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Residents press Amarillo leaders: oppose Fermy partnership and fix dangerous intersections
Summary
Multiple speakers during public comment urged the council to pull back from a partnership tied to the Fermy advanced energy campus over water, tariff and air‑pollution concerns; other residents urged stronger traffic enforcement and intersection timing reviews after recent fatal crashes.
Multiple Amarillo residents used the public‑comment portion of the April 14 council meeting to press officials on two persistent concerns: a proposed Fermy data‑center/energy campus and local traffic and intersection safety.
Hazik Ayan, an Amarillo High School student, told the council he and other young residents oppose the city’s partnership with Fermy Incorporated and urged the council to "terminate the city of Amarillo's partnership with Fermy Incorporated on the Donald J. Trump advanced energy and intelligence campus," arguing the facility could harm air quality and water resources and that a late‑March subzoning application aimed to help Fermy avoid tariffs. "Our water is for our people," Ayan said, warning that the project could worsen local pollution and strain the Ogallala aquifer.
City clarification on jurisdiction: During public comment a city official gave a factual clarification, stating that the Fermy project sits in Carson County, outside Amarillo’s city limits. The speaker said the city’s formal role is limited to a 2.5‑million‑gallon‑per‑day water allowance and that the city does not have authority over project permitting in Carson County.
Traffic safety and intersection timing: Several speakers pressed the council on road safety. Mike Fiser, a longtime commenter, asked that the city re‑analyze timing at a particular intersection after two recent fatal crashes; he argued a modest extension of the “all‑red” clearance time could have reduced crash risk. Staff and the city manager agreed to include the intersection in an ongoing traffic signal timing study and to pull collision data dating back six or 12 months (fatalities and contributing factors such as speed and alcohol) for further review.
Other public concerns: Speakers raised additional issues including parks maintenance (requests for agenda time to discuss school‑park restroom access), retransparency for boards and commissions (streaming and transcripts), and neighborhood policing/Parole sweeps. Council members acknowledged limits of city jurisdiction for some concerns but directed staff to follow up where feasible and to return reports to council.
What’s next: City staff said they would provide follow‑up information on the Fermy water‑allocation details, include flagged intersections in the signal‑timing study, and share plans for pilot streaming of high‑interest boards and for a parks‑conditions review to be scheduled in a future meeting.
