[00:01:45]
UH, EITHER UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR COMPLETE, BUT WE'VE HAD SIX OF THESE THAT HAVE COME IN THAT ARE ACTUALLY SEVEN THAT WE HAVE COME IN AND WE HAVE DONE 3 81 AGREEMENTS WITH, UH, WE DID, UH, THREE OF THEM.
WE CAME IN AND WE GAVE SOME PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD INCENTIVES THROUGH THE 3 81 PROGRAM.
UH, AND THEN WE KIND OF CUT THAT BACK A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN WE FOUND OUT THAT BACK IN 2013, THE LEGISLATURE ALREADY GAVE THEM SOME FANTASTIC INCENTIVES, UH, WITH OUR LOCAL TAXES THAT THEY PAY WITH SOME FORCED DEPRECIATION AND HOUSE BILL 2,500 IN 2013.
SO WE HAVE CUT BACK THOSE INCENTIVES, UH, FOR THEM.
AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO PUSH THESE FOLKS TO, TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY ARE COMING, THEY ARE WORKING WITH CENTER POINT, UH, TO ADD, UH, POWER TO THE GRID.
UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, WE'VE HAD TALKS WITH, UH, PEAKER PLANT, UH, WHICH, UH, I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD WITHOUT INCENTIVES AND DO THEIR PROJECT.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
UH, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY WITH, UH, UH, THE WINTER STORM URI.
UH, WE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT COLD WEATHER HERE.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE, UH, HERE IN 1983 AND IN 1989, AND YES, MICHELLE, I'M TALKING TO YOU.
UM, WE HAD MUCH WORSE WEATHER EVENTS HERE IN BRAZORIA COUNTY, WINTER STORM EVENTS THAN WE DID IN FEBRUARY.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF DAYS REALLY COLD WEATHER, BUT BACK IN 1983, WE HAD NINE DAYS BELOW FREEZING IN 1989.
I BELIEVE IT WAS SEVEN DAYS BELOW FREEZING WHERE IT GOT DOWN INTO THE TEENS.
AND EVEN IN 1983, IT FROZE OVER CHRISTMAS BAY.
WE HAD A TREMENDOUS FISH KILL.
WE HAVE ADDED PROBABLY 15 MILLION TEXANS SINCE THAT TIME.
SO IT HAS PUT TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON THE ELECTRICAL GRID.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE, WIND SOLAR, UH, ADDITIONAL NUCLEAR, WHATEVER, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET THE GRID WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
SO THAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON IN BRAZORIA COUNTY.
UH, WE HAVE HAD ONE, UH, DEVELOPER CANYON LOOKING TO PUT A WIND FARM IN, UH, WE DID DO A 3 81 AGREEMENT WITH THEM, BUT THAT KIND OF WENT BY THE WAYSIDE.
I THINK THEY FOUND A DIFFERENT PLACE, BETTER WIND TO DEVELOP.
UH, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AT THIS TIME.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU W WE'RE GOING TO HAVE QUESTIONS NOW OR AFTER THESE OTHER TWO GENTLEMEN SPEAK, BUT, UH, WE'LL KIND OF WAIT TILL AFTER THEM.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT ON SOLAR, UH, IN BRAZORIA COUNTY.
UH, SO NEXT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS A, A LONG TIME ANGLETON
[00:05:01]
IN RESIDENT, UH, FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.SO I HAD THE PLEASURE TO SERVE WITH HIM THERE AND CODY, THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT THINGS YOU'RE DOING FOR THE CITY OF THE COUNTY AND THE REGION.
SO THE HONORABLE COULD HAVE SUIT YOU VERY MUCH.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO SERVE AS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOUTHERN BRAZORIA COUNTY IN MATAGORDA COUNTY.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS AREA IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, WORK AND RAISE A FAMILY.
AND PART OF THE REASON WHY IS OF COURSE OUR PEOPLE, BUT ALSO THE RESOURCES THAT OUR COMMUNITIES CAN INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE AND THOSE RESOURCES COME FROM BUSINESS.
AND IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING TO SEE LARGE SCALE PROJECTS COMING TO BRAZORIA COUNTY, TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES WE NEED TO KEEP THIS PLACE A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND RAISE A FAMILY, WHETHER THAT'S A SOLAR PROJECT OR A BATTERY PROJECT.
OF COURSE WE KNOW, HAS JUDGE MENTIONED LAST FEBRUARY WAS A TRYING TIME TIME THAT SHOWED SOME ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE LEGISLATURE HAS PASSED A SERIES OF REFORMS TO HOPEFULLY HELP WEATHERIZE, UH, OUR GRID, UH, THROUGH SENATE BILL THREE, AS WELL AS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION, UH, DURING EMERGENCIES AND ENSURE THAT OUR GENERATION FACILITIES PARTICULARLY NATURAL GAS IN THE PERMIAN ARE DESIGNATED AS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WE HAD AN ISSUE WHERE AS YOU ALL KNOW, ARE, UH, PULLED AND LIGHT COMPANIES WERE GIVEN AS STRUCTURES BY ARCOT TO SHED LOAD, AND THEY HAD TO SHED LOAD.
AND THAT INCLUDES SHUTTING PEOPLE OFF.
UH, IN THE PERMIAN, WE FOUND THAT BECAUSE, UH, NATURAL GAS FACILITIES WERE NOT DESIGNATED AS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE POLO NIGHT COMPANIES SHUT THEM OFF.
AND SO WE HAD A VERY, A NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP WHERE YOU NEED MORE GENERATION AND WE'RE SHUTTING GENERATION OFF, UH, AS PART OF THE PROCESS.
SO HOPEFULLY, UH, I'M, I'M OPTIMISTIC, THERE'S SENATE BILL THREE, WE'VE ADDRESSED SOME OF THOSE ISSUES, BUT ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES THAT REMAINS IS, IS ENSURING THAT OUR GRID IS RELIABLE AND THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT FIX OVERNIGHT.
AND PART OF IT REQUIRES THAT WE HAVE SOME BACKUP GENERATION, AS JUDGED MENTIONED, PEAKER PLANTS ARE ONE OPTION.
WE'VE SEEN SOME INTERESTED IN THE AREA, BUT ALSO THE BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY LIKE WE SEE IN ANGLETON BY GAMUT.
UH, THIS IS, UH, I THINK A GREAT PROJECT THAT IMPROVES THE RELIABILITY OF OUR GRID, UH, HERE LOCALLY.
AND I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM TO SEE.
I'M ALSO GLAD TO SEE IN THE CITY OF ANGLETON, ESPECIALLY TAKING A, UM, A HARD LOOK AT, AT HOW WE PUT IN NEW INFRASTRUCTURE IN TOWN, UH, WHETHER IT'S SOLAR LIGHTS, IT OF COURSE, ARE OFF THE GRID AND PROVIDE THEIR OWN POWER, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A RELIABLE SOURCE, UH, AS WELL AS THE CITY HAS BEEN LOOKING AT.
AND I KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A VARIETY OF BACKUP GENERATION OPTIONS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE COOLING CENTERS AND WARMING CENTERS.
HOPEFULLY IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN, BUT WE NEED TO BE READY FOR IT.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THE NEW INVESTMENT.
UH, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I THINK MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ENSURE WE HAVE A RELIABLE POWER GRID.
AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT HERE IN ANGLETON AND IN SOUTHERN BRAZORIA COUNTY, WE'RE SEEING MORE GENERATION COME ONLINE AND MORE RELIABLE GENERATION AS WELL.
SO TO ALL THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE INVESTING HERE, THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE FOR PROVIDING THE RESOURCES, UH, THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS.
AND WELCOME TO BRAZORIA COUNTY.
AND NOW ARE A KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
UH, SO WHO KEEP, HE'LL KEEP THE REST OF THE SIX TO EIGHT HOURS FILLED UP.
UH, BUT WHEN INTRODUCE OUR MAYOR, JASON PRES WHO'S REALLY BEEN SORT OF AN INSPIRATION FOR, UH, GROWTH IN ANGLETON, IN AND AROUND ANGLETON AND, AND GETTING US, UH, RESILIENT FOR THE FUTURE.
AND GOOD MORNING, AND I'M GLAD Y'ALL ARE ALL HERE THIS MORNING.
FIRST OF ALL, I START OFF AND SAY, THANK YOU TO, UH, SOME KEY INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PUT THIS ON, UH, WE HAVE DAN DAVIS, UM, FROM OUR MANVILLE AREA.
OH, HE'S UP IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
WE HAD MISS ELLIE BARNISH SHE'S HERE AS WELL.
AND THEN OF COURSE, CITY STAFF, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR PUTTING, HELPING US PUT THIS ON TODAY.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN MANY MONTHS IN THE MAKING.
WE TRY TO DO THIS A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT NICHOLAS HAD A BETTER PLAN.
SO WE KIND OF POSTPONED AND WE'RE HERE TODAY.
SO I WANT TO START OFF TODAY BY RENEWABLE ENERGY, RENEWABLE ENERGIES WHILE WE'RE HERE TODAY.
UM, YOU CAN SAY A LOT IS GOING ON HERE IN MISSOURI COUNTY, ESPECIALLY CENTRAL SOUTHERN BREZORIA COUNTY AND EVEN SO RIGHT HERE IN ANGLETON, TEXAS ANGLETON STRUCK GOLD.
WHEN A BATTERY PARK CAME TO TOWN, UH, IN THE INITIAL PLANNING STAGES AND TALKS WITH THE CITY, WE HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WAS GOING TO PUT US ON THE GLOBAL STAGE.
UH, WE, UH, HAVE TESLA HERE, BUT IT'S NOT SO MUCH ABOUT TESLA.
IT WAS ABOUT THE PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE DID WITH THE ENERGY COMPANY.
WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE TALKS.
UM, WE WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT PRIVATE ENTITIES AND GOVERNMENT CAN WORK TOGETHER AS YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE COUNTY.
[00:10:01]
A GREAT THING RIGHT HERE IN BRAZORIA COUNTY.WE JUST HAVE ONE COMMON GOAL, RESILIENCY, RESILIENCY, UM, AT ITS FINEST.
UH, WE HAD TO DO SOME BACK AND FORTH NEGOTIATIONS, BUT IT WORKED OUT WE'RE HERE.
AND WE HAVE A AMAZING INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
NOT TO MENTION THAT WE'RE ONE STEP CLOSER, CLOSER TO ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY SOURCES START ALL OVER.
WE'RE NOT TO MENTION WHERE ONE STEP CLOSER AND AN ENERGY SOURCE RIGHT HERE IN OUR CITY, RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO US.
UM, WE'VE BEEN TOLD WE'RE THE LARGEST BATTERY PARK, NOT TO MENTION NOT ONE BATTERY PARK, BUT TWO BATTERY PARKS.
THEY'RE SIDE-BY-SIDE, UM, BROAD REACHES.
THE OTHER ONE COURSE TESLAS ARE OUR LARGEST ONE, BUT WE KNOW, UM, THAT WE HAD TO COME TO A COMMON GOAL.
UH, WE HAD COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, HAD CITIZEN INPUT.
UH, THERE WAS THE NOISE, THERE WAS POTENTIAL VISUAL, UH, SORENESS TO IT.
UM, BUT WE'VE WORKED ALL THOSE THINGS OUT WITH THOSE, THOSE DEVELOPERS AND, UM, IT'S THERE IN SOMEBODY'S BACKYARD, BUT IT'S IN THEIR BACKYARD, WHICH IT'S A, IT'S A NEIGHBOR THAT'S NOT VERY INTRUSIVE.
AND SO WE, WE'RE GLAD THAT WE WERE ALL ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER, GET THE JOB DONE AND HAVE THIS RENEWABLE ENERGY RIGHT HERE.
UH, LIKE JUDGE AND, AND CODY SAID, WE HAVE TO IMPROVE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE WENT THROUGH IT IN FEBRUARY.
AND, UH, NOW WHEN THE LIONS FALL ON THE GROUND, THAT DOESN'T DO AS MUCH GOOD, BUT AT THE LINE STAY UP IN THE AIR AND THE BATTERIES ARE THERE.
WE'LL HAVE THE ENERGY TO, TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS AND KEEP THEM WARM.
SHOULD THAT HAPPEN AGAIN? OR KEEP THEM COOL IN THE WINTER, IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE HURRICANES ARE MAYBE SLOTTING CLOSE TO US.
SECONDLY, WE ALSO STARTED ANOTHER INITIATIVE RIGHT HERE IN OUR CITY.
IT'S OUR STREETLIGHT PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE PROUD OF.
UM, WE DID A STREET EVALUATION AND REALIZED THERE WAS LACK OF IN CERTAIN AREAS.
AND THEN THERE WAS AGING LIGHTING STRUCTURES.
AND SO STAFF SOUGHT OUT A SOLUTION AND IT'S A WONDERFUL SOLUTION.
SO NOW WE HAVE SOLAR POWER LIGHTING ON MANY OF OUR STREETS.
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT A STANDARD BUDGETARY ITEM, UM, IN REPLACING OUR LIGHTINGS FOR OUR STREETS.
UH, IT'S WAS A LOT MORE ECONOMICAL.
UM, STAFF, UM, HELPED WITH OUR CITY ENGINEER, UM, THE DESIGN OF IT.
UM, WE PURCHASED THE LIGHTS, OURSELVES, STAFF INSTALL THEM, AND THERE WAS NO UNDERGROUND WIRING.
AND THE BEAUTY OF IT IS, IS THERE SETTINGS ON THESE LIGHTS THAT ALLOW THEM TO GO TO A DIMMER, A DIM SETTING.
SO WHEN THERE'S ACTIVITY UNDERNEATH THE LIGHT, IT LIGHTS UP, BRIGHTENS THE AREA.
AND THEN AFTER A FEW MINUTES, IT COMES BACK DOWN AND I THINK THEY'VE NOW FOUND ANOTHER ONE, CAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO BETTER THEMSELVES, THAT WE CAN CONTROL IT WITH AN SMARTPHONE.
AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING INTO SOME OF THAT WHERE WE CAN START, UH, IF WE NEED TO ALTER THOSE LIGHTING PATTERNS, WE CAN DO IT THROUGH A SMARTPHONE.
AND SO WE'RE REAL EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, THERE'S BEEN, I THINK, EIGHT OR NINE STREETS IN OUR CITY THAT HAVE THESE NEW LIGHTS.
NOW EVERYBODY WANTS THEM IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, SO WE HEAR THE, WE HEAR THE STREETS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN APPLICATION ONLINE.
YOU CAN GO SUBMIT YOUR STREET TO BE EVALUATED.
AND WE, AS COUNCIL WILL DECIDE WITH STAFF WHO GETS THE PRIORITY FOR THE NEXT BATCH OF FUNDING THAT COMES AROUND.
UM, BUT, UH, IT WAS SUCH A HIT THAT ONE OF OUR DEVELOPERS, UH, BUILDING A NEW SUBDIVISION ON THE NORTH SIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, LOOKED AT IT AND THEY'RE GOING TO PUT THOSE SAME LIGHTS IN THEIR SUBDIVISION SO THAT IT WILL BE FULLY SOLAR POWERED LIGHTING IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO OUR EFFORTS SPARKED SOMEBODY ELSE'S EFFORTS.
AND WE'RE JUST EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
TRYING TO BE SOMEWHAT OF A, A LEADER IN THAT RESPECT.
WE ALSO LOOKING AT ONE OTHER ITEM BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE RESILIENT.
WE ALSO NEED TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT AS A COMMUNITY.
IT WAS, WE'RE LOOKING AT RAINWATER CAPTURING AND SUPPLYING AND GETTING OUR OWN WATER.
WE'VE BEEN TO TALKS WITH OUR LEGISLATURE.
UH, WE TALKING WITH CERTAIN VENDORS AND WE'RE LOOKING TO MAYBE DO SOME RAINWATER CAPTURING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEN ALSO DOING SOME OSMOSIS, UM, A WATER FILTER SYSTEMS WITHIN OUR CITY FACILITIES.
UM, IN THE EVENT THAT WE HAVE TO SHELTER IN PLACE RESIDENTS, WE AT LEAST WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE WATER SOURCES AND WATER NEEDS THROUGH, IF IT'S A CONTAMINATED WATER THROUGH OSMOSIS, WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE SOME SORT OF WATER TO HELP US GET THROUGH THE CRUNCH.
SO BASICALLY TO SUM IT ALL UP, UH, WE, AS A CD ARE STRIVING EVERYDAY TO BE RESILIENT, INDEPENDENT, AND CREATIVE, AND WE THINK WE'RE ON THAT RIGHT TRACK.
SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU AND HAVE A BLESSED DAY.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL GO AHEAD.
SO I'M DONE, WE'LL OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
IF YOU'D LIKE, UM, ALL THREE OF US WILL BE HERE FOR A FEW MOMENTS.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO ASK.
UM, IF NOT, THAT'LL CONCLUDE OUR LITTLE PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE DAY.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU, JUDGE.
UH, REPRESENT, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, BEING HERE TODAY.
WE KNOW HOW BUSY SCHEDULES AND THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH ANY QUESTIONS WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A SHORT AND BRIEF GET TO THE POINT.
AND WE'LL BE HERE FOR ANY SIDE QUESTIONS, IF YOU LIKE, AND, UM, ENJOY THE REST OF Y'ALL'S DAY.