* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] COURT. TODAY IS THURSDAY, MARCH THE 12TH, UH, MARCH, JULY 12TH, NINE O'CLOCK, I THINK CLOSE. APPRECIATE ITEM ON OUR WORKSHOP TODAY. AND THOSE ERS THAT ARE HERE, UH, WE CANNOT TAKE ANY ACTION. ALL WE CAN DO IS LISTEN HERE, AT LEAST YOU. BUT WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER GUESTS FROM OUT OF TOWN, UH, THAT BE HERE TO, UH, DISCUSS, UH, AND LEARN, UH, WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE, UH, ABOUT THE, UH, ITEM THAT'S ON THE WORKSHOP, WHICH TO DISCUSS LEGISLATIVE SOLUTIONS REGARDING COUNTY LAND USE, REGULATIONS AND LACK OF ZONING AUTHORITY. AND SO JUST A QUICK, UH, VERSION ABOUT HOW THIS CAME ABOUT. UH, WE HAD SOME CITIZENS, AND I SEE MANY ARE HERE TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THAT ATTENDED OUR COURT MEETING SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AND THEY COMPLAINED, UH, ABOUT A, UH, UH, SUB, AN ALLEGED SUBDIVISION, I SHOULD SAY, THAT WAS BEING PUT IN ACROSS FROM WHERE THEY LEFT. THEY DIDN'T, SO THEY ASKED THAT. WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND DID WORK WITH OUR LEGAL COUNSEL AND, UH, EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THERE WERE VERY FEW, UH, LEGAL. UH, WE DON'T HAVE A LOCKED AUTHORITY, BASICALLY. AND SO, BUT ANY CHANGE THAT WOULD BE MADE WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT. NOW. IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS, THE LEGISLATURE RECONVENES IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR THE TERM GRASSROOTS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT NEEDS TO COME FROM THE PEOPLE. WE ARE A DEMOCRACY. WE ELECT PEOPLE TO REPRESENT US, BUT IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR CONCERNS ARE, UH, THEY CANNOT TRULY REPRESENT US. AND IT IS NOT AN EASY PROCESS. I MEAN, IT, IT'S MADE THAT WAY BY OUR FOUNDERS BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT LEGISLATION PASSED, GOOD LEGISLATION. SO, GO ANY FURTHER THAN THAT. WE'D LIKE TO BE A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT WHAT'S GOOD AND WHAT'S NOT GOOD. BUT, UH, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME MAJOR PLAYERS HERE WITH US TODAY. AND I'M GONNA START, AND WELL, THE FIRST, UH, LET'S JUST GO AROUND THE TABLE. PROPERTY OWNERS, THIS IS YOUR MEETING AND WE WANT YOU TO SPEAK UP BECAUSE THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE TODAY THAT CAN HELP US AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU. SO DON'T BE, I MEAN, IT'S VERY INFORMAL. UH, JUST DON'T BE BASH. AND I DON'T, YOU BEEN UP TO THIS POINT, SO I DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU'LL BE, BUT, UH, WE DO WANT, UH, WE DO WANNA MAKE IT A PRODUCTIVE MEETING. SO, UH, COMMISSIONER HUNT, I'LL LET YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL EVERYBODY WHERE YOU'RE FROM OR YOUR PRECINCT. I'M COMMISSIONER, UH, PRECINCT ONE AROUND THE CAMAN AREA ALL AROUND OAK OAKRIDGE GOING ON ANY CORN. AND THAT'S ABOUT IT. THAT'S ABOUT IT. TERRY BARBER, UH, PRECINCT THREE, COMMISSIONER THAT MAY, THE TARRELL AREA OF AND SURROUNDING IT. MR. UH, ALLEN PRECINCT. FOUR. MOST ALL OF COUNTY, EXCEPT FOR WHAT THEY'VE SAID, AND COMMISSIONER PRECINCT ONE. PHILLIPS HAS NOT HERE. I I WOULD IMAGINE HE'LL BE HERE SHORTLY. UH, AND WE'LL, UH, UH, INTRODUCE HIM WHEN HE GETS HERE. BUT, UH, WE'LL START HERE AT THE END AND YOU GUYS WILL KIND OF TELL US WHO YOU'RE, I, I JUST LIKE FOR EVERYBODY, OR, WE'LL, NOT WHO THE AUDIENCE. MY NAME IS GARY MERRI, AND I WORK FOR TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY. WHEN I SAY TAC, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. I'M THE GENERAL COUNSEL THERE, AS WELL AS THE DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE SERVICES. THAT MEANS THAT I, I RUN THE ATTORNEY DIVISION AND I'VE HELPED TO RUN THE LEGISLATIVE DIVISION FOR THE FOLKS THAT WORK AT THE CAPITOL. THANK FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU, RICK. MY NAME IS RICK THOMPSON AND I WORK WITH TAC. I'M IN THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT THAT'S BEEN HERE 17 YEARS. REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THIS INTERACTION IN THIS CONVERSATION. SEE, HERE'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO HELP. AND I SHOULD ADD ABOUT RICK, HIS DAD IS A FORMER, UH, COUNTY JUDGE IN COUNTY FOR MANY YEARS, 20 YEARS, FOUR YEARS. SO, SO HE'S KIND OF GROWN UP IN THE COUNTY BUSINESS, SO HE UNDERSTANDS. I KNOW ALL THE PROBLEM. I'M CLIFF. I'M FROM ROCKWALL COUNTY PRECINCT ONE COMMISSIONER, AND WE HAVE SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES. AND WHAT'S GOING ON? I'M KEITH BELL. I'M THE REPUBLICAN, IE FOR OUT DISTRICT COURT. I'M CODY CRAIG, AND I'M ON STAFF WITH KEITH BELL. [00:05:01] I'M RITA, COACHES FROM VANTA COUNTY, BUT I'M WITH THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION AND COUNTIES. UH, I'M HEAD OF THE COURT LEGISLATIVE GROUP, WHICH IS COUNTY OFFICIALS AROUND THE STATE WHO HAVE KEY, UH, AFFILIATIONS WITH THEIR STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATORS. AND BEFORE THAT, I WAS THE COUNTY JUDGE IN MESAN COUNTY FOR 10 YEARS. THANK YOU. UH, MY NAME IS JARED HARRIS. UH, I LIVE ON THE COUNTY, COUNTY ROAD 40 17. SO I'M ACTUALLY, UH, THE, THE PROPERTY AND, AND THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING TODAY IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME. OKAY. I'M JESS CALHOUN. I LIVE ON, UH, COUNTY ROAD ONE 18. AND, UH, I'M JUST HERE TO DISCUSS WHAT'S GOING ON. OKAY, GOOD. YEAH. I'M DON CURTIS. I LIVE ON COUNTY ROAD 40 17, AND MY PROPERTY'S JOINING THIS PROPERTY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. I'M BEVERLY CURTIS, HIS SPOUSE, AND OUR WHOLE FENCE ROW IS ON THAT PROPERTY. I'M LORI, HE'S A CO COUNTY. OKAY. AND, UH, MONIQUE HUNTER. I WORK FOR THE COUNTY CLERK, I'M SORRY, ON 1895 MACHINE SHOP. MY DAD OWN MOST OF THE PROPERTY ADJACENT. YOU WANNA IDENTIFY? CERTAINLY I'M FILM MAJOR WITH THE KAUFFMAN HERALD, THE MEDIA OR, UH, MAR THANK JUDGE. I'M WAYNE RES COUNTY JUDGE, AND WE HAVE NO PROBLEM. SO , HE PREACHER TOO, NEED TO REMEMBER IT WHEN HE SAID THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM. I'M LARRY HOLLAND AND I WANT WHAT HE'S GOT. NO PROBLEM. I LIVE ON COUNTY ROAD 40 17 CROSS LIEUTENANT DEVELOP. OKAY. I'M CARRIE BADLEY AND I'M AN ASSISTANT ATTORNEY ON COUNTY. AND I'M REBECCA BERG. I ALSO WORK FOR THE DA'S OFFICE, INMAN COUNTY, DAVID HARRIS. I LIVE ON 40 17, AND I'M THE VERBAL MIC . WELL, I WAS GONNA SAY I'M HIS SPOUSE, BUT I'M NOT DOING THAT NOW. . MY NAME IS SHARON HARRIS AND YEAH. OKAY. UH, WE LIVE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM LIEUTENANT COURT. OKAY. JIMMY CALLEY LIVE ON 1895. YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH THE PROPERTY GOING IN THERE. OKAY. DEBBIE TALLEY LIVE ON 1895 IN TEXAS. OKAY. AND ON ME, YOU WANT TO TRY AGAIN? MON HUNTER? I WORK FOR THE COUNTY CLERK. YEAH. AND, AND HERE WE ARE, UH, VIDEO VIDEOING THIS MEETING. JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOW. THAT'S JUST A RECORD OF THE MEETING, AND SO DON'T LET THAT INTIMIDATE YOU. IT'S JUST GOOD TO GO BACK AND IF WE, SO, SO WE WILL, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS PUT A ONE OR TWO, THIS IS, I'D LIKE TO, UH, HEAR, UH, FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, AND ALL OF THE, ALL OF THIS PARTICULAR LAND DEVELOPMENT THAT IS GOING ON IS IN, UH, PRECINCT FOUR IN COMMISSIONER ALLEN'S PRECINCT. BUT WE GATHERED ALSO, ALSO GOING ON IN PRECINCT ONE. AND I BELIEVE YOU HAVE ANYTHING NOT YET. SO, UH, BUT IF YOU CAN ALL SPEAK, OR IF YOU WANT HAVE A SPOKEPERSON, JUST HOWEVER YOU WANT, DO IT, UH, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK WHAT YOU'VE ASKED US TO DO. AND WE'VE TOLD YOU WHY WE CAN'T DO IT. SO LEGISLATION PASSED. IF SOMEBODY IS JUST OPEN IT UP TO THE PROPERTY OWNER RIGHT NOW. YEAH, GO AHEAD. WHY CAN'T WE GET NOBODY'S RESPONSIBLE. WHY DON'T YOU STAND UP? STAND UP. OKAY. NOBODY'S RESPONSIBLE. WE HAVE THE PH THEY TENANT FARM. EVERYBODY'S GOING HAVE, I'VE BEEN DOWN HERE FOR 22 YEARS. THE MAIN THING IS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BUYING THE LAND, MOST OF THEM ARE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. NO BIG DEAL. THAT'S NO PROBLEM. BUT THEY'RE GETTING RIPPED OFF. THEY'RE BUYING IT ON CONTRACT FOR, I TALKED TO THREE OF THE PEOPLE, ONE LADY BAWLING HER EYES OUT BECAUSE THEY'D ALREADY HAD TROUBLE WITH THE, I GUESS YOU'D CALL IT THE . AND THEY LOST EVERYBODY PUT IN. SHE STARTED TO TELL ME WHAT THE DAMN PAYMENT WAS. AND I, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA. I, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW. I DON'T WANNA KNOW. LISTEN, NONE MY BUSINESS, THEY'RE GONE. AND I KNOW OF TWO MORE THAT HAVE BOUGHT IN AND [00:10:01] GOT OUT. THE PLOT THAT THEY HAVE DRAWN OR DREW UP IS NOT RIGHT. THEY HAVE THE UTILITY EASEMENTS ON THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY, WHICH BUTTS IN WITH DON AND BEVERLY. THE UTILITY EASEMENTS ARE ON 40 27. HOW'S HE GETTING BEHIND WITH ALL THIS? WHY CAN HE DO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO AND RIP THESE PEOPLE ON? I MEAN, THESE ARE PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU AND ME. THEY WANT THE AMERICAN DREAM. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ILLEGAL OR NOT, THAT'S NOT OUR CONCERN. YOU KNOW, WHY IS HE BEING ABLE TO DO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO? AND THIS IS NOT IN A FLOOD, UH, PLAN. THIS IS IN A FLOOD HALF IS WHAT THIS IS IN. SO HOW CAN WE GET THE LAWS CHANGED TO WHERE THIS GUY CAN'T, AND IT IS NOT JUST HERE IN KEN, IT'S IN LIVELY, IT'S IN TERRELL, IT'S IN, IT'S EVERYWHERE IN COMAN COUNTY. ONE PRIME EXAMPLE IS BEHIND A RACETRACK IN CRAN. WELL, IT AIN'T A RACETRACK NO MORE. IT'S A STORAGE SYSTEM. BUT HOW CAN HE DO WHAT HE'S DOING? AND I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF THE REALTORS, ME AND MS. CURTIS, Y'ALL BEAR WITH ME. WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND, AND TELL WHAT FIRST HAPPENED? SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GUYS, UH, YEAH. YES. ALL STARTED SEEING THIS DEVELOPMENT STARTING NOTHING ABOUT IT FROM THE BEGINNING. YEAH, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT. OKAY. MR. AND MR. CURTIS PUT UP A DEAL TO BUY THIS. IT WAS OWNED BY FOUR ENTITIES. THE METHODIST CHURCH OR ONE OF THESE, THE METHODIST CHURCH, A BOY CAMP, AND TWO OTHER ENTITIES. YEAH. THAT THE TENANT SISTERS LEFT. YEAH. THE TENANT SISTERS JUST EVERYBODY KNOW. YEAH. UH, HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY THEY SCHOOL, TEACHERS, SCHOOL IN. AND THEY HAD INHERITED SEVERAL HUNDRED ACRES OF LAND FROM, UH, THEIR, UH, PARENTS OR, AND SO WHAT HAPPENED WHENEVER THEY PASSED AWAY, THEIR PROPERTY BECAME SUBJECT TO SALE. AND THEN, UH, THEY LISTED IT AND IT WAS LISTED, UH, QUITE A BIT ALL OVER THE COUNTY, BUT MOSTLY DOWN IN KAUFMAN, SOUTH OF TON, UH, KEN AREA. UH, AND, BUT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF HOW, THAT'S WHO THE TENANT ESTATE IS. SO, UH, JUST TO MAKE EVERYBODY AWARE OF HOW THIS HAPPENED, BUT YOU WERE TELLING A GOOD STORY. I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT. HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS LISTED? HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS LISTED? BECAUSE I NEVER KNEW IT WAS LISTED. IT WASN'T LISTED. IT WASN'T LISTED. IT'S NOT LISTED. THAT'S ONE, ONE THING ABOUT IT'S NOT WRONG ON THIS. YEAH. IT'S, IT'S NOT LISTED WITH ANYBODY. NO OFFENSE, NO BLACK PERSON CAN BUY IT AND NO WHITE PERSON CAN BUY IT. IT HAS TO BE UN THE ONES THAT'S GOT IT UNDOCUMENTED BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARED IF SOMETHING ILLEGALLY HAPPENS, WHAT THEY DO, THEY'RE NOT GONNA CALL IN, THEY'RE GONNA RUIN. AND THAT'S WHAT WE KNOW OF THREE FAMILIES HAVE DONE RUN. I WAS TRYING TO FIND A DEAL WHERE THIS SHEFFIELD PROPERTIES, WHICH IS OWNED BY 10, UH, SHANI, I CAN'T PRONOUNCE HIS NAME. YEAH, I'VE GOT HIS, YEAH. OKAY. BUT HE RUNS THE WARRANT DOWN HERE. AND WHEN THEY PUT THEIR CONTRACT IN, THEY PUT A GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY DOWN. I WON'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH AND A GOOD AMOUNT TO BUY IT. NO, NO, NO. DAVID, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE COULD READ. WE TRIED TO BUY IT FROM THE ATTORNEY TO, FROM, BUT HOW CAN HE COME IN AND PUT IT, AND I HAVE THE DEAL HERE. I HAVE TO FIND IT $10 AND HE GET IT FOR 122,000. IT'S WAY UNDER THEIR DEAL. AND THIS IS WHAT MR. FLOYD SIGNED ABOUT WHAT, WHAT CAN BE DONE AND WHAT CAN'T DONE. AND THERE IS THE PLOT SURVEY THAT IS TOTALLY 100% WRONG, BUT YET EVERYBODY HAS SIGNED OFF ON IT. SO I'M THE TROUBLEMAKER. I'M GONNA H FOR RIGHT NOW THAT SOMEBODY ELSE TALKED. NONE OF YOU'RE TROUBLEMAKERS. OKAY. CONCERNED CITIZENS. SO TROUBLE CONCERNED CITIZENS. YES. YES. UM, ABOUT THE WAY THE PROPERTY CAME UP TO BE FOR SALE IS, UH, UH, TOMMY TAR LEE'S FATHER, A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, LIVED DOWN THE STREET, TOLD ME THAT THAT PROPERTY MIGHT COULD BE BOUGHT. [00:15:01] AND THAT WAS WHEN MRS. TIM WAS STILL ALIVE. WELL, AT THAT TIME, WE WERE STILL PAYING ON OUR HOUSE LAND. SO A FEW YEARS PASSED AND, UH, UH, WE, MY WIFE AND I STARTED TALKING ABOUT THAT PROPERTY AND HOW WE'D LIKE TO HAVE IT. AND THAT JUST, IT JOINED US, YOU KNOW, AND REALLY, ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASON TO BUY IT WAS FOR THIS NOT TO HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, WE LIKE OUR PRIVACY AND WE LIVE IN WHILE WORK OUR WHOLE LIFE TO GET WHAT WE GOT. LIKE OUR WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE. I HAVE. BUT I COULDN'T, I, I STARTED TRYING TO FIND MS 10 AND I FOUND HER ADDRESS IN KAUFMAN. AND I WENT THERE TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AND I FINALLY FOUND HER NEIGHBOR AND TALKED TO HER NEIGHBOR. I SAID, HOW CAN I FIND MS. MARGARET AT 10? I SAID, SHE SAID, YOU THREE DAYS TOO LATE. SHE JUST PASSED AWAY. SHE'S BEEN IN A NURSING OFFICE. WELL, THAT WAS JUST ME BY MYSELF, SOLO, TRYING TO FIND MR. TENET BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT GO THROUGH A REALTOR, YOU KNOW? UH, BUT ANYWAY, UH, UH, I HIRED A, UH, REAL ESTATE AGENT. WENT TO THE ATTORNEY FIRST AND WE TRIED TO BUY IT. OH, FIRST I WENT TO MS. JOANNE HOLMES, AND THIS IS YEARS BEFORE IT EVER SOLD. AND, UM, I BET IT MADE AN OFFER THROUGH HER. AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS. UH, UH, 20. WE WENT 2000. IT DOESN'T MATTER. IT DOESN'T MATTER. ANYWAY, SHE SAID, I DON'T THINK I'D EVEN TAKE 3008 FOR WHATEVER. AND I SAID, BUT OKAY. UM, BUT I AM INTERESTED IN PROPERTY. SHE SAID, I, I GOT SIX OR EIGHT MORE YEARS BEFORE I HAVE TO DO ANYTHING WITH IT. 'CAUSE SHE WAS IN CONTROL OF THE, I GUESS THE ESTATE, ESTATE. BUT, UH, OH, LATER WE HIRED AN ATTORNEY. I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, A REAL ESTATE AGENT TO HELP ME BID ON, 'CAUSE SHE PASSED AWAY. MR. COLLINS PASSED AWAY. SO IT WAS THEN IT WAS TURNED OVER AT THE END OF HER TERM OF TAKING CARE OF THEIR, THEIR BUSINESS. IT WENT TO THE CHURCHES, UH, CHURCH. TWO CHURCHES, FOUR CHURCHES. IT WAS FOUR ENTITIES. SO I HAD A REAL ESTATE AGENT CONTACT THEM. AND WE WERE BIDDING. I THOUGHT WE WOULD BID AGAINST SOMEBODY ELSE. I DIDN'T KNOW WE'D BIDING AGAINST ANOTHER PROPERTY. SO WE BID THREE TIMES. AND UH, I FINALLY SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ENOUGH. THAT WAS THE WRONG THING TO DO. I SHOULD HAVE SAID, YOU BUILD THEM, PEOPLE DON FIND OUT WHAT IT TAKES TO BUY THE PROPERTY INSTEAD OF THIS, ITS AND MATCH GOING BACK AND FORTH, YOU KNOW. BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, UH, THEY CALLED ABOUT REAL ESTATE. GUY CALLED ME AND SAID, WELL, YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE IN THE NEXT IN LINE. IF THEY DON'T ACCEPT THEIR BID, THEN THEY'LL COME BACK TO YOU. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THAT ENDED. BUT, UH, THAT'S WHERE I ENDED UP GETTING SIDETRACKED. OUTBID. OKAY. OTHER, ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO PLEASE? YEAH, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GO ABOUT MAKING CHANGES TO REGULATIONS, ET CETERA. AND WE ARE IN THE COUNTRY, HOWEVER, WE'RE ALMOST A DALLAS SUMMER. WE'RE GROWING SO MUCH. AND AS SUCH, I THINK MORE DUE DILIGENCE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. AND HE KEEPS MENTIONING THE PLAT, THE PLAT IS SO INCORRECT. THE PEOPLE, IT WAS DIVIDED, SUPPOSEDLY DIVIDED INTO 15 PLATS PLOTS. HOWEVER, THE SURVEYOR'S BEEN OUT THREE TIMES JUST FOR, UH, SHEFFIELD AND CANNOT EVEN GET, GET IT DIVIDED CORRECTLY. PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO CLEAR THE LAND DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THEIR, THEIR BORDERS ARE, THEIR PROPERTY LINE. AND THEN THEY KEEP HIRING THIS GUY THAT LIVES AROUND THE CORNER TO CLEAR THE LAND. AND SUPPOSEDLY THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DISRUPT THE WATERWAY. AND YOU CAN SEE ALL THE LINES. I MEAN, IT CLEARLY FLOWS THROUGH THERE. AND WHEN THEY START DIGGING AND, AND PILING UP ALL THE TREES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, IT'S GONNA FLOOD AT SOME POINT. IF WE EVER GET ANY RAIN. GOOD RAIN. UM, BUT THE POINT IS NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO CLEAR IT ALONG OUR FENCER ON THE BACK. AND IF YOU WALK MY PROPERTY LINE, UH, BACK TOWARDS THE BACK, THERE ARE BEAMS THAT YOU CAN STAND IN THAT RUN INTO THAT PROPERTY. AND FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, THE PLA WASN'T APPROVED INITIALLY. AND WHEN IT DID GET APPROVED, IT'S BECAUSE THEY NEEDED TO SEE EASEMENTS. WELL, THE EASEMENTS WERE JUST, THERE WAS NO THOUGHT EVEN GIVEN TO WHERE THEY WERE GONNA PUT THE EASEMENTS. AND IT'S ON OUR FENCE ROAD, WHICH YOU CAN'T EVEN GET THROUGH. SO SOMEBODY NOW IS TRYING TO CLEAR WHAT ABOUT FIVE FEET SO THEY CAN WALK IN THERE TO TRY AND, AND GET THE SURVEY MORE CORRECT. UM, THE WATER COMPANY FIRST, THEY, THEY SIGNED OFF ON, UM, I GUESS THE ENGINEER'S REPORT TURNED IT INTO THE COUNTY AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE GONNA DO ANOTHER ONE. AND I'VE GOT A REGULATION FROM, UH, THE STATE THAT INDICATES THAT SHEFFIELD IS THE ONE THAT HAS TO DO ALL THE COSTS RUNNING THE WATER LINES THROUGH THERE. AND YET THESE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT. AND IT'S DECEPTIVE. HE'S [00:20:01] VERY DECEPTIVE. SOME OF 'EM HAVE BEEN TOLD TO GO INTO CAMP AND GET WATER CAMP DOES NOT HAVE OUR WATER. WE ARE A CO-OP WHERE WE LIVE. WE'RE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMIT. SO THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS GOING ON. SO NOW THE ENGINEER'S GONNA DO ANOTHER REPORT, UH, TO TRY AND FIND OUT IF YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WATER PIPES OR WHATEVER THEY NEED TO RUN IT. IT'S JUST A BIG JOKE. THE WHOLE THING IS SERIOUSLY A JOKE. THIS MAN BOUGHT PROPERTY AND HE'S GONNA KEEP GETTING MORE MONEY FROM PEOPLE. 'CAUSE LIKE DAVID SAID, THEY GIVE UP. THEY DON'T GO ANYWHERE TO TRY AND GET THEIR MONEY BACK. 'CAUSE I ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS TO DO THAT. AND SO HE'LL JUST GET ANOTHER DOWN PAYMENT FROM SOMEBODY ELSE. AND THIS IS GONNA GO ON AND ON AND ON. AND ALREADY WE'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY SHELTERS BEING PUT UP, WHICH IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. AND THE WHOLE POINT THAT, UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE BEING TOLD IS EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE CONDITIONS ON THE SURVEY, WE'RE TOLD THAT WE HAVE TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO ENFORCE THEM. THAT THAT'S, THAT'S RIDICULOUS. YOU KNOW, THE, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT. THESE REGULATIONS SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE FOR ANYBODY BUYING PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY A DEVELOPER TO FOLLOW THE LAW. THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING. WHO, WHO APPROVED THE LAW KEEP REFERRING TO TON COUNTY, COFF COUNTY ABOUT THE PLOT? THE ENGINEER SURVEYOR? I CANNOT READ SURVEYOR. SOMEBODY HAD TO APPROVE IT TO KEEP SAYING IT WAS APPROVED BY THE COUNTY. YES. YEAH. YES. WHO WAS APPROVED BY J ALLEN AND NO, SHERRY, CHERYL, RENEE, ED. IS THAT RIGHT? THE COUNTY ENGINEER APPROVED THIS. SHE SHE SENT IT BACK TO THEM PREPARED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE EASEMENTS ON THERE. I, I'M TRYING TO RECALL THAT THE ENGINEERS, BECAUSE IT MET ALL OF THE COUNTY REQUIREMENTS AND THERE WAS NO LEGAL REASON WE COULD NOT APPROVE PLA AM I SAYING CORRECTLY? YES. OKAY. MY QUESTION IS, IS IF THEY'VE GOT ALL OF THESE THINGS ON THE PLAS PLOTS, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL 'EM, AND THERE'S REGULATIONS THERE THAT Y'ALL HAVE STIPULATED, WHO'S GOING TO ENFORCE THAT? THAT SAYS THEY DIDN'T DO THAT? I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT BEVERLY'S JUST TELLING YOU, THEY'VE ALREADY MOVED SOME OF THE PROPERTY. THEY, UH, THE SURVEY THAT THEY HAD THAT COPELAND COUNTY APPROVED, WHOEVER DID IT SHOWS THAT THERE IS STATES, YOU KNOW, WR IRON POLES AT THE BACK OF THE LAND. YOU ALREADY KNOW THE, THEY'RE NOT THERE BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T GO ON BEVERLY'S LAND. YOU KNOW, BEVERLY WOULDN'T LET 'EM ON HER LAND TO GET BACK THERE. THEY HAD TO GO FROM NO, THEY WERE ON MY LAND ORIGINALLY WHEN THEY DID THE ORIGINAL PLAT AND THEY COULDN'T EVEN GET IT RIGHT THEN. AND THEY WERE ON MY PROPERTY FOR A LONG TIME AFTER I CAUGHT 'EM TRYING TO CLIMB MY GATE TO GET IN. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THEY CAME OUT ON 40 20 SEVEN'S PROPERTY OR 40 27 SIDE, THEY CAME OVER ON MY LAND AND WAS PUTTING DOWN STAKES SAYING THAT THAT'S WHERE THE BRIGHT IRON NEEDED TO BE. NO, WE DIDN'T. IT'S OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. YOU GO FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, DON'T COME ON MY LAND. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I TOLD HER. EVERYBODY KNOWS IT'S IN THE CENTER LAND COUNTY ROAD ON ALL THE COUNTY ROADS, BUT, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO PUT IT UP AGAINST MY FENCE ON MY PROPERTY AND, AND GO FROM THERE. NO, YOU, YOU DON'T DO THAT. BUT THERE'S STILL SO MANY GUIDELINES, RULES, REGULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SIGNED OFF ON. AND NOBODY'S CLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY. NOBODY'S GONNA DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE GUIDELINES AND AND REGULATIONS ARE FOLLOWED UP. WHO'S GONNA, I MEAN, WE CAN'T EVEN GET ANYBODY OUT THERE TO LOOK AT IT TO SEE THE LAND. OKAY. HAVE OUR PUBLIC WORKS PEOPLE BEEN OUT THERE. NO, I HAVEN'T SEEN 'EM. WHO KNOWS? I MEAN, WITH THIS RIGHT HERE, THIS IS THE ONE THAT YOU SIGNED OFF ON THE FIRST PAGE, RIGHT? THE, THE DEAL. AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT THEY SIGNED OFF ON. DO YOU TELL THE EASEMENT IS IN THE BACK? WE HAD A MEETING WITH OUR WATER BOARD COURSE, LIKE SHE SAID, WE'RE JUST A LITTLE RICKY IN WATER COMPANY OR A CO-OP. THE [00:25:01] WATER COMPANY SAYS WE'RE GONNA PUT IT RIGHT NEXT TO THE ROAD. WE'RE NOT GONNA CLEAR A PATH OUT IN THE BACK AND PUT A WATER LINE. BUT THAT WOULD COST US X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS. BUT YET STILL ON THE SURVEY, IT SHOWS THE UTILITY EASEMENT AT THE BACK, THE POWER UTILITY EASEMENT IN THE BACK, AND IT'S TURNING DOWN 40 27 ON THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY. TAKE EASEMENT. I HAVE DRIVEN THE PROPERTY SEVERAL TIMES NOW ON, ON THE PLAT. HE ROAD, I GUESS THE DEVELOPER CAN PUT IT EASEMENT WHEREVER HE SO WANTED. IT'S JUST LONG. IT'S HIS PROPERTY AT THAT POINT IN TIME. HOWEVER, UH, THE WATER COMPANY WILL PUT IT WHEREVER THEY WANT IT. RIGHT. THEY CONTROL THAT. SO WHATEVER MAY OR MAY NOT BE ON THAT PLAT, WE CAN'T TELL A PROPERTY OWNER WHERE HE CAN PUT HIS EASEMENT. WE COULDN'T TELL YOU WHERE TO PUT EASEMENT IF YOU BROUGHT SOMETHING IN YES, YOU DID TWO YEARS AGO. COMPANY AND THE WATER COMPANY AND SO FORTH. I HAD SPECS TO GO BY WHEN I MOVED IN 22 YEARS AGO THAT I HAD THE FALL BECAUSE THAT WAS THE RULES PRESENT FORTH FOUR. THIS IS WHAT HAD TO BE DONE. WHEN THE LIGHT COMPANY COME OUT, THEY PUT THE POLES UP TWO SETS OF POLES WITH EVERYTHING I DID. I HAD TO DO IT TWICE. 'CAUSE I MOVED MY FATHER IN. AND IF THIS IS TELLING ME THAT HE CAN JUST PUT HIS UTILITY WHEREVER HE WANTS TO AND GET THE, HE CAN ATE ON THERE, WHEREVER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S WHERE THE UTILITY COMPANIES WILL PUT IT. SO THEN THAT PAPER IS USELESS IS WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME. I'M NOT SAYING THAT. I'M JUST SAYING WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO DO IT? IT MAY COST HIM EXTRA MONEY TO RUN. OH YEAH. IT'S GONNA COST HIM THE WATER THAT'S UP TO HIM. IF HE, AND IF HE PLACED THE, UH, POLES OR THE POWER POLES ON THE COUNTY ROAD RIGHT OF WAY, THE, THE POWER POLES WERE LIKE 60 FOOT INTO THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY. OKAY. WE HAD OUR TANK REBUILT, OUR WATER COMPANY, AND THEN WE HAD TVET MOVE IT OUT, OR THEY DID AND PUT THREE PHASE FIRE DOWN TO THE PUMP STATION. OKAY. AND ALL THE POLES ARE RIGHT NEXT TO THE ROAD AND THE WATER PEOPLE HAVE SAID IT'S GONNA BE RIGHT DOWN AGAINST THE ROAD NOW ON 40 17 COUNTY ROAD. ROAD ROAD, YES. COUNTY ROAD 40 27 COUNTY ROAD 40 17. THE WATER IS ALREADY THERE BECAUSE WHEN THEY MOVED IN 20 SOMETHING YEARS AGO, THEY HAD TO PAY FOR THE WATER LAND. AND IT WASN'T CHEAP BACK THEN. YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW OF ONE BAND THAT'S GOT A ADDRESS ON IT IS SPINE, BUT IT'S UP AROUND THE CORNER AND THERE'S ALREADY A WATER MAIN IN VICINITY, LET'S SAY NOT CLOSE. OKAY. WELL, I CALLED OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY, I MEAN THE COMMISSION'S COURT, WE HAVE TO APPROVE THOSE. IF OUR ENGINEER APPROVES THEM AND SHE SAYS HERE, OR SHE SAYS THAT THEY FOLLOW THE COUNTY SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS. WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO, WE APPROVE. AND USUALLY THE ENFORCEMENT COMES THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS COURT THAT THEY'RE VIOLATING SOME ISSUE REGARDING, UM, DECEPTIVE OR FLOOD PLAIN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, ONE OF THE REASONS THE COUNTY CAN'T ENFORCE SOMETHING IS BECAUSE IF THEY'RE IN DEED OR A DEED RESTRICTION, IT'S, YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTANDING LEGALLY TO DO THAT. SO, SO WE HAVE STIC SYSTEM, ALL THAT. THEY CAN'T PUT THE STIC SYSTEM IN UNTIL THEY GET THAT WATER. JUDGE WOOD, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THESE, UH, INDIVIDUALS HERE TO TRY AND LOOK TO THE FUTURE TO IMPROVE THINGS. BUT YOU KEEP REFERRING TO THE CHECKLIST. AND GRANTED, I MEAN, I, I'VE GOT A COPY OF THE CHECKLIST. THERE'S A BUNCH OF NAS ALL OVER IT. AND ORIGINALLY WHEN I TALKED TO YOU, JB AND I ASKED YOU IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT TO THE PROPERTY, TOLD ME Y'ALL DIDN'T HAVE TO. THAT'S WHAT'S WRONG TO ME WITH THIS PROCESS. UH, YOU SAY EVERYTHING MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS, YOU CHECK IT OFF. BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, THE PLAT AND NOT HAVING THE EASEMENTS, THEY JUST PUT 'EM WHEREVER THEY NEED TO PUT THEM BECAUSE IT WAS REQUIRED. UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE DUE DILIGENCE AND, UH, THE FACT THAT WE'RE GROWING AND COUNTY'S GROWING AND YOU CAN'T JUST KEEP TAKING PEOPLE'S [00:30:01] WORK, ESPECIALLY SOMEBODY LIKE SHAMANI. YOU CAN'T TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT. AND I KNOW CAROL FINLEY IS THE ENFORCER FOR HIM IN THIS AREA. UM, BUT THERE'S, JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE UNDOCUMENTED INDIVIDUALS, THEY DON'T KNOW THE LAWS. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE EVEN GONNA TRY TO PUT IN A LEGAL SEPTIC SYSTEM? YOU KNOW? SO WE HAVE TO KEEP LEASING THIS PROPERTY OURSELVES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE LEGAL SEPTIC SYSTEM. UM, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING WITH THE WATER COMPANY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT A SIMPLE COUNTY ANYMORE. AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO GET, LIKE YOU TOLD ME, THEY'RE RIGHT ON THE VERY EDGE OF THE LAW, THE VERY EDGE OF THE LAW. AND SO WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS SO WE CAN BE MORE DILIGENT IN WHAT'S HAPPENING. OUR COUNTY HEARD AGREE IN THAT. THAT'S, UH, GUARD. WE ARE CREATING THIS NEXT BUDGET YEAR. A UH, COUNTY, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT THAT WILL BE A STANDALONE DEPARTMENT. I SEE. UH, BECAUSE THE GROWTH IS HERE AND WE'RE BEHIND, WE'RE DOING RIGHT. BUT THE REASON I HAVE THESE FOLKS HERE TODAY, THERE ARE LIMITS TO WHAT WE CAN'T DO. I UNDERSTAND. MAYBE WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB, UH, WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING. UH, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY INCREASE THAT EFFORT, BUT THERE STILL, WE CAN'T DO AS MUCH AS WHAT THE CITY OF KAMAN DO OR THE CITY OF KIM OR ANYBODY. I MEAN, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE SAME POWER THAT CITIES DO. NOR, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVE TO THE COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY WANT GET AWAY FROM ZONING AND ALL THAT UNTIL THEY GET THE COUNTRY AND THEN THEY FIND OUT, WELL, YEAH, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. SORRY. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE THESE INDIVIDUALS HERE HELP US DO THE ENFORCEMENT IF WE NEED TO BE DOING MORE ON THE ENFORCEMENT ASPECT OF IT. RANDY, RICHARD MOMENTARILY MARSHAL AS WELL AS OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WHERE RIGHT NOW, AND, UH, I HIM TOWARDS THE END OF THE MEETING OR AFTER MEETING, UH, WE HAVE YOU GUYS TALK WITH RANDY SO HE CAN HEAR THIS. AND SO I GUESS TO KIND OF GET US BACK ON, OKAY, WE UNDERSTAND YOU THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB. OKAY. WELL, I'M NOT SAYING YOU KICKED HER. I DON'T WANT IT BE PERSONAL 'CAUSE I GOT GREAT TO SET MY RESPECT FOR ALL OF HERE, BUT DUE DILIGENCE, WE HAVE TO BE MORE DILIGENT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE DON'T TAKE IT . I DON'T GOOD. PLEASE DON'T, IT'S NOT PERSONAL. I MEAN, IF WE TOOK CARE THAT PERSON, IT JUST FOUR PEOPLE GET ROOF ON. WHAT, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO THE LAW TO GET Y'ALL ESTIMATE? WELL, AND THIS IS WHERE I THINK YOU GUYS PROBABLY NEED TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS. I MEAN, WELL, I'M, MY BASIC CONCERN IS YOU GOT PEOPLE MOVING IN EVERY DAY THAT IN SIX MONTHS IT LOOKS LIKE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, WILL BE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I CAN SHOW YOU SOME PLACES THAT'D BE TERRIBLE. I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, A COUPLE YEARS BACK, THEY PUT A HORSE RACING TRACK IN AROUND THE CORNER FROM ME. AND EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, I COULDN'T BE, COULDN'T SLEEP BECAUSE THEY, THEY, THEY HAD A LOUD SPEAKER AND THEY PLAYED HISPANIC MUSIC AND THERE WAS TWO TO THREE TO 5,000 PEOPLE THERE EVERY DAY. AND THERE'S ONE LITTLE ROAD COMING IN THERE. AND FINALLY THE STATE ENDED UP SHUTTING 'EM DOWN. THEY WERE OUT THERE GAMBLING. THEY WERE, I MEAN, AND THEY POP UP EVERYWHERE. I MEAN, THEY GOT ANOTHER HORSE TRACK. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE A HORSE TRACK YET OR NOT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT. THEY DID THE OTHER ONE THE SAME WAY, YOU KNOW. AND THEN WHEN WE COME TO TALK TO THE COMMISSIONERS ABOUT IT, THE COMMISSIONER, I TALKED TO THEM, UH, WASN'T HIM, BUT IT WAS ANOTHER MAN. UH, HE SAID, THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT. I SAID, IF YOU WANT GRAB YOUR FOOT ON YOUR ROAD, I CAN DO THAT, BUT I CAN'T DO NOTHING ABOUT THAT. THEY ENDED UP SHUTTING THEM DOWN AFTER ONE OF THE GUYS GOT DRUNK, LEFT, PASSED ON THE, ACROSS THE DOUBLE LINE, KILLED FOUR OR FIVE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AND THEY POP UP EVERYWHERE. I MEAN, THEY POP UP. THEY'RE, IT'S JUST, YOU GOTTA WATCH OUT. YOU KNOW, YOU GOT, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S ANOTHER PLACE RIGHT THERE IN KENT, UH, ACTUALLY OFF 28 60. UH, IF YOU GO DOWN THROUGH THERE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE SAME, UH, ANI OR INDIVIDUAL THAT OWNS THIS PROPERTY. UH, BUT IF YOU DRIVE DOWN THERE, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF THE SAME THING WHERE THERE'S LAND SWATTED OFF, UH, WITH, UH, [00:35:02] I WOULD SAY USED, USED GOLD HOMES ON 'EM. UH, THERE A FEW OF THOSE, UH, HOMES OUT THERE THAT HAVE, UH, PORTA POTTIES IN FRONT OF THEM. I MEAN, THEY'RE RIGHT NEXT TO THE ROAD. I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S A VALID CONCERN. THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, I I'M ASSUMING THEY HAVE RUNNING WATER THAT, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A SEPTIC SYSTEM. UH, SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S CONCERNS WE HAVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT. UH, AND, AND, AND GOING, JUST LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, I GUESS ON THIS, UH, NOT, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THERE IS WE CAN DO TO STOP THIS. SO WE, WE SEE THAT THERE'S PEOPLE MOVING IN, RIGHT? EVENTUALLY, I ASSUME PEOPLE WILL GET THERE. UH, THE, THE ROAD CONDITIONS, LIKE WHAT'S THAT, WHAT'S THAT GONNA DO TO OUR ROADS? I, I MEAN, MY WIFE'S GOT A SMALL CAR. WE CAN PROBABLY GO DOWN THE ROAD NOW AS IT IS WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY POPPED A COUPLE TIRES AND TEARING THAT UP. NOW WE GOT, UH, 20 TO 30 PLUS MORE CARS EACH WEEK GOING DOWN THIS SAME ROAD. UH, THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE. UH, WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S THAT GONNA DO TO OUR ROAD STRUCTURE? YOU KNOW? OKAY. 47. SEE, YOU SAID I, I CAN BE HONEST AND I CAN BE OPEN HIM AND I CAN TELL YOU SURE. BEFORE ALL THIS STARTED, WE WENT UP TO JPS DEAL AND HE ACTUALLY, AND THERE'S WITNESSES IN HERE. HE ACTUALLY TOLD US LARRY WAS ONE OF THEM. HE'S NOT GONNA FIX OUR ROAD. EVERY ROAD AROUND BEEN FIXED EXCEPT HOUR SHORT, SEVEN TENTHS OF A MILE ROAD. AND IT'S, IT'S WHAT MY SON WAS TALKING ABOUT. IT'S HORRIBLE. AND YOU CAN ASK MR. HOLLAND, HE CAN'T EVEN HARDLY GET HIS TRAILER DOWN THERE. TOMMY TARLEY. HE KNOWS THERE IS, AND I'M NOT KIDDING, THERE'S HUMPS IN THE ROAD THIS TALL. YOU HAVE TO DRIVE OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE DEAL, BUT YET THEY REPAIRED. WELL, 40 17 IS CALLED, WHAT IS IT? 40 27 PLAINVIEW PLAINVIEW DRIVE, PLAINVIEW AND PLANVIEW. BUT YET THEY'RE UP THERE REPAIRING PLAINVIEW DRIVE. BUT OURS HAS HAD NOTHING DONE. OH. SO 2 40, 27 DOWN IN FRONT OF THE PROPERTIES, PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT IS IMMACULATE. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT ROAD AT 40 17 BECAUSE IT GETS GRAVEL PUT ON IT AND THE GREATER COMES DOWN EVERY TWO WEEKS AND DOES THAT ROAD. I WORK FROM HOME, I SEE IT, THAT GRADER COMES DOWN, WE SEE A LOT DOWN THAT OUR LAND, YOU CAN SIT ON THE COUCH AND WATCH THESE FOUR PEOPLE WORK THEIR BUTT OFF. ALSO TOO, THAT IS A 40, 27 AT THAT POINT FROM THE WATER TANK TO OUR ROAD. 40 17 IS A GREAT LINE. I MEAN, IT, IT, IT IS SO STRAIGHT. I WOULD LOVE FOR Y'ALL TO JUST TAKE A DRIVE OUT THERE. I HAVE YET TO SEE VERY MANY PEOPLE DRIVING 30 MILES AN HOUR. CAN'T THEY? THEY WON'T DO IT. THEY ARE GOING TO MIS MISLEAD BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A COUPLE OF PEOPLE TRYING TO TURN THAT CORNER. INSTEAD OF RUNNING INTO MY PROPERTY AND, AND HITTING TREES AND BARB WIRE FENCES AND ALL, THEY HAVE ALMOST WRECKED OUT TRYING TO TURN THAT CORNER BECAUSE THE GRAVEL IS MAKING THEM SKI. OKAY? BUT THE FIRST ONE THAT COMES THROUGH ON THAT FENCE, I'M TELLING YOU NOW, AND SHERIFF, YOU CAN LISTEN, I'M GONNA FIREMAN WHATEVER, HE'S A FIRE, MARSH, FIREMAN, WHATEVER. YOU CAN TELL THE SHERIFF THAT'S, THEY'VE ALREADY WIPED OUT MY FENCE HERE. I KNOW THEY HAVE NOBODY TOLD ME AND I JUST HAPPENED ABLE CHECK THE COWS. I'M LIKE, WOW. THEY COULD HAVE ALL BEEN OUT ON THE ROAD. YES, WE NEED A BARRICADE, BUT WE NEED BARRICADES. BUT THE FIRST ONE THAT COMES THROUGH THAT FENCE, I'M TELLING YOU NOW, I'M CHAINING THEIR CAR TO ONE OF THEM TREES AND I'LL BE DORMED IF THEY GET IT BACK IN, IN JAKE'S IN DEFENSE OF JAKEY, AND Y'ALL MAY NOT LIKE ME FROM WHEN HE BECAME COMMISSIONER, I CALLED HIM AND I ASKED HIM, I SAID, PLEASE DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO MY ROAD. BECAUSE I HAD A, YOU KNOW, KIND OF AN ASPHALT ROAD. AND WHAT HE WAS DOING WAS TURNING IT TO WHERE IT WAS DUST. BUT MY SHOP, IF THERE'S DUST THERE, I CAN'T STAY IN THERE. IT JUST KEEPS COMING, COMING. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT YEAH, I BREAKING NOW SOMETHING MOM CAN EVEN DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE IT'S HUMPED UP SO BAD. HE GETS THE CAR ON THE BOTTOM THAT'S KIND OF GO, THE COMMISSIONER HEARD ALL THIS, SO I'M SURE HE WILL WORK TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO HELP IN THAT REGARD. UH, I REALLY WANT TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT WE CAN DO, UH, TO, AND ENFORCE, [00:40:01] UH, WHAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO TO GET CHANGE AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL. RANDY IS HERE NOW. RANDY, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU TWO NAMES. OKAY? UH, THE, THE STATEMENT HAS BEEN MADE THAT WE DO NOT, I KNOW THAT'S HARD, BUT, UH, THAT WE DO NOT, UH, GO OUT AND CHECK ON WHAT'S GOING ON OUT IN THIS AREA. 40 17. 40 17. SO CAN YOU GET UP AND JUST SAY WHAT, WHAT, I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE. I, UH, NOT RECENTLY, SIR. I THE END OFF OF 1895. KIND OF PREFACE WHAT, WHAT THIS IS A CONCERN OR MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ROAD FARM. FARM, THE SAFETY SYSTEMS. WATER. OKAY. WATER OF ADVICE WE HAVE. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE AS A COUNTY? AS FAR AS THE COUNTY GOES, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE GOVERN THE INSTALLATION OF THE SAFETY SYSTEMS, BUT WE DON'T GOVERN THE TYPES OF HOMES. IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'ALL ARE REFERRING TO? SOMEONE ELSE? THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THEM NOT PUTTING IN OR HAVE PUT IN IT LEGAL ILLEGAL TYPE OF SAN FRANCISCO. OKAY. HOW IS IT REGULATED? OKAY. UH, THAT IS REGULATED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. WE FOLLOW THEIR GUIDELINES. C COUNTY IS JUST A STEWARD TO ENFORCE THE STATE LAW DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE. SO WE'RE ENFORCING THE STATE LAWS. NOTHING THAT COUNTY COMES UP WITH. UH, ANY SEPTIC SYSTEM THAT IS INSTALLED ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY, COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL MUST BE INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY GUIDELINES. AND IT MUST BE INSTALLED BY A LICENSED INSTALLER. A PLUMBER CANNOT DO THE WORK. WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO ROAD TO ROAD, DOOR TO DOOR AND BE ABLE TO CHECK THESE SYSTEMS. WE DEPEND UPON THE PUBLIC AND WE RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY 450 TO 500 COMPLAINTS EACH MONTH ON SUBJECT SYSTEMS. AND WE DEAL WITH THE MAJORITY OF THOSE COMPLAINTS EACH MONTH. AND MOST OF 'EM WE DO RECONCILE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE FIND OUT ABOUT THESE. SO YOU CONTACT THE PUBLIC WORKS, UH, WE HAVE TWO INSPECTORS AND INVESTIGATORS FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY THAT GO OUT AND AS WELL AS THEIR ROUTINE INSPECTIONS, THEY'LL CHECK ON THESE COMPLAINTS AND, UH, WE'LL INVESTIGATE 'EM AND SEE IF THEY ARE INSTALLED CORRECTLY. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN BEEN INSTALLED CORRECTLY, BUT SOME OF THE COMPONENTS MAY BE MALFUNCTIONING CAUSING A, AN ODOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE ALSO CAN HAVE THAT CORRECTED 'CAUSE THERE IS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE ON THOSE AS WELL. SO I THINK THE, THE OTHER SEVERAL ISSUES, ONE OF THEM IS THE PLA THAT WAS FILED WITH THE COUNTY. UH, WE BELIEVE HE DONE TO APPROVE IT AS FAR AS WHAT WE CAN DO. BUT THE GENTLEMAN THAT IS, UH, THAT IS DEVELOPING THE PROPERTY IS NOT FOLLOWING THE WHAT YOU DO THAT REGARD, REGARD THE WAY OUR SUBDIVISION CALL THE SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS ON THE PLA THE WAY OUR COUNTY'S SUBRES ARE CURRENTLY WRITTEN, THAT RESPONSIBILITY FALLS UPON EACH COMMISSIONER. THERE IS NO, UH, THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE THAT SAYS IT'S A STATE LAW VIOLATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT FALLS A MIXTURE AS FAR AS ENFORCEMENT OF THEIR SUBS AND THE COMMISSIONERS. IN TURN, IF THEY SEE A CIVIL LIABILITY OR A CIVIL OFFENSE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN WE CAN IN TURN THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE SHERIFF OR MYSELF, ANY POLICE OFFICER AND GO THROUGH THE, UH, DA'S OFFICE. AND, UH, JUST DEPENDS UPON WHAT, WHAT THE VIOLATION WOULD BE. I MEAN PARTICULAR THAT OR NOT WE, OTHER THAN, UM, THE FARMS ISSUE, WHICH I THINK IS A SIMILAR SUBDIVISION TO 10 FARMS, WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD ANY OTHER, THE 10 FARMS AND AVENUE FARMS. WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD ANYBODY LIKE FILE A COMPLAINT IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT OR, UM, OR BRING IT AS A CASE TO THE DA'S OFFICE THAT I'M AWARE OF. UM, WE DON'T, UM, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY IN COUNTY AFTER THEY, AFTER THE DEVELOPER FILES HIS PLAT AND APPROVE IT IN THE COUNTY MECHANISM FOR GOING OUT AND SAYING, OKAY, YOU KNOW, ARE THE, ARE THE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS ARE, ARE THE SUBDIVISION SET OUT LIKE THE SAID IT, WE REALLY DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THE LEGAL, WELL WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THE ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY TO GO OUT AND DO THAT. IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT VIOLATES THE COUNTY SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS THAT TIME WE CAN AN INJUNCTION OR SOMETIMES THERE'S SOME INJUN RELIEF THAT [00:45:01] CAN BE DONE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AUTHORITY FOR EVERYTHING. THAT'S WHAT I TRY TO, THAT THAT'S REASON WE'VE GOT THESE FOLKS HERE TODAY TO LISTEN TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO GIVE THE COUNTY MORE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THE REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE. AND YOU MAY HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THAT. I THINK, I THINK WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH THE MEETING. WE DIDN'T HAVE IT ON OUR, OUR FUTURE SUBRES. WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THE ISSUES WE HAVE TO ADOPT WHAT IS, UH, SOME OF THE NEW STATE LAWS THAT HAVE PROVIDED OTHER, UH, MORE RESTRICTIVE MEASUREMENTS, BUT THE COUNTY HAS TO ADOPT THOSE BEFORE WE GET ENFORCE. THERE NOT A LAW THAT AN ILLEGAL, YOU CAN'T COMPARE TO THE CONTRACT ILLEGAL. IT BASICALLY WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WELL, I, I DUNNO, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY CODE OR HEALTH SAFETY CODE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WHAT WOULD YOU BELIEVE? I MEAN, AND I DUNNO THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE ILLEGAL. I'VE GOT A COUPLE. IT, IT'S DIFFICULT, BUT SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, DO YOU SAY BECAUSE THE COUNTY CANNOT HAVE ORDINANCES AS THE CITY CAN, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO ENFORCE WITH WHAT LITTLE THE STATE GIVES US. YOU KNOW, WE CAN ENFORCE BECAUSE THERE IS A STATE STATUTE ON THE SUBJECT SYSTEMS, UH, WE CAN ENFORCE THE, THE CULVER INSTALLATIONS. WELL, I I MEAN WHEN I'M TALKING TO THESE PEOPLE MORE THAN YOU, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE OUGHT BE A LOT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LEGALS CAN TO THE CONTRACT. WELL THAT, THAT MAY BE A LITTLE AFTER THERE. I DUNNO. BUT SHOULDA HAD LANCE COME, SHOULDA HAD LANCE GOODEN COME FOR THAT DISCUSSION. YES. SO, UH, BACK FROM WHAT I'M BACK, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I'M BACK. WHAT DO WE DO NEED THE LEGISLATURE TO DO TO CHANGE? SO IT DOES GIVE US THE, UH, AUTHORITY THAT WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE FORCE. WELL, ONE THING IS THE AUTHORITY. WE HAVE LIMITED SUBDIVISION REGULATION AUTHORITY PERIOD. ONCE IT'S APPROVED. ONCE THEY'RE APPROVED UP UNTIL APPROVAL, BUT EVEN UP UNTIL APPROVAL, I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE CITY ORDINANCES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT WE CAN PASS AS A COUNTY COUNTY. SO WE HAVE VERY, VERY LIMITED, LIKE OUR SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT WE CAN REGULATE. A LOT OF OUR REGULATIONS WHERE THEY'RE A LITTLE TIGHTER ARE BECAUSE WE'RE, WE ARE, WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH OTHER STATE LAWS LIKE THE TCEQ OR THINGS LIKE THAT WITH SEPTIC SYSTEMS. BUT OTHERWISE WE REALLY HAVE VERY MINIMAL AUTHORITY AS TO WHAT WE CAN REGULATE. SO OUR SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS ARE NOT, UM, ALWAYS AS, AS STRICT OR AS TIGHT AS YOU CAN SEE THE CITY. AND SO WHAT I, SO WHAT I GUESS TALKS TO THE COUNTY THE MOST IS WITH THE AUTHORITY THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, THAT WE WOULD HAVE DURABILITY TO ENFORCE IT. THAT WE WOULD HAVE STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO HAVE FO YOU KNOW, A FOLLOW UP PROCEDURE WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF WE GO OUT A YEAR LATER AND DO AN INSPECTION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IS THAT DEVELOPER FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THE REGULATIONS, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THE PLAT. BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT SPECIFIC RELATED AUTHORITY IN THE COUNTY THAT, I MEAN, ONCE, ONCE WE APPROVE IT, OUR AUTHORITY IS KIND OF DONE UNLESS THEY VIOLATE SOME OTHER, UM, CODE, CODE OR LAW. AND, AND WE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT COMES MORE, THAT'S WHERE RANDY GETS INVOLVED MORE. IT'S THE FIRE MARSHAL, THE BUILDING CODE, THE SEPTIC SYSTEMS BECAUSE OF THE TEXAS COMMISSION, UM, TCEQ. SO BASICALLY ONE OF THE, TO ME WHAT I SEE IS THE HEART OF THE ISSUE IS THAT THE LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO GIVE COUNTIES MORE AUTHORITY OR COUNTIES THAT ARE GROWING OR THAT REACH A CERTAIN POPULATION NEED TO HAVE MORE AUTHORITY LIKE CITIES TO REGULATE THESE SUBDIVISIONS. I I MEAN IT PUTS US IN A REALLY HORRIBLE POSITION. I THINK. I THINK WHAT HE'S ASKING YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND, JUDGE, WE HAVE AUTHORITY. TELL US WHAT MORE AUTHORITY WE NEED. WILL WE, WILL WE BE ASKING FOR MORE AUTHORITY ON WHEN A SUBDIVISION'S, UH, PLANET AND THEY START BILLING ON IT, THAT WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO COME OUT AND INSPECT PERIODICALLY TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE. THAT'S WHAT I, WHEN WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO COME OUT AND STOP THEM. IF, IF IT'S NOT WITHIN COMPLIANCE, IS THESE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO LOOK AT THAT WOULD HELP US? RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING TO LOOK AT. IT IS TO, TO BASICALLY GIVE THE COUNTIES MORE AUTHORITIES, LIKE CITIES HAVE [00:50:01] TO BE ABLE TO REGULATE THESE SUBDIVISIONS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY CODE ENFORCEMENT WHERE COUNT WHERE COUNTIES HAVE A CERTAIN POPULATION OR WHETHER THEY'RE NEIGHBORING COUNTIES LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE HUGE POPULATIONS. A LOT OF LEGISLATION IS WRITTEN. IF YOU'RE BORDERING A COUNTY LISTED SUCH AND SUCH MILLION PEOPLE, THEN THAT COUNTY HAS MORE AUTHORITY. CORRECT. YOU KNOW, TO, TO DO THINGS. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M AT. I THINK THAT WE NEED LEGISLATION THAT HELPS US IN THAT REGARD BECAUSE OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE SAME BEFORE AS A COUNTY IN LINDA WEST TEXAS WHERE IT DOESN'T MATTER. I MEAN THESE PROBLEMS DON'T NECESSARILY EXIST, BUT THEY EXIST WHEN YOU'RE A BEDROOM COMMUNITY OF DALLAS AND PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT AND BUILDING, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING SUBDIVISIONS. AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE A LOT OF AUTHORITY BECAUSE WE HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE WHERE WE'RE OVERSTEPPING OUR AUTHORITY. SO WE'RE REALLY CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE. SO VERY QUICKLY, BRANDON, LEGISLATION HAS PROVIDED THROUGH, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 3 52. THEY HAVE PROVIDED US THE AUTHORITY TO GOVERN AND, UH, ENFORCE COMMERCIAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. BUT THE STATE DOES NOT ALLOW US ANY AUTHORITY AT ALL ON SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION. SO IF THE TCEQ, IF, IF THERE'S A REQUIREMENT THERE THAT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE SPECIFIC TO THE SEPTIC SYSTEMS. YES, MA'AM. ONLY SEPTIC SYSTEMS. YES MA'AM. BECAUSE THE TCEQ ALSO SAYS THAT THE DEVELOPER HAS TO PUT IN ALL THE WATER LINES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. BUT YET AGAIN, DECEPTIVENESS. 'CAUSE HE'S NOT TELLING THE PEOPLE THAT HE'S GONNA DO THAT. THEY'RE BEING TOLD TO GO INTO CAMP AND GET WATER. SO THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF, I MEAN, IT'S ILLEGAL WHAT HE'S DOING. SO WHO ENFORCES THAT? I MEAN, WHY WOULD, WE WOULDN'T WANT TO GET AN ATTORNEY OURSELVES TO HAVE HIM ENFORCE THE STATE LAW. AGAIN, WE HAVE THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY UNDER, UNDER 3 52. I'M QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THAT. TO ENFORCE THE WATER LINES, THE FIRE AND SAFETY FEATURES, CONSTRUCTION, ALL ASPECTS OF COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION. UH, BUT IT DOES NOT PROVIDE THAT AUTHORITY FOR A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION. AND NOT ALL COUNTIES HAVE THAT AUTHORITY. THAT'S REALLY FAR COMMERCIAL, UH, REGULATION, WHICH WE DO. BUT WE DO BECAUSE WE'RE ADJACENT TO, TO DALLAS COUNTY. TO DALLAS COUNTY BECAUSE IT'S THE SIZE OF THE COUNTY. AND SO I I REALLY WANT US TO MOVE ALONG HERE. I THINK EVERYBODY'S DONE A GREAT JOB OF KIND OF LAYING OUT THE WORK AND THE COUNTY NEEDS TO DO MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING. I'M SURE RANDY WILL, UH, UH, BE HE'LL BE OUT COMMISSIONER, BE WORKING TO GET, UH, WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO CHECK THIS SUBDIVISION OUT. I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION. ARE THERE MANUFACTURER HOMES ALREADY SET UP OUT THERE? THEY CAN'T. THEY HAVE THE WATER IN. THERE'S NO UTILITY SPIRIT WHO, WHO'S LIVING OUT THERE NOW? THEY'RE LIVING IN TENTS. NOBODY IS LIVING THERE. THE LAST COMMISSIONER'S DEAL, WE HAD THE, WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS WORKSHOP? YEAH. WE WERE TOLD BY OUR WATER COMPANY THERE WAS A SP WAS UP HERE, WHATEVER, BUT EVERY IT IS IS FEEDING INFORMATION TO TSUNAMI OR SHEFFIELD? SHEFFIELD, ONE OF THEM. ONE OF THEM. WHO IS SHEFFIELD? HE IS SHEFIELD THE PROPERTY OF THE PROPERTY THAT IS QUOTE ANI. HE'S EMPLOYED BY SHANI. YES. AND THIS GUY RIGHT HERE IS THE REALTOR THAT IS ONE OF 'EM THAT IS SELLING THIS PROPERTY. AND A QUESTION THAT HAS TO DO WITH Y'ALL'S LEGAL DEAL DOES NOT A REALTOR WHEN HE SELLS A PIECE OF PROPERTY, NO MATTER TO WHO DOES HE NOT HAVE TO DO FULL DISCLOSURE AND TELL THEM PEOPLE WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO. HE'S NOT SELLING THE PROPERTY, DAVID. HE'S JUST MARK HAVE REAL ESTATE COMMISSION IN, IN, IN AUSTIN THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS. AND IF THERE'S CONCERNS, THE REAL ESTATE COMMISSION DEALS DIRECTLY WITH THE REALTORS ON ANY OF THESE ISSUES. THIS, UH, WE WERE TALKING TO HIM IN MY FRONT DRIVEWAY. HE ACTUALLY, AND I DID CALL THE LAW THREE TIMES. ONE TIME, WAS BEING, UH, IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF YOU, THREATENED ME AND MS. CURTIS WITHOUT THERE TALKING TO YOU. AND HE STOMPED IN THE MIDDLE AND HE SAID, MR. SHEFIELD HAS UNLIMITED RESOURCES TO TAKE CARE OF PROBLEMS. AND LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT. WELL, WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF? I JUST GRABBED EVERYTHING WHEN WE WENT BACK IN MY DOOR AND I SHUT, STOPPED. THEY WERE ASKING QUESTION. YOU REPEAT THAT. FULL DISCLOSURE. HE'S NOT TELLING THESE PEOPLE WHAT THEY GOTTA DO. YOU KNOW, NOW I, WHERE I WORK UP IN DALLAS, I HAVE A REALTOR THAT'S GONNA WORK IN A SPANISH REALTOR AND WE HAVE TO GET TOGETHER AND WRITE A LETTER OF WHAT HE'S DOING AND THEN THE SPANISH REALTOR IS GOING TO SEND IT TO [00:55:01] THE WHAT REALTY COMMISSION. REALTY COMMISSION. AND, BUT THIS GUY, I REALLY, I I'D LIKE TO FOLKS AND ANYBODY ELSE, ATTORNEY, OUR LEGAL TEAM BACK. SURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JUDGE. SO I HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES HERE. FIRST ON HERE ON BEHALF OF TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, AND WE WORK TO SUPPORT COUNTY GOVERNMENT, COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEN THE DIFFERENT ASSOCIATIONS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, COUNTY DISTRICT CLERKS, SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION, ALL THE ELECTED OFFICES HAVE ASSOCIATIONS AND WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THOSE ASSOCIATIONS ON BIG ISSUES AND, AND THAT AFFECT ALL COUNTY COURTHOUSE AND SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT AFFECT PARTICULAR OFFICES. BUT MY OTHER PERSPECTIVE IS THAT, UM, I JUST CAME FROM A COUNTY COURTHOUSE. I WAS A COUNTY JUDGE AND THE WESTERN PART OF THE HILL COMPANY WHERE Y'ALL COUNTY LADY IS MY COUNTY SEAT. THIS ISSUE THAT Y'ALL ARE DEALING WITH HERE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, IT HAPPENS AND IT'S HAPPENED AROUND TEXAS AND IT'S HAPPENED FOR A LONG TIME. MY COUNTY FROM THE WESTERN PART OF THE HILL COUNTRY BUILT COMMUNITY OF LAKEY, ROCK SPRINGS UP TO SONORA. THIS WAS HAPPENING THERE BACK IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES. PEOPLE LAND WAS CHEAP. THEY'D BUY BIG SECTIONS AND THEY CUT 'EM UP WITH A SMALL PIECES AND SELL 'EM ON CONTRACTOR TO EAT EXACTLY LIKE THIS. NO UTILITIES, NO ACCESS IN SOUTH TEXAS ALONG THE BORDER. UM, WE EVEN CAME UP WITH, THE NAME IS LON NAME IS FOR EXACTLY THESE SORT OF PROJECTS THAT WOULD HAPPEN DOWN THERE, UM, OUT IN VAN MAR. IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN OUT GOING OUT TOWARDS GU MOUNTAINS. UM, THE LAND THAT JEFF BEZOS, THE AMAZON OWNER OWNS RIGHT NOW IS SHOOTING THE ROCKETS UP ON, WELL, MOST OF THAT LAND HE PUT TOGETHER FROM PROPERTY JUST LIKE THIS, THAT WAS SOLD UNDER CONTRACT FOR DA FEW TIMES. SO IT HAPPENS. AND SO WHAT WE DO ABOUT IT IS, UM, LIKE YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, THAT THE COUNTY AUTHORITY TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE CITY'S AUTHORITY TO INSTITUTE ZONING AND TO ENFORCE CODE. SO FROM THE COUNTY SIDE, WE SORT OF SLICE THE PROCESS THAT ALL THESE COUNTIES IN PLACES HAVE FACED AND WHAT YOU'LL BE LOOKING AT SPECIFIC ISSUES. SO THERE ARE SOME RULES ABOUT SEPTICS. TCQ HAS GOT ISSUES AND Y'ALL GOT THE LOCAL AUTHORITY TO ADMINISTER THAT PROGRAM. THAT OSSF IS SEP TANKS. AND SO YOU, YOU, YOU DO WANT TO HAVE THE LOCAL AUTHORITY DO THAT. WE DON'T, WHICH WE DO AND WE DO ENFORCE, YES, THEY HAVE TO GET A PERMIT AND ALL THAT, RIGHT? WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO HAVE TO GO TO AUSTIN TO APPLY FOR SEP TANK PERMIT. THAT'S NOT A GOOD DEAL FOR ANYONE. BUT, UH, BUT YOU LOOK AT THOSE RULES AND YOU DO YOUR BEST TO ENFORCE 'EM. AND WHERE THEY'RE LIMITED IN WHAT YOU DO, THEN YOU LOOK TO OTHER RESOURCES LIKE TCEQ TO TRY TO COME OUT AND TO PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE THERE. THE, AS FAR AS THE CONTRACTS THAT THESE THINGS ARE SOLD, LONG CONTRACTS FOR DEED, WHAT THEY'RE CALLED IN THE PROPERTY CODE CHAPTER FIVE, THEY'RE CALLED EXECUTORY CONTRACTS. THAT IS, WE'RE GONNA AGREE ON SOMETHING, BUT WHAT I, WHAT I GET IN RETURN FOR THE MONEY I PAY YOU DOESN'T COME IN. I DON'T GET UNTIL DOWN THE ROAD UNTIL I PAY EVERYTHING. SO I'M GONNA BE PAYING YOU FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND AT THE END OF ALL THAT, YOU'RE GONNA GIMME A DEED THAT THE PROPERTY I JUST PAID FOR. SO WHEN YOU SEE EXECUTORY CONTRACT, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH CONTRACT WOULD BE. SO WHAT HAPPENED IN AS FAR AS LEGISLATION IS THERE WERE A FEW LAWS ON THE BOOKS ABOUT THOSE EXECUTORY CONTRACTS BACK INTO THE NINETIES AROUND SOUTH TEXAS. THERE WERE CERTAIN COUNTIES, IT'S LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH YOUR LOCAL CO CODE THAT SAID, IF YOU'RE A CERTAIN DEFINED COUNTY, COUNTY, COUNTY, YOU'VE GOT A CERTAIN SET OF RULES FOR THESE EXECUTORY CONTRACTS. THEY WERE, BUT THEN ONCE THESE, THESE KIND OF PROJECTS, THESE COLONIALS WERE POPPING UP IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN TEXAS, THERE WAS A RECOGNITION THAT THESE LAWS, THEY DIDN'T APPLY EVERYWHERE. SO IN 2001, THOSE EXECUTORY CONTRACT LAWS, UH, THE LEGISLATION WAS PASSED TO HAVE THAT BE STATEWIDE SET UNIFORM RULES FOR THESE CONTRACTS FOR D AND THOSE, THOSE RULES WHICH APPLY HERE REQUIRE ANNUAL DISCLOSURES BY THE PROPERTY SELLER TO THE PROPERTY BUYER ON HOW MUCH YOU PAID AND HOW MUCH YOU OWE. IT'S GOT SOME DISCLOSURE IN THERE ABOUT DTPA, DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT. YOU GOT THREE DAYS ONCE YOU SIGN THAT CONTRACT TO ACTUALLY RESCIND THE CONTRACT AND GET YOUR MONEY BACK. IF THE DEVELOPER DOESN'T, UH, TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU PAID AND HOW MUCH YOU OWE ON THE LIFE OF THIS CONTRACT, UH, AND THEY DON'T DO IT BY A CERTAIN DATE EARLY IN THE YEAR, WELL THERE'S A PENALTY OF $250 PER DAY. CHANGED A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT STARTED OUT AS $250 A DAY FOR EVERY DAY. DIDN'T DO THAT. PLUS YOU COULD GET ATTORNEY'S FEES. SO THAT KIND OF LED TO THIS COTTAGE INDUSTRY OF ATTORNEYS GOING AROUND AND FINDING THESE PEOPLE THAT WERE BUYING PROPERTY ON CONTRACT FOR DEED AND SIGNING 'EM UP AS CLIENTS. BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO TOO MUCH MATH TO REALIZE $250 A DAY EVERY DAY FOR HOW MANY LOTS ARE ON THERE. THAT'S A BIG NUMBER. 15. 15. SO YOU CAN GET AN ATTORNEY'S ATTENTION PRETTY QUICKLY, RIGHT. TO TAKE ON THOSE KIND OF CASES. BUT WHAT IT IS, IS YOU'RE, [01:00:01] YOU'RE TAKING LITTLE NARROW SLICES OF ENFORCEMENT AND JUST TRYING TO PUT THE SQUEEZE ON THESE PROJECTS SO THAT THEY DO COME INTO COMPLIANCE, RIGHT. BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE BUYING IT, THEY DON'T WANNA BUY THE PROPERTY. BUT WE WANT, WE WANT THE DEVELOPER TO FOLLOW THE RULES TOO. AND SO YOU JUST LOOK FOR EVERY WAY YOU CAN TO TURN THE VICE, TURN THE DEVICE, TURN THE DEVICE ON THESE FOLKS UNTIL THEY START TO FOLLOW THE RULES IS A CIVIL ISSUE ADDRESSED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER. RIGHT. SO ON THE CONTRACTS FOR DEED, THOSE ARE CIVIL, WELL IT'S IN STATUTE, BUT THE, THE PROPERTY OWNERS GOTTA BRING THAT CAUSE OF ACTION, RIGHT? THE COUNTY COULD NOT THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE THAT AS FAR AS THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE CONTRACT DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY. THAT'S RIGHT. BECAUSE THAT'S A CONTRACT BETWEEN TWO FOLKS. OKAY. THEY DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY. UM, BUT IN OTHER PLACES, UM, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LEGISLATION, WHAT WE CAN HELP WITH, WHAT RICK IS GONNA TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT IS KIND OF TWO THINGS. ONE IS LOOKING AT THE RULES THAT ARE IN PLACE AND IF THERE ARE LIMITATIONS ON HOW YOU CAN ENFORCE THOSE RULES FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY, WELL THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT KIND OF TAKING THOSE SET OF RULES WITH LEGISLATION AND TRY TO EXPAND THOSE AND EXPAND THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THEM APPLY BETTER FOR GO. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING, RIGHT? THERE'S ANOTHER SET OF LAND USE AUTHORITY THINGS THAT ARE FLOATED OUT THERE, WHICH IS CRAFTING A WHOLE NEW SET OF RULES ABOUT WHO CAN DO WHAT WITH THEIR PROPERTY. AND THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED AND, AND RICK WILL TALK ABOUT THIS BETTER THAN I CAN, BUT THOSE PROPOSALS JUST HAVEN'T ADVANCED VERY FAR BECAUSE WE LIKE OUR PROPERTY, WE WANT TO, AND THAT'S A GREAT THING. SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT, HOW WE CAN HELP WITH FUTURE LEGISLATION, KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND. YOU'VE GOT KIND OF LIKE STAND ON YOUR SET OF RULES THAT YOU HAVE NOW AND TRY TO MAKE THEM APPLY BETTER TO YOUR SITUATION VERSUS COMING UP WITH A WHOLE NEW SET OF RULES AND HAS, LET ME HOLD THE PAST SET OF FUTURE SETS, A FEW SESSIONS, LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AS AN ATTACK AND SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TRIED TO GET THIS CHANGED. AND SO WE'RE DEALING WITH A POLITICAL ANIMAL HERE AND I'M, I'VE ASKED THEM TO BE BRICK, IF YOU DON'T MIND HEARING A MOMENT, I'VE ASKED THEM TO TELL YOU WHAT THE HURDLES ARE. WE CAN GET THE BILL, I'M SURE IF KEITH WINS THE RUNOFF RUN IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE OR WHOEVER'S THERE, THERE CAN BE AN, THERE CAN BE A BILL INTRODUCED, BUT THERE WILL BE SOME PEOPLE THAT WON'T. I MEAN, THEY'RE GOING TO FIGHT IT TOOTH AND TOENAIL. AND SO THAT SEE POLITICAL REALITY. UH, AND THAT'S WHERE T WILL COME IN AND WHERE RITA AND UH, AND WHERE ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS CAN HELP. HOPEFULLY SENATOR HALL WILL BE ON BOARD WITH THIS. UH, I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO PERMIT THAT TODAY. YOU'RE NOT SENATOR HALL, BUT RICK, PLEASE, THAT'LL BE A CONVERSATION TO HAVE. YEAH. BUT PLEASE, UH, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND SAYING THAT. WHY DON'T YOU JUST KIND OF LAY ON THE LAND. SURE. WHAT WE'RE FACING. I'D BE GLAD TO, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU BECAUSE THIS IS HOW THINGS START TO CHANGE. IT'S GRASSROOTS, LIKE THE JUDGE ALLUDED TO. YOU'RE PUTTING A FACE WITH AN ISSUE BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET TO AUSTIN, IT BECOMES ASSOCIATION WORLD. IT BECOMES A LOBBYIST WORLD. BUT THIS IS LIFE. THIS IS YOUR LIFE. AND FOR YOU TO STAND UP AND GET WITH YOUR COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND WORK YOUR WAY UP THROUGH THE FOOD CHAIN TO MAKE THE CHANGES, THE SITUATION, I COMMEND YOU ON THAT. AND I CAN ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE. WHAT I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE QUICK OVERVIEW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE SUPPORT OUR COUNTIES. WELL, WE DO THAT ALSO THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. WE WORK WITH EACH OF THOSE ASSOCIATIONS TO HELP SUPPORT THEIR PLATFORMS TAX. WE DON'T HAVE A LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM. WE SUPPORT OUR COUNTY OFFICIALS. SO WHEN THEY NEED HELP WITH MORE ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY, WE WORK WITH COUNTY JUDGE, COMMISSIONER ASSOCIATION, SHERIFF ASSOCIATION, WHATEVER. WE HELP PUSH THOSE, THAT AGENDA ALONG. WE ARE HERE TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT LOCAL DECISION MAKING BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT ALL THE DECISIONS BEING MADE IN AUSTIN. YOU WANT YOUR COMMISSIONERS COURT, YOUR CITY COUNCILS TO HAVE THOSE ABILITIES TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS TO AFFECT YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE. SO AS FAR AS MOVING FORWARD ON THIS ISSUE, AND I THINK THE JUDGE DID A GREAT JOB OF LAYING OUT, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND ON YOUR AUTHORITY AND SUCH, I WILL TELL YOU THERE ARE HUGE OBSTACLES AHEAD OF YOU, BUT JUST LIKE YOU CAME TO YOUR COMMISSIONER'S POINT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO BEGIN YOUR GRASSROOTS EFFORT WITH YOUR LOCAL, YOUR LOCAL, UH, DEVELOPERS, YOUR REALTORS, AND YOUR BUILDERS. BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE FILE A BILL TO GIVE LOCAL OPTION AUTHORITY, WE DON'T WANT STATEWIDE AUTHORITY. WE WANT EACH COMMUNITY TO DETERMINE WHICH A AUTHORITIES THEY WANT TO USE. THOSE ARE THE THREE ASSOCIATIONS THAT COME TO THE OTHERS SIDE AND KNOCK THOSE BILLS OFF. I MEAN, IT'S JUST A FACT OF LIFE. THEY HAVE A COMMUNITY OR THEY HAVE CONSTITUENTS TO SERVE AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THAT THAT CREATES, WHEN YOU HAVE MORE REGULATIONS, IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD [01:05:01] AND IT, AND THOSE ARE THINGS TO CONSIDER AS YOU START ASKING FOR THE DIFFERENT AUTHORITIES BECAUSE THEN THE COST OF LIVING AND BUILDING HOMES GOES UP AND SO FORTH. SO THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO BALANCE AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS BEST. THAT'S WHY WE ASK FOR LIMITED LOCAL AUTHORITY. THAT WAY THE LOCALS CAN DETERMINE THEMSELVES WHAT THEY WANT. UM, THE OTHER ASPECT OF THIS IS COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THEM ON BOARD. YOU CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS. REACH OUT TO THE GOVERNOR, REACH OUT TO THE STATEWIDE OFFICES. LET 'EM KNOW. I MEAN, YOU ARE THE FACE OF THIS ISSUE. SO BE IT. TAKE OWN IT, MOVE IT ON. GET UP. JUST BECAUSE YOU CALL THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO, THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT DOESN'T IMPACT US. EVERYBODY THAT HAS A LAW, EVERYBODY TRACKS WHO'S CALLING. YOU CALL, YOU CALL, YOU CALL, OH WAIT. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, LIBERTY COUNTY, THE FOLKS ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME THING. THEY START CALLING, WELL, THE WATER COMMUNITY START CALLING. ALL OF A SUDDEN THOSE FACES START TO MULTIPLY. I MEAN, IT IS TEXTBOOK 1 0 1 GRASSROOTS. AND WHAT WE CAN DO IS HELP PUT YOUR LEGISLATORS AND, AND YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS IN CONTACT WITH THOSE OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME THING. ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU GOT A COALITION, RIGHT? YOU GOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO BRING THE CONVERSATION. MORE IMPORTANTLY, TALK TO YOUR LOCAL REALTORS, DEVELOPERS, AND BUILDERS. GET THEM TO START BRINGING THIS UP WITH THEIR ASSOCIATIONS. IF THEY START TO HEAR IT FROM THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL, ALL OF A SUDDEN MAYBE THEIR OPPOSITION MAY CHANGE. MAYBE THERE'S A WAY WE CAN WORK OUT AGREEMENT TO CREATE NEW LIMITED AUTHORITIES. THESE SITUATIONS, I MEAN, THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE LEGISLATURE, YOU CAN MAKE ANY LAW YOU WANT. I MEAN, AS LONG AS THE COURTS ARE HOLDING UP. SO MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO DO A LOCAL BILL OR DO A STATEWIDE LOCAL OPTION, BILL, WHATEVER. WHATEVER HELPS Y'ALL GET TO WHERE YOU NEED, WHICH IS YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER WHAT'S COMING IN NEXT TO YOU. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THE FIRST THING THAT WE HEAR, THE FIRST LINE OUT, A FAIR DEFENSE, IT WON'T JUST BE THOSE ASSOCIATIONS. THERE WILL BE HOMEOWNERS FROM THE COMMUNITIES OR FROM THE, FROM INCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY, BE SAYING THE SAME THING. I MOVED OUTTA THE CITY TO GET AWAY FROM ALL THIS. AND THEN THE RUNNING JOKE AFTER THAT IS THEY TELL YOU THAT AND THEY SAY, WHEN ARE YOU GONNA PICK UP THE TRASH? YOU KNOW, NO, IT'S GONNA, RIGHT. MR. THOMPSON, THEY CAN'T, DEED RESTRICTION SAYS THAT THEY CAN'T BILL, THEY CAN ONLY PUT A TRAILER ON THIS PROPERTY. SO THAT'S KIND OF A NEGATIVE AS WELL, BECAUSE BEING CONTRACT FOR DEED, I SUSPECT THEY DON'T WANT 'EM TO BILL BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T PAY THEIR MORTGAGE AND THEY CAN PUT A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY, WHICH THEN IT'S A BIG ISSUE. SO, I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO RIGHT NOW. SO HOW DO WE GET THAT THAT GOES BACK TO JUDGE? SO YEAH, SO THAT IS A NEW CHALLENGE, IS WHO TAKES THE LABORING WARRANT AND WHO WRITES THE CHECKS TO HAVE THESE THINGS ENFORCED. AND WHETHER IT'S THE COUNTY THAT DOES IT, WHETHER IT'S A GROUP OF LANDOWNERS THAT DOES IT, OR YOU LOOK TO EXISTING RESOURCES. SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE HAS GOT A DIVISION, AND I'VE SPOKEN WITH KAREN AND REBECCA ABOUT THIS THAT LOOKS AT CONSUMER FRAUD ISSUES AND THAT IT'S A GREAT THING TO HAVE THEM TRY TO BE MORE ENGAGED ON A PROCESS LIKE THAT. SO USE WHAT'S THERE AVAILABLE TO YOU NOW FIRST. SO, AND IF THERE'S A OFFERED THIS ATTACK, I CAN PICK UP THE PHONE AND TALK TO SOMEBODY AT THE AGENT'S OFFICE AND SAY, I DON'T KNOW YOU. AND WE'VE NEVER TALKED ON THIS ISSUE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE LEARNED ABOUT IS HAPPENING IN COMAN COUNTY. AND I WAS, WHEN I WERE TALKING, I WAS MAKING A LIST OF OTHER PLACES AROUND. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PLACES IN PARTICULAR I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT LATELY. AND SO I CAN HAVE THAT CALL AND SAY, YOU KNOW, CAN, LET'S, LET'S WORK, LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET MORE ENGAGED ON THIS ISSUE BETWEEN AT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S LEVEL TO COME AND HELP LOCAL COMMUNITIES LIKE YOURS. THANK YOU. PLEASE. IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT AGAINST ANYBODY. THAT'S WHAT WE MOVED OUTTA BEFORE TO GET AWAY FROM EVERYTHING. THESE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET AWAY. THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. HERE COMES THE REAL, YOU KNOW, WE, LIKE I SAID, WE TALKED TO TWO OR THREE OF THEM. ONE OF THEM, THE MAN AND WOMAN WERE CRYING THEIR EYES OUT THE TRUCK THEY LOST EVERY SUNDAY FROM MAY, I THINK BACK TO WHEN THE ELECTIONS ARE BEING HELD, WHETHER IT'S AT THE COUNTY LEVEL OR WHETHER IT'S AT THE STATE LEVEL OR OR THE NATIONAL LEVEL. WHAT I HEAR IS THAT IF [01:10:01] YOU ELECT ME, I'M GONNA BRING COMMON SENSE GOVERNMENT BACK TO THE STATE. I THINK I'VE HEARD THAT IF YOU ELECT ME, I'M GOING TO FIX YOUR ROAD. YOU KNOW, IF YOU ELECT ME, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A VOICE IN AUSTIN. AND THAT'S WHAT WE HEAR. AND WE HEAR IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN. SO WE'RE CITIZENS AND WE SIT HERE AND WE SAY, OKAY, UH, WE NEED A LITTLE HELP ON SOMETHING. AND WHAT WE HEAR IS, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE IT AT OUR LEVEL. AND THEN AT THE STATE LEVEL, THE STATE SAYS, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE REGULATIONS IN PLACE THAT ARE PASSED BY LEGISLATURE THAT GIVE YOU THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT. SO WHAT WE DO IS, I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER IS WE KIND OF GET ON THIS MERRY GORO AND THEN IT KEEPS GOING AROUND AND IT'LL STOP AT ONE POINT AND THEN WE'LL PICK UP AND WE END UP BACK AT THE SAME PLACE THAT WE'RE AT. ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR, I THINK AS CITIZENS THAT VOTED FOR ALL OF YOU THAT WERE ELECTED OR APPOINTED, IS WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME WAY THAT WE CAN PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE LIFE THAT WE HAVE NOW AND HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT. OKAY? IF WE LIVE IN THE CITY, THERE ARE CERTAIN CITY REGULATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT SAYS, IF JACKIE DOESN'T MOW HIS GRASS, WE'RE GONNA RIDE HIM A TICKET. THERE ARE CERTAIN REGULATIONS EVEN AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. I THINK WHEN THE FIRE MARSHAL IS, IF SOMEBODY GOES AND DO SOME ILLEGAL DUMPING, THEN I'VE GOT A LITTLE LAW HERE THAT I CAN GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR THING. HOWEVER, IF I'M DEVELOPER JOE AND I WANT TO GO INTO KAUFMAN COUNTY AND I WANT TO BUY UP SOME PROPERTY AND I WANT TO DO WITH IT, WHATEVER IN THE HECK I WANT TO DO, THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING. YEAH. OKAY. YOU BEEN AN EXPERT WITNESS BEFORE LEGISLATURE. AND SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE END UP WITH THEN IS WE END UP WITH THESE, I WANT TO SAY, I DON'T WANT TO CALL THIS GUY A DEVELOPER BECAUSE HE'S NOT REALLY A DEVELOPER IN THE SENSE OF HE'S DOING THINGS THAT IS GOING TO IMPROVE OUR WAY OF LIVING OUR STANDARD OF LIFE, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR COUNTY OR OUR STATE. YOU KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING? HE'S IMPROVING HIS HIPPO. THAT'S WHAT HE'S IMPROVING. AND THE REST OF US ARE PAYING THE PRICE FOR IT. NOT ONLY IN OUR STATE TOO, NOT ONLY IN OUR STATE, BUT, BUT IN, IN KAUFMAN COUNTY, AS I SAID EARLIER, UH, IN , THIS IS OUR COUNTY AND IT'S OUR STATE. AND WE SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO DRAFT LEGISLATION THAT SAYS WHEN YOU COME INTO THESE COUNTIES AND YOU ARE PROPOSING A DEVELOPMENT OR YOU'RE PROPOSING A CHANGE, THAT CHANGE IS GOING TO BE IN CONGRUENT OR CONGRUENT WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO COME INTO OUR COUNTY AND DECIDE THAT YOU WANT TO PUT A RACETRACK OVER HERE BY THIS GUY'S HOUSE. THAT'S NOT CONGRUENT WITH WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. I'M AMAZED AT, AT THE TIME THAT YOU CAN DRIVE DOWN, PICK A ROAD, 1895 FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU DRIVE DOWN AND YOU SEE THESE NICE HOMES AND YOU SEE YOU'RE ONE HERE AND ONE HERE AND ONE THERE. AND THEN SOME OLD BOY, HE DECIDES HE GETS ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY HIM ONE QUARTER OF AN ACRE OR AN ACRE AND I CAN SHOW YOU THE PLACES AND HE TURNS IT INTO A DARN USED CAR LOCK. AND THERE NOTHING THAT WE CAN SAY. THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. AND I THINK AS CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY AND OF THIS STATE, WE SHOULD SAY WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS, THAT IT IS TIME THAT THE COUNTIES HAVE THE POWER TO ENFORCE REGULATIONS THAT ARE CONGRUENT WITH THOSE CITIZENS THAT ARE LIVING IN THOSE AREAS. I DO KNOW THEY DO IT IN OTHER STATES. I DO KNOW THEY DO IT. I DO KNOW THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT. I'M ALL FAR BEING, I WANT TO DO WHAT I WANT TO DO. BUT WHEN I START DOING SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS MY NEIGHBOR, TOMMY HARLEY, HE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO [01:15:01] ASK FOR CHANGES THAT WILL IMPEDE THAT. YOU'VE STATED IT VERY ELOQUENTLY. THANK YOU FOR SAYING WHAT YOU DID. THE ISSUE IS, IS WHEN IT GETS TO AUSTIN AND IT GETS A BILL IS FILED AND I, WHOEVER COLLECTED TWO THIRD IS UPON, UH, IS FILED IMMEDIATELY THERE IS GOING TO BE FOLKS FROM THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, AM I CORRECT, AND OTHER ASSOCIATION THAT ARE GOING TO FIGHT IT TOOTH AND TO NAIL UNLESS THEY HEAR FROM LOCAL REALTORS AND, AND DEVELOPERS THAT ARE IN IT FOR THE RIGHT REASON, NOT THE WRONG REASON, LIKE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE. UH, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW IT GETS DONE. IT'S A DEMOCRACY IS NOT PERFECT BY ANY MEANS, BUT IT'S WAY AHEAD OF WHATEVER'S IN SECOND PLACE. ABSOLUTELY. AND SO, BUT IT'S GOT TO START WITH WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT NOW. AND THAT'S WHAT THESE GUYS WILL HELP US FOOD AND THESE LADIES WILL HELP US FOOD. BUT IT, I TELL YOU, UH, I'M, THESE GUYS DEAL WITH THE LEGISLATURE ALL THE TIME. DOES IT NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? THEY HEAR FROM Y'ALL ALL THE TIME. DOES IT NOT MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE WHEN THEY HEAR FROM COMMISSIONERS AND, AND PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELVES, UH, HOMEOWNERS TO COME DOWN? THAT'S WHERE IT GETS THEIR ATTENTION. AM I, AM I RIGHT THERE? THAT'S, THAT IS SO TRUE. AND THE JUDGE CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I'VE CALLED ON THEM AND ASKED THEM TO DELIVER MESSAGES. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO AUSTIN EITHER. THEY LIVE IN YOUR COMMUNITIES. I MEAN, YOU COULD DO THIS WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS. THIS IS A GOOD, I'M TELLING YOU, THIS IS A GREAT START TO MAKING CHANGE, YOU KNOW, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME THING CAN DO THE SAME, HAVE THESE SAME MEETINGS AND HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA, THESE LEGISLATORS GONNA BE IN THERE. ALL KINDS OF PRESSURES FROM ALL THE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS. THEY'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS ISSUE. YOU HAVE THOSE LOCAL REALTORS AND DEVELOPERS IN THAT ROOM DURING THESE MEETINGS AND HAVE THE CONVERSATION. AND, AND NOBODY, NOT TACK, NOT THE COMMISSIONER COURT IS LOOKING FOR OUTRIGHT OVERALL AUTHORITY. WE, WE DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE SIX. WE'RE NOT SICK. I MEAN, WE'RE ARM OF THE STATE. YOU KNOW, THEY, WE CAN ONLY DO, COUNTIES CAN ONLY DO WHAT THE LEGISLATURE GIVES 'EM EXPRESS AUTHORITY TO DO. WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR A LITTLE MORE HELP TO MANAGING THESE SITUATIONS. 'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, FREEDOM'S NOT ABOUT INFRINGING ON MY NEIGHBOR'S RIGHTS. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO THIS. IT SHOULDN'T AFFECT MY NEIGHBOR. AND WHEN IT DOES, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME ABILITY TO PROTECT YOURSELF. AND WE, WE SEE IT ALL, ALL THE TIME WHEN IT COMES TO WEDDING VENUES AND AN UNINCORPORATED AREA COUNTY. NEXT THING YOU KNOW ON SATURDAY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT, THEY'RE SHOOTING OFF FIREWORKS. YOU KNOW? WELL GUESS WHAT? YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIMITED AUTHORITY TO DEAL WITH THAT FOR A REASON THAT, AND FOLKS KNOW THAT. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE IT'S A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO FIT INTO THE COMMUNITY, BUT MANY TIMES THERE ARE. SO THERE'S, THERE IS THAT BALANCE. 'CAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT AN UNFRIENDLY BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, BUT WE ALL GOTTA LIVE TOGETHER. AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HOPE TO PUSH TO THE LEGISLATURE IS GET THE BUILDING TO HELP US ALL LIVE BETTER TOGETHER. AND YOU'VE GOT A GREAT START RIGHT HERE. HELP US. SO, UM, MOST OF THE TIMES WHEN LEGISLATION LEGISLATURE BEGINS, THEY ALREADY KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE FOR OR AT LEAST PUT INTO THE COMMITTEES. AND WE CAN'T ARGUE FOR THAT FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS OR SO, WE COME TO CONCLUSION ON ONE CHAMBER, MAKE ITS PASS THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE THING AGAIN IN THE HOUSE. AND IF PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING THEIR POCKETS, THEY BETTER DOING AN INCENTIVE. SO YOU GOTTA FACE SO MANY DIFFERENT BATTLES. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT YOUR GOOD INTENTION. SO WE DO CARE ABOUT PEOPLE PROTECTING THEIR PROPERTY, BUT IF IT AFFECTS SOMEONE ELSE, THAT'S A BRIDGING ON THEIR LIFE, THEIR LIBERTY AND THEIR PROPERTY. EVERYBODY JUST KNOW ABOUT THAT. SO ABOUT GETTING EVERYONE THE SAME PAGE WITH STATE LIKE TEXAS WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT IDEOLOGIES WITHIN ONE PARTY ITSELF, IT'S HARD TO COME IN AGREEMENT. BUT WITH PEOPLE LIKE HIM, PEOPLE LIKE Y'ALL DON'T, CAN COME AND TESTIFY. I CAN CHANGE IT, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, STANDING UP AND YELLING, WON'T ANYTHING SOMEBODY COME AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY BEFORE TO STATE. SO LEMME LEMME PROCEED A BIT FURTHER. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PASSING, TRYING TO GET THEM TO HELP PASS THE LAW THAT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS INSURANCE. PARDON? LOCALIZATION. YEAH. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE IT SPECIFIC TO CERTAIN COUNTIES LIKE COUNTY AND THEY'RE THE EXPERTS IN DOING THAT. THERE IS A GOOD COUNTY WHERE GRANBURY IS, THEY HAVE MORE ZONING REGULATIONS. I BELIEVE I WHETHER Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF [01:20:01] THAT OR NOT, UH, THEY HAVE MORE REGULATIONS BECAUSE SOMEHOW SEVERAL YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF LAKE GRANBERRY, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET SOME OF THOSE REGULATIONS DONE. I DON'T THINK IT'S TO THE EXTENT MAYBE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, BUT THEY DO HAVE MORE REGULATIONS IN COUNTY. SO HOW THIS WORKS IS, AND RICK, YOU'RE THE EXPERT, ALL THE EXPERTS. SO HERE WHAT THIS WORKS IS WE, THEY DRAFT A BILL THAT WOULD BE SPECIFIC TO HOFFMAN COUNTY OR OTHER COUNTIES LIKE ROCKWALL COUNTY WHO HAVE ISSUES. YES, SIR. UH, AND IT'S NONE LIKE YOU'RE ADJACENT TO A CONTIGUOUS TO A COUNTY OF 1 MILLION PEOPLE OR WHATEVER THE MAGIC NUMBER IS. AND, AND THAT BASICALLY IT'S CALLED LOCAL BILL. AND IF YOU GO TO LOOK FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT CODES, YOU'D BE AMAZED THE CREATIVITY OF HOW THEY DEFINE THE COUNTY WITHIN, BECAUSE FOR A LOCAL BILL, IT, IT HAS TO MEET CERTAIN STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES TO, TO AFFECT ONLY THAT COUNTY. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR OWN SET OF LOCAL AUTHORITY RULES, YOU WOULD NEED BOTH YOUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION ON BOARD. IT'S GOTTA GET THROUGH BOTH CHAMBERS AND GENERALLY LOCAL BILLS. DON'T MAKE IT THROUGH WITHOUT THE LOCAL DELEGATION ON BOARD. AND THEN DEFINING WHAT THAT, WHAT THOSE UHS THAT YOU WANT WILL ALSO MAKE IT EASIER OR HARDER FOR 'EM. SO I MEAN, I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND GOING OUT AND LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, CITY AUTHORITY, I MEAN, BUT JUST FIGURE OUT WORK WITH THE JUDGE HERE AND, AND THE DIFFERENT FOLKS IN THIS ROOM TO CLEARLY DEFINE WHAT YOU NEED TO FIX THIS SITUATION AND LIMIT IT TO THAT. THAT HIGHLY INCREASES YOUR CHANCE BEING ABLE TO DO SOMETHING. IF YOU CAN DRAW IT BACK TO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH. THERE'S YOUR STORY. I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE THE DEADLINES FOR GETTING THESE THINGS IN COMMITTEE AND GETTING, I MEAN THERE'S CERTAIN DEADLINES TO GETTING SURE BILL FILING STARTS IN FIRST PART OF NOVEMBER, BUT THE DEADLINE IS WELL INTO SESSION. SO YOU'VE GOT, WHAT ARE WE IN JUNE NOW OR JULY? I MEAN YOU GOT SIX MONTHS TO, TO DO THIS. THERE ARE OTHER BILLS THAT YOU CAN EVEN PATTERN AFTER YOUR LEGISLATORS CAN BEGIN TO WORK WITH IT THERE. THEY HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT CAN HELP DRAFT THESE. AND I'M JUST WORKING THROUGH THIS. SO THERE IS A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT CAN HELP YOU GET THERE IS, NOW'S A GREAT TIME TO START, IS A LOCAL BILL THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS, WE GONNA HAVE LESS OPPOSITION BECAUSE YOU'RE ONLY GONNA BE FIGHTING THE REALTOR. AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING JUST MAKE SURE I I UNDERSTAND. CONLIN COUNTY'S IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW, JUDGE TO TWEAK OR OR YOUR SUBDIVISION, RIGHT? YES. WHERE THAT'S TODAY, THAT'S THE TOP PRIORITY. THAT'S THE FIRST LEVEL OF ALL THIS PROCESS. SO THE QUESTION WOULD BE IF THOSE SUBDIVISIONS THE DIRECTION YOU'RE HEADED, IF THEY'RE ADOPTED, ENFORCED BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE THE AUTHORITY ENFORCE YOUR SUBDIVISION, WOULD IT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? NO. OKAY. AND THEN SECONDLY, IS THE PROBLEM THE SUBDIVIDING THE PROPERTY NEXT TO YOUR EXISTING PROPERTY OR IS IT THE FACT THAT IT'S JUST MOBILE HOMES? I HEARD YOU SAY THAT IF THE PROPERTY WAS DE RESTRICTED TO THIS MOBILE, IS THAT THE ISSUE? NO, THE ISSUE IS THAT HE'S NOT FOLLOWING ANY GUIDELINES. IT'S NOT FALL ON TCEQ AT ALL. WELL, BUT NOBODY'S BUILT THE HOME THERE. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN OPERATING SEPTIC TO THE SYSTEM UNTIL IT'S OCCUPIED. CORRECT? CORRECT. YES SIR. BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE WATER LINES IN PLACE TO EVEN BEGIN TO PUT A SEPTIC SYSTEM. AND THAT'S HIS REQUIREMENT. AND HE HASN'T MET THAT YET. TYPICALLY WHAT HE AND OTHERS WILL DO, UH, AREA PRECINCT, PRECINCT ONE, AND THIS GUY JUST WENT OUT, STARTED OFF, YOU KNOW, FREEZE AND, UH, HE MOST MOBILE DID. YEAH. BUT IT WAS ALREADY IN EXISTENCE WHEN EVERYBODY GOT HERE. WE HAD TO DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE WORKING ON OUR SUBDIVISION RULES RIGHT NOW, AND FOR THE MOST PART, MOST OF THE DEVELOPERS, AUDIBLE PEOPLE, AND THEY COME IN HERE AND THEY, THEY PRESENT THE PLANTS, WE SEND IT TO OUR ENGINEERS AND THE PLANTS ARE APPROVED BY ENGINEERS BY USING OUR SUBDIVISION RULES AS THEIR GUIDELINE. AND THEN WE OKAY 'EM AND WE APPROVE THEM. AND THEN SOMETIMES WE WORK THROUGH 'EM OR WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING THROUGH SOME NOW WITH ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT. SO, BUT IT, IT TAKES SOME TIME. BUT WE MAKE AGREEMENTS AND IT'S KIND OF ON THE HONOR SYSTEM, KIND OF LIKE DEED RESTRICTIONS [01:25:01] ON THE PROPERTY. AND I'LL, I'LL CONFESS MY IGNORANCE, I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL I TOOK THIS JOB THAT A DEED RESTRICTION PRETTY MUCH MEANS NOTHING. EXACTLY. AND, AND I, PEOPLE WILL CALL AND I ASK THE QUESTION, IT'S LIKE, WHY DON'T WE WASTE OUR TIME TO HAVE IT? PRETTY MUCH ONCE WE OKAY 'EM AND WE RELEASE IT TO THAT DEVELOPER AND MOST OF 'EM ARE HONORABLE AND THEY'RE GONNA FOLLOW ALL THE DESCRIPTIONS IN THE PLANTS AND WE ASK FOR, AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL FOLLOW THROUGH WITH, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. BUT THERE'S ALWAYS THOSE FEW, AND I'VE DEALT WITH THE SAME COMPANY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT IN MY PRECINCT AND WE'VE TRIED TO WORK THROUGH ISSUES, TRIED TO DO IT RIGHT, SIT DOWN AND MEETING EVERYTHING ELSE AND MEET HALFWAY ON A LOT OF THINGS. AND THEN THEY, THEIR SOLE PURPOSE FOR THESE PEOPLE ARE JUST MONEY. AND IT'S THE CONTRACT FOR DEED AND WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE SOMEWHAT BY BEING TO FILE AND EVEN EXISTING ONES. SO WE TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN, BUT WE DON'T HAVE MUCH POWER TO AND TRY TO MAKE GENERAL AGREEMENTS WITH THIS GUY AND IT'S NOT WORKING. AND NOW, NOW JAKE AND Y'ALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SAME TIME ISSUE. ALTHOUGH OURS IS STILL, FOR THE MOST PART, THE SYSTEM WORKS NOW WE'RE UPGRADING UP SUBDIVISION RULES RIGHT NOW AND WE DO NEED TO UPGRADE INTO NEED. AND WE'RE DOING THAT THE MOST PART. THE PEOPLE ARE REALLY GOOD PEOPLE COME IN THERE AND THEY'RE, WHETHER IT'S DOUBLE WIDE MOBILE HOMES ARE 4,000 HOMES. I MEAN, THE INTENTIONS ARE GOOD AND PURE WHEN THEY DO IT. SO WHEN YOU SAY REALTORS, AS SUCH AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SMALL FRACTION OF THE REALTORS THAT ARE GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS TO LINE POCKETS. IT'S NOT ALL THE REALTORS. JUDGE, YOU HAVE THE TAX SUBDIVISION HANDBOOK. PARDON? THAT LEGAL HAS A HANDBOOK ON SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS. YES. FOR COUNTY. YOU'VE GOT, Y'ALL UNDERSTAND JUDGE. SURE. JUDGE OBJECT SOMETHING. RANGE COUNTY'S HAVING THE, UH, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR ISSUE, NOT, WE DON'T HAVE THIS EXACT SITUATION, BUT WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF UPGRADING OUR SUBDIVISION POLICIES. AND WHAT RICK WAS SAYING ABOUT THE GRASSROOTS, IT STARTS WITH THOSE PLAN REVIEWS THAT THE PRELIMINARY PLAT REVIEW THAT'S, THAT'S COMMITTED TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND CITIZENS LIKE YOU GUYS NEED TO BE THERE TO OFFER YOUR OPINION. DO THAT. MOST OF THE TIME IN OUR COURT WE DO THE PRELIMINARY AS WELL AS THE FINAL LIKE FOR SO MANY DAYS. AND THE WHAT, WHAT SHOWS UP AND THEY'RE NOT QUESTION THE NOTIFIED, BUT IT IS LEGITIMATE. I MEAN, YOU'RE INVOLVED TO KEEP UP WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT IN CITIES, IF I, I THINK THEY DO HAVE TO NOTIFY THEY HAVE TO, THERE'S A REGULATION THAT SAYS THEY HAVE TO FILE FROM ANYWHERE FROM 250 FEET TO, THEY CAN MAKE A THOUSAND FEET FROM PROPERTY. AND IF THERE'S A CHANGE WITHIN THAT SUBDIVISION IN OUR POLICY, THEY HAVE TO NOTIFY THOSE WITHIN THE SUBDIVISION, UH, THE PROPERTY OWNERS. SO THERE, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT FROM A GRASSROOTS STANDPOINT, WE START AND YOU HAVE TO, I WANTED TO CLARIFY GO BACK, WAY BACK, UH, IN THE MEETING TO CLARIFY SOMETHING, SOMEONE BACK HERE SAID THAT THE ROAD, THE, THE PROPERTY LINE WAS AT THE CENTER OF THE ROAD. THAT'S NOT TRUE IN EVERY ROAD. IT DEPENDS ON HOW THAT ROAD WAS BROUGHT INTO THE COUNTY ROAD SYSTEM. BUT IT'S TIVE YOU REMEMBER, IT SHOULDA BEEN TO, SO IT COULD BE TO THE PROPERTY LINE, IT COULD BE TO THE CENTER. AND SO YOU'VE REALLY GOTTA, LIKE THIS GENTLEMAN SAID, YOU DON'T ARGUE FROM THE EMOTIONAL STANDPOINT. YOU, YOU, UH, GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT. YOU GET THEM STRAIGHT AND UH, SPEAK UP AND BE CLEAR ON THE MESSAGE YOU WANNA SEND. AND I THINK THE GRASSROOTS IS REALLY THE KEY AND I THINK THIS IS A GOOD MEETING. THANKS JUDGE ROCKWALL COUNTY IS, OH YEAH. WE HAVE UH, WE HAVE TWO THINGS. HAS THE REAL ESTATE. UH, WE HAVE ONE SUBDIVISION ON, IT'S, UH, 72 ACRES. HE WANTS TO PUT 320 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ON, WHICH IS JUST ONE RIGHT ON TOP OF THE OTHER. AND THE OTHER ONE IS IN, IN MY DISTRICT, WE HAVE A GENTLEMAN BOUGHT NINE ACRES. HE WANTS TO MAKE A STORAGE FACILITY, BUT HE WANTS TO USE 40 FOOT CONTAINERS THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACK OF TRUCKS. 330 OF THEM. WELL, THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IS THE STATE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A GUIDE GUIDELINES. IT'S NEVER ANYBODY. SO [01:30:01] WHAT OUR COURT AGREED TO DO SO THAT WE CAN TRY AND GET SOMETHING INTO THE LEGISLATION IS WE AGREED NOT TO ISSUE A PERMIT AND WE'LL FORCE THEM TO SUE THE COUNTY. AND ONCE THEY SUE THE COUNTY, THEN WE HAVE, WE HAVE A RECORD TO GO BY THAT WE COULD START AT THE BEGINNING OF, OKAY, FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, NOW WE CAN GO TO AG G AND WE CAN START GETTING A STATE INVOLVED TO SAY, WE NEED MORE REGULATION, WE NEED SOMETHING. BUT UNTIL SOMEBODY STEPS OUT AND DOES THAT AND WE'RE WILLING TO DO IT, THEY'LL JUST START PUTTING UP THROUGH HERE. BUT WE'RE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. YOU ARE. UH, I I THINK IF YOU SIT DOWN AND, AND TALK TO ALL COMMISSIONERS, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL TRYING AS HARD AS WE CAN TO, TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU. AND IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S NOT A COP OUT THAT, WELL WE CAN'T, WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER THAT. IT'S TRYING TO GET THE AUTHORITY. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS BOARD IS DOING IS, IS TO, LIKE THIS GENTLEMAN HERE SAID, GET WHAT WE NEED TO GET IN, IN FRONT OF LEGISLATION TO GET IT PASSED SO THAT WE DO HAVE THAT AUTHORITY. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S THE FRUSTRATION BECAUSE ALL OF, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN THE COUNTY TOO. ALL OF YOU KNOW, WE PAY THE SAME TAXES. IT'S JUST FRUSTRATING TO US TO CALL YOU AND SAY, HEY, THERE'S NO REALLY ANYTHING I CAN DO. AND IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE PERSON WHO PUT ME IN HERE. I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO HELP YOU. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO FORM THIS COMMITTEE TO DO THAT AND GET THE INFORMATION WE CAN AND START SOMEWHERE. I MEAN, IF IT JUST GIVES US A, A FEW MORE THINGS TO DO AND SOMETHING IS YOUR PLAN AND THEN WE CAN GO BACK AND ASK FOR MORE AND SOME OTHER TIME. BUT WE JUST GOTTA GET SOMETHING DOWN THERE FIRST TO GET THEIR ATTENTION TO START, START THE BALL ROLLING. JUDGE. COACHES, DO YOU WANNA, UH, ADD TO THIS LEGISLATION I KEEP THINKING OF DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION? RICK AND THE OTHER LEGISLATIVE LIAISONS ARE CONTACTING ME AND, AND SAYING WE NEED, I HAVE A GROUP OF COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE NEED THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THAT, THAT LEGISLATOR'S DISTRICT. WE NEED TO CALL THEM AND SAY, THERE'S A BILL BEFORE YOUR COMMITTEE. THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU. MM-HMM . SO THIS HAS KIND OF TAKEN IT A STEP BEYOND THAT, THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE CITIZENS WHO WILL STEP UP AND, AND TAKE THAT ROLE, MAKE THE CALL, COME DOWN, TESTIFY AT A HEARING OR SOMETHING. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT TAKES. WE SAW SURE WE CAN SEND RICK THOMPSON OVER TO TESTIFY. THEY SEE HIM IN THE HALLS OF THE CAPITOL ALL THE TIME. HE'S JUST ANOTHER GUY THERE. BUT IF THEY SEE SOMEBODY THEY KNOW FROM BACK HOME, THAT MAKES AN IMPACT. AND, AND UH, WE STILL HAVE THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS TO GO THROUGH, BUT IF OUR REPRESENTATIVES ARE IN THEIR OFFICE, THEY'D PROBABLY MUCH RATHER TALK TO A CITIZEN FROM THEIR COUNTY OR FROM THEIR DISTRICT THAN RICK. NO OFFENSE. THAT'S MY MIND JUDGE. SO THAT'S JUST HOW IT GOES. I KIND OF WANNA WRAP THIS UP. WE'VE BEEN IN HERE ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF NOW. UH, BUT UH, THIS HAS BEEN VERY, I'VE LEARNED SOME THINGS THIS POINT. I KNOW OUR DA STAFF HAS. I THINK, JUDGE, YOU'VE BEEN AWARE OF SOME OF THIS, SO DO Y'ALL HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA SAY? I, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE SINCE WE WORK THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND HEAR ABOUT THE ISSUES IN THIS COUNTY. THINK FOR INVITING A JUDGE AND BECAUSE THEN WE CAN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE AROUND, YOU KNOW, OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE THAT ARE HAVING SIMILAR SORT OF ISSUES TO HELP TO SUPPORT THIS GRASSROOTS EFFORT THAT Y'ALL WANNA DO AND THAT RICK WAS TALKING ABOUT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I I JUST WANNA SAY ONE THING AND, AND TO POINT TO SOMEBODY, Y'ALL STATEMENTS ABOUT LEAVING YOUR EMOTIONS OUT OF IT AND STUFF LIKE THAT. UH, I, ON THE PROPERTY THAT WE LIVE ON RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, UH, SO MY GRANDFATHER BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY AND IT'S MY DAD'S AND THEN HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE MINE, RIGHT? AND THEN I HAVE TWO LITTLE BOYS, RIGHT? SO IT'S KIND OF HARD TO LEAVE THE EMOTIONS OUT OF IT. I I I DO AGREE THAT WE NEED TO BE INTELLIGENT IN, IN THE WAY THAT WE APPROACH THE SITUATION. UH, SO, SO KIND OF ADDRESSING YOUR QUESTION, UH, TO EARLIER, WHAT IS IT? IS IT, IS IT, IS IT A TRAILER? IS IT, IS IT THE PEOPLE? UH, IT'S BECAUSE, UH, HOPEFULLY ONE DAY I COULD LEAVE THIS TO MY FAMILY, RIGHT? AND, AND IN THE DALLAS AREA, UH, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT, UH, THE KAUFMAN COUNTY SOUTHEASTERN, UH, SOUTHERLY DIRECTION, UH, IS KIND OF THE LAST FRONTIER. SO IF WE DON'T GET SOMETHING MOVING AND THE BALL ROLLING RIGHT NOW, UH, WHEN THAT EXPANSION OF DALLAS COUNTY COMES THIS WAY, UH, WE WILL HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT. SO, SO THE FUTURE, UH, DEFINITELY THE THE REASON, UH, FAMILY, RIGHT? THAT'S MY REASON. WELL STATED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? [01:35:01] YES SIR. YES. I, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IN, IN OTHER COUNTRIES THAT IF YOU'RE NOT A CITIZEN OF THAT COUNTRY, YOU CAN'T BUY PROPERTY. BUT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS GOT OPEN ARMS FOR ANYBODY THAT COMES AND TREATS EVERYBODY GOOD. I HAVE A BRICK EVERY BY TRADE YOU CAN COUNT HOW MANY HISPANIC PEOPLE I'VE TRAINED, TRAINED. I WAS APPRENTICE TEACHER AND FRENCH COORDINATOR AND YOU'RE GOOD PEOPLE. BUT I, WE'VE GOT SO MANY UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE AROUND AND, AND SO MANY PEOPLE THAT CAN'T SPEAK LIKE JOHN LUCIAN. SO MOST OF THE PEOPLE CANNOT OUT LOOK AT THE PROPERTY. THEY CAN'T SPEAK A WORD, UH, SPANISH. SO I DON'T THINK THEY'RE LEGAL CITIZENS. AND I THINK THAT, UH, SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT WHO JUST, WHO CAN BUY WHAT HERE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CASH MONEY FLYING AROUND OVER THERE, BUT THE GUY DID THE CLEARING EVERY, HE'D GET PAID CASH. WHERE'S CASH? THAT SOUNDS LIKE MONEY LAUNDER TO ME, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING OR TALK ABOUT SOMETHING TO WAY IT TAKES WHAT YOU'RE ARE ABLE TO BUY SOMETHING IN THIS COUNTRY. OKAY, THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS. ANYBODY ELSE? WHAT ABOUT THAT WE TALKING ABOUT REALTY? BOY, THIS REALTOR THAT I KNOW THAT IS A SPANISH GUY IN DALLAS, HE'S VERY UNHAPPY WITH WHAT'S GOING ON. TOTALLY UNHAPPY THAT HISPANICS ARE GETTING TREATED LIKE Y'ALL. HE SAID IF WE WOULD RUN SOME KIND OF DEAL, HE WOULD HELP US FORWARD THAT TO THE, WHAT'S TEXAS REAL ESTATE COMMISSION. YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO ON AND LOOK UP HIS NUMBER AND CONTACT AND CONTACT THEM AND FILE COMPLAINTS. I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT I WANT SAY, BUT MY MOUTH DON'T SAY WHAT I WANT TO SAY. SO Y'ALL. ALRIGHT. ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? WE'LL, UH, HANG AROUND HERE FOR A LITTLE BIT. SOME HAVE OTHER MEETINGS TO GO THROUGH, I GUESS, UH, THAT WHAT DO WE DO NEXT? AND SO, UH, MY OFFICE STANDS READY TO ASSEMBLE ANOTHER GROUP HERE. I THINK WE NEED TO DO QUITE A BIT OF WORK BEFORE WE DO THAT AND WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT. THIS IS MY COUNTY. I'VE LIVED IN THE COUNTY 71 YEARS, SOON TO BE 72 YEARS. THANK GOODNESS I'M LEAVING THIS SEAT IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS, FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS. BUT I LOVE THIS COUNTY LIKE WE ALL DO AND I WANT NOTHING BUT BEST. I THINK EVERYBODY AROUND THIS TABLE WOULD SAY THE SAME THING. COMMISSIONERS ARE HERE TO REPRESENT YOU. ALL WE WANT IS MORE HELP. UH, THE JUDGES THAT ARE HERE, THE COMMISSIONER THAT'S HERE, WE'RE WE'RE, WE WORK FOR YOU. AND I MEAN THAT WE, THAT'S WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD. AND WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT THAT'S OKAY. IT IS A DEMOCRACY. IT IS AMERICA. SO, UH, I THINK THIS WAS A GREAT MEETING TO GET US KICKED OFF. I'M GOING TO WAIT. I DON'T KNOW WHO NEEDS TO BE IN CHARGE. UH, GETTING US TOGETHER AGAIN. REDO IT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT, AND MAYBE SOMEONE FROM BE A CONTACT FROM, UH, THIS GROUP. BUT WE'VE GOT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTY. I'LL TELL YOU OUT HERE ON AGNER ROAD AND THE ONE SOUTH, YEAH, SOUTH CR. WE HAD ONE NORTH OF THE NORTH OF CRANDLE ON SPIT, UH, ROAD. I THINK THE VERY SAME THING WAS TAKING PLACE. AND SO WE COULD, I, IF THE PEOPLE KNOW WE'RE DOING THIS, WE POST OUR AGENDAS, BUT A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DON'T LOOK AT THE, THE NEWSPAPERS DO IT. THEY GET TELL INFORMATION NOW, BUT IT'S THAT ONE-ON-ONE CONTACT THAT HELPS US GET THE PEOPLE HERE. I'M SO PLEASED THAT, UH, MR. BELL IS HERE AND THAT WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM SENATOR HALL, UH, HERE AND THE JUDGES THAT ARE HERE AND, UH, OTHER COMMISSIONERS ESPECIALLY, BUT JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WILL BE AROUND A LITTLE BIT IF YOU, BUT IF YOU WANT TO UP ON RANDY HERE, HE'S. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.