The Hill County Commissioners Court met in a regular session Tuesday, May 26, and continued to hear public comment on large-scale development in Hill County prior to discussing regular county business.
Several residents spoke during open forum about transparency, public safety and the county’s handling of industrial development projects, particularly ongoing discussions surrounding the data center moratorium and battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Speakers questioned whether the meeting agenda provided enough detail under the Texas Open Meetings Act regarding a planned executive session on litigation and asked commissioners to postpone the closed session until the public was better informed. One speaker asked the court to hold important meetings after 5:30 p.m. to allow for more public participation.
Questions were also raised about whether the county has an evacuation or fire plan related to battery energy storage facilities.
A Blum resident expressed concerns about transparency and the safety of battery energy storage systems associated with wind, solar and data center projects. The speaker said that Hill County currently has 11 BESS facilities and warned about the risk of “thermal runaway” fires involving lithium batteries. Concerns were also raised about whether the county’s hazard mitigation plan addresses BESS facilities and whether fire codes should be adopted for unincorporated areas.
The resident encouraged the county to raise concerns with the Public Utility Commission and asked that discussions about fire codes and fire marshal oversight remain on future agendas.
Another speaker thanked commissioners for approving the data center moratorium but criticized the county’s handling of infrastructure issues tied to previous industrial developments, specifically the Hubbard Wind II project. The resident said that road damage concerns raised by citizens had not been properly addressed and questioned why county crews were being used for repairs that should be the responsibility of the company under its tax abatement agreement. The speaker argued that the county should improve oversight and accountability before allowing additional large-scale industrial projects.
Another resident urged the court to reject any data center moratorium waiver requests until further studies are completed. The speaker also opposed future tax abatements for industrial projects and thanked commissioners who supported the moratorium, saying more time is needed to evaluate potential impacts on the county.
In the regular agenda, the court set a public hearing for Tuesday, July 14, on a proposal to close a small portion of HCR 1216 that connects to HCR 1300. Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Holcomb said that the undeveloped area has become a nuisance for nearby residents and attracts unwanted activity and litter in their neighborhood.
Commissioners observed and recorded the county auditor’s annual budget report for last fiscal year and the six-month report for FY 2026. Through the first six months of the fiscal year, Hill County reported General Fund revenues of $18.7 million and expenditures of $10.7 million. Countywide, officials reported collecting 79.61% of budgeted revenues while spending 42.29% of budgeted expenditures through March 31.
The court authorized the county judge to sign documents related to a grant Emergency Services District (ESD) 2 has been selected to receive from the Ambulance Service Grant Program in the amount of $350,000.
Commissioners also selected members for the county’s Sexual Assault Response Team, which state law requires counties to maintain in order to coordinate investigations, victim services and interagency communication in adult sexual assault cases. Members include leadership and representatives of the sheriff’s office and local police departments, along with mental health representatives and prosecutors.
The court approved a contract with Frontier Waste Solutions for waste collection at the Hill County Precinct 1 Annex in Huron. The county will have a larger dumpster and reduce its cost from $500 per month to $188 per month with the change.
In other action, the court approved a final plat for phase one of the Owl Estates development in Precinct 4, certified revenues and approved related budget amendments.
While there was a planned executive session on the agenda for the court to discuss potential litigation with its attorney, commissioners did not convene in the closed session due to the concerns raised about the agenda.
The Lakelander 