[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6660681,"mediaKeyId","2434617-d88f7e941e7efe8d597b89c7a8f23976","parentId",2434617,"title","Residents press council on Lansing data center annexation — water use, noise and road impacts debated; annexation approved as part of consent package","audioSeconds",203,"startMs",1011000,"endMs",1214000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2434617-d88f7e941e7efe8d597b89c7a8f23976&start=1011&end=1214","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2434617-d88f7e941e7efe8d597b89c7a8f23976/thumbnail_1011000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6660681/Abilene/Taylor-County/Texas/Residents-press-council-on-Lansing-data-center-annexation-water-use-noise-and-road-impacts-debated-annexation-approved-as-part-of-consent-package","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660681-ab0fc522332ad3e5a4825ee047ea5c7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184930&Signature=HnsNJZg5ZHndN88AwLo0uKkO6zEm8KahOY8CRuP~YcArN~qaGvYV~3FYueBXSTGtq3lpkml3QEuA9-qKlq5pXm0MIZLSJKSSD~NQZ25FY45sN64XP9PDV-zhrDVS1pviQoQFRHW1av-r9cvojAHd9AewRyuBKkM-5nasXHrJ82QHE7EiDAWGDm4lJgAfEj9nbLlPqCIPUXUuk0nAvqesasMemNI8IKoRGKu-biYpG-rITSmyoR1TZXu4EDIGbNKR85vvKiJlrzpj-ONceiybVhgusv2qv917g3JgAS4q-29HgbhABl0ZUE1NGqwIknLNFJUNsKsXH4LFBwrYqUfDxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Abilene","date","2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","article","Residents near the proposed Lansing data-center site urged the Abilene City Council to address water usage, noise and road impacts associated with the project as the council considered annexing adjacent property.

A resident who identified themselves during public comment as living directly across the street from the property said neighbors are worried about property valuations, utility and water use and damage to nearby streets. The speaker noted an 11,000,000-gallon-per-year figure referenced for the project and said that nearby residents had begun a petition opposing the annexation.

City staff (Robert) answered in public comment that an 11,000,000-gallon annual water figure is within the range of standard industrial users in Abilene, and that the largest industrial user in the city uses about 18,000,000 gallons per year. Staff told the council Lansing intends to use a closed-loop water technology that minimizes ongoing fresh-water withdrawal and noted Lansing markets that reduced water intensity as part of its operations.

On power, staff said the site plan includes an on-site gas-fired power plant that would be used in limited circumstances when wind and solar resources are not available; the company intends to source most electricity from regional wind and solar generation. The city representative said noise from a gas-fired plant would be present but that the site’s buildings will be enclosed and the server operations differ from open “containerized” crypto-mining facilities.

Staff also explained that annexation would be the first procedural step; rezoning to allow the planned industrial use would follow only after the property is inside city limits. When asked who would maintain nearby streets, staff said the city typically assumes responsibility for roads adjacent to newly annexed property but can coordinate with the county during the construction phase and work with the developer to address damage caused by heavy trucks.

The annexation was part of the consent agenda the council approved in a single motion; the consent motion carried unanimously.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Abilene - City Council - Feb 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Residents near a proposed Lansing data center told the Abilene City Council they fear effects on property values, water usage and street wear from heavy truck traffic; staff said the facility would use closed-loop water and that annexation is the first step before rezoning.","taxTitle","Abilene, Taylor County, Texas","taxId",2817,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6660690,"Abilene City Council approves consent agenda, convention center chairs and housing tax-credit support; several items pulled for later review",3557,2213000,5770000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2434617-d88f7e941e7efe8d597b89c7a8f23976&start=2213&end=5770","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2434617-d88f7e941e7efe8d597b89c7a8f23976/thumbnail_2213000.jpg","/articles/6660690/Abilene/Taylor-County/Texas/Abilene-City-Council-approves-consent-agenda-convention-center-chairs-and-housing-tax-credit-support-several-items-pulled-for-later-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660690-f4026ec203a3d09e09bdc73a969ebcc3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184930&Signature=UeCkP75xTD3Ivgp513-iN6HL6VoHRrbIsu~PEFpe-uHRwq-X2YhjCMdR3y1XXDpNm5Yzsk2ZD0qF9NjTyyRnYxJIdtYsvx-saWAbnpp~jh4Ptdw9c2eKztRIlIaYcN5IuCRhpthp7t1JhqAZ~fxhTYlHaZB82U81tr~BHbCq93ZuE4UikrydhT0dx77obXkcJpwjM9baylh5DSd~Qzeow4k7GWHtNGr4938enruE2T3A98BkVym1YUMRf2smYRBhMghfGXxrgv7JaLTO4O1gsQHHgPM~aZ97HAmM6tqHiwqJt2JgAmuZRSeb~EGiHaqtq9o4DAiu~EF9ppuWEEzyFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Abilene City Council approved the bulk of its consent agenda and several separate items during its meeting, with some agenda items pulled for later consideration.

The council voted to approve consent items 4 through 15 with exceptions, adopting the grouped measures in a single motion. Councilman Price moved the consent motion and Councilman Yates seconded; the mayor announced, “All yes. Motion carries.”

The council separately approved a competitive procurement to replace up to 2,000 chairs in the Abilene Convention Center. Councilman Reagan moved the purchase and Councilman Price seconded; the mayor called the vote and the motion carried unanimously. Staff said the chosen chairs are covered by a 15-year warranty and were procured through the BuyBoard cooperative.

On a separate item, the council approved a support resolution for the 301 Cypress affordable-housing project that seeks tax-credit financing. Councilman Price moved the resolution and Councilman Craver seconded. The motion passed with a single dissent: Councilman Reagan cast the lone “no” vote; other members voted yes. Staff described the proposal as a mixed project set to be income-restricted for 35 years under tax-credit rules and said the developer revised the unit mix to be 75% income-restricted and 25% market-rate to be more competitive for funding.

The council also confirmed appointments and reappointments to local boards and commissions, including the Abilene–Taylor County Child Advocacy Center Board and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) No. 3. Councilman Beard moved the appointments and Councilman Reagan seconded; the mayor called the vote and it passed unanimously.

Items pulled: Mayor Hart announced at the start of the meeting that item 16 had been pulled from the consent agenda and item 17 from the regular agenda to allow staff to work on language after receiving public input. Staff and the mayor said those items will return for future consideration; members of the public were invited to comment on them during the public-comment period.

Votes at a glance
- Consent agenda (items 4–15, except 5 & 9): Motion by Councilman Price; second by Councilman Yates. Vote: unanimous “yes.” Outcome: approved.
- Item 5 — Purchase of up to 2,000 convention center chairs (~$320,000): Motion by Councilman Reagan; second by Councilman Price. Vote: unanimous “yes.” Outcome: approved. Staff noted BuyBoard procurement and a 15-year warranty.
- Item 9 — Support resolution for 301 Cypress housing tax-credit application: Motion by Councilman Price; second by Councilman Craver. Vote: Yes — majority; No — Councilman Reagan (1). Outcome: approved.
- Item 20 — Appointments/reappointments to boards and commissions (including Abilene–Taylor County Child Advocacy Center and TIRZ No. 3): Motion by Councilman Beard; second by Councilman Reagan. Vote: unanimous “yes.” Outcome: approved.

The meeting adjourned after the votes and after an executive session; no further formal action was taken on the pulled items during this meeting.

(See separate articles for substantive debates on annexation, animal ordinance discussion and downtown paid parking.)","The Abilene City Council approved a majority of its agenda items during a meeting that included a consent package, a convention-center furniture purchase and a support resolution for an affordable-housing tax-credit project, while pulling other ordinance items for further language review.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6660676,"Abilene council discusses paid parking downtown; directs staff to pursue pilot across from DoubleTree and draft commercial-vehicle rules",2718,2948000,5666000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2434617-d88f7e941e7efe8d597b89c7a8f23976&start=2948&end=5666","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2434617-d88f7e941e7efe8d597b89c7a8f23976/thumbnail_2948000.jpg","/articles/6660676/Abilene/Taylor-County/Texas/Abilene-council-discusses-paid-parking-downtown-directs-staff-to-pursue-pilot-across-from-DoubleTree-and-draft-commercial-vehicle-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660676-e85e506626bbdf35c8cc25302989ec6d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184930&Signature=P7~rHmT3tTE0Qbm98WOknRMXQwRPpWCty7NlC~X8dbwIrVBz9YSsSDQGRcNYhEhS1PC5E4cQppfovM8zSM5UbLcdDDdPmyAS2rqfWYGTsmiXDjD8HW6su2J~-9X9Xmb-GbIQubiXlBRXPn7gLI3gjmaY8a-fGGMpiTsiq7~Z1Ni79tSLTlQgk7YOVd~Qpn~Ug1aR38-0Kt0Sh6MlDXJDLN70XN2QA1bgJbdGGFnylQzLeKuZPVhe-rEVryQtebbE7fG2YwaeuIs2nXZNh74VtepPUcHkYnSAWx0nrUdXJB5UfeZSOFatd~jHEePn8RLtsM-1m-zeNEJ6AwG5t9Je1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented options for a ParkMobile pay-parking program in downtown Abilene and councilmembers directed staff to advance a pilot for the lot across from the DoubleTree Hotel while developing rules for commercial-vehicle and long-term parking.

Michael Rice, assistant city manager, briefed the council on a proposed pay-parking program using ParkMobile. Rice said the program provides signage (including QR codes), phone-based registration for customers without smartphones, session notifications and the ability for users or businesses to extend or validate parking remotely. He noted the city would install signage and mounting hardware while ParkMobile would manage the digital platform.

Rice said the city could match on-street parking rules by making 0–2 hours free, allow monthly or event rates and enable business validation. He identified two lots as initial candidates: the lot adjacent to the DoubleTree Hotel and a lot at Second and Pine; he recommended the DoubleTree-adjacent lot as a place for a soft launch. Staff said enforcement would be manual (boots-on-the-ground) and that ParkMobile offers security measures to protect payment data. Rice provided a revenue range estimate for the hotel-adjacent lot, saying it could generate from about $200,000 up to $480,000 annually depending on utilization and rates; he said ParkMobile retains its merchant fee and that program revenues could be earmarked to support hotel-related debt service in the proposed model.

Council discussion focused on timing and local impacts. Several councilmembers and downtown business representatives said Cypress Street construction is already suppressing downtown visits and argued the city should wait to see the post-construction parking pattern before rolling out paid parking more broadly. Others said paid parking is a standard downtown tool to improve turnover and to have users contributing to maintenance costs.

Public comment included local business owners and downtown advocates. Glenn Dromgoole, who said he formerly worked at the Abilene Reporter-News and owns a downtown business, urged the council to keep the Reporter-News-lot free to “solve the parking problem once and for all.” Ronnie Burke, a downtown association member and events director, urged the council to delay implementation until Cypress Street construction is complete so businesses have time to recover.

After discussion and public comment, the council’s working consensus was to ask staff to move forward with developing a pilot for the lot across from the DoubleTree Hotel and to draft ordinance language and operational details including commercial-vehicle and overnight-parking restrictions; the council did not adopt an ordinance at this meeting.

","City staff presented a proposed ParkMobile pay-parking program for downtown lots and on-street spaces. Councilmembers varied in support; most favored a phased approach beginning with the lot across from the DoubleTree Hotel and asked staff to return with ordinance language, fee details, commercial-vehicle restrictions and enforcement plans.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6660686,"Public commenters press Abilene council to reconsider mandatory spay/neuter, breeder and show permits; ordinance language pulled for revision",779,870000,1649000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2434617-d88f7e941e7efe8d597b89c7a8f23976&start=870&end=1649","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2434617-d88f7e941e7efe8d597b89c7a8f23976/thumbnail_870000.jpg","/articles/6660686/Abilene/Taylor-County/Texas/Public-commenters-press-Abilene-council-to-reconsider-mandatory-spayneuter-breeder-and-show-permits-ordinance-language-pulled-for-revision","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660686-ec6f7471e4b77197ebd21c0f958ea991/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184930&Signature=GPens~iOwT2wRAeMNqH-a6giBnRjDizkhzCZ12hedIyiIVWClXSu6jyoKNqz7y11t3FGD9BjDmpPhCrV4plwWgeWc-x1V-IrTIIpFtwbebCheo2U-n0EgceCSg59DljgSV2B8OyNTCUsl-Uq3gYyWd13XBepe9BIQi70S2twwvkQw7MrP~9kelzNzH50geiIQaWUdKUmimqbskk40a8DVyEKXK0wririQT-9D49W2EdXyBXkCdXAcJ8Z1Fd6Q3h8nGgsVsXQNxmPQNjJSyxvdGFIFvM5UAnQs04~He9AYx3a3tbFvzZFTXzAV-5hUM~n2YsGaJ5VIUNowRn8It8Nxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A range of residents and local breeders urged the Abilene City Council to reconsider elements of a proposed amendment to the city’s animal and fowl ordinance, particularly mandatory spay/neuter clauses and a combined breeder/show permit category.

Mayor Hart announced at the meeting’s start that item 16 was pulled from the consent agenda and item 17 was pulled from the regular agenda so staff could work on language after public input. Speakers used the public-comment period to press the council for changes before the items return.

Aaron Young, who said he now lives in Clyde and previously lived in Abilene, argued the fee structure is unbalanced and urged separate permit categories for breeders and show animals. “Why should [responsible breeders] be charged more than a dangerous animal?” he asked, criticizing a proposed $150 breeder/show permit and contrasting it with a $50-per-year dangerous-dog permit. Young also cited Texas Occupations Code 801, noting veterinary records are confidential and raising concerns about service-animal exemptions missing from the draft.

Erin Wiley and others presented research and organizational positions arguing blanket mandatory spay/neuter policies do not always achieve intended reductions in shelter intake or nuisance behavior. Wiley cited national organizations and veterinary research and suggested the city prioritize low-cost access to spay/neuter services, microchipping, and targeted enforcement instead of broad mandates.

Longtime exhibitor Thomas McIntyre, who said he has more than 60 years in the dog-show community, told the council that purebred breeders generally self-regulate through national clubs and rescue programs and that blunt ordinances can create unintended consequences for law-abiding owners.

City staff and councilmembers responded that the ordinance is part of a two-reading process and that city staff have engaged with stakeholders including local AKC representatives. A staff member (Mr. Hanna) said mandatory spay/neuter clauses and show-permit language will be revisited; councilmembers confirmed the items will be re-noticed at a future meeting.

The discussion was extensive during public comment, and several speakers asked the council for clearer public notice when items are pulled so residents who traveled to speak can be advised. Mayor Hart and staff agreed to return revised language and to consider stakeholder feedback before the measures are reintroduced.

Outcome: Items 16 and 17 were pulled from this meeting for additional staff work and will be presented again at a future council meeting; no ordinance vote occurred at this session.

","Speakers at the Abilene City Council meeting urged changes to proposed animal-control ordinance provisions, especially mandatory spay/neuter requirements and combined breeder/show permits. Council pulled related items from the agenda so staff can revise language and will consider the measures at a future meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents press council on Lansing data center annexation — water use, noise and road impacts debated; annexation approved as part of consent package

Abilene City Council approves consent agenda, convention center chairs and housing tax-credit support; several items pulled for later review

Abilene council discusses paid parking downtown; directs staff to pursue pilot across from DoubleTree and draft commercial-vehicle rules

Public commenters press Abilene council to reconsider mandatory spay/neuter, breeder and show permits; ordinance language pulled for revision