BECAUSE THEY ARE, UM, BEING CALLED TO ATTEND ALL OF THESE VARIOUS BUDGET TOWN HALL MEETINGS EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.
AND, AND SO, UM, WANTED TO GET BO EQS STAFF THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND NEXT MONTH WE'LL COME BACK.
UM, I WANNA SAY IF YOU HAVE REQUESTS, I'VE RECEIVED A COUPLE OF REQUESTS FROM COMMISSIONERS ABOUT TOPICS THEY'D LIKE TO BE BRIEFED ON.
IF YOU HAVE SUCH REQUESTS, PLEASE SEND THEM TO ME AND WE WILL, UM, REACH OUT TO THOSE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND GAUGE THEIR ABILITY TO, TO BRIEF US ON THIS TOPIC, IF NOT IN PERSON, UH, THROUGH A MEMO.
[V.d. Upcoming Meetings]
THE UPCOMING MEETINGS, THE PARKS, TRAILS AND ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UH, WILL MEET ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST AT 9:00 AM OUR NEXT MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER, THE MONTH.HAVING CONSIDERED ALL BUSINESS BEFORE US, I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
[01:35:02]
NO, WE'LL JUST STAY HERE ALL NIGHT LONG.YEAH, BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY OPPOSED? WE ARE ADJOURNED.