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Erath County urges landowners to protest proposed transmission route; no formal intervention voted
Summary
County officials discussed whether to intervene in proceedings over a proposed transmission route (recorded in the meeting as the 'longshore line'), urged property owners to file protests before local deadlines and recessed for an executive session; the court returned with no reportable action and took no formal vote to intervene.
Erath County’s presiding official urged residents to file protests and submit written comments after a lengthy discussion about a proposed transmission route the court repeatedly referred to as the “longshore line.” The court discussed intervention options but took no formal vote at the meeting.
“The sentiment is that we want to fight this,” the County Judge said, urging landowners to intervene as property owners before the written-testimony deadline and to participate in a scheduled subregional planning commission meeting. The judge said the county had received thousands of filings and asked residents to add theirs to strengthen local challenges.
County staff advised that the deadline to intervene as a property owner was the day of the meeting and that the written-testimony period opens with a deadline in early April. The judge said the county has been coordinating with local advocacy and outreach volunteers and asked residents to contact the county office for assistance with filings.
The court recessed into an executive session under Texas Government Code §§551.071–551.086 to discuss legal matters. When the court returned, the judge reported there was "nothing to discuss" coming out of the closed session and no action was taken on intervention during the open meeting.
The judge framed the dispute as a broad local concern, saying the route "affects all of Erath County" and urged continued community involvement as next procedural deadlines approach. The court noted plans to continue local coordination at a subregional planning commission meeting scheduled the following day.
