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I'd like everybody to take a seat. I want to welcome our guests as

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well as especially of our staff members who are joining the meeting tonight.

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I see you back there, jerome.

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as is our tradition, we'll have an invocation, justice mccoy, and then a

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pledge of allegiance will be led by justice lewison. We'll call the roll and then

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there we'll pause for some folks who are going to speak to us a little bit

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about the utilities on this data center.

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so if you can stand, please do.

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dear heavenly father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for this gathering. We thank you for this body.

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we thank you for the people who are here tonight. Dear lord, we ask you to be with us

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on the items that we have to consider. Lord, please give us wisdom, discernment, and so forth.

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and we ask for your blessing on this body and our actions tonight and in the near future.

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it's in your son's name we pray. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united

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states of america, madam

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clerk, when you're ready, please call the roll. Certainly. Ms.

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davis. Present. Ms. Capps. Listen.

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here. Ms. Blackwood.

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mr. Persons. Here. Ms. Massey.

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here. Ms. Curry. Present. Mr. Keith. Here. Ms.

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ward. Here. Ms. Young-baker? Here. Mr.

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robinson? Here. Mr. Mccoy? Here. Mr. Stowers?

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present. Mr. Elliott? Here. Ms. Medlock?

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13 present, 2 absent.

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thank you, madam clerk. And members, we have some guests that made a request

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to come and speak for a few minutes. It is our economic developer

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and head of the regional chamber, jay cheshire, has with him...

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I think ms. Landrieu, the president or

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chair of entergy, whichever is appropriate there, as well as the central

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arkansas water, mr. Bohannon is with us, and I

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think we have one or two others. They'll speak for a few minutes

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each, and then they'll take questions from the members of this body, the quorum court,

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and once we're done with that, then we'll move on and get busy

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with our work. Cheshire, would you please

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begin by stating your name?

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and I am a resident of pulaski county.

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go ahead. Thank you, judge, and thank you, members of the quorum court. We appreciate the opportunity

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to come and visit a little bit more. When I was here before, I talked about some of the

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things that had been discussed in a press conference earlier that day in regard to a lot of

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these questions. That are being asked and need to be answered.

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and we talked about also a new website. That website is lr data

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centers facts. Both centers and facts have an

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s on the n dot com where a lot of this information is also readily available.

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as the judge has already stated,

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we have a vice president of entergy arkansas, ventrell

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thompson, with us along with the president and ceo. Of entergy, laura landreau, we

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have john bethel, the former executive director of the arkansas public service

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commission that can answer a lot of the other regulatory questions. Currently, the director of

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public initiatives and relations for entergy. We also have tad bohannon, who

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is the ceo of central arkansas water and also can address questions in regard

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to where we are on the wastewater aspect of this process.

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or excuse me, project as well. So again, we started this

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process many, many years ago, when I say many, two and a half years ago.

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we've been doing our best in trying to establish opportunities

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for conversations in regard to answering these questions.

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and so I know instead of me standing here and talking so that you guys have an

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opportunity to ask questions of all of us at the end, I would like to bring

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to the podium vice president ventrell thompson to talk about

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the electric energy aspect first and we'll go from there.

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ventrell. Thank you, jay. Ventro, welcome. Glad to have you. And I heard somebody's phone

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going off, so would everybody in the room please quiet your phones?

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thank you. Good evening. How are you all doing today? We're doing very good. We're popular.

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well, thank you for giving us the opportunity to be here today.

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you know, there's been a lot of conversations around data centers across the state,

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particularly here in central arkansas. As you can see by the standing

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room only, a lot

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of people are trying to understand what does this mean for pulaski county, what does

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this mean for arkansas, what does this mean for the power grid, and also what does this mean

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for your electric bill. And so I want to take, my goal here today is to answer

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those questions directly and in a way that gives not only you,

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but the residents of the county and the state.

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some assurances that we are protecting the interest

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of our existing customers, and that is at the forefront of every decision that we're

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making. And those decisions that we're making, I want to assure you

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that they're being validated and they're being approved by the public service

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commission, who has the exclusive right of regulating public utilities here in the state.

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and so I want to start by correcting one of the... Biggest misconceptions that

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I've heard and that is these data centers are not being

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built on the backs of arkansas residents and businesses.

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for anyone who says that, it's just not true.

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that's not what the facts say. Large customers like google and avayo are required

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to pay the full cost of the infrastructure to serve them.

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full stop. Those costs will not be shifted to other residential and

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business customers. In fact, when companies like

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google and avail, when they build infrastructure right here

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in arkansas, they bring significant new revenue

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to our system that's over and above the cost to serve them.

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and so that additional revenue, what it does is it then helps to put downward pressure.

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on residential customers, small businesses, and local industries.

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because when these customers pay their full cost to share,

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I mean full cost of service, and they also absorb other

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existing costs on the grid, arkansas customers stand to benefit to the tune of $1.7

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billion in savings over the life of those contracts.

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as a regulated utility... Our responsibility first and foremost is

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to protect the families, businesses, and communities that rely

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on us every day. That means maintaining affordability, protecting

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reliability, and making sure that growth benefits all of our customers,

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not just a few. So it's also important to remember that arkansas is

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already experiencing significant growth from new industries looking

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to locate into our state. And also from existing businesses that are expanding

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right here. Over the next five years, energy usage in arkansas is

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expected to increase, or expected to continue to increase, and that's going

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to be driven by industrial expansion, community growth, and the involving energy needs

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of our customers. Many of the advantages that

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arkansas enjoys today, including some of the lowest utility rates

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in the country are the result of investments that were made

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by leaders decades ago. Ventro, will you turn the

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microphone up? Point it towards you. There you go. Thank you.

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is that better? That is better. And those decisions that those leaders made years ago,

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they helped arkansas grow then, and the decisions we make today

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will help shape the future opportunities that are right here in the state.

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and to meet this growing demand, entergy arkansas is

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making smart investments with new generation resources to serve this demand.

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these investments are not only here to make sure that we're

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meeting future demand, but they also help modernize our system

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and strengthen reliability all across the state.

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and I want to be very clear on this next point. We will not move forward with

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serving any new data centers. Unless we can maintain or

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improve the existing reliability for our customers.

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this is how we plan for our grid in a responsible way. Our responsibility is to ensure

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that we have the infrastructure in place to reliably serve growth,

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whether it's from a data center or whether it's from wellspawn

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announcing an expansion or whether it's from one of our

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steel customers who's also... Looking to expand. Our job is to make sure that we

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have the power available when they need it. In fact, we have an obligation

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to make sure that we have the power that they need, along with all the power for all of

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our residential customers as well. So we absolutely understand and

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recognize the issues that are being raised

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across the country, whether that's across the river in memphis with some of the environmental

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concerns that are there. Or whether it's in the northeast part of the country where we're hearing

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about rates increasing tremendously.

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those situations just simply do not reflect what's happening right here in arkansas.

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our regulatory framework, our energy mix, our cost structure

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for our customers, all of that is set up differently than some of these other areas that you might hear about

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on the national scale. And so we... Actually have protections

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in place specifically designed to protect arkansas customers. And a key part

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of that protection is our fair share plus pledge.

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before we agree to serve any data center, we perform extensive analysis

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to ensure that we can deliver the power that they need without compromising

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reliability for all of our existing customers.

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at its core, fairshare plus is built on two things, or seeks

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to accomplish two things. One, it ensures that all of the data centers pay their full

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cost to serve. And secondly, it creates additional value

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for all of our existing customers. And, you know, one example

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of that is in google's project in west memphis. In addition to their project,

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they also announced a $25 million energy impact fund,

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which supports energy efficiency and weatherization initiatives,

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workforce development in crittenden county, and ai

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opportunities across arkansas.

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and so fairshare plus can be summed up in essentially three commitments.

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the first commitment is strong financial protections.

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these agreements that we have in place are long-term contracts that have strict

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collateral requirements. They also have guaranteed

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revenue structures that ensure data centers pay the full cost

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to serve them and for the infrastructure needed

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to serve them and for all of the additional benefits that we're going to be asking them

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to pay for the existing costs on the grid.

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secondly. Reliability and power quality protections.

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we will not move forward with any project unless the infrastructure is in place to serve the new demand.

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we also require these facilities to invest in equipment and standards to

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help protect the grid and maintain service quality for all of our customers.

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and third, accountability and long-term value for all arkansans.

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every one of these projects. Are subject to oversight by the arkansas public

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service commission, while they also are supporting investments in clean energy resources that

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also are going to strengthen our grid for the future. So together, this is what the

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fair share plus pledge does. It ensures that all of those financial obligations that are

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tied to serving data centers stick with those customers and not

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shift and are not shifted to our residential customers. Instead, we plan to benefit

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through strong reliability, economic growth,

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and long-term value for our customers.

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again, the decisions that we're making today will shape arkansas' energy future

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for decades to come, and we're committed to getting this right.

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the strategic investments that we are building for our customers do more than just keep the lights on.

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they are powering opportunity. They're strengthening

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communities. They're supporting jobs and they're ensuring arkansas maintains competitive

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for the future. Entergy arkansas is a fully

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regulated utility and every major investment we make is subject to strict oversight and

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review. That transparency and accountability is built

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into every project, every agreement, and every rate decision that we present

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to the public service commission.

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this is the standard we're holding ourselves to and this is the standard that we intend to keep for our customers.

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and so at this time, I'm happy to answer questions along

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with the other members of our team.

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thank you so much for being here. Thank you for your presentation. And I think that just for efficiency's sake,

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we'll change from everybody making their presentation before we have questions.

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and individually, you can ask some questions. So, justice davis, I think I

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saw your light lit up first. Did you have a question for vitro?

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wait a minute. There you go. Sorry about that. Thank you.

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approximately what percent of avr's power needs will be generated on site using natural gas?

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zero. There won't be any on site,

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as I understand it. That's not, okay, go ahead. I'm looking at the website and

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it's not what it says on avr. As I understand it, we are going to be serving the evalio

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contract from the transmission grid. If they will have any backup

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generation on-site, that is the decision that they will employ, but we will not be serving

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their load with on-site generation.

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okay, because that's not what it says on the website. I can assure you that we do not

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plan on serving their needs with on-site generation.

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they will be served from the grid. It says a gas pipeline.

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from kendra morgan, ngpl. Entergy arkansas will not be

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serving the needs of avio through on-site generation.

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we will be serving them through the grid. But avio could have that

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pipeline. I'm not aware of their, I'm not aware of their, they

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may could have a pipeline, but I'm not so sure what that pipeline will serve. But it won't serve their

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primary. Energy needs we're serving

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their primary energy needs through the transmission grid

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okay thank you it says it's starting in 2027 so that might be why the rest of us don't know about it

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but I guess it might be in the the wood work somewhere so I yield thank you uh yes um you say you have strict regulations

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by the epa.

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the epa has been cut 55 to 65 percent since donald trump has

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become president. So I want to know where are epa regulations, what's been cut

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out of our epa regulations right now? I can't answer the questions

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about what's been cut out of our epa regulations. My comments were that we were

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regulated by the arkansas public service commission and all of the all of the requirements that are put upon

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us to provide safe reliable power to all of our customers we have to make sure that we're abiding

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by all of those current statutes that are in place. The arkansas public service

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commission though is also is it not run by handpicked by sarah sanders that she picks

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every single person on that and that I want to know what those standards are.

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what the apsc standards are for us to operate. Well, those are standards that have been in place

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for a long time. So she has not changed any standards since she's been in office?

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I can't speak to any standards that the governor has changed since I've been in office, or since she's been in office. But what I can tell you is that

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we are bound by the strict rules and regulations of the

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arkansas public service commission that have been in place and that are public, that we have to abide by those.

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we will ensure that we do that. Also, second question, you're going to be using like

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150 megawatts. It says up to 150 megawatts. It says that also you will

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probably have to have new power grids because of this and that you might have to have, you know,

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something built later on because of how much power

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you're using. And that may be put back on to the customers.

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so if you build something so that you guys can have more power, if we have

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to build more electric, you know, electrical or nuclear plants or whatever we've got

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to build in order to keep your facility running, who's that going to be put back on?

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all of the infrastructure, all of the generation and the transmission assets that are

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going to be needed to serve hyperscale data centers are going to be paid exclusively by

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the hyperscale data centers. So you would pay

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for a nuclear power plant to be built, not us?

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any cost to generate and transmit electricity costs to

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the hyperscale data centers are going to be paid by the hyperscaler.

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we have to make sure that we have enough power to serve all customers.

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and without a data center, we're still going to be required to make sure

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that we have adequate generation, adequate transmission, and other resources to make

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sure that when you flip the switch, the lights stay on. Sure, but if you go up to 150

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megawatts, you're going to have to have a lot more, aren't you?

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so one of the things that I've heard about is about everyone's talking about megawatts and the size that

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we're going to need to serve these facilities. We have customers today that

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use way more power than that, and they do not cause issues on our grid.

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in fact, we build to serve the specific needs

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of the customers. And because we're going to be building

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to support the needs of those specific customers and requiring them to pay the cost

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to do so, that's how, that's why I can assure you that those costs won't be shifted

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to other customers. So you're telling me you have customers right now that are

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going to be using as much power as a data center.

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I can assure you right now that there are customers in arkansas today that are going

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to be using. No, that do it right now, that are using enough, as much power.

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okay. Multiple, multiple customers. And that's why I want to make sure that I understand.

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and that's why I proposed a bill for high-density infrastructure, and it wasn't just for data

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centers. I proposed something for high-density infrastructure. I proposed something so that we

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could look at all high-density infrastructure. Well, I think one

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of the things that I want to make sure that you, along with the other members of the

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quorum court, understand is that we go through a stringent process to

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ensure that we have enough power to serve. All of our customers. We do an integrated resource

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plan that identifies, and it looks out 20 years, and it looks out of all of the

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need that we're going to, all of the demand that we're going to need to make sure that we

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are planning appropriately to put the facilities and the infrastructure in place

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to meet those needs. And so I can assure you that we have plans in place that the

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arkansas public service commission holds us and all

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other utilities. In arkansas accountable for

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to make sure that we're going to have enough power to serve the needs of all the customers.

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so you can guarantee me right now that you are never going to increase my rate because

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of a data cell. You can guarantee me 100% and show me it in writing.

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we have contracts with those customers that ensure that

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they're going to pay all of the costs to serve them.

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those costs... Are going, those costs are baked into the

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contracts that they sign, that the apsc approves,

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that ensure that they're going to pay not only the costs

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for the infrastructure to serve them, but also all of the power that they're going

274
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to use while they're in service over the 20 years of that contract, and they're going to be paying

275
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for additional costs because they're part of the grid. That's where that $1.7 million

276
00:24:13,300 --> 00:24:15,900
in additional benefits. Are coming from because the

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revenues that they pay us are going to far supersede the costs and that is going

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to be a benefit to all other customers and that is one thing that that's that's a benefit

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of having this growth here in arkansas is because if we do it

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right we're going to have the opportunity to benefit from the growth the

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economic development we're also going to be able to strengthen our grid and we're also going

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to be able to help keep rates low. Our rates today are 22% below the national average.

283
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and they're not there because by chance. That's because of the planning. That's because

284
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of the diligence that goes into the work that we do to make sure that we're keeping the lights on.

285
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and we are committed to doing that. And those data centers,

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they're going to pay their costs. Well, I would like to see that in writing, and I would like

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to see you bring it to me in writing so that I know that they will not pay. They are going to pay for their

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nuclear power plants they're going to build, and they're going to pay for all of the costs, and nothing's going

289
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to be shifted to any of these people out here. That is the pledge. That is the pledge that we've

290
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made. It's a pledge, though.

291
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it's a pledge. I want it in writing. I want it in writing.

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I want it in legal writing. It is a pledge that has been confirmed and fortified.

293
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if everybody would just kind of hold it down and let's allow this process to go so that we can get

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through all the speakers, get through all the questions, and be respectful

295
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of each other all along. Thank you. So fair share plus pledge.

296
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is what we're committing to make sure that every contract we sign,

297
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that those parameters get baked into the contracts that actually are approved by the

298
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public service commission. So, yes, those contracts are binding agreements that they

299
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will have to abide by. Yes.

300
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okay, so they're not just a pledge then. They're an actual... Legal binding contract that you

301
00:26:19,700 --> 00:26:22,733
are going to pay for everything and nobody's ever going to have any other rates raised. That is correct.

302
00:26:25,133 --> 00:26:28,600
now keep in mind that those are the costs for the to serve that individual customer.

303
00:26:30,067 --> 00:26:31,767
we still have to make sure that we keep right the available

304
00:26:34,833 --> 00:26:37,033
infrastructure up to up to par and in speed up to par for all

305
00:26:39,667 --> 00:26:43,600
of our other customers outside of a data center. Those things still happen. We still have to trim trees.

306
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we still have to create get the lights back on after a tornado comes through or a straight line

307
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winds. We still have to do that, and we're going to continue

308
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to do that. So if you're seeing rate increases, they're because of our operations in our business.

309
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they are not because of data centers because data centers are going to pay their cost.

310
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I yield.

311
00:27:12,500 --> 00:27:15,833
good evening, ventrell. Pleasure to have you here. Good evening. Outside of what has already

312
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been granted by the psc, has entergy requested any further rate increases?

313
00:27:23,833 --> 00:27:23,833
right now, we have a rate case

314
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that is pending before the public service commission. Nothing in that rate proceeding is related to data centers.

315
00:27:35,867 --> 00:27:39,333
are you able to go more in-depth on that pending case?

316
00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:44,400
yes, it is a, and I do have some of my colleagues here that can help me answer some

317
00:27:45,267 --> 00:27:48,267
of those questions if needed. But how far do you want to go into it? How much more outside of,

318
00:27:50,233 --> 00:27:53,400
again, what has already been granted? I mean, that's already known, but outside of that, how much

319
00:27:54,533 --> 00:27:55,833
more is this new case requesting?

320
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is the new rate case requesting? Yes. I don't have that information exactly, but

321
00:28:06,167 --> 00:28:09,867
for residential customers, it's less than a dollar. It's less than a dollar increase on the bills.

322
00:28:13,700 --> 00:28:16,933
and subject to check, because I'm not looking at the information in front of me, but subject to check,

323
00:28:19,133 --> 00:28:20,633
but the residential increases are less than a dollar, right

324
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around a dollar. Roger that.

325
00:28:34,567 --> 00:28:38,167
any other questions? Thank you,

326
00:28:38,667 --> 00:28:41,700
sir. I appreciate your time, and thank you for being here to answer these questions. Thank you.

327
00:28:45,067 --> 00:28:47,467
thank you, ventrell, and also we'll have other folks that can answer these as well as we go

328
00:28:49,433 --> 00:28:51,600
forward. Now I'd like to bring up the ceo of the central arkansas

329
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water system, tad bohannon, who can talk about all of the

330
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questions surrounding water. Tad? Hello.

331
00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:04,367
good evening, everybody. How are we doing?

332
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it's been a few years since I've been here. I think the last time I was here we were talking about

333
00:29:12,700 --> 00:29:14,667
lake maumelle watershed. So glad to be back to talk

334
00:29:16,867 --> 00:29:19,767
with you all again. For a few of the things that I'm going

335
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to address, I'm going to have very similar answers to what entergy has already presented.

336
00:29:26,467 --> 00:29:29,667
and there's a number of questions, and we get the same questions.

337
00:29:31,300 --> 00:29:34,267
and the first one is, will my water bill increase because of a data center?

338
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so I'll answer that in much like the energy and say no.

339
00:29:41,633 --> 00:29:44,667
but I'll also answer it to say, for instance, in 2023, we adopted a 10-year rate

340
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,133
resolution, and we have told... All of our customers and elect

341
00:29:52,767 --> 00:29:56,433
bodies that we will live within that rate resolution through 2032.

342
00:29:58,533 --> 00:30:01,967
okay, there are rate increases already built into that rate resolution,

343
00:30:03,500 --> 00:30:05,933
but they have nothing to do with data centers. They're with replacing our

344
00:30:07,900 --> 00:30:10,767
existing infrastructure that is aged. We have 100-year-old pipes

345
00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:16,567
in the ground. Frequently, there's a discussion of, well, out of sight, out of mind.

346
00:30:17,733 --> 00:30:20,433
and one of the things that I started doing when I first became ceo is we have to start

347
00:30:21,967 --> 00:30:24,900
addressing this aging infrastructure that's in the ground.

348
00:30:26,100 --> 00:30:29,200
one of the things that the data center brings is we've said, ok, if you want

349
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to put a data center here to go get that water, you've got

350
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to go this far west. Ok, and so you've got to put

351
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in new infrastructure to bring that water to the facility.

352
00:30:49,067 --> 00:30:51,600
first of all, the infrastructure that we've told them that they've got to put

353
00:30:53,267 --> 00:30:56,333
in will not only provide water for them, but it will replace aging infrastructure that

354
00:30:57,833 --> 00:31:01,067
provides water to the entire area. So that is infrastructure that

355
00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:06,133
needs to be replaced that will not have to be paid for by the individual residents and the

356
00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:12,100
individual customers that we have in that area. So there is an aspect

357
00:31:14,133 --> 00:31:17,900
of this project on the water side that replaced it. Replaces aged infrastructure

358
00:31:19,933 --> 00:31:23,533
to the benefit of every customer that we have. And it eliminates the need

359
00:31:26,533 --> 00:31:27,500
to spread that cost across those customers,

360
00:31:31,133 --> 00:31:33,467
okay? The other thing that we've heard about is water supply.

361
00:31:37,300 --> 00:31:40,467
we are very fortunate. In the 1930s, our people that came before us built lake winona.

362
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and then in the 1950s, they built lake baumel.

363
00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:50,333
and those two lakes provide the water that this community needs.

364
00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:55,100
in fact, those two lakes provide the water for a half million people, not just within pulaski

365
00:31:56,667 --> 00:32:00,300
county, but up into cabot and down into saline county. There's water that's provided

366
00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:03,833
to the half million people in the metropolitan area,

367
00:32:06,367 --> 00:32:09,333
not just here. And our responsibility, our number one responsibility,

368
00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:13,400
is protecting public health by providing outstanding water

369
00:32:15,900 --> 00:32:18,767
services and we know that that is our purpose okay so we have the water that is available to

370
00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:25,200
serve those half million people and there's been lots of talk about numbers and everything

371
00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:32,000
the safe yield of those two lakes is they could provide 120 million gallons a day and

372
00:32:34,700 --> 00:32:37,533
you go okay what does that mean that means each and every day they could provide 120 million

373
00:32:40,367 --> 00:32:43,367
gallons a day without degrading. The level

374
00:32:44,467 --> 00:32:48,333
of the lake or the water quality within the lake, right? We don't come close to that.

375
00:32:49,700 --> 00:32:52,567
our average day now is about 67 million gallons a day.

376
00:32:53,967 --> 00:32:56,667
we can treat up to 156 million gallons a day.

377
00:32:58,100 --> 00:33:01,833
so on a peak day, we can go all the way up, even though the lakes can only provide 120.

378
00:33:02,967 --> 00:33:06,200
that's if we took it each and every day. We get to a peak day

379
00:33:07,167 --> 00:33:11,067
in the middle of august, when everybody's got their lawn sprinklers on, we can go up to 156 million gallons a day.

380
00:33:13,767 --> 00:33:16,233
we are already pre-data center in the midst of a $230 million

381
00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:21,500
upgrade of the wilson treatment plant, which is the big one out on 430, and you see

382
00:33:24,067 --> 00:33:27,700
the big dome of the clear well with the water in it right there.

383
00:33:28,733 --> 00:33:32,400
and so we're already upgrading that facility so that we can be able to provide additional water

384
00:33:33,567 --> 00:33:36,467
to the community. Then you hear, well, data centers are going

385
00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:41,267
to take 4 million gallons a day. All right? That's 4 million peak.

386
00:33:44,233 --> 00:33:46,467
our ordinary residents peak at 3x a normal day.

387
00:33:52,667 --> 00:33:55,967
just by watering their lawns all the time and their sprinklers and what have you, they add additional demand that

388
00:33:57,233 --> 00:34:00,867
we're able to meet. So in their peak that they're talking about taking, it's 10

389
00:34:02,767 --> 00:34:05,633
days out of a year. All right?

390
00:34:08,467 --> 00:34:11,567
so we know and we have the capacity to be able to build for that. We can do it.

391
00:34:12,500 --> 00:34:15,233
bertrell talked about planning out. We have a 2050 strategic plan.

392
00:34:17,867 --> 00:34:21,567
we have a 2100 asset management plan. Water utilities do not think

393
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,733
in terms of three years or four years. We think in terms of decades

394
00:34:27,433 --> 00:34:31,067
of meeting demand and reaching out and providing for that demand.

395
00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:33,667
and that won't change. The ability to treat I've

396
00:34:36,433 --> 00:34:40,433
already talked about. Will the data centers be able to say for it? No.

397
00:34:41,100 --> 00:34:44,067
the other thing that helps us out with this is we, first of all, we do not have a contract

398
00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:48,500
with aveo yet for water supply. All right.

399
00:34:49,867 --> 00:34:53,300
that has not been negotiated out yet. There's been some preliminary

400
00:34:54,167 --> 00:34:57,100
discussions, but it's not there yet. But there are things for us to look at to say,

401
00:34:58,467 --> 00:35:01,667
for instance, in our existing rate structure,

402
00:35:03,567 --> 00:35:07,033
there's a $65 million project to build a third water treatment,

403
00:35:08,300 --> 00:35:11,533
a third raw water line to come from lake maumelle to the wilson treatment plant for redundancy.

404
00:35:15,333 --> 00:35:18,200
so that if something happens to one of our two existing lines that we already have,

405
00:35:19,500 --> 00:35:22,400
we have a... Third one to make sure that we can get raw water for the treatment plant.

406
00:35:23,700 --> 00:35:27,100
that's an item that can be discussed with folks coming in.

407
00:35:28,733 --> 00:35:32,200
we have rights to go to lake de grey to get additional water if we need to go to lake de grey

408
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,367
to get additional water. We've had those rights in total since 2017 and we have

409
00:35:39,867 --> 00:35:43,267
had an option on those going back to 1988. So we have been looking

410
00:35:44,900 --> 00:35:47,767
out far as to how to get additional water from here.

411
00:35:49,133 --> 00:35:52,733
the other thing to look at, and you see this with data centers all over the country that I've been talking

412
00:35:54,867 --> 00:35:58,567
to, and believe me, the network of ceos for water utility is a pretty tight

413
00:35:59,633 --> 00:36:03,600
group, and we talk to each other and we learn from each other, all right? But if we could cut our

414
00:36:05,100 --> 00:36:06,200
unaccounted for water in half, and we're very good,

415
00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,133
by the way, on unaccounted for water. We're usually running around less than 10%, okay?

416
00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:20,000
but if we can cut that in half, we can save 2.5 million gallons of water per day.

417
00:36:23,933 --> 00:36:27,333
okay? Now, the question comes up for rate payers, given that our water cost is,

418
00:36:28,533 --> 00:36:30,567
is it worth chasing, is it worth increasing your rates

419
00:36:34,500 --> 00:36:38,200
to go chase that unaccounted for water? All right?

420
00:36:40,867 --> 00:36:44,800
but with new users coming on that are high demand, that are looking for ways to offset, their demand,

421
00:36:46,533 --> 00:36:50,100
we can look to them and say, hey, is there a possibility that you could help us with reducing unaccountable water

422
00:36:51,900 --> 00:36:54,667
to offset what you're going to be taking? And that doesn't change the

423
00:36:56,500 --> 00:36:56,500
amount of water that's coming

424
00:37:00,867 --> 00:37:04,733
out of the water treatment plants and the amount of water that's being pulled from the lakes or anything else.

425
00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:09,800
so there's lots of options for as we move forward with the discussions with the water center.

426
00:37:12,567 --> 00:37:15,800
and just know that just like you are here, we have a board made up of seven citizens that live right

427
00:37:17,500 --> 00:37:19,667
here and drink all of our water. And they are just as concerned

428
00:37:21,967 --> 00:37:25,400
about protecting the water and protecting the availability of water and protecting the public

429
00:37:26,900 --> 00:37:29,400
health of the people they serve as you all are.

430
00:37:33,100 --> 00:37:36,000
so from a water standpoint, what I can say is that, yes, we've looked

431
00:37:37,300 --> 00:37:40,567
at this project. Yes, there is an opportunity for us to be able to provide water

432
00:37:41,667 --> 00:37:44,400
to this. Project, but it works out to be a net benefit for the

433
00:37:45,900 --> 00:37:45,900
community.

434
00:37:50,867 --> 00:37:50,867
I'll leave it with that.

435
00:37:55,033 --> 00:37:58,467
thank you, tad. Justice medlock, you were first, you're recognized

436
00:38:00,467 --> 00:38:03,867
for a question. Can you please put the

437
00:38:04,500 --> 00:38:08,367
microphone up to your mouth? Thank you.

438
00:38:09,033 --> 00:38:12,233
thank you. Hi, thank you for that. I appreciate that.

439
00:38:13,467 --> 00:38:15,200
your 10-year rate increase plan, so if the data center did

440
00:38:21,133 --> 00:38:22,867
offset and take on some of that cost for some

441
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,900
of the water expenses, would you revise that and not do some of that increase?

442
00:38:36,567 --> 00:38:40,133
yes and no. Okay, here's the yes part. There is a specific

443
00:38:41,433 --> 00:38:43,933
infrastructure fee within that that is to pay the cost.

444
00:38:45,967 --> 00:38:49,333
one of the things that's to pay the cost of is the new raw water line from lake maumelle to the

445
00:38:51,167 --> 00:38:54,967
wilson treatment plant. If we don't have to underdo that cost,

446
00:38:56,033 --> 00:38:59,300
that infrastructure fee has to be tied to costs that we incur.

447
00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:04,067
so if we don't incur that cost, then it could be offset, and that would not go up as high as

448
00:39:05,333 --> 00:39:08,733
it's going up. Okay? The other, we have plenty

449
00:39:11,233 --> 00:39:14,933
of infrastructure that needs to be replaced. And that's not what this

450
00:39:16,667 --> 00:39:20,600
conversation is about, all right? But it is this. We were replacing, 2016 when I

451
00:39:23,267 --> 00:39:25,867
became ceo, we were replacing pipe at once every 400 years.

452
00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:30,767
pipe doesn't last in the ground 400 years.

453
00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:35,900
the rates that you're talking about that are in place through 2032 get us to

454
00:39:37,667 --> 00:39:39,167
to replacing pipe once every 200 years.

455
00:39:42,233 --> 00:39:45,867
we need to get that to admit at a minimum of once every 100 years.

456
00:39:48,100 --> 00:39:49,967
I just feel like if we're getting all of this benefit from the center,

457
00:39:53,067 --> 00:39:56,767
that it should be passed along to the customers and not increase as much.

458
00:40:00,633 --> 00:40:04,533
I understand what you're saying, but I also understand that we still have a lot of unanswered needs.

459
00:40:08,067 --> 00:40:10,533
thank you for that. Okay.

460
00:40:13,067 --> 00:40:13,067
justice stowers, you lit up

461
00:40:18,167 --> 00:40:21,867
next. Thank you, sir. Mr. Bohannon, thank you for being here this evening.

462
00:40:22,733 --> 00:40:26,533
my question is that I have read several statistics that the

463
00:40:28,767 --> 00:40:32,500
average data center uses the equal amount of water that an

464
00:40:36,900 --> 00:40:39,767
18-hole golf course does in a year. Can you confirm that or provide

465
00:40:42,100 --> 00:40:45,100
some context? To that statistic that is

466
00:40:48,167 --> 00:40:48,167
out there?

467
00:40:55,567 --> 00:40:55,567
within our system,

468
00:41:01,967 --> 00:41:04,400
it's close. I mean, I can tell you we have

469
00:41:07,133 --> 00:41:07,133
a commercial customer.

470
00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:16,833
that is not a hospital and not what you would say. It doesn't matter how much water they need. We're going

471
00:41:17,433 --> 00:41:20,367
to provide it no matter what. But we have another commercial customer that they use

472
00:41:22,567 --> 00:41:24,267
about the same amount of water every day as a data center.

473
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:32,933
I mean, so golf courses, it depends.

474
00:41:34,867 --> 00:41:38,867
if you go back and look a few years ago, yes, that was a requirement. I will say.

475
00:41:39,967 --> 00:41:43,000
golf courses have gotten better about managing their water. I know that's not a direct

476
00:41:47,067 --> 00:41:49,667
answer for your question. No, I appreciate it. Now, justice elliott, you're

477
00:41:53,300 --> 00:41:56,433
recognized for a question. Thank you for coming tonight.

478
00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:00,267
I need to ask you about how much have you done in the maumau area?

479
00:42:02,233 --> 00:42:05,600
that's my question, and then I have another question after that.

480
00:42:07,367 --> 00:42:11,333
so when we first... Consolidated with mommel, we built a pipeline to go to

481
00:42:12,667 --> 00:42:16,100
mommel and that's been done and we are replacing service lines

482
00:42:18,867 --> 00:42:22,733
as fast as we can and we're trying to replace all the pvc

483
00:42:25,300 --> 00:42:29,033
pipe that was put in as fast as we can. What I'll add to that though is

484
00:42:31,300 --> 00:42:33,533
that cost is not being shared across the entire rate base.

485
00:42:37,333 --> 00:42:40,833
when we took on the, just like we would do with dasims, when we took on the maumelle

486
00:42:43,433 --> 00:42:46,800
project of consolidating indoor systems, we said, maumelle residents, your system needs

487
00:42:47,967 --> 00:42:51,667
to move from this standard to caw standards. And you're going to pay a surcharge

488
00:42:54,067 --> 00:42:57,133
on your bill on top of regular water costs until those improvements are paid

489
00:42:59,633 --> 00:43:02,400
off. And believe me, they know they're paying it because I hear about it regularly,

490
00:43:03,967 --> 00:43:07,433
and I'm sure you do too. So another question is about the payments.

491
00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:15,867
we have on payment, my mail, then you have north little

492
00:43:17,967 --> 00:43:18,967
rock on my bill. And that's another $75 or

493
00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:25,667
whatever. But what is the average water bill for a my mail resident

494
00:43:28,367 --> 00:43:29,133
should be, is my question. The average water bill

495
00:43:34,767 --> 00:43:37,467
for a my mail customer. The average bill, depending on

496
00:43:38,900 --> 00:43:41,967
whether or not you're irrigating, would say right around $22 a month just for the

497
00:43:43,367 --> 00:43:46,267
water and the base charge, $23 a month. And then you tack on top of

498
00:43:47,567 --> 00:43:51,400
that the two surcharges that are still on the water bill. So that bill's pushing, I've got to do the math, $70 a

499
00:43:53,133 --> 00:43:54,200
month probably, maybe. Well, my bill's $250 a month.

500
00:44:07,167 --> 00:44:10,433
well, you might have a leak. No, I've already checked that out. I, you know. I've had two plumbers come out, and even we can't understand

501
00:44:11,933 --> 00:44:14,633
why it is. Do you know what your average,

502
00:44:18,067 --> 00:44:20,833
do you know what your monthly consumption is in ccf?

503
00:44:22,733 --> 00:44:25,900
okay. What's that? Well, I had to look again, but what I'm saying is I've had all

504
00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:30,600
that checked. I do not have a leak, and even the neighbors have come and

505
00:44:31,733 --> 00:44:35,067
asked us some questions about this. We can't understand why our bill is so much higher than it

506
00:44:37,033 --> 00:44:40,867
was before that was started, is what I'm saying. Before all the construction was started,

507
00:44:42,667 --> 00:44:46,200
that's what I'm trying to get across. It's a heck of a lot higher.

508
00:44:47,533 --> 00:44:47,533
I'd be happy to come out to

509
00:44:57,067 --> 00:45:00,300
maumelle and talk to anybody in maumelle and bring all the maumelle information. If you will remember back in

510
00:45:01,933 --> 00:45:03,600
2015 when this started, maumelle water corporation

511
00:45:06,267 --> 00:45:09,233
announced that they were going to be doubling the water rates to be able to build a new

512
00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:14,500
treatment plant. We brought the financial information forward and said, here's the alternative,

513
00:45:16,100 --> 00:45:19,000
and that's what they voted to do. So I'd be happy to come talk

514
00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:23,933
to anybody. You want me to come talk to any group you want me to come talk to in montmel to

515
00:45:25,133 --> 00:45:26,733
talk about? I appreciate it.

516
00:45:30,367 --> 00:45:30,367
are you finished, paul?

517
00:45:35,300 --> 00:45:36,867
I think next was justice person.

518
00:45:39,867 --> 00:45:42,733
good evening. Thank you for being here. So is little rock water

519
00:45:43,967 --> 00:45:47,733
reclamation here as well? They are not. This project is in pulaski county in wooden.

520
00:45:49,233 --> 00:45:52,733
got it. Got it. Good. Okay. So. My number one question when it

521
00:45:53,300 --> 00:45:55,467
comes to water, I guess, pertains to quality of life. So we hear that data centers

522
00:46:01,133 --> 00:46:03,600
can cool their equipment or their servers one or two ways,

523
00:46:07,500 --> 00:46:11,267
electricity or water cooling systems. The more electricity, the less water.

524
00:46:12,233 --> 00:46:14,933
the more water, the less electricity. All right. So if they run water

525
00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:21,133
through these systems. They are treating this water, this wastewater,

526
00:46:23,300 --> 00:46:26,733
through the system before they send it back out to the environment.

527
00:46:27,900 --> 00:46:30,667
am I right so far? They will have to meet adeq

528
00:46:32,433 --> 00:46:35,467
discharge requirements if they're going to discharge directly.

529
00:46:38,233 --> 00:46:40,967
we do not have a wastewater contract with them yet. We are not traditionally a

530
00:46:43,367 --> 00:46:46,333
wastewater utility. Right. I want to say that right off the bat.

531
00:46:47,667 --> 00:46:47,667
right.

532
00:46:51,733 --> 00:46:54,900
but we do operate. Own and operate the wrightsville wastewater treatment facility and that came about due to necessity we were asked to

533
00:46:56,333 --> 00:46:59,600
do that and it is operating is operating properly now understood that's great oh I'm

534
00:47:01,033 --> 00:47:04,033
sorry go ahead so we'll have to deal

535
00:47:07,667 --> 00:47:10,933
with the wastewater just like we'll have to contract with them

536
00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:14,033
on the water okay and uh so just to point a point to that um all right.

537
00:47:16,933 --> 00:47:20,933
it sounds great, and it is great. You treat your water before you release it back out

538
00:47:23,300 --> 00:47:24,067
to the environment. However, what we don't want to

539
00:47:27,367 --> 00:47:30,833
happen is the water is too sanitized for the environment and it's too well treated

540
00:47:33,267 --> 00:47:36,767
because if it's going to be used as wastewater, there are certain ph balances

541
00:47:38,933 --> 00:47:42,700
level, and I'm sorry to bore everybody with this science, that is needed in order to

542
00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:47,333
break down. Micro bacteria whatever so you

543
00:47:48,933 --> 00:47:51,367
may not have a contract right now but there needs

544
00:47:54,400 --> 00:47:57,667
to be a vested interest in making sure that any waters release is not overly

545
00:47:59,233 --> 00:48:02,400
sanitizing this to a point where I'm not 100% familiar

546
00:48:04,200 --> 00:48:06,933
with adq standards for releasing water

547
00:48:08,267 --> 00:48:11,200
but that's why I was kind of hoping reclamation was here but nevertheless I just want to

548
00:48:14,867 --> 00:48:16,433
know your viewpoint and where are those talks even happening?

549
00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:26,933
yes. And I mean, I don't want to get too far out

550
00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:31,367
over my ski sort of thing. But the other look at it when it comes out, that is,

551
00:48:32,433 --> 00:48:36,233
are there other uses we can use for it? Correct. And I think that's really important for both rate payers

552
00:48:38,967 --> 00:48:42,067
and for. The environment and community. You know,

553
00:48:43,233 --> 00:48:46,000
we have five big drops in our 2050 strategic plan and environmental sustainability is

554
00:48:47,967 --> 00:48:50,867
one of them that we want to make sure that we are doing right and being sustainable

555
00:48:52,133 --> 00:48:54,400
in the environment. So we will continue to follow that.

556
00:48:56,867 --> 00:49:00,500
and to make sure that they treat their water as well and have particular guidelines and parameters

557
00:49:01,767 --> 00:49:04,933
to make sure that water, if and when it's released, meets a certain standard

558
00:49:06,233 --> 00:49:09,100
environmentally. As you said, we don't I don't want killing the bugs.

559
00:49:10,333 --> 00:49:12,567
that take care of the wastewater.

560
00:49:14,667 --> 00:49:18,267
I'll be too toxic or too sanitized. That is correct. All right.

561
00:49:23,433 --> 00:49:23,433
iu.

562
00:49:27,567 --> 00:49:30,833
you yield? Yes, sir. Thank you. I think mr.

563
00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:32,000
mccoy was next.

564
00:49:36,333 --> 00:49:39,833
thank you, ted. Thanks for being here. Appreciate it. So I'm going to beat my colleague

565
00:49:40,833 --> 00:49:44,200
to the punch probably, but I've been immersing myself in data centers the last couple

566
00:49:45,233 --> 00:49:46,700
of weeks, as you can imagine, and one of the main concerns I

567
00:49:49,900 --> 00:49:53,233
have is the water issue, not so much the capability to provide, but as justice

568
00:49:55,400 --> 00:49:59,200
persons was saying. As he was alluding to in his concern

569
00:50:00,200 --> 00:50:02,200
with water quality, with aveo's project that's coming up

570
00:50:05,333 --> 00:50:08,733
in pulaski county, you mentioned you've had some talks

571
00:50:10,200 --> 00:50:13,400
with them. Can you talk about their usage? How much can you disclose

572
00:50:15,433 --> 00:50:19,033
about their usage, their plans for usage of water? I'll start there first. Can you describe what their

573
00:50:20,300 --> 00:50:23,033
operation is going to look like in usage of water?

574
00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:31,733
yes, and I think part of that has already been out in the open dialogue.

575
00:50:34,133 --> 00:50:36,667
and I think they're here, so they might be able

576
00:50:38,267 --> 00:50:41,233
to answer better than me. But if they do it, it's a phased-in approach.

577
00:50:42,833 --> 00:50:45,767
and they're talking about starting with a max day that is much lower than the 4

578
00:50:52,167 --> 00:50:54,833
million gallons or numbers that you've been hearing. With an average day of around 200,000.

579
00:50:56,200 --> 00:50:58,933
gallons on an average day and then potentially growing from there depending

580
00:51:05,067 --> 00:51:07,633
on what they do on their campus.

581
00:51:09,433 --> 00:51:11,767
okay so what I've what I found out is it's a closed loop system so I guess they're

582
00:51:14,200 --> 00:51:17,033
capturing rainwater and so forth can you speak to that? And I think all

583
00:51:19,500 --> 00:51:23,267
of you know I'm a logger by trade right so I don't mean um that doesn't mean I haven't

584
00:51:24,633 --> 00:51:28,267
learned a whole lot, too, but I just want to throw that out there.

585
00:51:29,800 --> 00:51:32,800
but part of the thing that attracts them to our water is an economic driver.

586
00:51:34,433 --> 00:51:37,167
our water is so good that people want to use it.

587
00:51:49,100 --> 00:51:52,833
and it is no different than data centers in that one of the things that we've been told is

588
00:51:54,700 --> 00:51:57,733
that they're going to be able to recirculate this water several times

589
00:51:59,633 --> 00:52:02,733
through their facility before they have to discharge it because

590
00:52:04,433 --> 00:52:06,800
of the water quality. So, yes, there is a closed-loop

591
00:52:09,200 --> 00:52:12,567
system that they are bringing water in. They're recirculating it

592
00:52:13,933 --> 00:52:13,933
several times

593
00:52:18,867 --> 00:52:21,500
through their system, and then it's being discharged going out

594
00:52:23,000 --> 00:52:26,967
after. I think the last numbers I heard were six to seven times that they could recirculate. The water

595
00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:31,567
through our system. So that's, I don't know that I answered your question other

596
00:52:32,500 --> 00:52:35,200
than just to tell you that yes, it's my understanding that it's a

597
00:52:37,167 --> 00:52:41,100
closed loop system too and that they will be recirculating our

598
00:52:41,533 --> 00:52:44,733
water several times. And would you find that an appropriate method for water usage of a data center?

599
00:52:46,033 --> 00:52:49,733
yes. I wish more people could figure out a way to close loop their

600
00:52:50,833 --> 00:52:53,600
system and use the water over and over and over again. Okay, I yield.

601
00:52:59,467 --> 00:53:01,800
justice blackwood, I think you're up for questions. Okay.

602
00:53:05,433 --> 00:53:07,500
since this is one reason we have one of the moratorium,

603
00:53:09,467 --> 00:53:12,367
you do not have a contract. That's correct. And so we don't know what

604
00:53:15,033 --> 00:53:18,767
you're going to do, and we don't know what's going to happen. And so we need to have some

605
00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:24,900
time to be able to see what... You're going to be doing and what so the public can come in

606
00:53:27,467 --> 00:53:30,700
and look and have because we worked hard to get this water. I was here when we did all the

607
00:53:32,667 --> 00:53:36,367
water and it was a long hard job to get the kind

608
00:53:39,800 --> 00:53:43,600
of water that we've got in pulaski county and I really really would hate anything

609
00:53:45,133 --> 00:53:48,167
to happen to our water. So without a contract without us knowing where what you're

610
00:53:51,500 --> 00:53:54,733
going to do it makes it really hard for us to say, oh yeah,

611
00:53:58,133 --> 00:54:00,600
whatever you do, it's going to be fine. We need to, that's one reason I

612
00:54:02,233 --> 00:54:06,000
really am strongly for the moratorium. Also, I would like to say, can you list any place in

613
00:54:07,267 --> 00:54:10,367
america today where utilities have gone down, where they've put

614
00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:11,800
in data centers?

615
00:54:24,200 --> 00:54:28,200
I cannot, but I'm not going to tell you that that hadn't

616
00:54:29,067 --> 00:54:32,033
happened. Okay. Then also you said.

617
00:54:33,300 --> 00:54:36,667
it's gone down also because they put in a nestle bottled water plant too.

618
00:54:37,533 --> 00:54:41,000
okay. Also, you said that we were using three times.

619
00:54:42,633 --> 00:54:46,567
you gave the figure of the amount of water that we were using today was, was it three times?

620
00:54:47,800 --> 00:54:51,533
yeah, our max day ever is 126 million gallons a day. Our minimum day is around 43 million gallons a day,

621
00:54:53,833 --> 00:54:57,033
so you multiply that times three, and all the rest of that is hot weather usage,

622
00:54:58,333 --> 00:55:02,100
mostly irrigation. Okay, so then you said that... And I may be wrong on this.

623
00:55:05,233 --> 00:55:08,800
I'm trying to understand whether I'm right or not. Then you said that the data

624
00:55:11,100 --> 00:55:14,667
center might use four times, so would it just go up one? Is that what you're telling me? You said it would go

625
00:55:15,767 --> 00:55:19,667
to four times. The differential between their average use or their minimum use and then what their maximum

626
00:55:20,833 --> 00:55:24,500
use would be, it won't increase. When we're running 126 million

627
00:55:26,800 --> 00:55:29,867
gallons a day, which, by the way, we've only done one.

628
00:55:31,033 --> 00:55:33,133
a handful of days last year where we had more than 100

629
00:55:37,667 --> 00:55:38,500
million gallons a day being used.

630
00:55:53,400 --> 00:55:55,833
2012. Okay. 2012, we went to 126. So, but I'm just trying

631
00:55:57,933 --> 00:56:01,067
to get, because you said three and the four times, and so I'm trying to understand what you were telling me.

632
00:56:02,133 --> 00:56:05,167
you said... Data center doesn't take us to four times our...

633
00:56:08,633 --> 00:56:12,433
okay, so that's incorrect what you told me. Okay. Sorry. Because you said that would be

634
00:56:13,567 --> 00:56:17,133
10 days and four times, and so I just wanted to make sure either that was correct or incorrect.

635
00:56:19,167 --> 00:56:21,867
also, the infrastructure. Will this affect the infrastructure

636
00:56:23,267 --> 00:56:27,133
of our water plant, of our water facilities? It will not impact the

637
00:56:28,733 --> 00:56:30,933
infrastructure of our treatment plant. They will have to build a line

638
00:56:33,067 --> 00:56:36,533
to go west to get the water. Okay. That line will serve more than

639
00:56:46,067 --> 00:56:49,367
just their needs. Okay. So who is going to pay for that line?

640
00:56:50,433 --> 00:56:54,067
they are. They will. Okay. And then I also want

641
00:56:55,533 --> 00:56:59,267
to know what the impact is on the groundwater and the wetlands.

642
00:57:03,033 --> 00:57:05,633
we have, it has been stated several times that they will not be able to use groundwater.

643
00:57:07,233 --> 00:57:11,100
we have no control over that, but that's what's been... It's stated.

644
00:57:13,367 --> 00:57:16,767
it's stated. And we have no contract, so we don't know.

645
00:57:18,167 --> 00:57:21,433
so, and the wetlands, our water doesn't impact wetlands. I mean, our water coming

646
00:57:22,800 --> 00:57:25,867
through its pipe system, getting from lake momel to the wilson treatment plant

647
00:57:27,367 --> 00:57:31,167
or to the ozark treatment plant and then to the site that's located on 145th street is not a

648
00:57:34,533 --> 00:57:34,533
wetlands impact.

649
00:57:41,600 --> 00:57:45,067
okay, and so what about the, if we have a drought, if we have any kind

650
00:57:46,733 --> 00:57:48,400
of a drought, how do we have, would we be totally okay if we

651
00:57:51,133 --> 00:57:53,300
have a drought? We are 3.78 feet lower this

652
00:57:58,133 --> 00:58:00,433
year than we were last year. We have had half the rain

653
00:58:03,300 --> 00:58:04,833
january through. June, we're almost to june,

654
00:58:08,267 --> 00:58:11,600
january through june, we're 13 inches down in rain from last year. We still have plenty

655
00:58:14,600 --> 00:58:16,167
of water. Okay, and so with the water

656
00:58:18,800 --> 00:58:22,567
that you're saying that you're going to I guess they're going to the wastewater that comes

657
00:58:24,700 --> 00:58:27,800
off of this. And I've watched senate hearing after senate hearing, I have,

658
00:58:29,333 --> 00:58:31,200
and they hold up a jar. Of this awful,

659
00:58:34,833 --> 00:58:37,633
awful brown water. And they say, this is what's coming off of the data centers and this is

660
00:58:38,900 --> 00:58:42,800
what's happening in these plants. And I've watched it over and over again because I'm a c-span

661
00:58:45,133 --> 00:58:46,267
junkie. So this is something that

662
00:58:49,333 --> 00:58:52,600
frightens me with our water, you know, that we are going to have pollution

663
00:58:54,200 --> 00:58:56,867
in our water. Our water is going to be destroyed. And without a contract, I just

664
00:58:59,467 --> 00:59:03,467
can't see that we could go forward. Until we've got a contract, until we have a moratorium, I

665
00:59:05,667 --> 00:59:06,700
just can't say that we can handle this.

666
00:59:16,167 --> 00:59:19,733
I understand what you're saying.

667
00:59:21,100 --> 00:59:24,667
okay. I also understand that maumelle customers would hold up jars of water and saying,

668
00:59:26,367 --> 00:59:29,467
this is what's coming out of our tap, and we corrected that.

669
00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:41,133
I can also say that the community of perla was saying, look at what's coming out

670
00:59:42,667 --> 00:59:45,033
of our tap. And we were appointed receiver of that system,

671
00:59:47,167 --> 00:59:48,433
and now they have clear tap. I mean, so our central

672
00:59:53,567 --> 00:59:57,233
arkansas water has an obligation, and I will speak

673
00:59:59,500 --> 01:00:00,867
on behalf of our employees that they have an internal drive to

674
01:00:06,533 --> 01:00:10,167
protect water quality and take care of water and make sure that. We no longer live

675
01:00:12,333 --> 01:00:15,567
in a linear water environment. We live in a circular water environment.

676
01:00:16,567 --> 01:00:20,400
that the linear water environment, that ship has sailed that you just kind

677
01:00:21,400 --> 01:00:24,900
of go run it through, discharge it, it's all done. We now live in a circular water environment and every aspect

678
01:00:26,467 --> 01:00:29,267
of that water environment has to be taken care of. And we understand that as part

679
01:00:33,167 --> 01:00:37,100
of our duty and our obligation to take care of the entire circle.

680
01:00:39,067 --> 01:00:42,167
and we will continue to work on that,

681
01:00:43,333 --> 01:00:47,233
and we will every day. I mean, I have to get up every day and look

682
01:00:48,267 --> 01:00:50,533
in the mirror and say, are we doing a good job? And that is an awesome feeling,

683
01:00:53,100 --> 01:00:56,967
but it's also an incredible responsibility. I was just talking

684
01:00:58,133 --> 01:01:01,233
to a lady who said, you don't understand how big a responsibility you have because

685
01:01:02,733 --> 01:01:02,733
you have never.

686
01:01:09,733 --> 01:01:12,100
gone without water. I don't ever want

687
01:01:15,133 --> 01:01:18,433
to get there. We are going to take care of it to make sure that we do

688
01:01:19,967 --> 01:01:23,400
not get there. All right. We live

689
01:01:25,100 --> 01:01:28,767
in this community. I have a 20 year old son who I hope is going to live

690
01:01:30,167 --> 01:01:32,967
in this community. I mean, this is not just a, here comes an industry and can

691
01:01:34,233 --> 01:01:37,400
we provide them water? It doesn't work that way. This is a...

692
01:01:39,200 --> 01:01:42,533
this is a growing community and does this provide a net positive benefit?

693
01:01:43,700 --> 01:01:46,767
now, whether or not you all want a data center, that's your job.

694
01:01:49,000 --> 01:01:51,767
my job is if we're having it, I'm going to make sure that we provide it

695
01:01:53,200 --> 01:01:53,200
with the water that it needs

696
01:01:58,700 --> 01:02:02,267
without impacting all of our other rate customers to say, hey, if you want water, you've got to go to here

697
01:02:03,267 --> 01:02:06,733
to get it. And then I want to make sure that if we have wastewater

698
01:02:10,000 --> 01:02:13,533
response, responsibility, that that side of it's taken care

699
01:02:14,767 --> 01:02:18,733
of too. I mean, we are in, we are in wrightsville taking care of wastewater, not because we

700
01:02:19,867 --> 01:02:22,833
said, hey, let's get into the wastewater business, but because there was a

701
01:02:24,367 --> 01:02:28,133
community that was not being taken care of. We went to perla, not because

702
01:02:29,800 --> 01:02:32,633
we said, let's drive an hour and 15 minutes

703
01:02:34,100 --> 01:02:38,033
down the road and help take care of the community. I went out and met with neighbors who had sewage.

704
01:02:39,167 --> 01:02:42,267
flowing through their front yards. And I said,

705
01:02:43,567 --> 01:02:46,500
we have the ability to help. And so we tackled that task. Just like energy,

706
01:02:48,100 --> 01:02:51,467
if there's a business that comes within our water service territory that says we need

707
01:02:53,167 --> 01:02:55,833
water, we say as long as you're willing to pay

708
01:02:57,267 --> 01:03:00,333
for the infrastructure, and that is not new for us. If a developer who wants

709
01:03:02,133 --> 01:03:05,033
to build a 50... Lot subdivision, you've got to put in the infrastructure

710
01:03:06,733 --> 01:03:10,433
to get it done. We don't pay for it. We don't take your ratepayer

711
01:03:12,533 --> 01:03:15,500
money and use it to put that infrastructure in. We say you guys have got

712
01:03:16,933 --> 01:03:20,567
to pay to put that in. And that's something that we do every day.

713
01:03:26,333 --> 01:03:28,500
and so when you say we don't have a contract, I understand what you're saying.

714
01:03:32,967 --> 01:03:35,067
all I can tell you is we haven't let you down so far.

715
01:03:37,067 --> 01:03:41,000
I mean, you know, and I truly think you are probably very

716
01:03:42,433 --> 01:03:45,167
sincere. I think that you probably mean this, but the problem is when

717
01:03:47,000 --> 01:03:50,100
you're dealing with big business, when you're dealing with corporate power,

718
01:03:51,167 --> 01:03:53,267
when you're dealing with huge billion dollar companies, things happen.

719
01:03:56,233 --> 01:03:59,633
and they happen all the time and they seem to happen not in the benefit of the public.

720
01:04:01,200 --> 01:04:05,000
they are never in the benefit of the public as far as I can tell. So that's where I think it's

721
01:04:05,867 --> 01:04:08,467
not you. I think it's more the corporations that we're afraid

722
01:04:10,033 --> 01:04:13,867
of. Okay. And I yield. Thank you.

723
01:04:14,867 --> 01:04:18,133
thank you for that. And, folks, in the interest of time, because this is going to be a late night, please try

724
01:04:21,267 --> 01:04:24,500
and keep your conversations down. You can go in the hallway to have those.

725
01:04:25,500 --> 01:04:29,067
and also the amount of cheering, or booing. Let's be courteous

726
01:04:30,967 --> 01:04:33,033
to everyone and get through this. Justice ward, even though you

727
01:04:35,200 --> 01:04:37,833
broke your light, I've been pushing it for an hour.

728
01:04:39,767 --> 01:04:43,533
hello justice ward, good to see you again. Yes, yes sir. Thank you mr. Bohannon, thank you mr.

729
01:04:44,400 --> 01:04:47,200
cheshire, thank you mr. Ventrell.

730
01:04:48,700 --> 01:04:52,667
thank you all for being willing to meet with me and to sit down and answer some questions.

731
01:04:54,500 --> 01:04:58,100
and let me go ahead and thank you in advance for getting ready to come to my community so that you can

732
01:04:59,233 --> 01:05:02,933
answer the questions that they have personally. So that we're not in this kind of

733
01:05:04,267 --> 01:05:08,267
for you because this is personal for us because we live in sweet home.

734
01:05:09,933 --> 01:05:13,133
we're not trying to leave sweet home. We're not trying to be pushed

735
01:05:14,467 --> 01:05:17,567
out of sweet home. We love sweet home and riceville, so therefore this is

736
01:05:19,933 --> 01:05:23,867
personal. So we don't have to have this big audience or anything. We want to sit

737
01:05:25,100 --> 01:05:28,900
down and we want to ask you straightforward some questions so that it can ease the mind of some

738
01:05:30,833 --> 01:05:33,933
of the people that are elderly, that don't have. Social media that don't get

739
01:05:35,400 --> 01:05:38,333
to chat in on conversations or whatever, but I want them to be able

740
01:05:39,700 --> 01:05:43,700
to come out and you all talk to them and speak to them face to face and answer their questions because this ain't no

741
01:05:45,200 --> 01:05:48,167
game for us. This is like life or death for us.

742
01:05:49,400 --> 01:05:52,233
so we want the questions answered and I thank you for being willing to do that

743
01:05:53,800 --> 01:05:57,533
and I'm gonna get you a date and I'll be looking forward to seeing all three of y'all.

744
01:05:58,900 --> 01:05:59,900
we'll be there or I'll be there.

745
01:06:08,333 --> 01:06:11,967
justice davis. Hi, I think justice pearson and blackwood asked my question,

746
01:06:13,867 --> 01:06:16,667
but there is no plan for where the discharge water for avo will go

747
01:06:18,233 --> 01:06:21,600
at this point. Is that correct? Not that I know of.

748
01:06:22,967 --> 01:06:26,400
okay, so when will that be established? When we through the water

749
01:06:28,467 --> 01:06:30,600
contract with them. Okay, so there hasn't been any

750
01:06:33,833 --> 01:06:37,600
ideas thrown around? Discharge water maybe where

751
01:06:39,200 --> 01:06:42,933
that wastewater will be discharged. Not with me.

752
01:06:45,033 --> 01:06:47,867
okay. I think that's the scariest part for me and my community is,

753
01:06:49,400 --> 01:06:51,867
you know, where is that wastewater going to go?

754
01:06:53,833 --> 01:06:56,333
and we still don't know. Okay.

755
01:06:58,433 --> 01:06:59,867
I yield. Okay.

756
01:07:04,833 --> 01:07:06,433
and I think, justice robinson, you were next.

757
01:07:09,533 --> 01:07:12,000
thank you, thank you for being here.

758
01:07:13,700 --> 01:07:17,367
so mr. Mccoy here did kind of ask you a little bit of my question, but an open

759
01:07:19,233 --> 01:07:23,200
loop system versus a closed loop system. My understanding, it is a closed loop system.

760
01:07:24,267 --> 01:07:26,433
so do you have any idea how much water that will actually save?

761
01:07:34,900 --> 01:07:38,233
not a clue. And my engineers aren't here.

762
01:07:39,200 --> 01:07:41,100
okay. So since we don't know,

763
01:07:43,433 --> 01:07:45,833
I guess we'll go on to my second question then. My second question is

764
01:07:47,733 --> 01:07:49,233
with contracts, say some industrial pig slaughtering

765
01:07:55,767 --> 01:07:58,633
house came before you all, would you require a contract

766
01:08:00,500 --> 01:08:03,400
with said facility before you gave them a... I mean, they got any kind

767
01:08:05,167 --> 01:08:08,367
of improvement from city of little rock, city of north little rock, whoever.

768
01:08:09,667 --> 01:08:10,967
would they have to have a contract with caw

769
01:08:16,033 --> 01:08:17,500
before they would have that approval?

770
01:08:23,867 --> 01:08:26,833
I'm trying to figure out where is the limit of requiring a contract?

771
01:08:28,967 --> 01:08:31,800
is it a million gallons a day? Is it 10 million gallons a day? Before you got

772
01:08:33,167 --> 01:08:35,300
to have a contract in place, is there some threshold? It is a matter

773
01:08:46,033 --> 01:08:46,833
of every new commercial entity, there is a developer's contract

774
01:08:53,467 --> 01:08:56,100
that comes about. This one is different because

775
01:08:58,400 --> 01:09:01,600
of the amount of infrastructure that they are going to have

776
01:09:03,433 --> 01:09:04,700
to put in to get the water there.

777
01:09:12,533 --> 01:09:13,967
okay. I don't, I mean.

778
01:09:18,300 --> 01:09:22,167
so the contract is two-fold then? It's got a, I guess an infrastructure.

779
01:09:23,933 --> 01:09:27,200
portion along with a monetary portion? As I said before, when an

780
01:09:29,500 --> 01:09:31,100
ordinary development comes to us, we say, here's the

781
01:09:41,833 --> 01:09:45,200
infrastructure, and here's what it's going to cost,

782
01:09:47,633 --> 01:09:50,867
and this is what you've got to put in. This one's just bigger.

783
01:09:52,767 --> 01:09:55,667
so developer has a 500 lot subdivision that comes in and

784
01:09:57,400 --> 01:10:00,333
you review the engineers plans on behalf of caw and say okay the only there's only a six

785
01:10:02,200 --> 01:10:06,033
inch water line that feeds the subdivision needs to be a 10 inch and you got

786
01:10:07,667 --> 01:10:09,267
to go seven miles this way to get to our 12 inch that's

787
01:10:12,533 --> 01:10:15,700
in a contract with that developer. That is correct.

788
01:10:16,867 --> 01:10:18,467
okay. Thank you, iu.

789
01:10:35,000 --> 01:10:38,467
justice curry, I think you're next. Thank you all so much for being here today.

790
01:10:39,467 --> 01:10:40,500
it's been a lot of great information shared.

791
01:10:43,567 --> 01:10:46,100
as I sit here and we're dealing with, of course, the data center for pulaski

792
01:10:47,833 --> 01:10:51,033
county, would there be... At any point because there's the other data center

793
01:10:52,633 --> 01:10:56,100
at the port. So in splitting, I was just sitting here

794
01:10:57,467 --> 01:10:58,867
thinking about the water supply.

795
01:11:08,300 --> 01:11:11,467
of course, you're having to pipe from a different direction for the wrightsville, so would

796
01:11:12,967 --> 01:11:16,433
it ever be a conflict with the one going in for the port as we backed up back

797
01:11:19,500 --> 01:11:19,500
into the county part?

798
01:11:25,733 --> 01:11:25,733
so the infrastructure for the

799
01:11:32,933 --> 01:11:34,900
two data centers would tie on to this, our system

800
01:11:37,900 --> 01:11:41,800
at two different places. Okay, I just wanted to make sure I understood on that part.

801
01:11:44,500 --> 01:11:48,133
I don't know enough about this, but we're doing our best. You know, it's, since so many of you...

802
01:11:51,900 --> 01:11:55,800
there's a 24-inch pipeline that runs down the pine bluff

803
01:11:57,667 --> 01:11:59,333
highway that the port would tie onto,

804
01:12:03,233 --> 01:12:06,133
and it needs additional use on it. We welcome additional use, and

805
01:12:07,733 --> 01:12:10,767
in fact, it also brings more water to the port area for further

806
01:12:12,433 --> 01:12:16,133
industrial development within the port, within the industrial park there.

807
01:12:17,733 --> 01:12:21,467
the 145th street site. We'll have to go farther west

808
01:12:23,133 --> 01:12:26,100
to university avenue or beyond, depending on where we go. So they'll be getting water

809
01:12:27,500 --> 01:12:30,400
from two different places. Thank you. Thank you.

810
01:12:31,833 --> 01:12:34,933
thank you. And justice medlock, not

811
01:12:36,000 --> 01:12:39,333
matlock, no tv, you're next. Thank you.

812
01:12:40,433 --> 01:12:44,433
hi again. Thank you. So.

813
01:12:45,633 --> 01:12:45,633
I am just curious

814
01:12:57,767 --> 01:12:59,967
about this contract. Who negotiates this contract, and how are these terms brought forth that are negotiated

815
01:13:02,667 --> 01:13:02,667
with caw and avo? Who

816
01:13:08,667 --> 01:13:11,767
negotiates that contract? Avo will send their reps, and I'll be the final word on,

817
01:13:13,467 --> 01:13:16,600
well, I guess my commission will be the final word, but I would be the negotiator

818
01:13:18,067 --> 01:13:20,600
on caw's side. And so do your... From what I'm understanding,

819
01:13:23,967 --> 01:13:25,933
your negotiations include things that are advantageous

820
01:13:32,400 --> 01:13:35,967
for not just you, but that you can pass along to your customers.

821
01:13:40,333 --> 01:13:43,200
that is beneficial. That is the plan. Okay.

822
01:13:44,433 --> 01:13:47,000
and at what stage is this contract usually negotiated

823
01:13:49,933 --> 01:13:53,833
when a company comes to you, like a data center? Let's just say data center.

824
01:13:54,800 --> 01:13:57,333
at what process do they negotiate a contract

825
01:13:58,933 --> 01:14:01,933
with a water company? That's a great question.

826
01:14:04,700 --> 01:14:06,233
and the response that I have. Given to it in the past whether

827
01:14:09,100 --> 01:14:11,367
it's right or wrong is the response that I've been given is we're small potatoes

828
01:14:13,267 --> 01:14:14,933
compared to the electrical contract okay I would think

829
01:14:20,867 --> 01:14:23,400
that it's coming though at some point or well it'll have to they have to come to us

830
01:14:25,800 --> 01:14:28,067
get a meter and I guess the only other thing I'm I'm

831
01:14:33,233 --> 01:14:36,000
curious about these negotiations.

832
01:14:38,600 --> 01:14:42,133
what are some of the negotiations you've negotiated with other companies that have

833
01:14:44,033 --> 01:14:47,133
came to you that needed substantial infrastructure?

834
01:14:55,067 --> 01:14:55,067
the negotiations on water.

835
01:15:04,133 --> 01:15:08,067
in most instances, have to do with what infrastructure are they going to have to put in

836
01:15:09,800 --> 01:15:13,067
to get the quantity of water that they need at their project.

837
01:15:15,433 --> 01:15:17,267
that is the ordinary negotiation.

838
01:15:20,267 --> 01:15:22,367
this is a, this, we will certainly negotiate that.

839
01:15:24,400 --> 01:15:27,567
state law 605 says that. We are required to serve them provided that they agree

840
01:15:29,167 --> 01:15:32,700
to pay for, we're required to serve a customer so long as they agree to pay

841
01:15:34,900 --> 01:15:37,233
for the infrastructure required to serve the project.

842
01:15:39,567 --> 01:15:42,900
so pipes, how far they have to go get it back, what their

843
01:15:44,133 --> 01:15:47,100
connection fee was going to be. I mean, there's several

844
01:15:49,833 --> 01:15:53,367
standard terms that kind of come under negotiation for water.

845
01:15:54,833 --> 01:15:58,667
okay, that helps. Thank you. I hope so.

846
01:16:00,600 --> 01:16:04,467
I yield. Justice blackwood, you're re-recognized.

847
01:16:05,633 --> 01:16:08,267
grateful for you guys all speaking. It's really helpful to have

848
01:16:11,500 --> 01:16:13,033
everybody come up here and speak tonight,

849
01:16:16,233 --> 01:16:16,233
and I appreciate it a lot, and

850
01:16:25,233 --> 01:16:28,933
to put up with all my questions. But you are the lobbyists and the utility companies, and what

851
01:16:31,133 --> 01:16:33,300
I was wondering is... If we could have someone from

852
01:16:35,467 --> 01:16:38,600
like wendell griffin come up and speak on the other aspects of this.

853
01:16:45,200 --> 01:16:47,133
I don't think that's a question to me, or is it? Ms.

854
01:16:50,733 --> 01:16:52,900
blackwood, we've got this panel set up. I was just wondering that.

855
01:16:55,567 --> 01:16:59,433
I'm sorry? I was just wondering. You may want to schedule one

856
01:17:00,300 --> 01:17:03,100
in the future. Okay. But this panel set it's obvious

857
01:17:04,667 --> 01:17:08,667
that folks time is going to be spent and very appreciative of them and folks that have

858
01:17:10,633 --> 01:17:14,033
shown up for this, but at some point we're gonna run out of time and we still have business to do mr. Bohannon,

859
01:17:18,333 --> 01:17:18,333
thank you and appreciate your

860
01:17:22,633 --> 01:17:22,633
your help and I'm sure that

861
01:17:27,867 --> 01:17:30,933
many folks are like me. We don't know some

862
01:17:32,167 --> 01:17:35,767
of the intricate details of how these things work. So you've been a great help.

863
01:17:36,800 --> 01:17:40,333
thank you very much. Justice ward, I look forward to hearing from you.

864
01:17:41,200 --> 01:17:44,967
anybody else want us to come talk to any of your constituents about this or anything else?

865
01:17:47,000 --> 01:17:50,133
justice elliott, I'm happy to do so. Water makes the world go round.

866
01:17:51,667 --> 01:17:54,533
you're going to get a call from the maumelle lions

867
01:17:55,933 --> 01:17:59,900
club. Trust me. And as we tell prospects,

868
01:18:01,067 --> 01:18:04,567
it's the best water in this side of glory, so we're going to keep it that way.

869
01:18:06,033 --> 01:18:09,700
obviously, there's been a lot of conversations about water and electricity. I'm going to ask john bethel,

870
01:18:11,000 --> 01:18:14,767
who was the longtime executive director of the arkansas public service commission, which can address some

871
01:18:15,800 --> 01:18:18,233
of the things, obviously, from a regulatory perspective that

872
01:18:21,000 --> 01:18:24,867
these projects have to go through. I want to reiterate, though, what I said the last time I met

873
01:18:26,100 --> 01:18:28,467
with you folks, and that is... These projects aren't done.

874
01:18:30,600 --> 01:18:33,067
we keep asking for things that still don't yet exist because

875
01:18:35,767 --> 01:18:38,567
we're working through the process. Where should the water come

876
01:18:40,967 --> 01:18:44,133
from? What should the size of those lines be and therefore what

877
01:18:45,433 --> 01:18:48,633
will that cost be to create the contract? Obviously you folks have, or

878
01:18:50,167 --> 01:18:53,300
many folks have purchased a home in their life. And you don't ever purchase

879
01:18:54,433 --> 01:18:55,633
that home until you know what the cost is and how you're

880
01:19:05,767 --> 01:19:08,767
going to pay for it. And so economic development projects are really no different, which is why...

881
01:19:10,133 --> 01:19:12,100
we're not yet to the point where those contracts need

882
01:19:14,200 --> 01:19:15,300
to be negotiated, but we're moving there in a

883
01:19:19,400 --> 01:19:22,800
reasonable and an efficient manner with the regulatory aspect that this project,

884
01:19:24,033 --> 01:19:26,867
amazon, trex, whatever project we want to talk about, they all go

885
01:19:29,067 --> 01:19:32,500
through these same processes. Before a final decision is made from the company's perspective

886
01:19:33,767 --> 01:19:36,700
about what they will or won't do. So to discuss a little bit more

887
01:19:38,100 --> 01:19:41,067
the aspect of the arkansas public service commission, its regulatory authority,

888
01:19:42,667 --> 01:19:46,667
former executive director of the psc and now director of public services for entergy, john bethel.

889
01:19:48,000 --> 01:19:50,967
welcome, john. Thank you. Good evening, judge, members

890
01:19:52,400 --> 01:19:55,167
of the court. Go ahead. I'm, as jay said, I'm john

891
01:19:56,833 --> 01:20:00,633
bethel, director of public affairs for intergy arkansas.

892
01:20:02,300 --> 01:20:02,300
and prior to joining intergy

893
01:20:25,500 --> 01:20:28,967
eight years ago, I worked for the arkansas public service commission for almost 30 years and was the executive director of the agency for 18 of those

894
01:20:30,300 --> 01:20:32,500
30 years. And so I can tell you a little

895
01:20:35,267 --> 01:20:37,733
bit about how the regulatory structure is in place to govern public utilities.

896
01:20:39,467 --> 01:20:43,433
such as energy under arkansas law the public service commission has exclusive jurisdiction to regulate public

897
01:20:44,433 --> 01:20:47,000
utilities including a setting rates terms and conditions of service as well as approval

898
01:20:49,967 --> 01:20:53,033
for construction love utility projects such as power plants and large transmission lines a

899
01:20:54,433 --> 01:20:55,400
and that's part of the commission's authority the

900
01:21:06,233 --> 01:21:09,500
commission regulates the rates charge to customers including any contracts. Between the utility and an individual customer.

901
01:21:10,733 --> 01:21:14,033
as a part of regulating the rates, the commission ensures that costs are allocated

902
01:21:15,400 --> 01:21:19,300
to each rate class in a way that reflects the cost of serving that class. The allocation

903
01:21:21,033 --> 01:21:24,500
of costs is intended to ensure that each class of customers pays its cost of service.

904
01:21:25,667 --> 01:21:28,600
for contracts, the commission was found that rates for the customer cover its costs and

905
01:21:29,800 --> 01:21:33,100
provide benefits to other customers. The commission ensures that the

906
01:21:34,433 --> 01:21:37,333
rates are just, reasonable, and non-discriminatory, and ensures that each class pays

907
01:21:39,033 --> 01:21:42,933
its fair share of the cost of service. And the commission has a process

908
01:21:43,967 --> 01:21:43,967
for reviewing contracts between

909
01:21:50,233 --> 01:21:53,500
utilities and individual customers, and that process includes a

910
01:21:54,600 --> 01:21:58,400
test to make sure that that contract does result in benefits for other customers, that it

911
01:21:59,600 --> 01:22:02,867
covers its costs and provides benefits. The commission also oversees

912
01:22:05,300 --> 01:22:07,833
utility resource planning to make sure that the utilities have adequate resources

913
01:22:09,333 --> 01:22:13,067
to serve all of their customers at all times.

914
01:22:14,267 --> 01:22:17,700
as mr. Thompson mentioned earlier, there's an integrated resource plan that the utility prepares

915
01:22:18,733 --> 01:22:22,500
on a regular cycle that looks out into the future to make sure that we know that we're meeting the level

916
01:22:25,667 --> 01:22:29,367
of demand that's there. And the public service commission relies on those studies in evaluating.

917
01:22:31,767 --> 01:22:35,333
projects that come in to make sure that we have the resources necessary to meet the load and to provide for room for growth

918
01:22:40,367 --> 01:22:43,633
and that we're doing it in a way that makes sure that rates are just and reasonable and are in the public interest.

919
01:22:44,600 --> 01:22:48,000
for large customers such as data center customers, utilities must ensure that

920
01:22:50,133 --> 01:22:53,967
there are adequate resources to serve those customers. And as mr. Thompson pointed out, entergy arkansas does that

921
01:22:55,300 --> 01:22:58,633
with each one of those customers and the track record is there for making sure that

922
01:23:00,767 --> 01:23:03,033
we have adequate power and making sure that we have

923
01:23:05,667 --> 01:23:05,667
reliable power and that we have

924
01:23:10,667 --> 01:23:14,367
affordable power and that's under the jurisdiction of the public service commission.

925
01:23:16,800 --> 01:23:19,867
if we have to construct new power plants, transmission lines or substations to serve existing

926
01:23:21,000 --> 01:23:24,967
customers or new customers, we have to seek approval from the public service commission.

927
01:23:26,467 --> 01:23:30,133
the utility has to demonstrate that the facilities are

928
01:23:31,233 --> 01:23:35,067
necessary and in the public interest. We also have to demonstrate that the cost

929
01:23:36,333 --> 01:23:39,033
of the facility is reasonable before commencing construction and must demonstrate again that

930
01:23:40,433 --> 01:23:43,800
the costs are reasonable as a part of recovering those costs through rates.

931
01:23:44,733 --> 01:23:48,433
the public service commission oversees the construction and the approval beforehand, and they oversee the rates that are

932
01:23:49,833 --> 01:23:51,367
charged to customers after the fact.

933
01:23:54,933 --> 01:23:57,933
to make sure that the rates remain reasonable over the life

934
01:23:59,667 --> 01:24:02,933
of the assets that are there. All commission filings and proceedings are open

935
01:24:04,667 --> 01:24:07,700
to the public. There's a web page with access to information in each proceeding before the

936
01:24:09,100 --> 01:24:12,933
public service commission. Hearings are open and available to the public. Hearings offer the opportunity

937
01:24:14,033 --> 01:24:18,000
for public comment. The public service commission offers the opportunity for written public comment

938
01:24:19,533 --> 01:24:22,333
throughout the pendency of a case that's in front of them.

939
01:24:24,267 --> 01:24:27,000
customers can submit. Public comments online or in person.

940
01:24:28,400 --> 01:24:31,767
so there's an adequate opportunity

941
01:24:33,467 --> 01:24:37,433
for public participation in arkansas public service commission proceedings. The commission is charged with

942
01:24:38,267 --> 01:24:42,033
protecting the public interest. The attorney general's office consumer utility rate advocacy division is

943
01:24:43,300 --> 01:24:47,033
automatically a party to any case at the public service commission in which it wants

944
01:24:48,667 --> 01:24:51,733
to participate. The attorney general's office has the role

945
01:24:52,933 --> 01:24:56,533
of being the consumer advocate. For customers and rate payers in arkansas. They are the official state

946
01:24:57,900 --> 01:25:01,800
advocate for customers by law. The office has a staff that actively participates

947
01:25:02,967 --> 01:25:05,867
in proceedings to represent customers

948
01:25:12,467 --> 01:25:16,133
with particular emphasis on residential customers. Also, other customer groups are

949
01:25:17,167 --> 01:25:20,667
able to participate to petition the commission and participate as a party in regulatory proceedings

950
01:25:22,100 --> 01:25:25,000
in front of the commission. Customers have the opportunity to have not only representative

951
01:25:26,233 --> 01:25:29,967
from the public service commission staff in those proceedings, from the attorney general's

952
01:25:31,267 --> 01:25:33,767
office, and then some customers participate either individually or as a group, particularly

953
01:25:35,533 --> 01:25:35,533
commercial industrial customers

954
01:25:41,633 --> 01:25:45,400
do that regularly. And I say all that to tell you and to give you an assurance that there is a

955
01:25:46,600 --> 01:25:49,767
robust regulatory framework that has been in place for many, many years.

956
01:25:50,867 --> 01:25:54,433
and. As mr. Thompson pointed out, arkansas has among the lowest rates

957
01:25:57,300 --> 01:26:00,633
in the country, and so I think the public service commission process works effectively, and by law

958
01:26:01,900 --> 01:26:05,267
is the entity that's established to have jurisdiction

959
01:26:07,067 --> 01:26:10,867
over utility rates, resource planning, quality of service. All of that entire suite

960
01:26:12,633 --> 01:26:14,900
of activities is covered there, and so I don't believe that a separate or additional process

961
01:26:22,067 --> 01:26:23,933
to oversee utility operations is required, and I'll take questions.

962
01:26:33,900 --> 01:26:36,567
justice robinson, you're recognized. Thank you. Thank you for being here.

963
01:26:41,733 --> 01:26:44,667
so with the psc, we...

964
01:26:46,100 --> 01:26:50,067
I guess we discuss arkansas quite a bit. I know entergy is in mississippi, they're in louisiana, and a little bit

965
01:26:51,267 --> 01:26:55,000
in texas. So do those states have the same regulatory umbrella that

966
01:26:59,500 --> 01:27:02,067
arkansas has? Very similar. One difference between in

967
01:27:04,533 --> 01:27:08,533
mississippi and louisiana, the public service commissioners are elected, and in arkansas

968
01:27:09,900 --> 01:27:13,400
they're appointed by the governor, and in texas they're appointed by the governor.

969
01:27:14,433 --> 01:27:18,400
and they serve in arkansas specifically they are appointed to a six-year term and they're staggered so that every two

970
01:27:19,700 --> 01:27:23,400
years a commissioner's term comes up and the governor can either reappoint the existing commissioner or appoint a new

971
01:27:24,767 --> 01:27:28,000
commissioner into that place and the current commissioners two of them have been appointed

972
01:27:29,067 --> 01:27:30,733
by governor sanders one was appointed by governor

973
01:27:34,733 --> 01:27:38,233
hutchinson and over time depending on how long the governor serves, they may

974
01:27:39,667 --> 01:27:43,633
appoint one, they may appoint two, they may appoint all three over the course of their term in office, and that's happened

975
01:27:44,733 --> 01:27:47,267
for as long as the public service commission's been around.

976
01:27:50,733 --> 01:27:54,100
would you say that arkansas is, I mean, we talk about the contracts and we talk

977
01:27:57,567 --> 01:27:58,567
about all the overseeing of this infrastructure.

978
01:28:03,667 --> 01:28:07,033
is arkansas one of the leaders? From the other states? Are we mid-tier?

979
01:28:08,467 --> 01:28:12,133
where are we at? I think in the regulatory construct,

980
01:28:13,600 --> 01:28:16,800
we're comparable with... Other states in the region and

981
01:28:18,767 --> 01:28:22,667
we're comparable with many states nationally as far as having a public service commission that's either

982
01:28:23,800 --> 01:28:27,067
appointed or elected. And in a rates standpoint and a quality of service standpoint,

983
01:28:28,300 --> 01:28:32,100
I think arkansas and the southeastern united states have a lot of advantages over other parts of the country

984
01:28:33,733 --> 01:28:37,067
because our rates are affordable and our power is. Reliable. And you'll see if you look

985
01:28:38,100 --> 01:28:39,167
nationally, the southeastern united states has

986
01:28:42,633 --> 01:28:45,733
among the lowest rates in the country. And I think you'll also see

987
01:28:51,833 --> 01:28:51,833
that states that have a

988
01:28:56,933 --> 01:29:00,400
vertically integrated regulated public utility model in place, such as we have in arkansas, have more competitive

989
01:29:04,400 --> 01:29:05,367
electric rates than states that have introduced some form

990
01:29:08,700 --> 01:29:10,667
of competition or choice. Within the utility space,

991
01:29:13,067 --> 01:29:16,933
I think the statistics will bear out that that's another advantage that the southeastern united states have from a

992
01:29:18,167 --> 01:29:22,033
regulatory construct versus some other parts of the country. So would you say that having

993
01:29:23,333 --> 01:29:26,867
lower rates, does our infrastructure age more than the ones that have higher

994
01:29:28,500 --> 01:29:32,033
rates, or is our infrastructure capacity and abilities where it needs to be.

995
01:29:34,367 --> 01:29:35,900
I think that our infrastructure is sound.

996
01:29:45,567 --> 01:29:49,467
I think there is always room for improvement and I think part of our next generation

997
01:29:50,500 --> 01:29:53,900
arkansas plan here in arkansas is to continue to make investments

998
01:29:55,567 --> 01:29:57,033
in our system to make it more reliable and you're seeing that

999
01:29:59,633 --> 01:30:02,767
and you've been seeing that over the last several years that we have been investing

1000
01:30:04,067 --> 01:30:07,333
in our generation assets, our transmission assets, and our distribution assets.

1001
01:30:08,733 --> 01:30:12,567
to make the system more reliable, and we've been able to do that while keeping rates well below the national average

1002
01:30:14,000 --> 01:30:16,767
and while keeping the increase in rates well below or below the rate of inflation

1003
01:30:18,433 --> 01:30:21,233
for a real long time. And so I think that you're seeing, I think,

1004
01:30:22,467 --> 01:30:25,500
effective utility behavior and within the effective regulatory model that's in place here in

1005
01:30:26,900 --> 01:30:29,767
arkansas. Thank you. I yield.

1006
01:30:39,900 --> 01:30:43,033
hi, thank you for being here. You're welcome.

1007
01:30:44,800 --> 01:30:48,100
so my question, I'm trying to piece this together.

1008
01:30:52,700 --> 01:30:56,633
you regulate the companies that provide service to these companies coming in or asking for the service,

1009
01:30:59,033 --> 01:31:02,733
like the dallas center. The public service commission does, and I once upon a time was the director of the

1010
01:31:03,667 --> 01:31:06,533
public service commission. I am currently an entergy employee,

1011
01:31:08,033 --> 01:31:09,633
just so you're clear. But I was speaking on

1012
01:31:14,300 --> 01:31:17,633
describing the regulatory construct in arkansas. And, yes, you are correct. The public service commission

1013
01:31:18,667 --> 01:31:21,933
regulates utilities such as entergy here in arkansas. So I assume that the public

1014
01:31:23,433 --> 01:31:26,667
service commission has had conversations with avo? I'm not certain that I can

1015
01:31:28,267 --> 01:31:32,067
address that. There is a gentleman here tonight from avio that can talk about their interaction

1016
01:31:33,300 --> 01:31:36,400
with the public service commission. But the public service

1017
01:31:37,600 --> 01:31:40,967
commission has a proceeding open now where we have entered into a contract with avio and we're seeking public service

1018
01:31:51,200 --> 01:31:54,900
commission approval of that contract. So you're seeking approval

1019
01:31:55,700 --> 01:31:55,700
of the contract,

1020
01:31:59,867 --> 01:32:00,833
but there is a contract in place. Yes.

1021
01:32:06,900 --> 01:32:09,567
and it's got to go through all the regulation. It has to be approved

1022
01:32:11,367 --> 01:32:15,200
by the public service. With the public service. Yes, ma'am. And that's real similar

1023
01:32:16,600 --> 01:32:19,700
to the google data center in west memphis. We had a contract with them.

1024
01:32:21,133 --> 01:32:24,933
we took it to the public service commission for approval, and the public service commission

1025
01:32:25,800 --> 01:32:29,100
has approved that contract and found that it was in the public interest and provided benefits to customers in arkansas.

1026
01:32:30,367 --> 01:32:33,167
so to kind of piggyback on... Justice robinson's question,

1027
01:32:38,133 --> 01:32:41,767
where are we with those regulations? Would you say we have strict

1028
01:32:43,700 --> 01:32:47,200
regulations in place with the surrounding areas? On that tier,

1029
01:32:49,333 --> 01:32:51,133
he was... I think arkansas's regulatory

1030
01:32:57,067 --> 01:33:00,200
construct is viewed favorably nationally. I mean, when I was with the public service commission, the

1031
01:33:01,900 --> 01:33:03,667
commission had a reputation of being...

1032
01:33:07,533 --> 01:33:10,433
a good and a fair regulatory body relative to some places in the country.

1033
01:33:12,267 --> 01:33:15,167
some places were less so than others.

1034
01:33:18,167 --> 01:33:21,567
but I think that arkansas has a strong public service commission that represents the state's interest.

1035
01:33:23,000 --> 01:33:26,367
okay. Thank you. I yield.

1036
01:33:37,167 --> 01:33:37,167
he didn't say anything.

1037
01:33:42,733 --> 01:33:43,367
ms. Blackwood, you're recognized.

1038
01:33:47,200 --> 01:33:50,600
it's groundhog day. It's okay. It's all right. Thank you for being here today.

1039
01:33:51,433 --> 01:33:54,000
we do appreciate you showing up. What I want to know is the pfc,

1040
01:34:01,200 --> 01:34:03,700
what land use impacts and regulations does the pfc oversee?

1041
01:34:05,400 --> 01:34:08,433
the public service commission does not govern land use. That's usually a city

1042
01:34:09,667 --> 01:34:12,167
government or a county government function as far as that goes.

1043
01:34:14,200 --> 01:34:16,967
that's outside of their jurisdiction.

1044
01:34:19,000 --> 01:34:22,067
that's exactly what I thought. So you have no control over the land impacts or the regulation

1045
01:34:23,833 --> 01:34:27,633
or any of that and what's going to happen.

1046
01:34:28,967 --> 01:34:32,567
the public service commission would not, but over the other regulatory spaces. If the county has regulations

1047
01:34:33,933 --> 01:34:37,533
over the land use, those would apply. If the city, within the city,

1048
01:34:40,867 --> 01:34:40,867
or, and then the environmental

1049
01:34:45,600 --> 01:34:48,900
regulations would be overseen by the department of environmental quality and the

1050
01:34:51,800 --> 01:34:55,100
corps of engineers, as well as water and air permits would go under those agencies' purview. Which, you know, okay.

1051
01:34:56,833 --> 01:34:59,533
and so consequently, we don't know what the impacts are going to be.

1052
01:35:00,933 --> 01:35:03,733
on our land use and we have no idea what's going to happen to our infrastructure so if we

1053
01:35:05,067 --> 01:35:08,333
don't have some kind of moratorium set up and we don't sit down and go over this to

1054
01:35:14,267 --> 01:35:17,167
make sure that our land use quality is good and that everything goes okay there their psc has no regulations

1055
01:35:19,433 --> 01:35:22,433
over any of this and you guys don't either so um I would disagree with you

1056
01:35:24,367 --> 01:35:28,333
on that because you pointed out or you stated that there's no knowledge of what the utility

1057
01:35:30,433 --> 01:35:33,933
infrastructure would be. From the electric utility infrastructure, you've heard

1058
01:35:35,700 --> 01:35:38,633
from my colleague and you've heard from me that the electric infrastructure is sound and

1059
01:35:40,167 --> 01:35:43,267
able to take on this and other projects and keep rates low and competitive.

1060
01:35:44,733 --> 01:35:48,133
you've heard from mr. Bohannon that the water utility is prepared to take

1061
01:35:49,533 --> 01:35:53,300
on this and other customers. So you have... You have information from the

1062
01:35:55,133 --> 01:35:57,933
people that are involved in those services to speak directly to that.

1063
01:36:00,100 --> 01:36:03,667
so I would disagree with you on that, and I can speak specifically to the entergy utility

1064
01:36:04,867 --> 01:36:08,833
infrastructure to say that we do have the ability to serve this customer as well as our other customers and to do it in

1065
01:36:10,000 --> 01:36:12,833
a way that keeps rates competitive and ensures that under the fair share plus

1066
01:36:14,400 --> 01:36:17,967
pledge that that customer is going to pay its cost of service and bring benefits

1067
01:36:19,967 --> 01:36:23,300
to our other customers. But once again, this is a pledge.

1068
01:36:25,333 --> 01:36:28,700
actually, it's a contract, as mr. Thompson pointed out, and as I

1069
01:36:29,500 --> 01:36:33,200
just answered justice medlock, that we have a contract with this customer that includes those provisions.

1070
01:36:34,633 --> 01:36:37,733
but you will never, ever. The fair share plus pledge is also published,

1071
01:36:39,300 --> 01:36:40,600
and it has been supported by our ceo and our company

1072
01:36:43,333 --> 01:36:47,067
president. That's what scares me.

1073
01:36:50,733 --> 01:36:54,467
so if we, if we, and you tell us we have low rates in our, in our state.

1074
01:36:56,800 --> 01:36:58,900
well we have, we are one of the poorest states

1075
01:37:01,133 --> 01:37:04,867
in the nation. We are 45th to 49th every year. We are, the medium income

1076
01:37:06,333 --> 01:37:08,600
in our state is around $60,000 or lower.

1077
01:37:11,300 --> 01:37:14,933
the reason our rates are low is because our people can't afford anything else. So they do have to keep,

1078
01:37:15,867 --> 01:37:19,833
it's kind of like, you know, when you live in california or you live in new york, you've got some higher rates and people make a lot more money.

1079
01:37:21,000 --> 01:37:24,233
here we've got very, very poor people, and we've got a lot of them.

1080
01:37:25,667 --> 01:37:28,133
and we have the greatest food insecurity, and we are a poor state.

1081
01:37:29,767 --> 01:37:32,633
so the reason we have low rates is because you probably can't get any more money out

1082
01:37:33,967 --> 01:37:37,933
of people. That's incorrect, at least from the electric utility standpoint.

1083
01:37:39,133 --> 01:37:42,567
we have low rates because of our long-term planning and our efficient operations of the system that have kept our rates

1084
01:37:44,133 --> 01:37:47,600
lower than they are in other parts of the country.

1085
01:37:49,333 --> 01:37:53,067
the rates aren't set based on the income of the customers in the area.

1086
01:37:54,467 --> 01:37:54,467
they're based on the cost of

1087
01:37:58,900 --> 01:38:02,333
serving the customers and the facilities that we build and the way that we operate those. And so your premise,

1088
01:38:03,600 --> 01:38:06,700
as you teed that up, I would respectfully disagree, and I would point out that, as mr.

1089
01:38:08,067 --> 01:38:11,333
thompson pointed out, our rates are low in arkansas because of decisions that were made a long time ago,

1090
01:38:12,467 --> 01:38:15,633
decisions that are made today, and decisions that are going to continue to be made to keep our rates competitive

1091
01:38:16,733 --> 01:38:20,000
regionally, nationally. And the arkansas general

1092
01:38:22,433 --> 01:38:24,933
assembly also recently passed legislation that requires that we keep our rates at least 10%

1093
01:38:28,633 --> 01:38:32,233
below the national average. We're currently 22% below the national average. So I anticipate that we'll be

1094
01:38:33,667 --> 01:38:36,900
able to meet that challenge. Right, and I'm glad they are because our people can't afford

1095
01:38:39,300 --> 01:38:42,800
anything any more than that. So I'm glad they are lower than they are in other states. But respectively, I mean, once

1096
01:38:44,367 --> 01:38:44,367
again,

1097
01:38:49,400 --> 01:38:51,333
I've never had anybody that's a monopoly, and that's what you are.

1098
01:38:53,433 --> 01:38:55,000
you are a monopoly. And we have nobody else to go to.

1099
01:38:58,067 --> 01:39:01,133
we have nobody else to choose. We have nobody else

1100
01:39:02,567 --> 01:39:06,233
to pick from. And you are a public utility, but you are a monopoly,

1101
01:39:07,233 --> 01:39:11,200
and it's a... It, it, you guys do not have

1102
01:39:12,833 --> 01:39:16,133
any kind of land use regulation. You guys do not have, you

1103
01:39:17,800 --> 01:39:20,500
basically can do whatever you want and you answer, you know, your salaries are outrageous.

1104
01:39:21,900 --> 01:39:24,567
I just, I am extremely scared of what is going to happen to us if we have this and we do

1105
01:39:26,400 --> 01:39:26,400
not have any kind

1106
01:39:30,900 --> 01:39:34,733
of regulations put on this. And we do not have any kind of, you know, it's very scary

1107
01:39:36,700 --> 01:39:39,800
for all of us. You know, because we aren't you. We are poor,

1108
01:39:42,333 --> 01:39:46,033
and we don't have a lot of money. I mean, you know, people may think the people up here make a

1109
01:39:47,033 --> 01:39:49,767
lot of money, but they don't. It's almost an act of love up here.

1110
01:39:51,633 --> 01:39:54,900
so, you know, I do say that this is a very scary thing

1111
01:39:56,933 --> 01:39:58,767
for people, and I, you know, do not understand how your

1112
01:40:02,000 --> 01:40:04,967
promises, I've just never had. Anybody that promised me, any

1113
01:40:06,267 --> 01:40:09,300
corporation that has promised me something come through. Well, you mentioned earlier

1114
01:40:10,600 --> 01:40:14,333
that we are a monopoly. We are. Under arkansas law, we are a

1115
01:40:18,867 --> 01:40:22,533
regulated monopoly. We're fully regulated, and that's what I was talking about previously.

1116
01:40:23,400 --> 01:40:26,833
the public service commission approves and sets a lot of our rates and makes sure that our rates are just and reasonable

1117
01:40:28,033 --> 01:40:31,800
and in the public interest. And, as I pointed out in response to justice medlock's question, states that

1118
01:40:36,000 --> 01:40:40,000
have a vertically integrated and fully regulated utility model, as we do here in arkansas, have lower rates than

1119
01:40:41,133 --> 01:40:44,833
states that don't. And statistics will prove that out. That's a fact.

1120
01:40:46,433 --> 01:40:48,867
and so I think that I can feel comfortable in telling you that we can serve these customers

1121
01:40:51,333 --> 01:40:53,533
and that we will continue to have competitive rates here

1122
01:40:55,433 --> 01:40:58,100
in arkansas. And that we can't do whatever we want because we have to go

1123
01:40:59,533 --> 01:41:02,667
to the public service commission and get approval

1124
01:41:06,100 --> 01:41:09,900
to build facilities. We have to go to the public service commission and get

1125
01:41:11,100 --> 01:41:14,267
approval for contracts. We have to go to the public service commission to adjust our rates.

1126
01:41:15,633 --> 01:41:18,367
and so your characterization is incorrect. We are overseen by the public

1127
01:41:19,700 --> 01:41:23,533
service commission, and we don't get to do whatever we want. And we don't do whatever we

1128
01:41:25,300 --> 01:41:28,833
want. We do what's in the interest of our customers.

1129
01:41:30,133 --> 01:41:33,800
help provide low cost, reliable service that's affordable for our customers.

1130
01:41:36,000 --> 01:41:39,033
well, my bill runs over $550 a month, and I have a 2,500 square foot home.

1131
01:41:40,333 --> 01:41:43,767
so I'm going to tell you, I don't know if that's low cost. And I also want to tell you that what does the

1132
01:41:46,100 --> 01:41:46,100
public service commission, what

1133
01:41:55,367 --> 01:41:58,500
are their obligations? I mean, you say you follow all their rules, but what are their obligations

1134
01:42:00,100 --> 01:42:03,400
to us as customers? Their obligations are to ensure that the rates are just and

1135
01:42:05,133 --> 01:42:07,133
reasonable and in the public interest and are as low as

1136
01:42:09,267 --> 01:42:09,267
reasonably possible

1137
01:42:13,600 --> 01:42:17,567
within the confines of the legal system that's been put in place by the arkansas

1138
01:42:18,567 --> 01:42:21,933
general assembly and the arkansas and federal court system. Okay.

1139
01:42:27,033 --> 01:42:29,567
okay, I yield. Mrs.

1140
01:42:39,433 --> 01:42:42,967
medlock, you're recognized. Thank you. So that kind of brought up

1141
01:42:44,267 --> 01:42:47,967
another question in my mind. Does the public service

1142
01:42:48,900 --> 01:42:52,300
commission work with the adeq?

1143
01:42:55,333 --> 01:42:58,267
they rely on the adeq for jurisdiction over things that the adeq has

1144
01:42:59,433 --> 01:43:03,433
responsibility for. If we're building a power plant, they... Seek input and make sure that

1145
01:43:04,833 --> 01:43:07,833
the adeq has issued all of the environmental regulations that would be necessary

1146
01:43:09,300 --> 01:43:12,267
for that power plant to operate in compliance with the federal and state

1147
01:43:14,533 --> 01:43:18,067
environmental regulations, such as air permits, water discharge permits,

1148
01:43:19,500 --> 01:43:23,267
and other things. Those are all regulated either by the epa directly for the federal government or the adeq

1149
01:43:24,633 --> 01:43:28,533
as delegated by the epa. And so the two agencies... Make sure that both are doing what they're supposed

1150
01:43:30,500 --> 01:43:33,333
to be doing. And that's part of the resource approval process is

1151
01:43:34,767 --> 01:43:37,600
confirmation that the utility, if we're going to build a power plant,

1152
01:43:39,333 --> 01:43:41,900
then we would have received all of the necessary environmental permits to build and operate

1153
01:43:51,933 --> 01:43:54,267
that plant. Thank you. And what's the website that people can go to?

1154
01:43:56,100 --> 01:43:57,600
I think it's arkansas.gov slash psc would be the public

1155
01:44:01,300 --> 01:44:04,233
service commission website. And if that's incorrect, you can google arkansas

1156
01:44:06,100 --> 01:44:09,533
public service commission. Thank you. I yield.

1157
01:44:10,533 --> 01:44:11,233
and that would go through a data center.

1158
01:44:21,700 --> 01:44:25,367
yes. Will, can you tell me, we have an address noise. And so will the backup

1159
01:44:28,733 --> 01:44:31,533
generators create noise? And how much noise and how much emission are these backup

1160
01:44:32,900 --> 01:44:36,667
generators going to be creating? The noise is not something I have knowledge of, or the

1161
01:44:38,433 --> 01:44:41,200
backup generators will be customer provided. And there's a gentleman here

1162
01:44:42,633 --> 01:44:45,633
from avio that could probably talk about what their backup generators are, but I can't

1163
01:44:47,167 --> 01:44:50,200
address their backup generators. Okay.

1164
01:44:51,700 --> 01:44:54,533
will the concentration of electrical demand alter future land patterns?

1165
01:44:58,367 --> 01:44:59,600
I can't predict how it might alter future land patterns.

1166
01:45:03,533 --> 01:45:07,033
okay. It may help spur economic development if you have a large

1167
01:45:08,167 --> 01:45:11,200
economic development project that employs people at competitive salaries,

1168
01:45:12,367 --> 01:45:15,067
then that could lead to good growth and development jobs for arkansans.

1169
01:45:16,600 --> 01:45:19,633
but aren't ai centers supposed to get rid of jobs? Actually, they employ a lot of

1170
01:45:21,033 --> 01:45:23,400
people and pay them a pretty competitive salary.

1171
01:45:30,000 --> 01:45:33,100
based on what the customers have said, and again, there's a gentleman here from

1172
01:45:34,133 --> 01:45:36,500
avio that can talk about what their employment efforts are going to be.

1173
01:45:38,800 --> 01:45:42,467
okay. Can you tell me whether the

1174
01:45:43,233 --> 01:45:45,700
emergency services are capable of handling battery or transformer fires?

1175
01:45:48,767 --> 01:45:50,967
I can't speak to the emergency services capabilities.

1176
01:45:53,500 --> 01:45:56,100
I can point out that there are occasionally transformer fires that have happened

1177
01:45:57,700 --> 01:46:01,367
for many years, and those are managed. Very effectively by our

1178
01:46:03,267 --> 01:46:07,000
personnel in cooperation with the local emergency management folks.

1179
01:46:08,867 --> 01:46:12,800
so I would assume that that will continue to be the case.

1180
01:46:16,033 --> 01:46:20,033
that's not a new issue. Okay. My main question, and I'm sure you can't answer this either,

1181
01:46:21,233 --> 01:46:23,167
what happens to the community and the landscape because of this infrastructure exists?

1182
01:46:26,233 --> 01:46:29,967
what happens to our community and our landscape because

1183
01:46:31,900 --> 01:46:34,400
of this? I mean, you know, what is the impact to our land

1184
01:46:36,267 --> 01:46:38,900
and our landscape? I'm sure you can't answer that. I don't have the answer

1185
01:46:40,300 --> 01:46:43,633
to that. Yeah, you probably couldn't answer that.

1186
01:46:44,533 --> 01:46:44,533
okay, I yield.

1187
01:47:07,267 --> 01:47:07,267
so after talking

1188
01:47:16,367 --> 01:47:19,500
about the regulatory aspects, the electric, the water, the wastewater and all these issues

1189
01:47:22,700 --> 01:47:25,467
that need to be answered, we actually have a gentleman from avaya

1190
01:47:27,333 --> 01:47:30,100
with us today. I'm going to bring him forward. His name is tom nessel.

1191
01:47:31,400 --> 01:47:35,067
so that you can actually ask him questions. I will say, and it was

1192
01:47:38,300 --> 01:47:42,133
mentioned, and I just want to clarify, I'm here as the

1193
01:47:44,533 --> 01:47:47,767
president and ceo of the little rock regional chamber of commerce.

1194
01:47:49,700 --> 01:47:52,700
we have contracts for economic development with people like little rock,

1195
01:47:54,300 --> 01:47:57,200
maumelle, north little rock, and many others. And so I'm not here doing

1196
01:47:58,567 --> 01:48:01,333
anything other than what I have been hired to do. And it is this low-cost

1197
01:48:10,567 --> 01:48:12,867
electricity, this redundancy and availability, this capacity that continues to

1198
01:48:15,000 --> 01:48:18,900
help us locate projects that are paying or that have good-paying jobs that help

1199
01:48:20,633 --> 01:48:23,900
increase the wages of all arkansans. Because that rising boat does

1200
01:48:25,533 --> 01:48:29,033
lift all tides if we don't have economic development. And you can look at a lot

1201
01:48:30,400 --> 01:48:34,200
of places across this country that unfortunately don't have that going for themselves. You see what decay begins

1202
01:48:35,633 --> 01:48:35,633
to look like, not growth.

1203
01:48:46,400 --> 01:48:46,400
so with that, tom.

1204
01:48:54,767 --> 01:48:58,767
justices of the peace of the quorum court, judge hyde, thanks

1205
01:48:59,933 --> 01:49:03,667
for having me this evening. Members of the community, thanks for coming out. I'm here.

1206
01:49:06,567 --> 01:49:10,267
I'm a project manager for avio, and I'd like to just walk through some things that we've done

1207
01:49:11,867 --> 01:49:15,033
on this project to date. We're here. We want to be good neighbors.

1208
01:49:16,233 --> 01:49:18,167
we're here to listen. I just want to mention that

1209
01:49:21,100 --> 01:49:24,567
nothing we've done has been to hide the project from the world.

1210
01:49:26,000 --> 01:49:29,067
what's been done is pushing this project forward within the regulations as we understood

1211
01:49:31,533 --> 01:49:34,567
them. If you'll allow me, I just wanted to go through some

1212
01:49:36,000 --> 01:49:39,433
points and then answer your questions. And I'm probably not going

1213
01:49:41,633 --> 01:49:45,400
to be able to answer them all tonight. So anyway, thank you for your patience.

1214
01:49:46,567 --> 01:49:50,567
and if you have follow-up questions, if I can't answer something tonight,

1215
01:49:51,533 --> 01:49:53,467
I can direct your questions to somebody at our company who can.

1216
01:49:56,167 --> 01:49:58,033
first off, I want to start with land use.

1217
01:50:00,567 --> 01:50:04,267
as we understood it coming into this property on 145th street, there was no zoning

1218
01:50:05,933 --> 01:50:09,900
regulations in the county. Now, recently a future land use plan was adopted.

1219
01:50:11,267 --> 01:50:15,233
that future land use plan actually highlights our project's area as I-1, which specifically calls out

1220
01:50:17,067 --> 01:50:20,600
data centers as a land use. So as far as the information that I have and the county's

1221
01:50:22,067 --> 01:50:25,333
future land use plan, we are compliant with that. Secondly, I want to talk

1222
01:50:26,767 --> 01:50:26,767
about our interactions

1223
01:50:40,167 --> 01:50:42,200
with the county so far. We do have a site plan that was submitted to the county

1224
01:50:44,667 --> 01:50:47,433
planning department first in 2024 near the end. We met with the county planning

1225
01:50:49,067 --> 01:50:51,500
office in the summer of 2024 to discuss the data center project that we were putting forward.

1226
01:50:59,700 --> 01:51:02,367
that site plan, which showed the buildings on our site.

1227
01:51:04,300 --> 01:51:06,333
that were data centers was reviewed and according to the

1228
01:51:08,800 --> 01:51:11,467
subdivision and development regulations of the county it

1229
01:51:15,000 --> 01:51:18,733
complied and there are a few permits that we've gotten along the way so in order to start construction we had

1230
01:51:20,100 --> 01:51:23,300
to get a driveway permit from pulaski county road and bridge that's been acquired and

1231
01:51:24,767 --> 01:51:26,500
to answer maybe some of the environmental questions our

1232
01:51:28,800 --> 01:51:30,233
stormwater pollution and prevention plan was approved

1233
01:51:33,033 --> 01:51:36,567
by the arkansas deq. So that regulates, hey, what

1234
01:51:38,367 --> 01:51:40,433
are you using this land for? Where are you grading?

1235
01:51:44,133 --> 01:51:47,933
how does that grading affect the water flow on the site? Your plan has to basically put in any mitigation measures

1236
01:51:49,567 --> 01:51:52,433
to any impacts, and that's regulated by the deq,

1237
01:51:54,333 --> 01:51:56,633
and that's been approved. The last thing we have is

1238
01:51:59,100 --> 01:52:02,467
what's called a nationwide permit. From the army corps of

1239
01:52:03,633 --> 01:52:07,267
engineers, we've been working with them. That permit was submitted six months ago.

1240
01:52:09,233 --> 01:52:12,267
that required us to do basically environmental studies of the property, including

1241
01:52:14,467 --> 01:52:17,400
historical and cultural studies, as well as rare species studies.

1242
01:52:19,100 --> 01:52:22,500
those have been complete. And I want to point out our wetland impact, which

1243
01:52:25,233 --> 01:52:28,067
are the more environmentally sensitive areas on the site, is three culverted stream

1244
01:52:29,633 --> 01:52:33,133
crossings. Right so basically less than a tenth

1245
01:52:34,700 --> 01:52:37,833
of an acre impact we're going over the streams we've specifically designed our site

1246
01:52:39,200 --> 01:52:42,167
plan to minimize the impacts to the wetlands wetland areas on our property um so just just

1247
01:52:47,100 --> 01:52:49,267
wanted to point out we've been through those those studies and

1248
01:52:53,167 --> 01:52:57,167
and had those touch points um power's been covered pretty extensively but we do have an

1249
01:52:58,833 --> 01:53:02,033
executed electric services agreement with entergy. We first started talking to

1250
01:53:04,067 --> 01:53:04,067
entergy in early 24.

1251
01:53:11,400 --> 01:53:12,933
and basically, the way our process has worked to date is starting in 2024,

1252
01:53:15,733 --> 01:53:18,700
they studied the grid. And when they studied the grid, as they mentioned, they looked

1253
01:53:20,367 --> 01:53:24,233
for contingent impacts. So not just what's my impact to the grid?

1254
01:53:25,533 --> 01:53:29,167
can they serve it? Are the electrons there? What infrastructure is needed

1255
01:53:31,500 --> 01:53:35,300
but what happens if something upstream happens or if something downstream happens? How does it affect the grid? And so avaya funded those

1256
01:53:36,167 --> 01:53:39,833
studies, and there were basically two sets, and then we began the electric services agreement.

1257
01:53:41,633 --> 01:53:45,267
that electric service agreement requires us to pay for all interconnection costs

1258
01:53:47,100 --> 01:53:48,500
associated with the project. So it's executed,

1259
01:53:51,533 --> 01:53:54,233
and that money has started to go out the door. And I wanted to just...

1260
01:53:57,967 --> 01:54:01,800
make it clear the only reason entergy executed that agreement was because they did do the

1261
01:54:03,100 --> 01:54:06,333
studies and they determined that they could serve the project without negatively

1262
01:54:08,167 --> 01:54:11,933
impacting the grid and with us footing the bill for any infrastructure upgrades.

1263
01:54:17,000 --> 01:54:19,367
as previously mentioned, that is regulated by the arkansas public service

1264
01:54:21,233 --> 01:54:24,700
commission commission water. You've heard a lot about water tonight.

1265
01:54:27,200 --> 01:54:30,667
we've again first started talking to central arkansas water in 2024.

1266
01:54:32,167 --> 01:54:34,467
we had them look at what infrastructure is

1267
01:54:36,667 --> 01:54:40,367
in place currently at the site. And anyway, we've been talking

1268
01:54:41,800 --> 01:54:44,700
about it. They've determined and provided us a letter that the existing

1269
01:54:46,500 --> 01:54:50,100
infrastructure can serve one million gallons a day to the project.

1270
01:54:52,500 --> 01:54:55,867
that would be enough to serve the project's needs as we know them and more so.

1271
01:54:56,967 --> 01:55:00,867
and I'll get into the water use a little bit more. But I just want to communicate that we've gone

1272
01:55:02,867 --> 01:55:05,333
through that process with central arkansas water. We weren't hiding anything.

1273
01:55:07,100 --> 01:55:10,900
we were trying to communicate clearly and openly. And anyway, so they've provided that we'll serve.

1274
01:55:12,300 --> 01:55:15,033
for 1 million gallons a day based on the existing infrastructure.

1275
01:55:17,300 --> 01:55:20,533
so one of the things that mr. Boyan brought up was connecting

1276
01:55:22,033 --> 01:55:24,767
to the west and 4 million gallons a day. So this project and some of the

1277
01:55:28,333 --> 01:55:32,167
numbers I can share are specific to basically right now we have a plan

1278
01:55:33,833 --> 01:55:35,633
for the first two buildings. We have a contract executed

1279
01:55:38,100 --> 01:55:41,233
with navholz and yates construction to go forward and construct those first two

1280
01:55:43,000 --> 01:55:45,933
buildings. And that million gallons a day is more than sufficient

1281
01:55:48,800 --> 01:55:52,467
to supply the cooling needs for those first two buildings.

1282
01:55:53,533 --> 01:55:57,167
we have designed a closed-loop system,

1283
01:55:57,633 --> 01:56:01,300
and there's been some questions on that. So the closed-loop system is where you have air conditioners in a yard.

1284
01:56:02,000 --> 01:56:04,533
those air conditioners, just like at your home, chill water. That water gets piped

1285
01:56:06,500 --> 01:56:10,367
into the building, and then we have air handlers blow air. Over that chilled water to cool the building.

1286
01:56:11,467 --> 01:56:14,767
in an evaporative cooling situation, which was sort of also mentioned,

1287
01:56:15,967 --> 01:56:19,467
there are two loops. That closed loop cooling that exists in the building,

1288
01:56:21,433 --> 01:56:24,800
where again nothing evaporates, but that heat gets rejected by piping

1289
01:56:26,900 --> 01:56:30,767
by a separate loop. And that loop pipes separate

1290
01:56:31,633 --> 01:56:34,900
chilled water to the roof or to wherever and basically that chiller sucks cold their fruit

1291
01:56:36,333 --> 01:56:39,433
sucks fresh air through a media and cools the building. Basically, it cools that water

1292
01:56:40,833 --> 01:56:44,167
loop that cools the building. So in that evaporative cooling situation, that's where the

1293
01:56:45,567 --> 01:56:47,900
million gallons a day at the absolute peak day would be used.

1294
01:56:58,467 --> 01:57:01,833
the average demand on a daily basis would be about 200,000 gallons a day. And in the wintertime, it basically doesn't run.

1295
01:57:03,033 --> 01:57:06,167
so order of magnitude different. What avio has designed is the

1296
01:57:07,867 --> 01:57:11,367
closed loop. Cooling for the first two buildings.

1297
01:57:12,600 --> 01:57:14,700
so instead of the million gallons a day, we're talking about 20,000

1298
01:57:16,667 --> 01:57:19,767
to use round numbers. So those 20,000 gallons a day,

1299
01:57:24,100 --> 01:57:27,533
it's basically for plumbing needs and irrigation needs.

1300
01:57:29,600 --> 01:57:32,767
so that gets discharged into the sanitary sewer system. That sanitary sewer system goes to 145th street sewer district.

1301
01:57:33,767 --> 01:57:36,767
we have hired 145th street sewer district's engineer. They tell us that that

1302
01:57:38,433 --> 01:57:42,133
wastewater treatment plant has more than the capacity needed to serve our sanitary sewer

1303
01:57:43,667 --> 01:57:46,000
needs. Now, if we get an end user that

1304
01:57:49,633 --> 01:57:52,433
comes along and requires an evaporative cooling system

1305
01:57:54,400 --> 01:57:57,567
for that million gallons a day, that's what the willserve allows us to do.

1306
01:57:59,433 --> 01:58:03,333
that water would require basically treatment and discharge.

1307
01:58:04,600 --> 01:58:07,100
via the arkansas deq, they have a discharge permit process,

1308
01:58:09,467 --> 01:58:12,400
and that discharge water has to meet certain quality standards.

1309
01:58:16,267 --> 01:58:19,300
so when we're talking about 20,000 gallons a day

1310
01:58:21,200 --> 01:58:24,033
for the site, again, for the first two buildings we're talking about here, that's

1311
01:58:25,567 --> 01:58:28,600
about 50 homes or 11 acres of cornfields worth of water in a year, approximately.

1312
01:58:38,100 --> 01:58:38,833
a couple other points. So noise.

1313
01:58:43,700 --> 01:58:47,033
we have designed the buildings to minimize noise impacts. The cooling system runs

1314
01:58:50,267 --> 01:58:53,633
whenever it's cold enough to run,

1315
01:58:54,367 --> 01:58:56,967
or whenever it's warm enough to run, which is frequently. And the air conditioners

1316
01:58:58,500 --> 01:59:00,400
produce noise. Those air conditioners will be

1317
01:59:02,567 --> 01:59:04,900
placed in a yard, and they will be surrounded by a physical buffer.

1318
01:59:08,367 --> 01:59:10,933
we have selected for our design low ambient fans on those chillers

1319
01:59:12,400 --> 01:59:14,767
to keep the noise levels down. Second noise emission would be our emergency backup

1320
01:59:16,633 --> 01:59:19,633
generators. So they only run in large groups when the power goes out.

1321
01:59:21,500 --> 01:59:24,467
those generators are enclosed in the building and they're muffled.

1322
01:59:26,667 --> 01:59:26,667
avaya's buildings, as our

1323
01:59:35,100 --> 01:59:38,400
approved site plan shows, the closest residential property line is 800 feet

1324
01:59:40,000 --> 01:59:43,400
from that building. We will maintain the existing vegetated buffer between that

1325
01:59:45,033 --> 01:59:46,400
building and that property line.

1326
01:59:49,633 --> 01:59:52,600
we did a noise study based on our plan and even if the backup generator generators are

1327
01:59:55,200 --> 01:59:58,500
running the noise level at all of our property lines will be under 55 decibels which is a

1328
02:00:00,433 --> 02:00:03,933
conversation and if it's just the air conditioners for all intents and purposes you won't

1329
02:00:06,067 --> 02:00:10,000
be able to hear it if you're not on the property.

1330
02:00:11,333 --> 02:00:14,300
those setbacks also allow us not to be seen so you won't be able

1331
02:00:19,033 --> 02:00:22,800
to see these buildings from the street. And just a note

1332
02:00:23,400 --> 02:00:26,467
on fire protection. So we have engineered fire protection systems in the building. There's significant mechanical

1333
02:00:27,433 --> 02:00:29,500
and electrical infrastructure to power the computers. And the fire suppression system

1334
02:00:33,367 --> 02:00:36,133
will meet national fire protection agency standards.

1335
02:00:37,567 --> 02:00:41,133
and insurance requirements also, they will also comply with the most stringent

1336
02:00:43,100 --> 02:00:47,100
insurance company's requirements for fire suppression systems. I also want to note

1337
02:00:50,300 --> 02:00:53,333
about outreach. So we are committed to being a good neighbor.

1338
02:00:59,167 --> 02:01:01,967
again, we reviewed the project with the county planning department in mid-2024.

1339
02:01:04,000 --> 02:01:07,567
we did reach out to our state rep and our state senator in the spring of 25.

1340
02:01:09,467 --> 02:01:13,000
we did issue a press release about the project in early 2026.

1341
02:01:14,500 --> 02:01:17,400
and I want to note that in order to get the project... Far enough along

1342
02:01:19,667 --> 02:01:22,767
to make it worth conversations with the public. There's a lot

1343
02:01:24,367 --> 02:01:27,467
of work streams that have to happen to make it real. We don't want to waste people's

1344
02:01:29,067 --> 02:01:32,400
time if we don't think the project's viable, and so we have to do a lot

1345
02:01:33,733 --> 02:01:37,733
of diligence and a lot of work to get the project to a place where we're comfortable making a press announcement

1346
02:01:38,900 --> 02:01:41,100
about it. After the press release,

1347
02:01:43,467 --> 02:01:46,500
we did meet with our state rep and a mayor of a local municipality

1348
02:01:47,533 --> 02:01:50,700
after that. And we are setting up a community advisory group

1349
02:01:51,733 --> 02:01:55,667
to regularly communicate about the project. So I'd like

1350
02:01:57,133 --> 02:02:01,033
to just wrap that up. We're committed to being a good neighbor. We're here.

1351
02:02:02,900 --> 02:02:06,133
we have received county approvals for the project. We have received permits

1352
02:02:07,133 --> 02:02:11,133
necessary to start construction. Entergy has studied the grid, determined it can serve the

1353
02:02:12,433 --> 02:02:15,167
project, and we have executed the electric service agreement. And we are required to fund all

1354
02:02:16,733 --> 02:02:19,300
interconnection costs. Central arkansas water has studied its infrastructure and

1355
02:02:21,233 --> 02:02:24,067
capacity and determined that it can reliably serve the project. 145th street sewer district's

1356
02:02:25,633 --> 02:02:28,500
engineer has also studied the system and determined it can reliably serve the project.

1357
02:02:30,133 --> 02:02:30,133
so that brings me

1358
02:02:37,067 --> 02:02:39,933
to a conclusion of the work streams we've been operating

1359
02:02:42,600 --> 02:02:46,200
on the project, and again, we've been trying to be... We've been following the regulations that exist and

1360
02:02:47,900 --> 02:02:49,100
going through the approval processes as we understood

1361
02:02:52,700 --> 02:02:56,233
them. So thank you. Thank you

1362
02:02:57,233 --> 02:02:57,233
for your questions.

1363
02:03:02,667 --> 02:03:05,800
thank you. Justice davis, I think you were first.

1364
02:03:07,867 --> 02:03:10,967
did the kinder morgan pipeline, did that play a role

1365
02:03:11,900 --> 02:03:15,400
in picking that spot for the data center? Yes.

1366
02:03:18,733 --> 02:03:22,567
we viewed it as a potential future development for the project.

1367
02:03:25,367 --> 02:03:28,833
if we could find a partner that would be interested in developing some other type of generation,

1368
02:03:29,700 --> 02:03:33,400
that gas line could be useful since it's already in place and on site.

1369
02:03:34,567 --> 02:03:37,700
if we can find somebody interested

1370
02:03:38,800 --> 02:03:42,167
in developing it that way. Okay. I think that's the part that is the scariest part because

1371
02:03:44,000 --> 02:03:47,900
everyone's focused on energy, which is... Fine, but it's the noise from the generators and

1372
02:03:49,233 --> 02:03:52,900
from the natural gas. How far is daisy bates from the data center?

1373
02:03:56,367 --> 02:04:00,333
I don't know what daisy bates is. I believe it's the school. Oh, the elementary school?

1374
02:04:01,500 --> 02:04:04,200
it's about two miles. Okay, two miles. So I'm worried

1375
02:04:07,000 --> 02:04:09,467
about those kids outside playing with just the humming.

1376
02:04:11,300 --> 02:04:15,300
can we get a copy of the noise study? I can I'm not sure what the

1377
02:04:17,067 --> 02:04:20,500
best avenue to do that is, but we can definitely share the noise study information. Yes.

1378
02:04:21,300 --> 02:04:22,300
and I'd like to point out that our our closest neighbor is a

1379
02:04:26,533 --> 02:04:29,667
steel galvanizing facility between and that exists between us in the school.

1380
02:04:31,133 --> 02:04:33,567
there are other other uses of property between us and in

1381
02:04:35,600 --> 02:04:39,467
our neighboring area that are heavy industrial that could also, you know, it's also next

1382
02:04:41,867 --> 02:04:45,800
to the highway. So. There are other noise generating uses in the area,

1383
02:04:48,167 --> 02:04:52,000
but I'm not taking your question lightly. I understand what you're saying, and we can absolutely

1384
02:04:53,000 --> 02:04:56,867
share the noise study conclusions. Yes. Yes, I'm not trying to paint

1385
02:04:58,333 --> 02:05:01,800
you guys as the boogeyman. I just, as our roles are to do our due diligence to serve our community.

1386
02:05:03,000 --> 02:05:06,933
so that is all. And then the wastewater. So at first it will. Taking care of,

1387
02:05:08,167 --> 02:05:10,100
but then it can later on be taken care of on site.

1388
02:05:12,267 --> 02:05:14,367
is that correct? Is that what you said?

1389
02:05:18,333 --> 02:05:18,967
what I said was the sanitary sewer needs, so from the

1390
02:05:26,433 --> 02:05:28,967
plumbing fixtures basically, that can be handled by 145th

1391
02:05:31,267 --> 02:05:32,233
street sewer. So that is where that is going. If there is a client that

1392
02:05:36,433 --> 02:05:39,100
demands evaporative cooling, that will mean that some of that million gallons a day

1393
02:05:40,467 --> 02:05:43,433
needs to be discharged. That cannot go to the wastewater treatment plant.

1394
02:05:44,533 --> 02:05:47,967
that will be treated on-site and discharged. Where will it be discharged?

1395
02:05:49,600 --> 02:05:53,433
it will be discharged on-site in accordance with a permit from the deq. So we'll have to treat it

1396
02:05:55,067 --> 02:05:57,900
to the deq standards in order to discharge it on-site. Okay, and my last question is,

1397
02:05:59,567 --> 02:06:01,633
will the natural gas only be used for backup power?

1398
02:06:09,600 --> 02:06:13,333
no. I'll say there's no, we don't have approval

1399
02:06:14,800 --> 02:06:17,033
to use the gas now at all. So that would be a future

1400
02:06:19,367 --> 02:06:20,533
development. Thank you.

1401
02:06:23,733 --> 02:06:23,733
I yield.

1402
02:06:29,433 --> 02:06:31,633
justice ward. Thanks for being here.

1403
02:06:34,400 --> 02:06:37,100
question. When you're looking for sites, what are some

1404
02:06:38,500 --> 02:06:41,667
of the things that you... Have on your checklist? Yeah, one is,

1405
02:06:43,467 --> 02:06:47,367
I guess the first one is, does this, can we have basically minimal impact environmentally

1406
02:06:48,900 --> 02:06:52,500
on the site? Can we completely avoid wetlands?

1407
02:06:54,000 --> 02:06:56,333
what's the topography of the site? The second is power.

1408
02:07:06,533 --> 02:07:08,767
can we talk to the utility to see if there is a substantial amount of power that's on the grid now?

1409
02:07:11,333 --> 02:07:14,267
that's not being utilized that we can go into. We don't specialize in going

1410
02:07:16,800 --> 02:07:20,500
into places that need a lot of power infrastructure to be built to serve the project.

1411
02:07:22,100 --> 02:07:24,667
then we also look at water. What's the water source? Is it groundwater?

1412
02:07:26,233 --> 02:07:28,567
is it surface water? Is it recycled water? Here, the municipality serves

1413
02:07:30,867 --> 02:07:34,000
water from surface water, which means we don't have to go

1414
02:07:35,300 --> 02:07:39,300
into the ground aquifers. So those are probably the initial highlights.

1415
02:07:40,500 --> 02:07:43,033
and then we look at, okay, what's the land use regulations

1416
02:07:44,567 --> 02:07:47,467
that are in place now? Are data centers allowed use or are they not?

1417
02:07:49,033 --> 02:07:52,567
and what would it take to have them be in allowed use?

1418
02:07:54,000 --> 02:07:57,500
okay. My next question. Have you ever picked a location

1419
02:07:59,000 --> 02:08:01,967
but because of the community concerns you backed out

1420
02:08:03,100 --> 02:08:03,100
of it?

1421
02:08:07,400 --> 02:08:10,433
so far, no. So far we've been able, I should say, so far we've been able to work

1422
02:08:11,533 --> 02:08:14,033
with communities to get them supportive of the projects.

1423
02:08:15,967 --> 02:08:19,200
okay, next question. Could you educate us on the purpose

1424
02:08:20,233 --> 02:08:24,100
of this data center? What's the purpose of it? So we are, I'll just point out,

1425
02:08:26,567 --> 02:08:30,267
we're a developer and we will lease space in this building to a larger scale user.

1426
02:08:31,500 --> 02:08:34,567
so I'm not google. I'm not meta. I'm not amazon web services.

1427
02:08:37,333 --> 02:08:39,867
but hopefully a company such as that will be a tenant in the data center.

1428
02:08:41,600 --> 02:08:43,900
so it will it will they will provide, you know,

1429
02:08:46,333 --> 02:08:50,067
those will be the end users of the buildings. They will install the computing

1430
02:08:51,633 --> 02:08:54,967
equipment and what they typically use it for,

1431
02:08:55,967 --> 02:08:59,900
such as aws. Just don't you know, I'm not an aws person, but

1432
02:09:01,400 --> 02:09:04,867
in general, we all use them every day. Right now we're in a meeting

1433
02:09:07,267 --> 02:09:10,167
that's being recorded and broadcast. I have documents that I'm

1434
02:09:11,467 --> 02:09:15,133
reading to you. You guys have documents on here.

1435
02:09:17,000 --> 02:09:20,733
all of that stuff has to live on the cloud. That cloud is a physical space. Some

1436
02:09:22,533 --> 02:09:26,433
of us use ai operations. Some of us use google search and use the ai function.

1437
02:09:27,533 --> 02:09:31,167
that all passes through data centers. Same thing. And a bit on why there's backup generators in the first place is these are viewed as

1438
02:09:32,033 --> 02:09:34,633
mission-critical facilities so that when you go make a transaction on...

1439
02:09:37,067 --> 02:09:39,800
on your debit card to buy gas or if your doctor needs to pull up your medical records,

1440
02:09:41,367 --> 02:09:44,233
to use a couple examples, those can't be down. My computer can't be off.

1441
02:09:45,633 --> 02:09:48,233
it has to be on. And so that's why we install backup generators

1442
02:09:50,100 --> 02:09:53,267
at the facilities. But to your point, we all use them every day.

1443
02:09:55,000 --> 02:09:55,000
okay.

1444
02:09:59,233 --> 02:10:02,967
so this data center wouldn't primarily serve arkansas. It could serve any state. You know, the jobs

1445
02:10:04,533 --> 02:10:08,467
on the facility, the tax revenue generated by the facility would serve the

1446
02:10:13,467 --> 02:10:13,467
local area.

1447
02:10:19,233 --> 02:10:23,033
but in terms of the specific use cases, typically they, you know, there's a latency effect.

1448
02:10:24,900 --> 02:10:28,533
so the farther you are away physically from a data center, the longer it takes

1449
02:10:29,700 --> 02:10:33,133
to transmit. So typically these companies like to serve the needs as close to

1450
02:10:34,200 --> 02:10:38,000
the data center as they can. But, yeah, they can serve nationally. Absolutely.

1451
02:10:39,300 --> 02:10:42,433
okay, thank you for not making me feel dumb about it. And I want to invite you to the

1452
02:10:43,367 --> 02:10:45,900
community meeting as well. Okay. Justice robinson, I think you

1453
02:10:49,300 --> 02:10:49,300
were next.

1454
02:10:54,033 --> 02:10:57,533
thank you. Thank you for being here. So I have heard, I guess, that the building may be a leed

1455
02:10:58,767 --> 02:11:02,633
certified building. Is that correct? Yes, we design all of our buildings to leed

1456
02:11:04,100 --> 02:11:07,467
silverstone. Leed silver standards. Okay. And can, for, I guess,

1457
02:11:08,767 --> 02:11:11,367
if people don't know what that means, can you please explain what the leed is?

1458
02:11:12,967 --> 02:11:16,867
yeah, it's an official certification process where basically you, it's meant to be a third party where I design my

1459
02:11:27,633 --> 02:11:30,267
facility to be, to meet certain power efficiency requirements. How well insulated is my

1460
02:11:32,100 --> 02:11:35,633
building so that it doesn't leak heat in the wintertime or leak air conditioning in the summertime.

1461
02:11:37,167 --> 02:11:40,267
so basically, the more efficient you design the building, you're eligible

1462
02:11:41,633 --> 02:11:44,800
for a leed accreditation. Okay. And I just, I mean, leed,

1463
02:11:46,267 --> 02:11:48,600
for those that don't know, is leadership in energy and

1464
02:11:50,700 --> 02:11:50,700
efficiency.

1465
02:11:58,933 --> 02:12:01,333
and it is a u.s. Global accreditation?

1466
02:12:03,100 --> 02:12:06,100
yes. But that is what you all I mean that is what yeah, and to talk

1467
02:12:07,667 --> 02:12:10,767
about a few more points, like we're paying attention and we're trying to be as efficient

1468
02:12:12,167 --> 02:12:16,000
as possible. Obviously the power demand of the facility is very large, but the way we've planned it,

1469
02:12:17,133 --> 02:12:20,233
we've put solar panels on the roof to offset the power demands

1470
02:12:23,133 --> 02:12:26,167
of the administration part of the building. So the part where everybody is

1471
02:12:27,533 --> 02:12:31,300
going to work, not where the computers are, that has to be lit, air-conditioned, et cetera.

1472
02:12:33,567 --> 02:12:36,400
and so. Our intent is for, we've designed the facility such that

1473
02:12:38,067 --> 02:12:41,167
the solar on site can provide the power to the administration portion

1474
02:12:42,567 --> 02:12:46,500
of the building. We're also doing things like capturing the rainwater.

1475
02:12:48,100 --> 02:12:51,400
so, you know, when it rains, we want to use that water. We're sending it to a tank,

1476
02:12:54,800 --> 02:12:57,900
and then we're using that for our irrigation system to cut down on the water numbers I shared earlier.

1477
02:12:59,867 --> 02:13:03,467
and we're also, we have a consultant on board who's going

1478
02:13:04,333 --> 02:13:06,867
to install, for example, beehives on the site to enhance the pollinators and hopefully

1479
02:13:08,433 --> 02:13:11,867
make some honey out of it. But anyway, we're paying attention to environmental concerns and

1480
02:13:13,867 --> 02:13:17,800
we're trying to be as efficient as we can be. Do you know if, have you all received that certification yet

1481
02:13:19,800 --> 02:13:22,500
or is it still in the application phase? No, we don't get that

1482
02:13:24,100 --> 02:13:27,033
certification until the construction is complete. Okay.

1483
02:13:28,567 --> 02:13:30,000
thank you, a.u. Justice pearson, I think you're

1484
02:13:40,367 --> 02:13:42,467
next. Thank you for being here. Can you make your adeq report public and put it

1485
02:13:44,433 --> 02:13:48,267
on your website? The stormwater pollution and prevention plan?

1486
02:13:50,700 --> 02:13:54,167
whatever adeq gave you. There, y'all went through a completed test.

1487
02:13:55,367 --> 02:13:59,000
I think it is public. I haven't checked their website,

1488
02:14:00,300 --> 02:14:03,300
but it's probably. I can, yes. Okay, cool.

1489
02:14:06,867 --> 02:14:09,400
end users. You brought up end users. And you brought up some

1490
02:14:11,367 --> 02:14:14,500
examples, aws, google. Will they make a contract with you or will they have

1491
02:14:15,933 --> 02:14:18,967
to talk to these stakeholders that. Came before today as well?

1492
02:14:20,367 --> 02:14:23,900
they will make a contract with me, and they will most likely step

1493
02:14:25,400 --> 02:14:28,767
into my contract with entergy, most likely. Or they'll go through us.

1494
02:14:38,467 --> 02:14:40,533
it's just kind of a contracting mechanism at that point. Okay.

1495
02:14:43,233 --> 02:14:47,100
do you have built into your contract any leeway if company x want to come in and they ask

1496
02:14:48,967 --> 02:14:52,400
for more power or more resources than you may have thought of, that you may have

1497
02:14:53,767 --> 02:14:56,633
perceived? No, we can only contract for the power that we have signed

1498
02:14:58,767 --> 02:15:01,133
an agreement for. Got it.

1499
02:15:04,000 --> 02:15:07,500
with your agreement with? Entergy. Got it. All right.

1500
02:15:08,333 --> 02:15:09,900
so what happens if avios... Scales down or closes doors.

1501
02:15:13,033 --> 02:15:15,867
do you have something in your contract, your current contract,

1502
02:15:17,067 --> 02:15:20,000
that dictates who was on the hook for that if that happens?

1503
02:15:21,200 --> 02:15:22,367
more or less, yes. Basically, tenants will be

1504
02:15:25,367 --> 02:15:28,367
required to pay rent, and if they cancel, there's cancellation terms that will

1505
02:15:30,700 --> 02:15:34,400
require them to foot certain costs. So if you close, if 80, if a vaio says, hey, we're not,

1506
02:15:36,033 --> 02:15:36,033
business is not booming,

1507
02:15:45,900 --> 02:15:49,600
we're closing our doors, then you're on the hook or your vendor, your end user is on the hook?

1508
02:15:51,500 --> 02:15:55,433
they would be the ones dictating to close the doors. We would never close the doors

1509
02:15:56,800 --> 02:15:59,767
if they were using the facility. And we would only close if they

1510
02:16:01,333 --> 02:16:04,900
dictated to us to close. Are you? Justice blackwood, you're

1511
02:16:06,533 --> 02:16:08,200
recognized. Okay, so you're a privately

1512
02:16:12,867 --> 02:16:16,600
owned company, and I wonder why you do not list your investors. Certain investors, I think, prefer to...

1513
02:16:17,400 --> 02:16:20,333
I'm not a financial guy, so I'll caveat that with what you will,

1514
02:16:28,733 --> 02:16:28,733
but certain investors don't

1515
02:16:34,533 --> 02:16:38,267
like to be disclosed. Right, so you do not disclose

1516
02:16:38,933 --> 02:16:41,800
your investors, which is a little bit scary. And you're not, you know,

1517
02:16:43,767 --> 02:16:46,367
you are saying that you will pay for everything and

1518
02:16:48,000 --> 02:16:51,300
everything's going to be on you and you're not going to make us pay for anything.

1519
02:16:52,767 --> 02:16:56,333
but are you getting tax incentives? Again, not an expert

1520
02:16:57,533 --> 02:17:00,367
on the financials, but the project may be eligible for state tax incentives or

1521
02:17:02,100 --> 02:17:05,367
local tax incentives if we meet certain employment requirements.

1522
02:17:06,933 --> 02:17:08,867
and certain investment requirements.

1523
02:17:11,800 --> 02:17:14,100
and so if we do, we plan to pursue them, yes.

1524
02:17:17,733 --> 02:17:21,500
okay. Have you talked to anybody about tax incentives yet? I believe we have, yes. Okay.

1525
02:17:22,333 --> 02:17:24,033
what about sales tax exemptions?

1526
02:17:26,833 --> 02:17:30,767
I believe we have talked to the arkansas edc about that. Yeah.

1527
02:17:32,100 --> 02:17:36,000
so you've hit that too. What about expediting your permitting procedures?

1528
02:17:37,567 --> 02:17:40,400
not to my knowledge, no. Okay.

1529
02:17:42,267 --> 02:17:46,000
and what about any of the utility agreements with entergy?

1530
02:17:47,467 --> 02:17:51,367
have you made special utility agreements with entergy? Not to my knowledge, no.

1531
02:17:53,400 --> 02:17:56,400
okay. So you're going to pay full price to entergy

1532
02:17:57,567 --> 02:18:00,633
for whatever you're doing? As far as I'm aware. Okay.

1533
02:18:03,733 --> 02:18:07,433
so it looks like... And I'll just say a note on the tax. I believe the quick math that

1534
02:18:08,900 --> 02:18:12,100
we've done is even if we got the maximum incentives, right, the first two buildings alone

1535
02:18:13,533 --> 02:18:17,067
on a property tax basis for avio's improvements would be about $6.7 million a year.

1536
02:18:18,133 --> 02:18:21,133
and then with our tenants, that would be about $10.5 million a year.

1537
02:18:22,967 --> 02:18:25,900
and that's if the incentives were captured. Right, right.

1538
02:18:27,133 --> 02:18:31,033
it looks like... 80% of that going to the school district,

1539
02:18:32,400 --> 02:18:36,400
about. It looks like, you know, you could actually,

1540
02:18:41,733 --> 02:18:45,367
it says you could go into a $6 billion phase. You know, you could go as much as that at some point.

1541
02:18:46,900 --> 02:18:49,867
yes, there's definitely significant future development opportunity.

1542
02:18:51,167 --> 02:18:54,900
right, that's what I was thinking. So why do you, and what is your reason then for picking

1543
02:18:56,633 --> 02:19:00,567
arkansas? If you're not going to, if you don't know if you're going to get tax incentives, if you

1544
02:19:01,733 --> 02:19:04,467
don't know if you're going to get any kind of benefits, what's your reasoning

1545
02:19:06,200 --> 02:19:08,933
for picking arkansas? I think it would go back to. My initial site selection

1546
02:19:10,500 --> 02:19:13,133
criteria that I talked with justice ward about. Generally speaking,

1547
02:19:15,300 --> 02:19:19,300
the site is developable with minimal impacts to the environment.

1548
02:19:20,000 --> 02:19:22,700
there's power on the grid without exorbitant infrastructure needed

1549
02:19:24,133 --> 02:19:28,033
to serve it. There's water in the lines. And the land use, at least as

1550
02:19:29,267 --> 02:19:33,233
it's written right now, is compliant for data centers.

1551
02:19:36,600 --> 02:19:40,467
so it doesn't have to do with any kind of money that's being involved at all. It just is that you like arkansas and it looks like a good place and you've got some

1552
02:19:43,633 --> 02:19:47,133
water. The, I mean, the, well, little rock chamber, right,

1553
02:19:50,200 --> 02:19:52,967
has been very supportive. They brought us in, showed us that, sorry,

1554
02:19:57,500 --> 02:20:00,533
a little distracted by the noise for a second. But generally speaking, the reason we got here is because

1555
02:20:02,500 --> 02:20:06,500
of the. The things that I've listed. If we can capture some incentives, that would be a

1556
02:20:07,600 --> 02:20:11,533
bonus, certainly. Right, because there are a lot of them being put in the south.

1557
02:20:12,533 --> 02:20:15,900
there's a ton of data centers being set up in the south. And what

1558
02:20:17,067 --> 02:20:20,933
about light pollution? Yeah, our facilities are dark sky compliant, so it's a national standard.

1559
02:20:22,167 --> 02:20:24,733
it basically minimizes our lighting and directs all light downward so that it helps

1560
02:20:26,200 --> 02:20:29,667
minimize the light pollution. Can you give us... An analysis on that so that we know what the light pollution

1561
02:20:31,567 --> 02:20:35,567
will be? Yeah, I believe our lighting plan is part of the site plan submission,

1562
02:20:37,100 --> 02:20:39,867
and we can share that. Okay, thank you. Also, what

1563
02:20:42,100 --> 02:20:46,100
about the sewer rates? You said you're going

1564
02:20:46,933 --> 02:20:50,067
to do the 145 street sewer. Will they go up?

1565
02:20:51,133 --> 02:20:55,033
will our sewer rates go up? Or are they locked in that you're going to pay for everything and we will

1566
02:20:56,000 --> 02:20:59,133
definitely never, and you have a contract saying that legally, we will never have to pay any higher sewer rates.

1567
02:21:00,800 --> 02:21:04,200
I don't, I mean, I don't have a contract. I'll never get, no utility is

1568
02:21:05,800 --> 02:21:09,000
ever going to get a contract that says legally I'll never be able, they'll never be able to lift rates.

1569
02:21:11,500 --> 02:21:15,300
but generally speaking, what I know as the project manager is there's an existing sewer line on the site that goes, you

1570
02:21:16,600 --> 02:21:20,300
know, that the half mile or so to the wastewater treatment facility.

1571
02:21:21,267 --> 02:21:24,367
and there's no infrastructure upgrades that are required to serve the project. Okay.

1572
02:21:25,733 --> 02:21:26,800
thank you. Justice capps, I think you're

1573
02:21:35,700 --> 02:21:38,400
next. Thank you for being here. We appreciate your time.

1574
02:21:40,100 --> 02:21:43,367
you mentioned two buildings in the initial phase. What is the full capacity

1575
02:21:44,933 --> 02:21:46,833
of the project, building-wise?

1576
02:21:50,067 --> 02:21:53,133
across the 760 acres, there could be 15 buildings, approximately.

1577
02:21:58,533 --> 02:22:00,833
you also talked about an end user that requires evaporative. Cooling can you describe that a

1578
02:22:03,133 --> 02:22:05,867
little bit more please for an example yeah I mean just a just a recap right right right now

1579
02:22:07,600 --> 02:22:11,167
our base system is air cooled and that's what we're working

1580
02:22:12,333 --> 02:22:15,300
with several potential end users on if somebody does require evaporative cooling

1581
02:22:16,500 --> 02:22:19,800
that that goes back to the other system I can't speak to what customers right what might

1582
02:22:21,467 --> 02:22:22,700
require which system so I don't know if I'm answering your

1583
02:22:25,567 --> 02:22:28,600
question, if you could steer me a little bit. So is it computer or data center dependent,

1584
02:22:30,300 --> 02:22:34,000
like depending on what kind of technology they're using, what kind

1585
02:22:40,300 --> 02:22:42,900
of cooling they require? No, it's really just whether they want to be more power

1586
02:22:45,933 --> 02:22:48,933
efficient or want to be more water efficient. And they would have set that

1587
02:22:50,233 --> 02:22:53,200
standard for their company prior to talking to me.

1588
02:22:55,100 --> 02:22:57,867
so they would prefer to keep as they have for their other buildings,

1589
02:22:59,533 --> 02:23:02,700
let's say. Okay. And is there any type

1590
02:23:04,067 --> 02:23:07,100
of decommission plan for the project? I'm concerned that it's so

1591
02:23:08,533 --> 02:23:11,933
vast. And if the world changes and we no longer need these data

1592
02:23:13,700 --> 02:23:17,067
centers, you know, we used to have huge computers and now they're in our hands.

1593
02:23:18,433 --> 02:23:21,700
if the world changes, is there anything in place to decommission it

1594
02:23:23,267 --> 02:23:27,100
for environmental, community, things like that? Yeah, so. We've been focused

1595
02:23:29,000 --> 02:23:31,333
on commissioning, but generally speaking, right

1596
02:23:34,267 --> 02:23:37,633
now, we have the power contract with entergy for a certain amount of power that lights those first two

1597
02:23:38,933 --> 02:23:42,167
buildings. And so there's a lot of work that will have to go

1598
02:23:43,567 --> 02:23:47,200
into growing the site, and that will only happen if it's commercially viable. So if there's a tenant that

1599
02:23:47,933 --> 02:23:50,833
takes the first two buildings and might want more, then we would go through all

1600
02:23:52,000 --> 02:23:54,967
the processes we've talked about. Like tad mentioned on the

1601
02:23:56,633 --> 02:24:00,633
waterfront, if we want more water than the first two buildings, we have to connect further west and pay

1602
02:24:01,700 --> 02:24:05,467
for that infrastructure upgrade. If we want more power from energy, we have to pay for

1603
02:24:07,033 --> 02:24:10,900
those infrastructure upgrades. And so there's a lot of work that will go into building those 15

1604
02:24:12,200 --> 02:24:15,000
buildings that were not there yet. And so that's...

1605
02:24:16,367 --> 02:24:19,367
that's what we're focused on and the only reason more buildings would be added to the

1606
02:24:22,167 --> 02:24:24,433
site is if it's commercially viable in the long run.

1607
02:24:29,033 --> 02:24:29,033
our leases would be

1608
02:24:33,867 --> 02:24:37,433
on the order of 20 years. So we're talking about

1609
02:24:40,267 --> 02:24:44,167
relatively long term business deals to make these projects viable. Is decommissioning something

1610
02:24:45,200 --> 02:24:48,167
your company ever plans for? So right now in the industry, the demand is very high, and so

1611
02:24:49,433 --> 02:24:53,167
decommissioning has not been a focus, but something we're certainly willing to entertain to talk about, especially with

1612
02:24:54,300 --> 02:24:56,833
the community advisory board we're setting up. We don't have those plans quite

1613
02:24:58,600 --> 02:25:01,833
ready, but it's something we can develop over time. Thank you. Okay, thank you.

1614
02:25:03,067 --> 02:25:06,867
hi, thank you for being here and answering questions. So I have a variety of questions, so just bear

1615
02:25:07,933 --> 02:25:11,133
with me. Okay. Can you paint a picture

1616
02:25:15,967 --> 02:25:18,600
of this property, how many acres,

1617
02:25:33,900 --> 02:25:37,400
and what that looks like? Yes, basically think of it as two swaths, really.

1618
02:25:39,300 --> 02:25:42,633
one is kind of two hands, right? One is up here.

1619
02:25:44,100 --> 02:25:47,100
it's adjacent to interstate 530. And one is down here, and it

1620
02:25:48,567 --> 02:25:52,100
connects to 145th street. And it's kind of what's running between them

1621
02:25:53,167 --> 02:25:53,167
is the pipeline we were talking

1622
02:25:58,167 --> 02:26:00,633
about for spatial relations. So this is about 300 acres, and this is the remaining of the 760 up here.

1623
02:26:02,967 --> 02:26:06,967
okay. So 760 acres. And is it wooded? There's a pine tree forest

1624
02:26:08,600 --> 02:26:11,900
on the property? It's wooded. There's pine trees.

1625
02:26:13,033 --> 02:26:16,733
it's been... Historically used as timber harvesting operations. So some of it's hardwood, some

1626
02:26:17,833 --> 02:26:19,967
of it's pine stands. And you'd mentioned a barrier. Are you referring

1627
02:26:21,867 --> 02:26:25,600
to the trees? Yes. So how many acres are going to remain wooded

1628
02:26:34,367 --> 02:26:34,367
with timber?

1629
02:26:39,033 --> 02:26:42,100
I'm just trying to do the math in my head. So we have basically 300 acres

1630
02:26:43,667 --> 02:26:45,167
on the lower hand. We'll be disturbing about 70

1631
02:26:48,833 --> 02:26:51,933
acres of that and some of that we'll be replanting the trees

1632
02:26:53,133 --> 02:26:57,067
on. So about 100. So 70 acres for the buildings and the rest trees?

1633
02:26:59,267 --> 02:27:02,867
basically, yes. The rest of the three? 300. 300. Okay.

1634
02:27:03,733 --> 02:27:07,667
that's a lot of trees. Similar proportion will be on the northern part of the site. Okay.

1635
02:27:08,500 --> 02:27:11,867
and I mean, of course, you know, trees do recreate the air.

1636
02:27:13,667 --> 02:27:13,667
work as a noise buffer.

1637
02:27:19,233 --> 02:27:22,667
and with that being said, and you may not know the answer

1638
02:27:24,033 --> 02:27:26,100
to this, was this, do you know what this property was intended

1639
02:27:28,133 --> 02:27:28,133
for to be used as

1640
02:27:32,900 --> 02:27:36,367
before you purchased it? Like I said, I mean, based on

1641
02:27:37,733 --> 02:27:41,733
the historical studies we've had, a long time ago it was agricultural and then I can't I

1642
02:27:42,933 --> 02:27:46,300
can't remember exactly the duration, but it switched

1643
02:27:47,167 --> 02:27:48,033
to timber harvesting, and it's largely used

1644
02:27:51,333 --> 02:27:53,633
for hunting. Okay. And it sounds

1645
02:27:56,700 --> 02:27:59,667
like you have gone through a lot of studies and regulations thus far

1646
02:28:01,767 --> 02:28:05,600
to date. Yes. With the adeq.

1647
02:28:09,133 --> 02:28:12,667
with the adeq. Or the deq. I'm sorry.

1648
02:28:13,500 --> 02:28:17,367
yeah, adq, arkansas adq. Yeah, yeah. Yep. The leed certified program that

1649
02:28:19,333 --> 02:28:21,667
you were talking about, is that a more, I mean, it's

1650
02:28:26,733 --> 02:28:28,433
obviously a more extensive study regulated type program that you get certified,

1651
02:28:31,867 --> 02:28:34,500
certification for? I guess I'm asking, what does that look like as far

1652
02:28:36,967 --> 02:28:40,100
as additional regulations? And is there a cost to that? Yeah, so there's a cost

1653
02:28:42,433 --> 02:28:45,633
to that. In our engineering team,

1654
02:28:52,067 --> 02:28:54,933
we have leed-certified engineers,

1655
02:28:57,067 --> 02:29:00,633
and so they vet the design to make sure it's compliant with the design standards.

1656
02:29:02,400 --> 02:29:05,533
on our construction management team, we will have leed-accredited personnel.

1657
02:29:06,900 --> 02:29:10,600
they'll review and make sure, as constructed, it meets the leed requirements.

1658
02:29:12,467 --> 02:29:16,367
and then we'll be subject to special inspection to get the final accreditation.

1659
02:29:17,567 --> 02:29:21,167
and we'll, we have to obviously pay for those things. Okay.

1660
02:29:22,233 --> 02:29:25,067
I like the thing about the bees.

1661
02:29:26,700 --> 02:29:30,667
tell me a little bit more about that. I didn't, that's the first I'd heard about this. Yeah, we've heard a consultant.

1662
02:29:31,833 --> 02:29:35,000
he's got a phd in bees and I can introduce him to you.

1663
02:29:36,467 --> 02:29:39,133
he'd probably speak a lot better about it to me. Um basically, we're bringing a

1664
02:29:41,867 --> 02:29:44,300
hive on site shortly and establishing a few hives, and

1665
02:29:46,300 --> 02:29:49,500
they'll help pollinate the area in general. That's interesting.

1666
02:29:54,567 --> 02:29:56,767
and the solar panels are just for the administrative part

1667
02:29:59,200 --> 02:30:02,300
of the building? Basically, the math is all of the solar panels on the roof

1668
02:30:03,900 --> 02:30:06,733
will power the administrative portion of the building, yes.

1669
02:30:08,400 --> 02:30:12,033
so the solar panels are only going to be on the roof? That's the plan. If a tenant required it, we

1670
02:30:13,433 --> 02:30:17,133
would consider putting solar panels on the ground if it helped their cause, but right now the plan is

1671
02:30:18,467 --> 02:30:21,267
on the roof, yes. Okay. All right. Let me make sure I have all my

1672
02:30:30,633 --> 02:30:30,633
questions.

1673
02:30:36,267 --> 02:30:39,700
I'm assuming you probably picked arkansas because you found 760 acres. Also, we we started off with

1674
02:30:42,467 --> 02:30:45,867
about the 300 and then grew it because we did like what we were working

1675
02:30:47,400 --> 02:30:50,667
with both on the, you know, like I said, on the environmental,

1676
02:30:51,867 --> 02:30:54,367
on the power and on the waterfronts and then on the land use front.

1677
02:30:55,900 --> 02:30:59,600
so we we started with 300 and we grew. So here's another question.

1678
02:31:01,133 --> 02:31:03,967
how many projects do you actually have in place across the nation and how successful

1679
02:31:06,233 --> 02:31:09,533
are they and how big are they? I'm, my knowledge is probably adept

1680
02:31:12,833 --> 02:31:16,067
to this and maybe one other of our projects, but we have four projects moving forward

1681
02:31:18,233 --> 02:31:20,867
across the u.s. Of similar size to this one. Where are they at?

1682
02:31:27,767 --> 02:31:30,533
california, mississippi, and virginia. How many acres are they on?

1683
02:31:34,900 --> 02:31:34,900
100 to 650.

1684
02:31:40,400 --> 02:31:43,833
okay. Just curious. I believe that's all my

1685
02:31:45,400 --> 02:31:46,967
questions. Thank you.

1686
02:31:53,500 --> 02:31:55,500
I yield. Justice blackwood, I think you're next.

1687
02:31:58,133 --> 02:32:01,200
yes. You know, we've talked about how...

1688
02:32:03,133 --> 02:32:05,467
would you either pull the mic down or move towards...

1689
02:32:08,600 --> 02:32:12,400
oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please excuse me.

1690
02:32:14,067 --> 02:32:17,333
we've talked about how large the investment was going

1691
02:32:23,433 --> 02:32:26,467
to be, but what I want to know is what... Portion of the investment

1692
02:32:40,100 --> 02:32:42,367
remains taxable and for how long? And does it exceed the long-term public infrastructure

1693
02:32:46,900 --> 02:32:49,633
burden? I might need some help answering that question. If you could email it to me, I could get it answered for you because I don't know the answer

1694
02:32:52,067 --> 02:32:55,667
to that. You don't? Okay. That's all I've got. Thank you. I yield. So this might be a good time to say that members that have questions that you may come up with later or someone may send

1695
02:32:56,200 --> 02:32:59,500
you later, why don't you send those to, in the next week, send those to justin and justin, you can compile them. I'm not asking you to edit them or anything else. Just compile them and we'll get

1696
02:33:04,167 --> 02:33:06,867
contact information through the greater chamber. And get answers to those questions

1697
02:33:08,433 --> 02:33:11,567
for you all. That way it's one centralized place, and we can track if they get answered.

1698
02:33:12,800 --> 02:33:15,600
justice lewison, you're recognized for a question.

1699
02:33:17,433 --> 02:33:20,467
thank you for coming, by the way. I know that you're loving to stand up here this long. So you mentioned that there's a

1700
02:33:21,600 --> 02:33:24,133
community advisory board? Yes, we're setting that up,

1701
02:33:26,100 --> 02:33:27,800
yep. So I just wanted to know who's

1702
02:33:31,800 --> 02:33:35,800
on it and how are they appointed? So it's basically just been so

1703
02:33:37,733 --> 02:33:39,033
far we've been in our conversations with the

1704
02:33:42,033 --> 02:33:46,033
people we've been exposed to locally. We've invited a few people.

1705
02:33:47,733 --> 02:33:51,100
representative bennett has been invited. The mayor of wrightsville has

1706
02:33:52,033 --> 02:33:55,233
been invited. The the overseer of the 145th

1707
02:33:56,733 --> 02:33:59,067
street sewer district has been invited. We we attended the planning

1708
02:34:03,667 --> 02:34:06,333
board meeting earlier today. And would like somebody from that group to be a part of that.

1709
02:34:07,700 --> 02:34:08,400
and we're open to more people joining, for sure.

1710
02:34:14,733 --> 02:34:16,633
and we're trying to have our first meeting in two weeks from today. Thank you.

1711
02:34:28,267 --> 02:34:31,867
donna, is your light broken too? Ms.

1712
02:34:32,467 --> 02:34:33,533
massey, you are recognized for the questions.

1713
02:34:38,000 --> 02:34:40,900
my question is... The property next to your property, how, I mean,

1714
02:34:42,133 --> 02:34:46,033
is it a lot of woods next to your area? Because you mentioned there's a

1715
02:34:47,167 --> 02:34:50,300
lot of hunting that's taking place on that property now. And once you start to build,

1716
02:34:51,300 --> 02:34:52,733
what's going to happen to, I guess, to the animals, the deer

1717
02:34:56,167 --> 02:34:56,967
or what have you that's there now?

1718
02:35:00,233 --> 02:35:03,467
so, yeah, it's a wooded property to start. And the hunting has ceased.

1719
02:35:06,267 --> 02:35:09,467
and we have done surveys for rare species habitat and rare species presence, and we haven't found any

1720
02:35:10,933 --> 02:35:14,533
of significance. And that's being,

1721
02:35:16,467 --> 02:35:20,467
it's been reviewed by the army corps of engineers to make sure we're compliant

1722
02:35:30,067 --> 02:35:33,333
with all the fish and wildlife service standards. But in terms of the deer, they would not be able to walk across the data center site.

1723
02:35:34,833 --> 02:35:38,433
in general, the wooded area on the site that would remain, they'd still have access to. Thank you.

1724
02:35:40,600 --> 02:35:44,400
does anyone else have a broken light and wanted to ask a question? Justin, I appreciate if you'll

1725
02:35:50,500 --> 02:35:51,433
turn that into general services as well.

1726
02:35:59,433 --> 02:36:02,967
thank you very much. I appreciate it. You've been a great help. Thank you all.

1727
02:36:05,667 --> 02:36:08,900
I hope I've answered your questions. And like I said, we're here.

1728
02:36:10,167 --> 02:36:13,467
and we're ready to answer more. And if I haven't been able

1729
02:36:15,267 --> 02:36:15,267
to answer some tonight,

1730
02:36:33,300 --> 02:36:34,200
I apologize and look forward to interacting more. Thank you.

1731
02:36:37,567 --> 02:36:39,167
just some information that you can also find on the website.

1732
02:36:43,200 --> 02:36:47,133
I would call your attention, justice medlock, to the second page of this,

1733
02:36:48,267 --> 02:36:51,400
and you will see, and we can get you the larger version, you can see what the

1734
02:36:53,367 --> 02:36:55,100
proposed site plan layout would be in that bottom left-hand

1735
02:36:57,800 --> 02:37:01,667
picture. So you can see what the buildings will look like

1736
02:37:03,067 --> 02:37:05,733
from the perspective of those pictures as well. Again, I know that we all want

1737
02:37:09,000 --> 02:37:12,333
certainty and I can tell you that from an economic development perspective,

1738
02:37:13,733 --> 02:37:17,300
and I appreciate the questions about why here, why arkansas, and the answer is,

1739
02:37:18,433 --> 02:37:19,933
and I can unequivocally state this, in this world, no amount

1740
02:37:31,600 --> 02:37:34,300
of incentives will make a bad site good. I want to restate that.

1741
02:37:35,767 --> 02:37:38,233
no amount of incentives will make a bad site good, which is why

1742
02:37:41,433 --> 02:37:45,100
from the incentive aspect of the discussion, we never even get into that until the company has made the

1743
02:37:49,300 --> 02:37:53,233
decision. It's between us and typically a couple of other folks. We are competitive,

1744
02:37:54,667 --> 02:37:58,600
but we're not going to be the largest offerer of incentives because, as justice blackwood has stated

1745
02:38:01,200 --> 02:38:03,567
many times, we're not. The most wealthy state in america.

1746
02:38:05,533 --> 02:38:08,400
and our goal is to become a much more wealthier state.

1747
02:38:10,033 --> 02:38:12,600
we can't create a scenario by which certainty will also preclude things going up.

1748
02:38:14,367 --> 02:38:16,167
I know you folks have a really difficult job.

1749
02:38:24,500 --> 02:38:27,067
every two years when the reassessment process happens.

1750
02:38:30,367 --> 02:38:33,700
I don't know what's happened to your property tax rates, but

1751
02:38:34,567 --> 02:38:37,133
my bill's gone way up and it's fair because it's being equitably applied

1752
02:38:39,133 --> 02:38:42,400
across your homes, your properties, as well as mine. So we can't ever guarantee that

1753
02:38:44,233 --> 02:38:47,900
something's not going to go up because we're in the midst of approving the

1754
02:38:49,233 --> 02:38:52,500
going up every other year. What we can do, though, is we can look at a project

1755
02:38:53,600 --> 02:38:57,333
like this, and if you turn to that back page, we can look at if the project were to fully develop at the $6

1756
02:38:58,267 --> 02:39:01,600
billion number that the company has provided, that those 15 buildings would equal to.

1757
02:39:03,067 --> 02:39:04,500
you can see from just this project,

1758
02:39:32,667 --> 02:39:34,733
it does not include the project at the port, but from just this project what that would equate to in terms of county revenue the library

1759
02:39:39,433 --> 02:39:40,633
the hospital, the road fund, and in my opinion, most

1760
02:39:43,500 --> 02:39:46,700
importantly, the pulaski county special school district.

1761
02:39:47,800 --> 02:39:51,133
when you look at over $24 million, $24 million of new money coming into the pulaski county school district

1762
02:39:52,900 --> 02:39:56,400
to help educate our kids, to give them better resources, better buildings. Teachers better pay.

1763
02:39:57,467 --> 02:40:00,967
we can go on and on and on. This truly becomes an opportunity for the future that will allow our young folks,

1764
02:40:02,400 --> 02:40:06,200
and as tad said, his 20-year-old son and his children, an opportunity to make a life here in

1765
02:40:07,800 --> 02:40:07,800
pulaski county while we're

1766
02:40:31,367 --> 02:40:34,267
obviously creating new careers. So with that, we appreciate, I

1767
02:40:36,533 --> 02:40:39,767
know this went a lot longer than many of us, many of you wanted, and I certainly

1768
02:40:41,933 --> 02:40:45,633
understand, but it's really important that we answer the questions that people have with factual information so that as

1769
02:40:46,767 --> 02:40:50,200
additional questions come up, we can also have the opportunity to answer those.

1770
02:40:52,533 --> 02:40:56,133
in meeting with justice ward, as you've heard, we've offered...

1771
02:40:58,000 --> 02:41:01,967
to come to meetings in her ward and have these same conversations.

1772
02:41:03,133 --> 02:41:06,833
I live in western pulaski county. I'll go anywhere in the county that you guys want to have a

1773
02:41:08,333 --> 02:41:11,333
meeting and have this conversation. So we will do that because it's

1774
02:41:13,033 --> 02:41:15,533
the right thing to do for our citizens to have all of the information,

1775
02:41:17,167 --> 02:41:20,767
understanding especially that the regulatory bodies are doing their work.

1776
02:41:21,800 --> 02:41:24,500
as we speak. So judge hyde, members of the quorum court, thank you

1777
02:41:25,967 --> 02:41:28,700
for your time this evening and we look forward to talking with you soon.

1778
02:41:30,433 --> 02:41:33,667
jay, mr. Dessel, vintrell, mr. Bethel, thank all of you for taking the time

1779
02:41:35,600 --> 02:41:35,600
to come and spend

1780
02:41:56,933 --> 02:42:00,300
with us tonight and thanks all of our citizens that have come out to hear from y'all and answer these questions.

1781
02:42:01,600 --> 02:42:05,000
without objection, I'm going to recess for 10 minutes.

1782
02:42:06,367 --> 02:42:09,733
a lot of these folks, our guests, I think are probably going

1783
02:42:10,400 --> 02:42:14,233
to leave. You've probably come for the part or the part is done that you might have come for. But it will also give all

1784
02:42:15,367 --> 02:42:18,833
of us a chance to stand up and stretch our legs for just a few moments. So I have currently 8.43, so

1785
02:42:19,967 --> 02:42:22,533
at 8.53 we'll sit back down and we'll gavel back in for our business section.

1786
02:42:33,567 --> 02:42:34,600
if everybody will please take their seats. I'll remind you in case you

1787
02:42:45,267 --> 02:42:48,233
turned your phones back on, please silence them once again. I'm sure there's a lot of important conversations

1788
02:42:51,233 --> 02:42:52,333
going on and so please move to the hallway for those.

1789
02:43:07,767 --> 02:43:09,133
madam clerk, we're back on the record. Okay.

1790
02:43:13,133 --> 02:43:15,733
members, in your packets this week, oh,

1791
02:43:24,033 --> 02:43:27,500
hers is not on. Thank you. I just wanted to acknowledge,

1792
02:43:30,200 --> 02:43:32,000
yes, I wrote the time down. Thanks.

1793
02:43:35,567 --> 02:43:39,567
very good. Going back to our agenda, in your package you had the minutes.

1794
02:43:40,033 --> 02:43:43,467
from our last meeting. Hopefully you've had time to read them and when someone's ready I'll accept a motion to adopt. Members you've heard the motion

1795
02:43:44,267 --> 02:43:48,267
you've heard the second. Are there any additions or deletions to the minutes from our last meeting?

1796
02:43:49,833 --> 02:43:53,833
there being none, madam clerk please call the roll for the

1797
02:43:55,167 --> 02:43:57,800
acceptance or the adoption of last month's meeting. Ms.

1798
02:43:59,200 --> 02:44:03,133
metlaw, mr. Elliott, mr. Stowers, mr. Mccoy.

1799
02:44:04,633 --> 02:44:07,500
mr. Robinson, mr. Baker, I'm sorry, I'm tired.

1800
02:44:14,633 --> 02:44:16,700
ms. Young-baker, my apologies. Mr.

1801
02:44:20,300 --> 02:44:21,333
keith, ms. Curry, ms.

1802
02:44:24,467 --> 02:44:27,133
massey, mr. Person, ms. Blackwood, ms.

1803
02:44:28,567 --> 02:44:31,200
lewison, ms. Capps, ms. Davis, 15 ayes, 0 nays.

1804
02:44:32,633 --> 02:44:35,733
thank you, madam clerk. Thank you all

1805
02:44:37,267 --> 02:44:40,133
for approving minutes. And madam clerk, now, when you're ready, please give

1806
02:44:41,367 --> 02:44:41,367
us the committee report.

1807
02:44:46,233 --> 02:44:49,800
I have three committee reports. May 26. 2026 to the presiding officer

1808
02:44:51,467 --> 02:44:55,100
of the pulaski county quorum court, we your committee of the agenda to whom was referred items 26i28, 26i29,

1809
02:44:56,400 --> 02:44:59,067
beg leave to report we've had the same under consideration and

1810
02:45:00,600 --> 02:45:03,467
herewith return the same with the recommendation of due pass respectfully submitted

1811
02:45:04,667 --> 02:45:06,033
curtis a. Keith, chair.

1812
02:45:14,500 --> 02:45:17,633
may 26, 2026 to the presiding officer of the pulaski county quorum

1813
02:45:18,867 --> 02:45:22,233
court, we your... Your committee of the agenda, to whom was referred items 26i, 27a, beg leave to report.

1814
02:45:25,633 --> 02:45:29,367
we've had the same under consideration and herewith return the same

1815
02:45:30,833 --> 02:45:34,600
with the recommendation of due pass as amended. Respectfully submitted, curtis a.

1816
02:45:36,067 --> 02:45:39,700
keith, chair. May 26, 2026, to the presiding officer of the

1817
02:45:40,833 --> 02:45:43,233
placid county quorum court. We, your committee of the agenda,

1818
02:45:45,500 --> 02:45:47,767
to whom was referred items. 26 I 31, 26 I 32, 26 I 33, 26 I

1819
02:45:56,367 --> 02:45:59,467
34 beg leave to report. We've had the same under consideration,

1820
02:46:00,600 --> 02:46:03,067
and herewith refer these items to the plask county planning board, plask county quorum

1821
02:46:04,667 --> 02:46:07,967
court for further consideration and recommendation. Respectfully submitted,

1822
02:46:09,367 --> 02:46:10,967
curtis a. Keith, chair.

1823
02:46:13,733 --> 02:46:16,133
thank you, madam clerk. Any unfinished business?

1824
02:46:19,800 --> 02:46:23,567
there being none, we move on to new business. Madam clerk, please read

1825
02:46:27,800 --> 02:46:31,433
for us resolution 26i35. A resolution regarding regulation of high-intensity

1826
02:46:33,333 --> 02:46:37,233
digital infrastructure facilities in unincorporated areas of

1827
02:46:38,700 --> 02:46:39,933
pulaski county. You said 32?

1828
02:46:44,667 --> 02:46:46,300
wait a minute. I'm sorry, I thought he said

1829
02:46:51,833 --> 02:46:54,433
32. Okay.

1830
02:46:58,833 --> 02:47:00,933
I've got 26i35. Is that correct?

1831
02:47:04,133 --> 02:47:06,800
we had a mix-up in the agendas in the ordinances earlier

1832
02:47:08,567 --> 02:47:11,900
today. I have it. I just was not in the order

1833
02:47:14,333 --> 02:47:17,167
of him calling it. So apparently the mixture is up too.

1834
02:47:18,933 --> 02:47:20,433
we got it all right now? Yes, I have it.

1835
02:47:23,300 --> 02:47:26,067
my apologies. So, madam clerk, now will you

1836
02:47:28,367 --> 02:47:31,933
read for us resolution 26i35? Yes, ma'am. All right. A resolution expressing the

1837
02:47:32,600 --> 02:47:35,567
willingness of pulaski county to partner with the city of maumelle and the arkansas

1838
02:47:36,867 --> 02:47:40,833
department of transportation for the following project, interstate 40, highway 365 interchange improvements and

1839
02:47:42,067 --> 02:47:44,433
highway 365 widening. Justice starr, is she recognized for the motion?

1840
02:47:50,600 --> 02:47:54,600
move. We need an option. Members, you've heard the motion, you've heard the second.

1841
02:47:56,533 --> 02:47:59,100
does anyone have any comments or questions regarding resolution 26, I-35?

1842
02:48:00,600 --> 02:48:03,733
there being none, madam clerk, please call the roll for the adoption of resolution

1843
02:48:04,967 --> 02:48:08,833
26, I-35. Ms. Davis, ms. Capps, ms.

1844
02:48:10,233 --> 02:48:13,267
lewison, ms. Blackwood, mr.

1845
02:48:15,900 --> 02:48:19,100
person, ms. Massey, ms. Curry, mr.

1846
02:48:21,400 --> 02:48:25,133
keith. Ms. Ward?

1847
02:48:26,533 --> 02:48:30,233
yes. Ms. Young-baker?

1848
02:48:33,133 --> 02:48:33,133
yes.

1849
02:48:38,267 --> 02:48:42,233
mr. Robinson? Aye. Mr. Mccoy? Mr. Stowers? I'm sorry, mr.

1850
02:48:42,767 --> 02:48:46,500
stowers, what'd you say? Mr. Elliott? Ms. Metlock? Aye.

1851
02:48:47,000 --> 02:48:47,000
14 ayes, 1 absent.

1852
02:49:24,967 --> 02:49:24,967
madam clerk, are you going

1853
02:49:29,067 --> 02:49:32,967
to give us the tally of that vote? I said 14 ayes, one absent. Well, I wasn't paying

1854
02:49:34,733 --> 02:49:37,800
attention, apparently, did I? Congratulations, justice stowers, you've passed your

1855
02:49:38,967 --> 02:49:40,933
resolution. Madam clerk, read for us now resolution 26-I-36.

1856
02:49:44,867 --> 02:49:47,300
a resolution expressing the willingness of pulaski county, partnered with the

1857
02:49:49,900 --> 02:49:53,867
arkansas department of transportation, for the following project. Perform pavement preservation work on highway 386 from

1858
02:49:55,600 --> 02:49:59,400
highway 365 to highway 834 before transferring ownership to the county.

1859
02:50:00,700 --> 02:50:04,567
justice ward, you're recognized for the motion. Move for the adoption. Second.

1860
02:50:06,333 --> 02:50:10,333
you've heard the motion, you've heard the second. Is there any comments or

1861
02:50:13,100 --> 02:50:16,767
questions regarding resolution 26i36? There being none, madam clerk, please call the roll

1862
02:50:19,167 --> 02:50:19,167
for the adoption of resolution

1863
02:50:27,233 --> 02:50:30,900
26i36. Ms. Mitlock? Aye. Mr. Elliott? Yes.

1864
02:50:31,500 --> 02:50:35,433
mr. Stowers? Yes. Mr. Mccoy? Yes. Mr. Robinson?

1865
02:50:36,067 --> 02:50:39,967
aye. Ms. Young-baker? Yes. Ms. Ward? Yes.

1866
02:50:40,567 --> 02:50:44,467
mr. Keith? Yes. Ms. Curry? Aye. Ms.

1867
02:50:45,133 --> 02:50:48,867
massey? Aye. Mr. Person? Yes. Ms. Blackwood? Aye.

1868
02:50:49,300 --> 02:50:53,033
ms. Lewison? Yes. Ms. Capps? Aye. Ms. Davis?

1869
02:50:53,600 --> 02:50:56,033
yes. 15 ayes, zero nays. Thank you, madam clerk. Justice ward, congratulations.

1870
02:50:57,633 --> 02:51:00,900
you've passed your resolution, 26i36. Madam clerk, now when you're

1871
02:51:03,200 --> 02:51:06,033
ready, read for us, please, ordinance 26i27 is amended.

1872
02:51:22,400 --> 02:51:24,667
lots of paper over here, sorry. Okay. I'm trying to make sure that I have the, okay.

1873
02:51:26,933 --> 02:51:30,767
an ordinance to establish quarterly meetings of the pulaski county planning board

1874
02:51:32,000 --> 02:51:34,533
to promote community engagement in regard to land use policies and

1875
02:51:37,533 --> 02:51:39,133
for other purposes. Justice person, you're

1876
02:51:43,767 --> 02:51:45,933
recognized for the motion. Move the motion.

1877
02:51:48,033 --> 02:51:49,567
it would tell me it's about 1030 at night.

1878
02:51:53,700 --> 02:51:57,367
how about they move to send a dupe as? No, no, move for the adoption. Move for the adoption. You've heard the motion,

1879
02:51:58,067 --> 02:51:59,167
you've heard the second, and the 10 o'clock news will be on in just a few minutes.

1880
02:52:02,967 --> 02:52:04,967
are there any questions or comments regarding ordinance 26i27 as amended?

1881
02:52:08,900 --> 02:52:12,033
I'm hitting my button. And so justice davis has broken her light too.

1882
02:52:14,133 --> 02:52:16,933
you're recognized. Thank you. I appreciate that my fellow...

1883
02:52:18,167 --> 02:52:21,633
jps wanted to have a compromise, but this is not it. It does not specify that

1884
02:52:23,033 --> 02:52:26,733
certain things have to be addressed at the quarterly meeting as opposed

1885
02:52:29,400 --> 02:52:32,667
to the other meetings. So what would prohibit the planning board

1886
02:52:34,600 --> 02:52:37,900
from saving all development, you know, what have you, for the two o'clock meeting and not

1887
02:52:38,933 --> 02:52:42,867
the 5 30. This is not the compromise. If it gets voted in, luckily, we'll have a new judge who can

1888
02:52:44,733 --> 02:52:47,800
hopefully change the time so that the community can be involved. So thank you questions wave

1889
02:52:49,033 --> 02:52:52,300
your hands curry you're right. I do want to thank the planning board for providing us

1890
02:52:54,567 --> 02:52:57,833
a detailed listing by jp district that does help us to have a better idea

1891
02:52:59,500 --> 02:53:03,500
on what's on those agendas agendas and we know that we had we didn't totally compromise but this is better than some

1892
02:53:08,367 --> 02:53:10,867
of the things we had in the past as far as informing the

1893
02:53:12,467 --> 02:53:14,033
reform court members thank you I yield any other questions yes

1894
02:53:17,033 --> 02:53:18,400
yes my light's not working someone turned off all the

1895
02:53:23,233 --> 02:53:27,000
lights I guess justice black would you recognize for a question yeah I just wanted

1896
02:53:27,667 --> 02:53:27,667
to ask um because I think erin

1897
02:53:46,967 --> 02:53:50,300
had brought this up last time and I just wanted to clarify something because he said if does he have to wait until quarterly meetings to get

1898
02:53:52,767 --> 02:53:54,400
certain things passed if he's so I was wondering how big you

1899
02:53:57,000 --> 02:53:59,267
know each infrastructure thing has to be to be put on to the

1900
02:54:02,267 --> 02:54:05,867
quarterly meetings because I just didn't know whether you know, people that are doing

1901
02:54:07,700 --> 02:54:11,567
construction, do they have to wait until the quarterly meetings to get things passed,

1902
02:54:12,867 --> 02:54:15,933
or would it be done during every meeting? Is that a question? Can anyone answer this for me?

1903
02:54:20,433 --> 02:54:23,867
I don't know if there's anybody here. So this is not the agenda meeting,

1904
02:54:25,333 --> 02:54:28,733
this is the quorum court meeting, so it's really just among us here. And I feel confident that...

1905
02:54:35,400 --> 02:54:39,400
if there's an important issue or a hot issue and someone requests that that quarterly

1906
02:54:40,833 --> 02:54:44,400
meeting be held in this month because this issue is being debated, and it's done

1907
02:54:45,833 --> 02:54:47,600
in a reasonable amount of time where people can plan

1908
02:54:50,067 --> 02:54:54,067
for the later meeting, I don't think that's going to be a big problem.

1909
02:54:55,500 --> 02:54:59,300
I think that we can work together on those things and work them out.

1910
02:55:01,733 --> 02:55:03,267
and I'll just throw this out there as a wild, wild

1911
02:55:07,567 --> 02:55:11,200
supposition, I suppose. You know, if we were in washington county or sebastian county or I think

1912
02:55:12,433 --> 02:55:16,333
jefferson county as well, we might consider, like they do, having a subcommittee of three

1913
02:55:18,100 --> 02:55:21,033
to five people who provide that oversight and input to the public works department.

1914
02:55:22,400 --> 02:55:26,400
and there might be another one that... Would provide that oversight

1915
02:55:29,000 --> 02:55:32,967
and engagement with the parks, our parks organization within public works.

1916
02:55:34,867 --> 02:55:34,867
you know, that is common, and

1917
02:55:49,500 --> 02:55:51,267
that's really where the court's power is, is in those subcommittees.

1918
02:55:54,167 --> 02:55:56,633
I wish I was in subcommittees. So I just throw that in there.

1919
02:55:58,400 --> 02:56:00,533
thank you. You know, he had mentioned that, and I had a confusion

1920
02:56:02,467 --> 02:56:06,300
on that, so I just was wanting to know. Thank you. 10 o'clock news will be on

1921
02:56:07,667 --> 02:56:11,267
in a minute. In a minute. I'm sorry. You're recognized.

1922
02:56:12,600 --> 02:56:16,133
yes, I just want to point out that in the ordinance states, quorum court believes quarterly

1923
02:56:17,300 --> 02:56:20,467
meetings held outside of normal business hours will promote community engagement regarding

1924
02:56:21,600 --> 02:56:23,400
land use matters. During our agenda meeting,

1925
02:56:25,767 --> 02:56:28,600
we made it clear that in regards to land use, the land use ordinances,

1926
02:56:29,900 --> 02:56:31,233
those meetings will be held at the quarterly meeting.

1927
02:56:42,633 --> 02:56:43,100
okay. Thank you.

1928
02:56:48,833 --> 02:56:51,467
any other questions? Madam clerk, please call the roll.

1929
02:56:53,133 --> 02:56:55,500
I have a question. Where does it say in the ordinance that only land use?

1930
02:56:58,033 --> 02:57:01,000
what we spoke about at the quarterly meetings it says it

1931
02:57:03,100 --> 02:57:06,133
can be doesn't say it has to be no yeah I did not say that I didn't say what you said I was

1932
02:57:07,767 --> 02:57:11,467
just reading the we came and spoke when planet was here that's exactly what we talked

1933
02:57:15,467 --> 02:57:15,467
about any other questions

1934
02:57:32,333 --> 02:57:34,267
madam clerk, madam clerk, please call the roll for the adoption of ordinance 26i27 as amended.

1935
02:57:37,467 --> 02:57:41,267
ms. Davis? No. Ms. Capps?

1936
02:57:42,100 --> 02:57:46,067
aye. Ms. Lewis? No. Ms. Blackwood?

1937
02:57:46,800 --> 02:57:50,067
no. Mr. Person? Aye.

1938
02:57:51,633 --> 02:57:55,233
ms. Massey? Aye. Ms. Curry? Aye.

1939
02:57:56,167 --> 02:57:59,933
mr. Keith? No. Ms. Ward? Yes.

1940
02:58:00,733 --> 02:58:04,733
ms. Young-baker? Yes. Mr. Robinson? Present.

1941
02:58:09,567 --> 02:58:13,000
mr. Mccoy? No. Mr. Stowers?

1942
02:58:14,133 --> 02:58:17,967
yes. Mr. Elliott? Yes. Medlock?

1943
02:58:18,900 --> 02:58:18,900
aye.

1944
02:58:33,400 --> 02:58:36,067
nine ayes, five nos, nays, and one present.

1945
02:58:37,933 --> 02:58:41,100
justice person, you failed to pass your 26i27 as amended. Madam clerk, now read for us

1946
02:58:42,667 --> 02:58:42,667
ordinance 26i28.

1947
02:58:57,467 --> 02:58:59,567
an ordinance amending ordinance 25or52. 2026 annual budget, pulaski

1948
02:59:01,700 --> 02:59:04,300
county, arkansas to appropriate road and bridge funds for various projects.

1949
02:59:11,633 --> 02:59:15,067
justice stowers, you're recognized for the motion. Move for the adoption. Aye.

1950
02:59:16,800 --> 02:59:20,000
members, you've heard the motion. You've heard the second. Are there questions or comments

1951
02:59:21,133 --> 02:59:22,333
regarding 26i28? Questions. Justice ward, you're

1952
02:59:35,200 --> 02:59:38,733
recognized. Yes, my question is basically I was a... I had a question as far as

1953
02:59:41,500 --> 02:59:45,267
these listed projects. Are these all the projects that are going

1954
02:59:46,500 --> 02:59:50,433
to be that the monies are going to be appropriated for the nine projects that's on here?

1955
02:59:51,500 --> 02:59:53,467
I'll take that. No, there's several smaller

1956
02:59:56,567 --> 02:59:56,567
projects like the improvements

1957
03:00:06,933 --> 03:00:10,567
that we discussed at college station elementary school. Okay, because I got beat up by

1958
03:00:13,033 --> 03:00:16,433
my constituents because I voted no and I didn't see college station on here.

1959
03:00:18,667 --> 03:00:20,900
so now it's going to be thrown in there.

1960
03:00:22,767 --> 03:00:25,400
so no, it's not now. It's the, what you're doing is appropriating.

1961
03:00:26,900 --> 03:00:29,100
you're really not voting on each project, just like in the budget year.

1962
03:00:31,400 --> 03:00:34,533
you won't vote on each project. Project selection is

1963
03:00:35,867 --> 03:00:37,900
at the authority of the county judge.

1964
03:00:42,233 --> 03:00:45,667
the transportation is a special area where the county judge is

1965
03:00:47,467 --> 03:00:50,333
given the authority to make those decisions and projects. So because these didn't get

1966
03:00:54,533 --> 03:00:57,900
appropriated in the budget season last year is why we're providing that general explanation

1967
03:01:02,733 --> 03:01:05,667
of what the projects are. Okay, so this wording means nothing, that the quorum court

1968
03:01:07,467 --> 03:01:09,433
acknowledges that the following projects will be funded upon adoption of this ordinance,

1969
03:01:11,600 --> 03:01:13,733
and it only has nine items. So we're saying that we're

1970
03:01:16,700 --> 03:01:20,067
going to throw in some small projects. I'm saying that it also

1971
03:01:21,533 --> 03:01:24,567
includes other projects as well.

1972
03:01:25,833 --> 03:01:28,267
okay, well, like I said, I got beat up because... I didn't know that college

1973
03:01:31,400 --> 03:01:35,067
station, I didn't see college station, that's why I didn't vote for it.

1974
03:01:37,867 --> 03:01:41,633
well, I'm college station, it's clear that it's on there now and I hope that you'll vote for it. Okay.

1975
03:01:42,333 --> 03:01:42,333
any other questions?

1976
03:01:47,467 --> 03:01:49,300
madam clerk, please call the roll on the adoption of ordinance 26i28.

1977
03:01:52,200 --> 03:01:55,633
ms. Metlock? Aye. Mr. Elliott? Yes. Mr.

1978
03:01:56,267 --> 03:01:59,833
stowers? Yes. Mr. Mccoy? Yes. Mr.

1979
03:02:00,567 --> 03:02:04,367
robinson? Aye. Ms. Young-baker? Yes. Ms. Ward?

1980
03:02:04,900 --> 03:02:08,267
I mean, yes. Mr. Keith? Yes. Ms.

1981
03:02:09,033 --> 03:02:12,800
curry? Aye. Ms. Massey? Aye.

1982
03:02:13,667 --> 03:02:16,800
mr. Person? Yes. Ms.

1983
03:02:17,833 --> 03:02:19,633
blackwood? No. Yes.

1984
03:02:25,200 --> 03:02:28,867
capps? Aye. Ms. Davis? No. 13 ayes, 2 nays.

1985
03:02:29,367 --> 03:02:31,867
thank you, madam clerk. Justice stowers? You passed your ordinance 26 I

1986
03:02:34,000 --> 03:02:34,000
29.

1987
03:02:38,367 --> 03:02:41,533
that was 28. I'm sorry, I jumped two. I'm sorry.

1988
03:02:45,367 --> 03:02:48,833
you did pass 28, and madam clerk, now read for us, please. 26 I 29.

1989
03:02:49,833 --> 03:02:52,467
an ordinance amending ordinance 17or-12, pulaski

1990
03:02:54,833 --> 03:02:58,767
county personnel policy, as amended to make technical corrections. In accordance with act 848 of

1991
03:02:59,800 --> 03:03:01,033
2025 to comply with the recommendations

1992
03:03:04,833 --> 03:03:08,200
of the arkansas association of counties.

1993
03:03:13,500 --> 03:03:15,467
justice stowers, you're recognized for the motion. Move for the adoption. Second.

1994
03:03:17,900 --> 03:03:21,367
members, you've heard the motion, you've heard the second. Are there any questions or comments regarding ordinance 26i29?

1995
03:03:27,200 --> 03:03:29,167
there being none, madam clerk, please call the roll for the adoption. Of ordinance 26 I-29 miss davis

1996
03:03:32,600 --> 03:03:32,600
yes uh stand by madam clerk mr

1997
03:03:41,633 --> 03:03:44,567
chairman this is this is a regular ordinance it's not an

1998
03:03:47,367 --> 03:03:49,767
emergency ordinance so this is just first reading okay well thanks

1999
03:03:53,067 --> 03:03:55,933
for letting me know that in advance so the ordinance is placed on first reading and

2000
03:04:02,900 --> 03:04:05,700
that moves us to the late filing. I will recognize the motion

2001
03:04:08,200 --> 03:04:11,667
to suspend. The rules to hear a late filing.

2002
03:04:12,533 --> 03:04:14,667
make a motion to suspend the rules. Second. You've heard the motion,

2003
03:04:16,667 --> 03:04:19,500
you've heard the second. This is a non-debatable motion, I believe.

2004
03:04:21,967 --> 03:04:25,267
so, madam clerk, please call the roll on the motion that's on the floor now to suspend the rules

2005
03:04:26,933 --> 03:04:30,000
for a late filing. Ms.

2006
03:04:31,367 --> 03:04:35,333
davis. Yes. Ms. Capps.

2007
03:04:36,200 --> 03:04:38,467
aye. Ms. Blackwood. Yes.

2008
03:04:40,333 --> 03:04:44,167
mr. Person. Yes. Ms. Massey.

2009
03:04:45,000 --> 03:04:48,500
aye. Ms. Curry. Aye. Mr. Keith.

2010
03:04:49,200 --> 03:04:52,933
yes. Ms. Ward. Yes. Ms. Young-baker. Yes.

2011
03:04:53,700 --> 03:04:56,167
mr. Robinson. Present. Mr. Mccoy.

2012
03:04:57,800 --> 03:04:59,733
yes. Mr.

2013
03:05:02,333 --> 03:05:05,933
stowers. No. Mr. Elliott.

2014
03:05:06,833 --> 03:05:08,800
no. Ms. Medlock.

2015
03:05:16,667 --> 03:05:20,033
12 ayes, 1 present, 2 nays. The motion to suspend the rules is passed.

2016
03:05:22,800 --> 03:05:22,800
madam clerk, please read

2017
03:05:29,067 --> 03:05:29,067
for us ordinance 26i37.

2018
03:05:35,033 --> 03:05:37,900
an ordinance imposing a temporary moratorium

2019
03:05:46,000 --> 03:05:49,900
on the acceptance, processing, and approval of applications for development, construction,

2020
03:05:51,933 --> 03:05:54,633
or siting of data centers within the unincorporated areas of pulaski county.

2021
03:05:55,967 --> 03:05:59,967
justice davis, you're recognized for the motion. I move for the adoption.

2022
03:06:01,400 --> 03:06:01,400
you've heard the,

2023
03:06:06,067 --> 03:06:06,067
did I get a second there?

2024
03:06:11,033 --> 03:06:13,867
second. You've heard the motion, you've heard the second.

2025
03:06:15,667 --> 03:06:16,767
are there comments or questions regarding 26i37?

2026
03:06:35,933 --> 03:06:39,133
curry. Justice curry, you're recognized for a question. Yes, thank you.

2027
03:06:40,367 --> 03:06:42,800
I would like for our attorney to come forth and share a letter that we've got

2028
03:06:46,800 --> 03:06:49,033
from the attorney general on an opinion. Yes, ma'am.

2029
03:06:51,300 --> 03:06:54,867
would you come forth and share that? I've provided a copy of it to each member of the court.

2030
03:06:57,800 --> 03:07:01,000
each member. Thank you. So what I want to clarify, in this particular opinion,

2031
03:07:03,167 --> 03:07:04,433
it states distinctly on a question that was asked back

2032
03:07:12,500 --> 03:07:12,500
in november of 23, if a city or

2033
03:07:17,767 --> 03:07:20,800
county does not have a digital assets mining operation functioning

2034
03:07:21,967 --> 03:07:25,500
in their city or county, can they prevent permitting or building of a digital asset

2035
03:07:26,933 --> 03:07:30,467
mining operation through ordinances? It distinctly says no, a city

2036
03:07:32,300 --> 03:07:35,033
or county cannot prevent a new digital asset mining. Operation through an ordinance

2037
03:07:36,333 --> 03:07:40,333
that bans digital asset mining. Because cities and counties have only the power given to them by the constitution or

2038
03:07:57,300 --> 03:07:58,300
statute, local ordinances that conflict with state law are invalid.

2039
03:08:01,700 --> 03:08:04,933
that's correct. Just wanted to make sure. That's your friends in the big

2040
03:08:06,233 --> 03:08:08,633
building respecting local. Well, yeah, local author.

2041
03:08:10,367 --> 03:08:13,367
you recognize her question? Yes. Well, I know that says

2042
03:08:15,067 --> 03:08:18,833
preventing. Let me correct the record. Justice blackwood, you recognize for the question.

2043
03:08:19,833 --> 03:08:23,633
that says preventing, right? I'm sorry? That what he stated was what

2044
03:08:25,500 --> 03:08:27,233
she quoted from tim griffin. That municipal governments,

2045
03:08:29,833 --> 03:08:31,900
county government, they cannot prevent. Right, right.

2046
03:08:36,133 --> 03:08:38,167
what this is, is a moratorium. This is just to get it out

2047
03:08:41,200 --> 03:08:44,400
to the public, to get them to look at it, to get them. It's not a prevention.

2048
03:08:45,733 --> 03:08:47,967
it's not against having the data center.

2049
03:08:49,800 --> 03:08:53,167
it's just a moratorium. You have a far greater

2050
03:08:54,200 --> 03:08:56,800
appreciation to the word moratorium than I appear to

2051
03:09:00,533 --> 03:09:01,900
have. I think that a moratorium is

2052
03:09:06,300 --> 03:09:09,100
putting a stop to something. Well, we put a 12-month limit on it, so it wasn't a stop.

2053
03:09:13,300 --> 03:09:13,300
we have a 12-month limit

2054
03:09:17,600 --> 03:09:17,600
on here.

2055
03:09:25,100 --> 03:09:28,967
so that is not a stop and that's not a prevention. Can you tell me if that's a prevention by saying a 12-month limit? I think you're going to get sued if you pass it. And do you think, I mean,

2056
03:09:29,633 --> 03:09:33,133
that's your opinion, correct? Yes, ma'am. Okay, and but can we, okay, okay, I yield. But we're not putting a stop to this.

2057
03:09:34,100 --> 03:09:35,933
we are just putting a moratorium on it.

2058
03:09:45,800 --> 03:09:49,567
mr. Stowers, you had a question. Thank you, sir. My understanding was that there was an amendment tonight. Is that on the table? I didn't see it when I arrived

2059
03:09:50,433 --> 03:09:53,467
here. It's here. It's here on my desk. Okay.

2060
03:09:54,900 --> 03:09:55,733
I would like to make a motion, well, a

2061
03:10:00,133 --> 03:10:02,867
substitute motion that we adopt the amendment to this item.

2062
03:10:04,767 --> 03:10:08,333
second. And I can expand more

2063
03:10:13,100 --> 03:10:15,900
on that if needed. Just hang on. So I think, mr.

2064
03:10:17,400 --> 03:10:21,100
parliamentarian, there's nothing wrong with a motion to amend during debate. Actually, it's customary.

2065
03:10:24,600 --> 03:10:28,400
so you've heard the motion. You've heard the second.

2066
03:10:29,767 --> 03:10:29,767
mr.

2067
03:10:37,000 --> 03:10:40,200
tote. Does madam clerk have a copy

2068
03:10:41,633 --> 03:10:43,667
of that amendment? Madam clerk, will you please

2069
03:10:46,500 --> 03:10:46,500
read the amendment for us?

2070
03:10:51,000 --> 03:10:51,000
certainly.

2071
03:10:58,800 --> 03:11:01,967
an ordinance imposing a temporary moratorium on the acceptance, processing, approval of applications

2072
03:11:05,333 --> 03:11:08,933
for the development, construction, or siting of data centers within the unincorporated. Areas of plac county this looks

2073
03:11:12,533 --> 03:11:12,533
like the same thing I just read

2074
03:11:30,400 --> 03:11:33,967
you get underline. They have underlined language on the sheet you have madam clerk. Yes, so that's the that's the

2075
03:11:35,433 --> 03:11:36,367
memory they want you to read this is grandfathering.

2076
03:11:41,300 --> 03:11:44,600
article 8. Grandfathering the ordinance

2077
03:11:45,600 --> 03:11:48,833
shall not apply to projects that have exceeded binding utility interconnection agreements,

2078
03:11:51,167 --> 03:11:54,533
or have received final county approvals, or have submitted complete interconnection

2079
03:11:55,600 --> 03:11:59,000
application and received preliminary utility study acceptance prior

2080
03:12:00,300 --> 03:12:02,733
to the effective date of this ordinance. Judge, do I stop the floor,

2081
03:12:07,567 --> 03:12:08,333
sir? So we have a motion, we have a

2082
03:12:13,667 --> 03:12:16,667
second, and we have the amendment has been read. I think I'm halfway on track

2083
03:12:19,667 --> 03:12:23,067
on this. Are there any questions or

2084
03:12:24,533 --> 03:12:27,433
discussion on the amendment? I have a question. Point of order, yes, ma'am?

2085
03:12:31,167 --> 03:12:34,933
you said, are there any questions? I said I had a question. Oh, okay. Would you pull your mic up?

2086
03:12:35,867 --> 03:12:39,833
you're soft-spoken and I'm really hard of hearing. Yes, so I read the amendment. It's already

2087
03:12:41,533 --> 03:12:44,167
in the ordinance. So why are we having an amended?

2088
03:12:46,133 --> 03:12:47,333
because it's like on the page. It's word for word already

2089
03:12:50,967 --> 03:12:54,300
in the ordinance. So what is being added? It's the same thing that's

2090
03:12:55,100 --> 03:12:56,533
already in there. It's on the, well.

2091
03:13:02,367 --> 03:13:04,633
if it's already in there. Judge, after you recognize me, do I still have the opportunity

2092
03:13:19,067 --> 03:13:22,367
to speak? I just said you recognize me. Thank you, sir. Thank you. So, this is to grandfather

2093
03:13:27,600 --> 03:13:30,067
wren, the project that has already been in the pipeline

2094
03:13:32,300 --> 03:13:34,333
for two and a half to three years. I can only speak for myself.

2095
03:13:37,300 --> 03:13:37,300
I can support the one-year

2096
03:13:41,400 --> 03:13:44,567
moratorium if we grandfather in avio, and I know I butchered

2097
03:13:47,767 --> 03:13:50,700
your name as a company, but if we could grandfather

2098
03:13:53,500 --> 03:13:57,333
them in what this ordinance, excuse me, this amendment is, what it would do,

2099
03:13:58,500 --> 03:14:00,200
that would allow us to us time then

2100
03:14:06,900 --> 03:14:09,733
to put a moratorium on any new developments of data centers over the next

2101
03:14:12,367 --> 03:14:13,667
12 months. I think that something we need

2102
03:14:17,933 --> 03:14:21,300
to keep in mind was, and those of you who have been around this community for a long time are aware

2103
03:14:23,267 --> 03:14:27,033
of this, in 1973, fred smith in pulaski county

2104
03:14:30,733 --> 03:14:32,800
in the city a little rock place fedex corporation in little

2105
03:14:34,933 --> 03:14:38,700
rock. Using a lot of the same arguments we've heard here

2106
03:14:41,167 --> 03:14:45,167
tonight related to impact on utilities and infrastructure, the community rejected fedex.

2107
03:14:47,300 --> 03:14:50,200
and fred smith took fedex to memphis, where it remains the largest private employer in

2108
03:14:56,900 --> 03:15:00,433
shelby county. This is a

2109
03:15:01,600 --> 03:15:05,533
once-in-a-generational economic development opportunity, and I fear we're going to cut

2110
03:15:07,800 --> 03:15:08,933
off our nose to spite our face, just

2111
03:15:12,267 --> 03:15:15,433
like we did with fedex. So here's what could happen, a couple of things.

2112
03:15:16,700 --> 03:15:20,433
one is... The company that's already

2113
03:15:23,533 --> 03:15:26,867
invested millions of dollars, already invested millions of dollars, avo,

2114
03:15:28,800 --> 03:15:28,800
into their project, could come

2115
03:15:33,000 --> 03:15:34,533
after us as a county for financial liability.

2116
03:15:40,400 --> 03:15:43,100
it's also patently unfair. The company that's been

2117
03:15:46,200 --> 03:15:49,933
in the pipeline for two and a half to three years. And have been through the process, they've crossed their t's, they've crossed their I's

2118
03:15:50,867 --> 03:15:52,467
with our planning department, with the public service

2119
03:15:57,667 --> 03:16:00,500
commission, and yet to say, hey, we're asking you

2120
03:16:05,400 --> 03:16:09,133
to put a 12-month hold on your project. Well, here's what's going to happen.

2121
03:16:09,900 --> 03:16:12,733
I'm going to sue our butts off. And number two, if I'm them, what I'm going to do is I'm going

2122
03:16:15,267 --> 03:16:18,367
to pull my project and take it to lono county, where they can get water off the river.

2123
03:16:20,333 --> 03:16:20,333
or wherever they decide

2124
03:16:29,267 --> 03:16:29,267
to go.

2125
03:16:37,100 --> 03:16:37,100
number two, to that regard,

2126
03:16:41,233 --> 03:16:44,800
is that pulaski county would be blacklisted by anything to do with what is the future, no

2127
03:16:45,533 --> 03:16:49,533
doubt, based on the stock market, based on everything else that we see in the news. The future is ai.

2128
03:16:50,767 --> 03:16:54,000
future is data centers and I'm sorry I have the floor and what we will be doing is cutting us off our nose to spite our face because every other company that looks at pulaski county like fred smith did in 1973 and

2129
03:17:09,200 --> 03:17:13,200
was told to go elsewhere they will go elsewhere in other counties in their school districts,

2130
03:17:14,400 --> 03:17:17,833
other counties. And their school districts and their local governments will

2131
03:17:19,267 --> 03:17:23,033
benefit from the employment and

2132
03:17:23,767 --> 03:17:25,833
from the economic development of these projects.

2133
03:17:27,933 --> 03:17:27,933
so that's why I'm proposing

2134
03:17:32,067 --> 03:17:34,167
this amendment this evening as a compromise, as something that is a bridge.

2135
03:17:36,233 --> 03:17:36,233
avion, avo, however you say it,

2136
03:17:41,500 --> 03:17:44,667
they've been through the process. I think we need to grandfather

2137
03:17:45,700 --> 03:17:49,467
them in with the amendment and then we need to pass the ordinance as amendment as amended two data centers here

2138
03:17:50,633 --> 03:17:53,367
in pulaski county one in little rock at the port google and then the avo project down

2139
03:17:54,867 --> 03:17:58,600
on the south part of the county that will give us 12 months that will give planning and zoning plenty

2140
03:17:59,867 --> 03:18:03,200
of time to come up with rules regulations to guide us forward. And so that is the purpose

2141
03:18:04,733 --> 03:18:08,267
of submitting the amendment. It is a compromise. I'm trying to bring us together

2142
03:18:09,467 --> 03:18:12,000
to where we can say, hey, we're going to stop any new development

2143
03:18:34,233 --> 03:18:38,167
of data centers, but for those that are already in process. And by the way, my understanding is,

2144
03:18:39,300 --> 03:18:42,467
and somebody can correct me, but my understanding is even though mayor scott has come forward with some rules and

2145
03:18:43,833 --> 03:18:46,467
regulations, ordinances, resolutions, that the google data center at the port would

2146
03:18:48,067 --> 03:18:51,867
be grandfathered in. So all I'm asking on behalf of this company that has spent a heck of a lot of time,

2147
03:18:53,500 --> 03:18:57,267
they've spent a heck of a lot of money to invest

2148
03:18:58,500 --> 03:18:58,500
in this community,

2149
03:19:02,667 --> 03:19:02,667
all I'm asking...

2150
03:19:07,533 --> 03:19:07,533
is that we don't cut them,

2151
03:19:17,200 --> 03:19:20,033
cut their knees out from underneath them. I yield you.

2152
03:19:23,433 --> 03:19:26,900
thank you. Any other questions on the amendment or can we get

2153
03:19:27,633 --> 03:19:31,600
to the vote? Being none, madam clerk, please call the roll on the adoption

2154
03:19:34,667 --> 03:19:38,200
of the amendment for ordinance 26. 6i 37 yeah I still got that

2155
03:19:39,367 --> 03:19:42,200
miss davis no I mean this caps no miss lewison no ms. Blackwood?

2156
03:19:43,800 --> 03:19:45,267
no. Mr.

2157
03:19:48,233 --> 03:19:48,233
person?

2158
03:20:03,067 --> 03:20:05,033
the person. I have questions, but present.

2159
03:20:11,333 --> 03:20:14,633
no. Ms. Curry?

2160
03:20:15,433 --> 03:20:19,167
aye. Mr. Keith? Yes. Ms.

2161
03:20:19,833 --> 03:20:22,000
ward? No. Ms.

2162
03:20:24,800 --> 03:20:24,800
youngbaker?

2163
03:20:30,167 --> 03:20:33,500
mr. Robinson? Aye.

2164
03:20:35,233 --> 03:20:38,833
mr. Mccoy? Yes. Mr. Stowers? Yes.

2165
03:20:39,933 --> 03:20:42,800
mr. Elliott? Yes.

2166
03:20:44,033 --> 03:20:47,400
ms. Medlock? Aye.

2167
03:20:57,000 --> 03:21:00,067
eight ayes. Six nays, one present. So the amendment

2168
03:21:03,900 --> 03:21:07,700
to the ordinance is passed. It takes eight votes, a majority, to pass the amendment.

2169
03:21:09,533 --> 03:21:12,567
now we're back to discussion or debate on the ordinance as amended.

2170
03:21:13,767 --> 03:21:15,267
is everybody clear on that? Clear as mud.

2171
03:21:30,000 --> 03:21:32,333
I said, so we have passed the amendment, and the amendment is now part

2172
03:21:36,933 --> 03:21:40,767
of the ordinance. It's now the ordinance as

2173
03:21:41,633 --> 03:21:43,967
amended. Correct. And so now we are back at discussion

2174
03:21:45,900 --> 03:21:49,333
of the ordinance, but it's as amended. You're recognized, mr. Person.

2175
03:21:51,467 --> 03:21:54,800
mr. Attorney, county attorney, question.

2176
03:21:56,000 --> 03:21:59,333
given state law, how much teeth does this really have? What is it actually doing?

2177
03:22:11,533 --> 03:22:14,733
well, I think the moratorium would prohibit any additional data centers for that 12-month period.

2178
03:22:15,833 --> 03:22:18,367
but I think the grandfather clause, the intent is that if it's already started,

2179
03:22:20,433 --> 03:22:23,500
it wouldn't be subject to the moratorium. I don't think it cures the

2180
03:22:24,500 --> 03:22:27,400
problem that I have with this particular legislation, but I think it certainly helps.

2181
03:22:28,767 --> 03:22:31,967
got it. That's all I need to know. Thank you.

2182
03:22:33,233 --> 03:22:34,333
justice blackwood, you're recognized.

2183
03:22:45,267 --> 03:22:48,300
yes, and since you said that moratorium means to stop or ban, since that was your opinion,

2184
03:22:49,567 --> 03:22:53,333
so you think that even now with the... Amendment added to it that means we're going to ban all

2185
03:22:55,033 --> 03:22:58,167
data centers and uh and specifically the the two that are already ongoing being

2186
03:22:59,800 --> 03:23:02,733
grandfathered in it would apply to new additional data centers when I

2187
03:23:04,300 --> 03:23:07,000
asked you a minute ago about about the moratorium you said that means to ban it did not

2188
03:23:09,500 --> 03:23:13,133
you said we had very different views on what moratorium meant and you said it meant to ban

2189
03:23:14,467 --> 03:23:14,467
so now that we've got this new

2190
03:23:19,133 --> 03:23:21,300
one listed, why would that not consider us banning all? It would be

2191
03:23:43,633 --> 03:23:47,100
for new projects. You would be stopping new projects. Right, but for 12 months,

2192
03:23:48,567 --> 03:23:51,600
right? For 12 months, it's a

2193
03:23:53,067 --> 03:23:57,067
temporary. Correct. Correct, okay.

2194
03:23:58,467 --> 03:23:59,833
that's where I wanted to get. Get it because because you were

2195
03:24:02,900 --> 03:24:06,233
stating that it meant to ban last time like it meant to ban completely all all data

2196
03:24:07,833 --> 03:24:11,767
centers and that's not what we were doing at all we were just having a more so I was trying

2197
03:24:13,867 --> 03:24:15,100
to get the correct how what you were saying thank you uh

2198
03:24:22,267 --> 03:24:24,167
non-working life that wants to speak curry you're right

2199
03:24:29,267 --> 03:24:29,267
attorney, I want to ask, even

2200
03:24:40,100 --> 03:24:42,333
though we have the amendment with the added to not try

2201
03:24:47,233 --> 03:24:48,700
to stop, not to stop the already applicants that are

2202
03:24:51,400 --> 03:24:51,400
in process,

2203
03:24:55,633 --> 03:24:59,500
where would we stand? With stating in the state law that we don't have the

2204
03:25:01,700 --> 03:25:04,800
jurisdiction. I don't believe you do, ma'am.

2205
03:25:07,567 --> 03:25:09,233
I believe that arkansas... Based on...

2206
03:25:11,667 --> 03:25:15,533
I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm trying to understand that.

2207
03:25:18,467 --> 03:25:21,800
I believe that arkansas law provides, as the ag identified

2208
03:25:23,967 --> 03:25:23,967
in that opinion that you quoted

2209
03:25:29,133 --> 03:25:32,600
earlier, that you lack the authority to regulate data centers. In the way that you're proposing to do so

2210
03:25:33,233 --> 03:25:36,633
in this legislation. Thank you. How about you?

2211
03:25:41,633 --> 03:25:43,900
justice ward, you're recognized. Okay.

2212
03:25:45,867 --> 03:25:48,967
so what we have, it says you have requested my opinion.

2213
03:25:51,600 --> 03:25:51,600
so this is an opinion,

2214
03:25:55,767 --> 03:25:55,767
right?

2215
03:26:00,367 --> 03:26:01,467
that is correct. This is the state of

2216
03:26:22,733 --> 03:26:25,300
arkansas. His opinion. Justice robinson is recognized for a comment. Thank you, judge.

2217
03:26:27,400 --> 03:26:30,000
so I guess my question is, is the hang-up in, I've got to find it again, I'm sorry.

2218
03:26:34,333 --> 03:26:36,200
is the hang-up like article 3? Because article 3 gives, I

2219
03:26:40,667 --> 03:26:43,100
guess, this body the power, I guess, to extend it.

2220
03:26:46,800 --> 03:26:49,633
we can repeal it. But, I mean, if you extend 12

2221
03:26:51,700 --> 03:26:54,233
months, another 12 months, or another 24 months, or another 12 months, is that,

2222
03:26:55,733 --> 03:26:58,200
I mean, in your legal advice, which I'm not an attorney,

2223
03:27:02,367 --> 03:27:04,267
I'm not going to pretend to be one, is that the holdup

2224
03:27:08,000 --> 03:27:11,700
is the ability to keep extending this? I'm not sure.

2225
03:27:13,733 --> 03:27:17,167
I understand. I don't think that's what the problem is.

2226
03:27:18,700 --> 03:27:20,067
what the data center or so the article 23, the two laws that

2227
03:27:23,967 --> 03:27:27,267
are at issue in this are the arkansas data centers act of 2023 and then a 2024

2228
03:27:29,667 --> 03:27:33,433
legislation called the digital asset mining businesses.

2229
03:27:35,067 --> 03:27:38,733
and it specifically in both laws permits the construction of data centers in arkansas.

2230
03:27:40,267 --> 03:27:43,933
all and while you can regulate them what you can't do, as the ag says

2231
03:27:45,967 --> 03:27:45,967
in the opinion,

2232
03:27:55,267 --> 03:27:58,067
is ban them altogether. And I think that's what the moratorium do.

2233
03:28:01,000 --> 03:28:04,600
and it's why I'm concerned that we'd end up in litigation. So would it be?

2234
03:28:05,800 --> 03:28:07,733
more advantageous if we change article 3 to where we didn't

2235
03:28:28,700 --> 03:28:31,600
have the ability to extend it another 12 months to where it really would be

2236
03:28:33,133 --> 03:28:35,633
just a set amount of time to give the planning department

2237
03:28:37,367 --> 03:28:41,067
their ability to come up with said regulations, which I think this is all they're

2238
03:28:43,533 --> 03:28:46,933
trying to do. I don't want to speak for them, but trying to come up with some type of regulations,

2239
03:28:47,867 --> 03:28:51,067
which we've already given them 90 days. I don't think article 3 is the

2240
03:28:52,233 --> 03:28:54,967
issue. Okay. All right.

2241
03:28:56,533 --> 03:28:59,900
thank you, iu. Let me step in here. This is the county attorney.

2242
03:29:01,833 --> 03:29:05,833
he is legally obligated to give you his advice on an issue that he thinks may create a legal problem or doesn't create a legal problem.

2243
03:29:07,133 --> 03:29:09,300
arguing with him to get him to change his mind,

2244
03:29:11,333 --> 03:29:13,200
it doesn't go anywhere. It's the county attorney's

2245
03:29:15,433 --> 03:29:15,433
legal opinion,

2246
03:29:19,933 --> 03:29:23,067
and he's giving it to you. It's up to you whether you follow your attorney's opinion or you don't, just like

2247
03:29:24,400 --> 03:29:27,267
in any other engagement with an attorney. Justice davis, you have

2248
03:29:28,433 --> 03:29:31,000
something? Yes, sir.

2249
03:29:32,667 --> 03:29:36,267
I'm a little worried when the county attorney thinks that this moratorium is a ban.

2250
03:29:38,233 --> 03:29:40,733
it's not a ban. It's just a pause to say, hey, get the regulations.

2251
03:29:42,800 --> 03:29:46,233
and so I'm a little worried when we criticize, you know, he's just doing his job.

2252
03:29:47,267 --> 03:29:50,233
that's what I'm trying to explain to you. If you don't agree

2253
03:29:52,267 --> 03:29:55,133
with that opinion, then don't take the advice and vote however you'd like to vote.

2254
03:29:56,933 --> 03:29:58,033
but he is obligated as the county attorney.

2255
03:30:01,500 --> 03:30:03,867
he is, in fact, your attorney.

2256
03:30:07,000 --> 03:30:10,333
and he's offering you his opinion, which he's obligated to do, and now you're obligated to either take it or ignore it and go about what you're going

2257
03:30:11,233 --> 03:30:11,833
to do. Does that make sense?

2258
03:30:15,800 --> 03:30:19,333
if mine wasn't a question for you, it was more of like a statement to the other jpcr voting that moratorium wasn't a ban,

2259
03:30:20,400 --> 03:30:22,967
it was just a pause. So that was all my yield. Thank you.

2260
03:30:24,533 --> 03:30:25,800
justice baker young. Young baker.

2261
03:30:44,167 --> 03:30:46,567
the attorney general's. Opinion. Your advice to us is that this

2262
03:30:48,267 --> 03:30:50,867
ordinance is basically not appropriate for us to pass because it goes

2263
03:30:54,633 --> 03:30:58,367
against what the attorney general is saying that in arkansas law yes I yield. Justice medlock.

2264
03:30:59,600 --> 03:31:02,500
that goes along with my question um the way that it is I'm having a hard time hearing

2265
03:31:04,100 --> 03:31:07,700
with all the comments that are coming from thank you so the way that it is written we don't

2266
03:31:09,267 --> 03:31:12,600
have the power to do that, basically. Okay, thank you, I yield.

2267
03:31:14,167 --> 03:31:17,200
and so I'll ask. We're probably going to miss the news tonight altogether.

2268
03:31:19,367 --> 03:31:22,600
so please, if you have a conversation to be had, sit out

2269
03:31:55,233 --> 03:31:58,867
in the hallway and have it. There's enough distraction and confusion and tired people. So please respect.

2270
03:32:00,767 --> 03:32:00,767
the process and remain quiet.

2271
03:32:08,500 --> 03:32:11,933
justice, you're recognized. Mr.

2272
03:32:13,700 --> 03:32:16,633
kemp, who do you believe is the regulating body regarding this issue?

2273
03:32:19,167 --> 03:32:23,167
if it's not us, who then? The arkansas oil and gas commission. That's who issues the permit as

2274
03:32:24,300 --> 03:32:27,300
provided in the code sections. So the authorization comes

2275
03:32:28,600 --> 03:32:31,400
from the oil and gas commission and that's who

2276
03:32:33,133 --> 03:32:35,900
issues the permit. Okay, I yield. Thank you.

2277
03:32:38,267 --> 03:32:38,267
justice capps, you're

2278
03:32:42,367 --> 03:32:45,633
recognized. Thank you. So I have concerns

2279
03:32:47,233 --> 03:32:50,233
about the legality and voting for something that is not legal.

2280
03:32:51,433 --> 03:32:55,100
I fully supported the moratorium. It feels like a good solution,

2281
03:32:57,033 --> 03:33:00,400
but I'm now concerned if it's considered illegal. I think we've had a good conversation tonight

2282
03:33:01,367 --> 03:33:04,333
about hearing from the different entities. I appreciate their input on

2283
03:33:05,633 --> 03:33:07,300
whatever their internal regulation, and I would like to

2284
03:33:11,400 --> 03:33:13,633
think that this body is still really committed to try and push some external regulation

2285
03:33:16,800 --> 03:33:19,800
through ordinances and things like that, as is in our purview,

2286
03:33:22,667 --> 03:33:25,033
as well as land use passage. So I just,

2287
03:33:27,200 --> 03:33:30,333
I've. I'm very concerned about this. I want to address these.

2288
03:33:32,067 --> 03:33:35,367
I think there's a lot of mistrust between data centers and the community and

2289
03:33:36,900 --> 03:33:40,000
having some regulatory issues in place so that it's not just them regulating themselves,

2290
03:33:41,267 --> 03:33:45,167
but in fact there's a backstop. It's an important step, but I am similarly concerned

2291
03:33:48,067 --> 03:33:51,400
about something being legal. So I just want to put it out there that I think,

2292
03:33:52,333 --> 03:33:54,600
at least from my perspective, I think a lot on these bodies. Remains very concerned

2293
03:33:56,933 --> 03:33:56,933
about addressing this issue.

2294
03:34:05,067 --> 03:34:05,767
anyone else want to take a bite at this apple?

2295
03:34:09,167 --> 03:34:12,500
I have one more. Justice bedlock, you're

2296
03:34:13,200 --> 03:34:13,667
recognized. So if with it amended,

2297
03:34:19,267 --> 03:34:22,733
we're grandfathering what's in place. So going forward. We are simply saying we need

2298
03:34:27,633 --> 03:34:30,933
regulations in place, correct? And those regulations,

2299
03:34:33,400 --> 03:34:33,400
we're giving the planning board

2300
03:34:44,600 --> 03:34:47,733
12 months to define those particular regulations. Am I understanding that correctly? You're thinking about it the

2301
03:34:49,033 --> 03:34:52,767
wrong way. I think it's partly accurate,

2302
03:34:54,167 --> 03:34:57,700
but it's also true to say that you're... Stopping any new data center or

2303
03:34:59,633 --> 03:35:01,200
digital asset. Well, okay, so I'm sorry,

2304
03:35:03,667 --> 03:35:07,333
I don't mean to interrupt, but if I'm understanding, not necessarily, it's just saying they have

2305
03:35:09,833 --> 03:35:12,467
to go through the regulations that are put into place in the next 12 months.

2306
03:35:16,400 --> 03:35:18,033
I don't think that's right. For 12 months, you will not have a new one.

2307
03:35:20,467 --> 03:35:24,167
there isn't going to be a process. But you're correct, ma'am, that

2308
03:35:27,367 --> 03:35:31,333
you would have grandfathered in those projects that have already started.

2309
03:35:32,267 --> 03:35:32,267
okay, I yield.

2310
03:35:38,833 --> 03:35:42,633
justice stowers, you're recognized for... Judge, I'll be brief, sir. It doesn't matter at this point.

2311
03:35:44,767 --> 03:35:45,667
I will be very brief. So we sent...

2312
03:35:52,100 --> 03:35:55,700
I believe it was two resolutions and two ordinances back to planning at our agenda meeting

2313
03:35:57,233 --> 03:36:01,000
for study and consideration, and we asked them to turn around recommendations within

2314
03:36:03,733 --> 03:36:07,500
90 days. Is that correct? Yes, sir. And so the moratorium's

2315
03:36:09,233 --> 03:36:11,400
for a year. Let's just say that in nine

2316
03:36:16,233 --> 03:36:19,433
months that planning and zoning have had all the public hearings,

2317
03:36:20,700 --> 03:36:23,833
everybody's given input. We've all come together as a community and figured out how

2318
03:36:25,667 --> 03:36:29,567
we can do this together. And then let's say that this body passed at that point in time.

2319
03:36:31,633 --> 03:36:34,900
we could go back and say, okay, now we've got the rules,

2320
03:36:37,100 --> 03:36:40,467
regulations in place. You're absolutely right.

2321
03:36:43,267 --> 03:36:46,300
and so we could, if needed, in other words, we could reduce the time frame of the

2322
03:36:47,567 --> 03:36:51,567
moratorium or we could increase it. This body could. Correct.

2323
03:36:52,900 --> 03:36:55,967
okay. Thank you.

2324
03:36:57,533 --> 03:36:58,733
I want to be here later. I can stay here.

2325
03:37:02,600 --> 03:37:02,600
you're recognized.

2326
03:37:07,400 --> 03:37:08,500
so if, let's say that... This ordinance as amended

2327
03:37:21,033 --> 03:37:23,367
fails, that the majority, whatever, votes.

2328
03:37:26,400 --> 03:37:30,200
does it go back to the original and we'll have to vote on it as well?

2329
03:37:30,933 --> 03:37:30,933
so as amended, if it fails,

2330
03:37:35,067 --> 03:37:37,267
then it fails. Thank you.

2331
03:37:39,400 --> 03:37:39,400
I yield.

2332
03:37:48,867 --> 03:37:52,400
I think everybody's had their say. Madam clerk, will you please call the roll for item 26i37 as amended.

2333
03:38:00,333 --> 03:38:03,967
as amended. Does everyone understand what they're voting on? Yes.

2334
03:38:10,067 --> 03:38:13,867
medlock. Mr. Elliott. Mr.

2335
03:38:15,533 --> 03:38:18,167
stowers. Yes. Mr. Mccoy.

2336
03:38:20,267 --> 03:38:23,600
present. Mr. Robinson. No.

2337
03:38:25,400 --> 03:38:28,600
ms. Young-baker. No. Ward.

2338
03:38:30,100 --> 03:38:33,500
present. Mr.

2339
03:38:39,233 --> 03:38:42,667
keith. No. Ms. Curry. No.

2340
03:38:44,100 --> 03:38:48,000
ms. Massey. Aye. Mr. Person. Yes.

2341
03:38:49,300 --> 03:38:52,967
ms. Blackwood? Aye. Ms.

2342
03:38:54,133 --> 03:38:57,767
lewiston? Yes. Ms. Capps? Aye.

2343
03:38:59,033 --> 03:39:00,733
ms. Davis? Yes.

2344
03:39:06,533 --> 03:39:08,733
ten ayes, two noes, I'm sorry, four noes, one present.

2345
03:39:15,400 --> 03:39:18,000
ordinance 26i37 is amended, is passed.

2346
03:39:22,933 --> 03:39:22,933
madam clerk, you should have a

2347
03:39:30,367 --> 03:39:34,233
second ordinance that was a late filing. And I'm sorry, it's a

2348
03:39:38,300 --> 03:39:40,200
resolution, it's not an ordinance,

2349
03:39:42,433 --> 03:39:44,667
but it was a late filing. It's 26i38, it's in your packet, if you all. It is really just a resolution

2350
03:39:46,600 --> 03:39:49,000
needed for a grant application that's come in at the 11th hour as happens

2351
03:39:50,733 --> 03:39:53,533
from time to time. You ready for me to read it? Please read it.

2352
03:39:55,200 --> 03:39:55,200
resolution of the quorum court

2353
03:40:05,433 --> 03:40:08,467
of pulaski county to utilize federal aid transportation alternatives program or recreational trails program funds.

2354
03:40:10,067 --> 03:40:10,067
who is the sponsor on that,

2355
03:40:15,733 --> 03:40:15,733
madam clerk?

2356
03:40:21,300 --> 03:40:24,133
justice massey. Justice massey, you're recognized for a motion.

2357
03:40:25,700 --> 03:40:28,533
I move for the adoption. Second. Members, you've heard the

2358
03:40:29,833 --> 03:40:32,533
motion. You've heard the second. Are there any questions

2359
03:40:33,867 --> 03:40:36,933
concerning resolution 26i38? There being none, madam

2360
03:40:38,100 --> 03:40:40,000
clerk, please call the roll for the adoption of resolution 26i38.

2361
03:40:42,500 --> 03:40:43,333
ms. Davis? Yes.

2362
03:40:50,567 --> 03:40:50,567
ms.

2363
03:40:58,667 --> 03:41:02,267
capps? Aye. Lewiston? Yes. Ms. Blackwood? Aye.

2364
03:41:02,900 --> 03:41:06,700
mr. Person? Yes. Massey? Aye. Ms. Curry? Aye.

2365
03:41:07,133 --> 03:41:11,067
mr. Keith? Yes. Ms. Ward? Yes. Ms. Young-baker? Yes. Mr. Robinson?

2366
03:41:11,467 --> 03:41:13,967
yes. Mr. Mccoy? Yes. Ms. Towers? Yes. Ms.

2367
03:41:17,533 --> 03:41:21,267
elliott? Yes. Ms. Medlock? Yes. 14 ayes, 1 absent.

2368
03:41:28,667 --> 03:41:32,367
ms. Massey, you've passed your late-filed resolution. Congratulations.

2369
03:41:36,767 --> 03:41:40,367
and members, that concludes the business portion of our meeting.

2370
03:41:42,233 --> 03:41:45,367
are there any... Judge hyde, I'd like to make my motion at the appropriate time.

2371
03:41:46,433 --> 03:41:50,133
you're recognized for a motion.

2372
03:41:51,467 --> 03:41:55,267
I'd like to make a motion of censure to justice phil stowers. Second. Members, you've heard the

2373
03:41:56,733 --> 03:42:00,633
motion. You've heard the second. Is there any explanation? Thank you, judge.

2374
03:42:02,600 --> 03:42:05,867
there's been some incidences where mr. Stowers, who's a dear friend of mine, I've known him

2375
03:42:07,367 --> 03:42:11,067
for almost two decades now, but regardless of that friendship, there's been some things that he has

2376
03:42:11,767 --> 03:42:15,633
done that I think is inappropriate, breaks decorum when it comes to communications

2377
03:42:16,700 --> 03:42:20,400
with other justices of the peace and also members of the public. And so for that matter,

2378
03:42:21,300 --> 03:42:22,667
I'd appreciate a good vote. We need to keep decorum here,

2379
03:42:25,600 --> 03:42:27,333
and I think it's appropriate that we adopt this motion.

2380
03:42:31,167 --> 03:42:34,867
thank you. Any other comment?

2381
03:42:41,467 --> 03:42:44,933
clerk, please call the roll. One question. Mr. Parliamentarian.

2382
03:42:46,700 --> 03:42:49,267
what what how many votes does it take to pass a censure it's

2383
03:42:50,967 --> 03:42:54,833
a majority of the body so eight votes so eight votes and what what is what is the

2384
03:42:57,167 --> 03:43:00,967
ramifications of a censor if it passes there was no penalty attached

2385
03:43:02,433 --> 03:43:06,433
to it it's just a admonishment by the body okay madam clerk please call the roll for the censure motion miss

2386
03:43:14,533 --> 03:43:14,533
matlock mr.

2387
03:43:21,100 --> 03:43:21,833
elliott? Mr.

2388
03:43:25,200 --> 03:43:28,300
mccoy? Yes. Mr. Robinson?

2389
03:43:29,700 --> 03:43:33,467
aye. Ms. Young-baker? Yes. Ms.

2390
03:43:34,400 --> 03:43:34,400
ward?

2391
03:43:46,167 --> 03:43:49,900
present.' keith? Yes. Present. Ms. Massey? No.

2392
03:43:51,533 --> 03:43:55,267
mr. Person? No. Ms. Blackwood?

2393
03:43:55,900 --> 03:43:59,400
aye. Ms. Lewiston? Yes.

2394
03:44:00,233 --> 03:44:03,233
capps? Aye. Davis? Yes.

2395
03:44:12,133 --> 03:44:15,933
eight ayes, three nays, three present, and one absent. Give me that count again.

2396
03:44:17,233 --> 03:44:19,100
eight yes, three noes, three present, one absent.

2397
03:44:34,433 --> 03:44:35,467
thank you, madam clerk. Justice mccoy, your censure

2398
03:44:51,367 --> 03:44:53,733
of justice stowers. Is approved. Do we have any other late filings, amended, or no more tricks?

2399
03:44:58,433 --> 03:44:58,433
okay.

2400
03:45:10,167 --> 03:45:13,100
members, that brings us to announcements. That's announcements here at the bar. Does anyone have any announcements?

2401
03:45:16,800 --> 03:45:18,900
the news did just start, by the way, I'm just saying. Um, this side,

2402
03:45:24,533 --> 03:45:28,000
any announcements from anybody here at the bar? Great.

2403
03:45:28,867 --> 03:45:31,100
that takes us to public comment. We have a healthy stack.

2404
03:45:35,100 --> 03:45:36,633
folks, that the limit on public comment is three minutes.

2405
03:45:40,233 --> 03:45:41,967
tony orr. Tony orr here.

2406
03:45:50,400 --> 03:45:53,700
regina norwood. I think that's mr. Orr coming. Are you mr.

2407
03:45:55,033 --> 03:45:59,033
orr? Okay, mr. Orr, you're recognized to make your public comment and you

2408
03:46:02,567 --> 03:46:05,933
have a three minute time limit on those.

2409
03:46:10,833 --> 03:46:11,733
go ahead, sir. Just all of you.

2410
03:46:23,767 --> 03:46:24,300
but at the end of the day, we want people

2411
03:47:39,200 --> 03:47:39,200
to come sell us.

2412
03:47:47,833 --> 03:47:47,833
you care about me?

2413
03:48:06,333 --> 03:48:07,200
ask them, don't give breaks. Let's check this thing out.

2414
03:48:18,267 --> 03:48:18,267
energy is atm. That's all I

2415
03:48:31,533 --> 03:48:34,167
got. Hold.

2416
03:49:05,700 --> 03:49:07,467
open up, corn core, if you wanna be, take it over the cavern thank you, mr.

2417
03:49:17,900 --> 03:49:18,833
orr. Thank you. Safe travels home.

2418
03:49:27,033 --> 03:49:27,033
is regina norwood here?

2419
03:49:32,033 --> 03:49:34,133
thank you, ma'am. Safe travels home for you, too.

2420
03:49:36,833 --> 03:49:36,833
brenda henson.

2421
03:49:47,733 --> 03:49:50,833
pull the microphone down toward you a little bit. Thank you, ma'am. Your time?

2422
03:49:52,000 --> 03:49:52,000
I don't know.

2423
03:49:57,467 --> 03:50:00,533
it says it's green. No, it's on. It was already green. But anyway, thank you for my

2424
03:50:03,033 --> 03:50:06,233
time. I just have a couple of things I want to lift up.

2425
03:50:08,467 --> 03:50:11,000
much of it has already been said. But there are three concerns

2426
03:50:13,833 --> 03:50:17,233
that are priorities for me. A county resident, health, education,

2427
03:50:19,267 --> 03:50:22,267
and public safety. And I recently learned,

2428
03:50:23,533 --> 03:50:26,800
and I've been coming for a few years yet, and this one always comes up. I understand you have a hiring

2429
03:50:29,800 --> 03:50:31,233
freeze, and I understand it goes

2430
03:50:34,100 --> 03:50:37,400
across the board. Well, all of you who live in the city, you have the

2431
03:50:38,333 --> 03:50:41,767
little rock police department. I have the pulaski county sheriff's department.

2432
03:50:43,367 --> 03:50:46,933
and since I've been coming forever, no, long before I even started coming. There's always been a shortage.

2433
03:50:48,533 --> 03:50:48,533
and somehow or another, you

2434
03:50:52,567 --> 03:50:54,000
feel that it's public safety. It's okay

2435
03:50:57,067 --> 03:50:58,633
to have a hiring freeze. In the little rock, I mean the

2436
03:51:01,100 --> 03:51:04,433
palaske county sheriff's department. That might work for you.

2437
03:51:05,333 --> 03:51:07,933
it does not count me as a taxpaying county resident that I'm important and my public safety is important.

2438
03:51:09,800 --> 03:51:11,400
when it comes to budgeting, public safety should have its

2439
03:51:17,433 --> 03:51:20,433
own budget that is fixed, in my opinion.

2440
03:51:21,933 --> 03:51:23,700
and I've worked in the corporate world, and there were certain things that

2441
03:51:27,400 --> 03:51:30,767
was going to be paid no matter what. Public safety was one of them.

2442
03:51:33,600 --> 03:51:34,467
thank you ma'am. Thank you.

2443
03:51:43,233 --> 03:51:44,500
brooke butler? Is brooke butler here?

2444
03:51:49,667 --> 03:51:52,900
are you an architect? You have handwriting, printing like an architect.

2445
03:51:53,900 --> 03:51:57,800
it's very neat. Thank you for everything

2446
03:52:00,200 --> 03:52:03,200
tonight. I would just like to extend my

2447
03:52:04,733 --> 03:52:06,267
thoughts on the moratorium. I think that I would like

2448
03:52:08,933 --> 03:52:10,500
to see it outside of the unincorporated parts

2449
03:52:13,100 --> 03:52:14,267
of pulaski county and I would have liked to see it having

2450
03:52:19,333 --> 03:52:22,867
to not have these grandfathered in ones especially considering as was just said,

2451
03:52:24,533 --> 03:52:28,133
public safety. We don't know necessarily exactly how many diesel

2452
03:52:29,467 --> 03:52:32,000
generators are going to be at that google facility out

2453
03:52:33,800 --> 03:52:36,833
near sweet home, but a lot of these industrial generators are

2454
03:52:37,867 --> 03:52:41,400
the size of a train car. These are ginormous, huge generators.

2455
03:52:43,267 --> 03:52:47,000
and in order to run these generators, they require having a lot of diesel on hand.

2456
03:52:48,733 --> 03:52:51,833
and so generally for a data center of around 100 megawatt hours,

2457
03:52:53,867 --> 03:52:57,100
they are going to need about 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel on site.

2458
03:52:58,700 --> 03:53:02,367
so this 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel that is on site, if there is a fire,

2459
03:53:03,800 --> 03:53:03,800
which are fairly frequent

2460
03:53:09,467 --> 03:53:11,633
with data centers, is the sweet home volunteer fire department capable of putting out a fire?

2461
03:53:26,867 --> 03:53:30,633
that is fueled by 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel, as well as all of the electrical components that are involved. That's just something that I am

2462
03:53:33,067 --> 03:53:36,400
concerned about, and I would like to extend that knowledge

2463
03:53:38,033 --> 03:53:41,133
out to people to think about who is capable of putting out those kind of

2464
03:53:46,033 --> 03:53:47,833
fires and if those resources are there available. Thank you.

2465
03:53:50,233 --> 03:53:50,233
thank you, ma'am.

2466
03:54:01,767 --> 03:54:05,133
magdalene jones or james welcome. I want to thank the pulaski county quorum court members for

2467
03:54:06,833 --> 03:54:09,600
bringing forth these resolutions and ordinances to protect the constituents

2468
03:54:11,133 --> 03:54:13,733
of pulaski county. Especially those of us that will be directly impacted by

2469
03:54:15,433 --> 03:54:18,467
these data centers. I came here today as a fellow

2470
03:54:20,200 --> 03:54:24,167
arkansan, a stem professional, but most importantly as a concerned member of the community as I reside in college station and I'm

2471
03:54:25,533 --> 03:54:29,533
located just five miles away from the four billion dollar data center that is going to be built in sweet home. As someone who's nine to five

2472
03:54:30,733 --> 03:54:33,667
is working as a data management it application developer and someone who has a passion

2473
03:54:35,100 --> 03:54:38,633
for technology, I'm very familiar with data as well as the rise of ai.

2474
03:54:40,033 --> 03:54:43,300
it was just a few months ago that I had a request from one of my end users on wanting

2475
03:54:44,267 --> 03:54:45,700
to implement an ai agent with the platform I develop and

2476
03:54:49,833 --> 03:54:49,833
support.

2477
03:55:01,667 --> 03:55:05,533
in the past year alone, I have witnessed how ai has not only impacted our personal lives, but in our corporate lives, our jobs, our government,

2478
03:55:06,633 --> 03:55:09,633
and even our military, with it all being driven by business and big tech.

2479
03:55:10,933 --> 03:55:14,133
it's everywhere and it's happening too fast. But what is also making waves and has been mentioned already

2480
03:55:16,600 --> 03:55:19,767
tonight is how these data centers destroy the communities they are placed in. Every single data center has

2481
03:55:20,967 --> 03:55:24,700
had an impact on surrounding environment, notably the air quality, noise pollution, groundwater,

2482
03:55:25,833 --> 03:55:26,967
and waste production. That is a fact.

2483
03:55:33,067 --> 03:55:35,567
it is impossible for that to not be the case considering the

2484
03:55:37,533 --> 03:55:40,667
sheer amount of resources they take to function

2485
03:55:41,567 --> 03:55:45,567
on a day-to-day basis. And that is why we have been here tonight talking about public pledges and contracts

2486
03:55:46,667 --> 03:55:50,600
because we all know what comes with these data centers. I reviewed the little rock

2487
03:55:51,533 --> 03:55:54,667
data center's website and I'm appreciative of energy in central arkansas water in the little rock regional chamber

2488
03:55:56,633 --> 03:56:00,600
for attempting to put all information in one central location, but it did not lower my concerns.

2489
03:56:02,133 --> 03:56:05,300
reading about google's and energy's public pledge does not

2490
03:56:06,367 --> 03:56:09,433
give me comfort because a public pledge is not going to protect any of us or hold

2491
03:56:10,500 --> 03:56:13,167
anyone accountable. Regulation does that. Big tech has predominantly

2492
03:56:15,000 --> 03:56:17,667
placed these data centers in vulnerable communities due

2493
03:56:19,833 --> 03:56:23,000
to cheap land and resources. I have lived in college station my entire life.

2494
03:56:24,500 --> 03:56:28,067
my mother has lived in college station her entire life.

2495
03:56:29,333 --> 03:56:33,267
my family has spent four generations in college station, and there has not been anything even remotely close

2496
03:56:34,500 --> 03:56:37,667
to the money that is being spent on these data centers that has gone

2497
03:56:39,533 --> 03:56:42,533
into that community, into wrightsville, and into sweet home.

2498
03:56:44,467 --> 03:56:48,133
at what cost is arkansas' economy worth our community being impacted when there

2499
03:56:49,467 --> 03:56:52,067
couldn't even be transparency to begin with? I don't care

2500
03:56:54,433 --> 03:56:57,800
about the economy. I don't care about booming business.

2501
03:56:59,233 --> 03:57:02,733
I don't care about the odd 30 to 100 people that these data centers are going to employ.

2502
03:57:03,767 --> 03:57:07,200
I don't care about the fact that this is the largest monetary contract arkansas has likely seen in its history,

2503
03:57:08,433 --> 03:57:08,433
especially considering that

2504
03:57:15,200 --> 03:57:18,267
sweet home, wrightsville, and college station won't really see a decent fraction of that money, especially

2505
03:57:20,033 --> 03:57:23,500
considering the tax breaks that google and avio have likely have received. I know earlier it was mentioned

2506
03:57:24,533 --> 03:57:27,900
that 24 million dollars would go into the pulaski county school district. I just want to call

2507
03:57:29,033 --> 03:57:32,333
out that that's not even 1% of the 8 billion that goes that has been put

2508
03:57:33,233 --> 03:57:34,767
into these data centers. It's like 0.3%.

2509
03:57:41,233 --> 03:57:43,867
tonight concerns were brought regarding billing and money which is important

2510
03:57:47,867 --> 03:57:51,167
but no one has mentioned at the moment that these data centers are built and are up and running.

2511
03:57:52,100 --> 03:57:55,633
that the land that they're on can no longer be used for farmland, it can no longer be used

2512
03:57:57,067 --> 03:58:01,000
for nature or housing due to the irreversible damage that they do on the soil on top of whatever infrastructure that we

2513
03:58:02,400 --> 03:58:05,333
plan on spending. There have been studies conducted that data centers

2514
03:58:07,033 --> 03:58:10,333
could contribute to over one-third of asthma deaths by 2030.

2515
03:58:11,700 --> 03:58:13,567
that is not fear-mongering. That is a statistic

2516
03:58:17,733 --> 03:58:20,633
from the researchers at ehp. Environmental health project a non-profit public health

2517
03:58:22,267 --> 03:58:24,467
organization committed to studying the impact that the industries man appreciate your

2518
03:58:26,367 --> 03:58:26,367
comment understand that the

2519
03:58:34,167 --> 03:58:37,800
languages a wrap up with the I'm I will be participating in

2520
03:58:38,533 --> 03:58:41,200
any public meetings that will be taking place and I'm looking forward to learning all that I can regarding about the data center but in

2521
03:58:42,567 --> 03:58:44,233
the day this is my life my family my friends, my

2522
03:58:46,833 --> 03:58:50,567
community, we live here. This is our life. This is very real.

2523
03:58:52,500 --> 03:58:54,633
and I appreciate all that y'all do for us. And I hope and I pray that we

2524
03:58:57,400 --> 03:58:59,600
can find a way to do more. Thank you for your time tonight.

2525
03:59:01,433 --> 03:59:01,433
thank you.

2526
03:59:28,433 --> 03:59:28,433
bill schell, katie

2527
03:59:40,867 --> 03:59:40,867
kornreich.

2528
04:00:14,100 --> 04:00:14,100
the eanes still here?

2529
04:00:22,500 --> 04:00:25,933
good evening, ms. Eanes. You know the drill. Three minutes, please. Comment card.

2530
04:00:29,700 --> 04:00:32,000
so should I combine my comment for both of the items?

2531
04:00:41,533 --> 04:00:44,400
interest of time and the time yes I would I would take my three minutes and all right

2532
04:00:46,567 --> 04:00:46,567
sure sure um so we voters had

2533
04:00:50,967 --> 04:00:53,967
wanted this body to reject the quarterly meetings compromised compromise which won't contain

2534
04:00:55,867 --> 04:00:58,633
the entirety of county business the only people speaking in favor of that was the

2535
04:01:00,100 --> 04:01:01,733
planning board and the staff the voters were

2536
04:01:04,600 --> 04:01:07,700
against it so I'm kind of disappointed that you voted with the bureaucracy.

2537
04:01:09,900 --> 04:01:11,400
also today the commission voted to combine the quarterly

2538
04:01:16,300 --> 04:01:19,033
meetings with the first public hearing for data centers and I don't

2539
04:01:20,500 --> 04:01:24,500
know if that's something you intended but they also seemed kind of surprised that they were gonna

2540
04:01:26,867 --> 04:01:29,967
have to meet an extra four times so they're trying to kill two birds

2541
04:01:31,433 --> 04:01:34,400
with one stone. The other thing I wanted to comment

2542
04:01:35,467 --> 04:01:35,533
on was the data centers. And I've...
I'm an it professional for

2543
04:01:42,933 --> 04:01:45,633
over 30 years and I'm not against technology but I do think that it's time for a timeout.

2544
04:01:47,367 --> 04:01:51,300
the community has lots of questions and our community has people that we we would like to ask those questions.

2545
04:01:52,100 --> 04:01:55,100
I am glad that the moratorium passed but I was not for that amendment because that does a a disservice to the people that

2546
04:01:56,233 --> 04:01:58,633
these data centers are going to be impacting now. We do believe that the

2547
04:02:01,633 --> 04:02:04,733
potential impact of data centers on electric rates in central arkansas is one of the most

2548
04:02:06,467 --> 04:02:09,267
important problems. Based on the legislation passed in 2025, entergy can begin

2549
04:02:10,767 --> 04:02:13,600
charging rate payers for new capacity without getting full approval

2550
04:02:15,033 --> 04:02:18,667
from the public service commission. A data center's main need for

2551
04:02:20,067 --> 04:02:23,633
water is cooling and there is no reason why the local infrastructure should be used to provide potable water

2552
04:02:24,633 --> 04:02:27,333
for cooling a data center. Treated wastewater can easily be used as is

2553
04:02:29,733 --> 04:02:33,067
in many cooling applications. And also, large data centers with large evaporative cooling

2554
04:02:34,667 --> 04:02:37,400
systems could cause some microclimate changes around the center and could extend

2555
04:02:39,033 --> 04:02:39,033
for several miles.

2556
04:03:02,167 --> 04:03:04,633
those are just some of the concerns. And sometimes I feel like a human battery in the

2557
04:03:07,200 --> 04:03:10,933
pulaski county matrix. Um the need for our money, land, electricity, water,

2558
04:03:12,467 --> 04:03:14,567
and we have no seat at the table. So I just, I think that

2559
04:03:17,967 --> 04:03:21,667
outsized water and electricity use by data centers are the reason enough to establish the

2560
04:03:22,867 --> 04:03:26,033
common sense guardrails and the perpetual daylight and harmful noise scientifically studied

2561
04:03:27,567 --> 04:03:31,400
to negatively impact health. It's unfortunate that people are going to have to live next to these facilities.

2562
04:03:32,967 --> 04:03:36,133
facilities. I wouldn't want to live next to one.

2563
04:03:37,500 --> 04:03:40,233
please try and wrap it up. Okay, thank you. So the temporary moratorium

2564
04:03:41,567 --> 04:03:44,800
on data centers is good, but the amendment is rejected. Please listen to the needs

2565
04:03:46,167 --> 04:03:48,967
of your voters going forward. Thank you so much. Thank you.

2566
04:03:50,367 --> 04:03:50,367
safe travels home.

2567
04:04:13,167 --> 04:04:13,167
is terry dran in here?

2568
04:04:18,967 --> 04:04:22,900
hello, ms. Drennan. Hello, and thank you for the opportunity to speak. I feel like this moratorium was

2569
04:04:26,267 --> 04:04:29,933
taken very, very seriously by all of you, and I very much appreciate that. I'm sad about the amendment

2570
04:04:32,233 --> 04:04:35,000
being added to it. All I heard from the people on this side

2571
04:04:36,467 --> 04:04:40,233
of the room tonight was money, and I'm going to tell you something. My sister lives in rockwall,

2572
04:04:42,133 --> 04:04:45,200
texas, and in the dallas-fort worth area, there somewhere around 160 to 200 data centers

2573
04:04:46,933 --> 04:04:50,933
and over the last three years her electric bill has gone from around two

2574
04:04:52,500 --> 04:04:56,067
to three hundred dollars a month to she's real happy if her electric bill is a thousand

2575
04:04:57,967 --> 04:05:01,600
dollars in a 2,500 square foot house every single month. I feel like and I say this every

2576
04:05:03,100 --> 04:05:06,267
time I'm in front of this body arkansas is the natural state and tonight I

2577
04:05:07,767 --> 04:05:11,167
heard natural state be damned. Money, money, money. And I'm really, really sad. And where

2578
04:05:12,833 --> 04:05:14,833
was the transparency before? Why were there no public

2579
04:05:17,033 --> 04:05:20,500
meetings when this was all in front of the planning board? Why were

2580
04:05:22,667 --> 04:05:22,667
we not told then? This room was

2581
04:05:33,500 --> 04:05:36,867
full tonight. All across the united states, people are rising up. The people of the united states don't want these

2582
04:05:38,700 --> 04:05:41,600
data centers. The people of arkansas don't want these data centers. When he builds his

2583
04:05:44,067 --> 04:05:47,100
building and he goes away, he has his renters, he's gone. He doesn't care

2584
04:05:50,467 --> 04:05:54,333
what's left. We're what's left, and our property, and the

2585
04:05:55,600 --> 04:05:58,333
wildlife, and nature, the natural state. And if I have any time left, I would

2586
04:06:01,767 --> 04:06:01,767
like to yield it to judge

2587
04:06:06,333 --> 04:06:06,833
griffin. Thank you, ms. Drennan. Chris centifonte?

2588
04:06:20,933 --> 04:06:23,567
good evening, judges. Thank you so much for your time on this whole thing

2589
04:06:25,767 --> 04:06:27,233
with the data centers. It's a big thing, and it's something

2590
04:06:31,200 --> 04:06:33,633
that really should not be rushed. It needs to take time. I'm happy that it passed. I did

2591
04:06:36,300 --> 04:06:39,267
not like the part that was added to it

2592
04:06:40,767 --> 04:06:42,033
with the grandfathering in. First they said it was only

2593
04:06:45,467 --> 04:06:48,900
one, and then all of a sudden it was two. Too that we're being grandfathered in. And

2594
04:06:50,333 --> 04:06:52,833
yes, I feel that it's been a big disservice to the people of pulaski county not

2595
04:06:55,267 --> 04:06:57,167
to have any transparency, not to know what's going on. I

2596
04:07:00,833 --> 04:07:02,200
mean, when you build a property, now you have

2597
04:07:06,300 --> 04:07:10,100
to be notified. There are things, there are protocols. There is nothing with these data centers. We

2598
04:07:11,600 --> 04:07:15,300
know nothing. It's been in the works for three years now. And we don't know anything about it.

2599
04:07:16,500 --> 04:07:16,500
and I think that is a travesty.

2600
04:07:22,300 --> 04:07:26,000
and another thing that I'm upset about, and I'm president of pinnacle mountain

2601
04:07:27,867 --> 04:07:31,767
community coalition, and our people wrote a petition because we want the meetings to be changed so people can be there.

2602
04:07:32,867 --> 04:07:36,167
I mean, what is it if you can't be there and protect your

2603
04:07:41,267 --> 04:07:45,233
property and know what's coming in your backyard? And to leave it to quarterly

2604
04:07:46,367 --> 04:07:49,233
meetings will not address this problem for us. So thank you for your time. Thank you

2605
04:07:50,767 --> 04:07:52,233
for listening to us. We appreciate what you do. Thank

2606
04:07:55,867 --> 04:07:59,000
you. Thank you, ms. Santofonte. Safe travels home.

2607
04:08:10,567 --> 04:08:10,567
ms. Scully. Speak, judge.

2608
04:08:21,100 --> 04:08:24,900
you're welcome. Thank you guys for your time and service. Pulaski county. If the goal is to maximize public

2609
04:08:29,733 --> 04:08:32,767
participation and transparency, why are we recommending and

2610
04:08:35,067 --> 04:08:37,800
drafting ordinances to have quarterly meetings? It

2611
04:08:43,367 --> 04:08:45,833
seems like we're catering to developers, in my opinion. I didn't hear not one justice

2612
04:08:49,800 --> 04:08:51,033
ask. The companies, the name of their investors,

2613
04:08:57,433 --> 04:09:00,467
that's important information for the public to know. They did ask. Did you? I didn't hear

2614
04:09:03,333 --> 04:09:06,733
that. It was asked. Okay, I apologize. You guys need to ask them

2615
04:09:07,967 --> 04:09:11,100
to list their investors. We have a right to know that. You should want to know that. Item

2616
04:09:16,867 --> 04:09:20,133
26i28, excuse me, ordinance 26i28. It has a listing there

2617
04:09:23,567 --> 04:09:25,567
of an ordinance amending ordinance 25 or 52 to

2618
04:09:28,367 --> 04:09:30,167
appropriate road and bridge funds for various projects. We

2619
04:09:35,433 --> 04:09:38,267
don't know the projects. That can be anything. You guys know

2620
04:09:39,867 --> 04:09:43,500
the projects. If we're going to have this type of ordinance listed,

2621
04:09:44,533 --> 04:09:48,333
we have a right to know what those funds are being used for. What are those projects?

2622
04:09:49,700 --> 04:09:53,100
because we certainly don't want another bike trail out in

2623
04:09:56,367 --> 04:10:00,033
district 10. Thank you. Thank you. Stolle, safe travels

2624
04:10:01,733 --> 04:10:03,433
home. Mr. Griffin, you're up now. Thank you, judge hyde.

2625
04:10:10,800 --> 04:10:11,333
good evening, everyone. In 1872, lewis carroll wrote a

2626
04:10:16,267 --> 04:10:19,533
book, sorry, looking through the looking glass, and he quoted... This line,

2627
04:10:22,900 --> 04:10:25,733
when I use a word, it means just what I want it to mean,

2628
04:10:27,033 --> 04:10:29,800
neither more nor less. The question, said alice, is

2629
04:10:31,100 --> 04:10:34,500
whether you can make words mean so many things. The question is, said humpty dumpty, which

2630
04:10:36,333 --> 04:10:40,000
is to be master, that's all. When I use a word, it means what I want it to mean. The word moratorium

2631
04:10:41,400 --> 04:10:45,333
has a common meaning. It does not mean stop. It doesn't mean ban. It has never meant ban.

2632
04:10:46,233 --> 04:10:47,933
it means delay, pause, cool your jets. You heard a

2633
04:10:53,833 --> 04:10:56,433
lawyer tell you that a word means something that no dictionary says it means.

2634
04:10:57,967 --> 04:11:00,467
blackstick law dictionary has a definition of moratorium. It doesn't say ban. I've read the

2635
04:11:02,767 --> 04:11:06,000
cases of arkansas. No arkansas case says moratorium means ban. So a lawyer can tell you

2636
04:11:07,167 --> 04:11:10,167
something and be wrong. Now that's okay, but when you base your legal action

2637
04:11:11,800 --> 04:11:14,300
on what the lawyer tells you, and then you make an exception to one private party

2638
04:11:15,833 --> 04:11:18,333
for the world, that wrong becomes a lawsuit. You, congratulations, you just

2639
04:11:20,800 --> 04:11:23,600
made a legislative record to allow any taxpayer in this county

2640
04:11:24,900 --> 04:11:28,000
to sue any permit that's issued for avio because you have given avio, the only company

2641
04:11:29,467 --> 04:11:29,467
in the world, an exception

2642
04:11:56,800 --> 04:12:00,233
from regulation after saying you want to have regulation for every other subject.

2643
04:12:01,467 --> 04:12:01,467
congratulations. Lawsuit coming.