Pretty good summary on our city council mtg for the public to voice our concerns.
"The Alpine Special City Council meeting this earlier this evening went incredibly well (THANK YOU, ALPINE CITY COUNCIL!). There were over 100 people present at the Civic Center in spite of the odd hour (
4pm on a weekday afternoon). The meeting was dedicated entirely to hearing residents concerns. 15 - 20 people lined up at the podium to state comments.
Residents of Sunny Glen spoke passionately about their immediate and future concerns (excessive truck traffic, only only one road in/out in case of emergency, etc)...but most especially WATER. The city manager was asked to comment on the sale of 100,000 gallons per day of city water to Pumpco...he said that the City of Alpine has in fact been selling water to Pumpco, but he did not have a precise figure handy...he invited those wanting an exact figure to contact his office (I believe several media present were interested in this, and expect they will follow up).
In fact, the Mayor and the Council genuinely seemed to know remarkably little about ETP's plans. They were adamant that they have NOT been contacted by the pipeline company for any reason...the Mayor repeated this several times when pressed for specifics about the exact location of the pipeline (the City is operating on an extremely rudimentary map they acquired on April 18...prior to the ETP open house when many of us first became aware of the "study corridor"), expected ad valorem tax revenue, etc. In fact, the City Council did not seem certain, from the information they have obtained, that the pipeline will pass through Brewster County (!?).
Several ranchers/land-owners spoke about their feelings that no amount of money could make the pipeline construction worth their while. Several people expressed concerns about noise, light, and air pollution from compressor stations, danger from accidents (and strain on first responders), loss of tourism revenue, and general loss of quality of life. A local hydrogeologist/Big Bend National Park employee speaking on his own behalf gave an incredibly thorough, fact-based presentation on the numerous red flags this project raises...from its presentation of itself as "intrastate" and a "public utility", to concern that the City, County, and/or landowners would be coerced to allow construction to begin without completion of appropriate permits. He spoke on the physical ways this largely well-stewarded region will be permanently damaged by the construction and ongoing presence of the pipeline. As the man walked away from the podium, he received a standing ovation.
When one speaker asked for a show of hands as to how many people in the room were in favor of the pipeline, only one gentleman seated in a far back corner raised his hand. The man did not speak to the group, and left before the end of the meeting.
Every single comment was spoken with rational, heartfelt conviction, each dovetailing into the others perfectly, and each one connecting a dot or providing a different part of the puzzle. This meeting felt like a turning point to me...the community was completely unified in our vision and our message, and I believe the City Council really heard us."
