2026-08-24 - Board of Commissioners

0:00:00Heat. Heat.

0:00:50Heat. Heat.

0:05:11>> [music]

0:09:26>> Yeah. Yeah.

0:10:50Good evening.

0:11:00>> Good evening.

0:11:05I'd like to call the Davidson County

0:11:06Board of Commissioners meeting to order

0:11:09tonight uh Monday, August the 24th. And

0:11:13on Commissioner Kester, if you will do

0:11:16the invocation and the pledge of

0:11:17allegiance.

0:11:18>> All right. Uh just bow with me, please.

0:11:20Lord, you plainly and clearly tell us in

0:11:23your word specifically in Proverbs

0:11:25chapter 3 vers 5 and 6 to trust in the

0:11:27Lord with all thine heart and lean not

0:11:29to thine own understanding, but in all

0:11:31thy ways acknowledge him and he'll

0:11:33direct thy path. So Lord, that's my

0:11:35prayer this evening.

0:11:36>> Help each commissioner here acknowledge

0:11:38you, look to you for wisdom and

0:11:40discernment, and Lord, guide our path

0:11:42and the decisions we make tonight. And

0:11:44we ask you this in Jesus name. Amen.

0:11:46>> Stand with me for the pledge.

0:11:47>> Amen.

0:11:49I pledge allegiance to the flag of the

0:11:52United States of America and to the

0:11:55republic for which it stands, one nation

0:11:59under God, indivisible, with liberty and

0:12:02justice for all.

0:12:07>> Commissioner Shale, would you recognize

0:12:10our veterans tonight?

0:12:12>> Thank you, Madam Chair. If we have any

0:12:14veterans in the all in the audience,

0:12:16would you please stand?

0:12:20[clears throat]

0:12:21[applause]

0:12:26[applause]

0:12:27If if you have not received the county

0:12:30veteran pen, would you please come up

0:12:32and allow us to present one to you?

0:12:45Okay. Thank you.

0:12:46>> Have a lot.

0:12:48>> All right.

0:12:49>> Thank you, sir, for your service.

0:12:51>> Appreciate it.

0:12:51>> Thank you, sir.

0:12:54>> Thank you, sir, for your service.

0:12:56>> Thank you for your service.

0:12:58>> Thank you for your service.

0:13:01>> Thank you, sir, for your service.

0:13:04>> Thank you for your service.

0:13:05>> Thank you, sir, for your service. I

0:13:06worry about that. And I'll knock that

0:13:08thing off so many times. Hey, sir.

0:13:10>> Hey, buddy. How are you doing?

0:13:13>> Good.

0:13:15Sir,

0:13:16>> thank you.

0:13:22[applause]

0:13:28>> Thank you, Madam Chair.

0:13:29>> Thank you, sir. Um, I'd like to

0:13:31recognize the Lexington Chamber of

0:13:32Commerce Representative Lynn Lee. She

0:13:35may either be here tonight. There she

0:13:37is. Thank you for coming.

0:13:39uh for the chamber rep. Okay. If you

0:13:43have not registered for public address,

0:13:45do so at at the table.

0:13:49And

0:13:50I'd like to move on to ask that you um

0:13:54understand that Commissioner Mccclure is

0:13:56unable to attend the meeting. May I have

0:13:57a motion and a second to excuse?

0:14:00>> Motion excused.

0:14:01>> Okay. I have a motion and a and a

0:14:02second. All All in favor say I. I.

0:14:05>> Thank you all. Okay.

0:14:08>> [clears throat]

0:14:09>> With the adoption of the agenda, are

0:14:11there any changes to make to the agenda?

0:14:16Hearing none, I'll ask for a motion and

0:14:18a second to adopt the agenda.

0:14:21>> Motion to adopt.

0:14:22>> Thank you, sir.

0:14:24>> Thank you, sir. All in favor say I.

0:14:26>> I.

0:14:26>> Okay. So, we're ready to move on to

0:14:28public address. We have a 30 minute time

0:14:31period and three minutes to speak. And

0:14:34Mr. Mayus is bringing me the list.

0:14:38>> [snorts]

0:14:38>> Okay, we'll start with

0:14:44um this is 138 Pebble

0:14:47Pebble Lane Court, Lexington.

0:14:50Mr. or Ms. Spencer. Spencer. And how

0:14:56your last name?

0:14:57>> Spencer Davis.

0:14:58>> Davis. Thank you, Spencer. Um the one

0:15:01thing that I've not heard uh anybody

0:15:03discuss with regards to the flot

0:15:05cameras, everybody says license plate

0:15:07readers. We've discussed the fourth

0:15:09amendment issues at nauseium. Um the one

0:15:14thing they do collect is all signals

0:15:16intelligence coming out of the vehicle.

0:15:18It it collects all the phones, all the

0:15:22uh phone any device with a signal for

0:15:24everybody in the vehicle. That could be

0:15:26your seven-year-old's iPad, your teenage

0:15:29daughter's cell phone that she's

0:15:31Snapchatting to everybody. And all of

0:15:33that is stored by a private company. Um,

0:15:36and that is a big deal for for the fact

0:15:40that there was a report last week that

0:15:43New Hover County had over 6,000

0:15:46um unauthorized or or searches that were

0:15:51conducted

0:15:53that did not have a case ID or a search

0:15:55warrant

0:15:56in just less than eight weeks between

0:15:58June and August.

0:16:00So that's again your daughter's cell

0:16:04phone, your seven-year-old's iPad, all

0:16:06that information is there. Doesn't

0:16:08matter what they're doing. Doesn't

0:16:10matter what they're doing. All of our

0:16:11stuff, you know, all the identifiers on

0:16:14the phones, everything. That's just

0:16:16something we're not hearing a lot of

0:16:18people discuss. Oh, license plate

0:16:19readers, pictures of cars, occupants,

0:16:23nobody's talking about the signals.

0:16:25You've got a profile that's being built

0:16:27there of you. So, I wanted to get that

0:16:30all on the record. Thank you for giving

0:16:31me a few minutes to speak.

0:16:32[clears throat]

0:16:33>> Thank you, SIR.

0:16:36[applause]

0:16:40>> Kenan Yarro.

0:16:46Will all of you uh give your uh address,

0:16:48please, when you come up and and speak.

0:16:50Thank you.

0:16:51>> Yes. My name is Kenan Yarborough. I'm at

0:16:53343 Caitlyn Lane. Uh came up here to uh

0:16:56speak about flock. So, my family settled

0:16:58here in 1802. Michael Road is named

0:17:01after my family. We've been here for

0:17:02seven generations. My family's lived

0:17:04here, died here, and we be buried here.

0:17:06I'm not going anywhere. So, we're I came

0:17:09here to say that I will not be part of

0:17:11the generation that has issued in a

0:17:13surveillance state on Davidson County.

0:17:18>> So, what I keep hearing is that Raleigh

0:17:21said that it's okay, that Washington

0:17:24said that it's okay. So what? So if

0:17:28Governor Stein says we can't have

0:17:29AR-15s, is that the line that we're

0:17:31going to draw in Davidson County? So

0:17:33we're going to say, "All right, well

0:17:34Raleigh said it's okay. You know what? I

0:17:37I'll give my gun back. It's going to be

0:17:38fine." And then here's another thing I

0:17:41just want to get out there.

0:17:43>> Richie Simmons and Scott Craraven and

0:17:45that they're good people. I know these

0:17:48guys. I believe that they're acting in

0:17:49good faith. I don't blame them for using

0:17:51tools that they think are going to make

0:17:53us safer. It's your guys's job to

0:17:55regulate those tools. And if we think

0:17:57that they're the only people that are

0:17:58going to be elected in this county, for

0:18:00goodness sake, we elected Gerald Hegy.

0:18:03Think of Gerald Hegy with Flock. The man

0:18:05was indicted on 15 counts because he

0:18:08broke the rules. This is not the only

0:18:10people that we're ever going to have

0:18:12enforcing the law here.

0:18:15So,

0:18:16talk about the efficiency and the safety

0:18:19of these cameras.

0:18:22The line for liberty in Davidson County

0:18:26should not be how efficient the

0:18:27government can be. It should be, do we

0:18:30want a surveillance state in this county

0:18:33that can monitor everything that we do

0:18:35or do we draw the line? I'm not asking

0:18:38you for another regulation. I'm not

0:18:40asking for another audit. I'm not asking

0:18:42you for another promise. I'm asking you

0:18:44to remove the flock cameras. Washington

0:18:48doesn't draw this line. Raleigh doesn't

0:18:51draw this line. We draw this line. And

0:18:53I'm asking you to draw that line right

0:18:55now for the Fourth Amendment. Thank you.

0:18:57>> Thank you.

0:19:00[applause]

0:19:10[clears throat]

0:19:13>> Are we ready? Thank you for allowing me

0:19:16to speak. With all due respect, I would

0:19:18like to address the county commissioners

0:19:20on this regarding the flock cameras. And

0:19:23by the way, I want to tell you there's

0:19:24no Sharia law in Davidson County, nor

0:19:26will there ever be any rape gangs coming

0:19:29to Davidson County. [applause]

0:19:31>> Tom,

0:19:33hold on just a minute. Stop timing her

0:19:36for a second.

0:19:37>> I I know you're excited and

0:19:39>> I'm not excited.

0:19:40>> No, I'm I'm talking to the entire room.

0:19:43I know you're all excited and I'm glad

0:19:45for you to be here and I know you want

0:19:47to hear people say what you feel at the

0:19:49same time. But it it this goes a little

0:19:53bit better if we don't have the loud

0:19:56clapping in between every speaker. Uh

0:19:59and if we could keep from doing that,

0:20:01we'll move along a little bit further.

0:20:02We'll we'll hear everybody and we won't

0:20:05miss anything. So if you could just keep

0:20:07that down and just let the next person

0:20:10so that we can all be heard. Now you can

0:20:12start timing her. Thank you.

0:20:14>> I want to make it understood. We are one

0:20:15nation under God, not one nation under

0:20:17many gods. We We at this moment are at a

0:20:21pivotal moment in the United States. Set

0:20:23a watchman. Set a watchman. Failure to

0:20:26warn can result in casualties of war of

0:20:28innocent blood. Now, if these I'm

0:20:31against the flock. I am against it

0:20:33because I'm constitutionalist. Are you

0:20:35mice or men? Davidson County

0:20:37Commissioners meeting is tonight and we

0:20:39are all here to let you know. I want to

0:20:41know about non-disclosures agreement

0:20:43regarding these blocks. Which one of you

0:20:45signed them? I'm appalled. By the way,

0:20:49how does a foyer request work on all

0:20:51this information that they're data

0:20:52pulling on us? We are being tracked and

0:20:55traced everything. It is the beast

0:20:58system. If you read Bible, you'll

0:21:00understand where we're at. This is our

0:21:02Alamo. We're not backing up. We're not

0:21:04giving up. If these work to find and

0:21:07arrest and jail the criminals, I expect

0:21:11Fouchy Ouchi to be arrested right now. I

0:21:13expect every Democrat, socialist,

0:21:15communist, Marxist to be arrested for

0:21:17treason, including Congress who refused

0:21:19to pass the Save America Voting Act. I

0:21:21expect every satanic demonic demon from

0:21:23hell who is killing all the unborn to be

0:21:25arrested. I expect every Satan club in

0:21:28the public schools in de in uh North

0:21:30Carolina and anyone supporting all to be

0:21:33arrested for crimes against the children

0:21:35of America. I expect every child

0:21:37trafficker, human trafficker to be

0:21:39arrested and charged with crimes against

0:21:41humanity. We are not backing up. I've

0:21:44got news for you. Men, you do what you

0:21:46do best. You protect your wives and your

0:21:48daughters because they're coming. They

0:21:50are coming to Davidson County.

0:21:54I am not beating around the bush. This

0:21:56is a spiritual war and you are to fight

0:22:00for your neighbors, for your children,

0:22:02for your wives and for yourself. It is

0:22:06time to stand up and say, "We will not

0:22:08be Sharia law. We will not have cameras.

0:22:12We will not be tracked and traced. And

0:22:14I'm not going to let any of the money

0:22:16that we pay in pay for us to be tracked

0:22:19and traced." That's the beast system. I

0:22:22am not scared to tell you this. I said

0:22:26it at the GOP meeting. If the men don't

0:22:28do it, by God, get out of the way

0:22:29because the women will. And I mean every

0:22:31bit of that. These are our daughters.

0:22:33These are our children.

0:22:36And I'm not backing up and I'm not

0:22:38afraid. So either we're going to be

0:22:40together in unity or we're going to be

0:22:42fighting each other. And I don't want to

0:22:44fight nobody. I just want a county. If

0:22:47everything else is burning and they turn

0:22:49their back against a holy God, I want

0:22:51the face of God on this county.

0:22:53>> Amen.

0:22:54>> I want us protected. And we won't be

0:22:56protected if you go ahead and sell us

0:22:58out. So man up. Are you mice or men?

0:23:01Take the flock cameras down now. I'm not

0:23:05asking you. I'm demanding it. Thank you.

0:23:17Polly Leonard.

0:23:34Well, I brought my own gavvel cuz it

0:23:38just seems like you guys get really

0:23:39powerful with that thing. So you toss it

0:23:42around like the hammer of Thor. I wanted

0:23:45to feel that power, too. So we're in

0:23:48session.

0:23:51So Chris, I was wondering, did you hire

0:23:53your private security today? Because

0:23:55it's a Nancy Pelosi move. It really is.

0:23:57But it really sounds like a good time.

0:23:59So I'm here for it. If you want to hire

0:24:02private security to take us citizens

0:24:03out, it sounds like a real good time.

0:24:07So [clears throat] Richie was real real

0:24:09keen on posting his encyclopedia

0:24:11bratannica trying to uh justify

0:24:13communism in this county.

0:24:16[gasps] And one thing that really sticks

0:24:17out to me with this entire insane

0:24:21justification for track and tracing of

0:24:23citizens that are not criminals

0:24:26is the statement that we use these to

0:24:28locate suspects and assisted

0:24:30investigations and and establishing

0:24:33timelines. And I'm just curious, Richie,

0:24:35you're here, so you can let me know. We

0:24:38have two of these slot cameras

0:24:39positioned right at 66 in the city of

0:24:42Thomasville.

0:24:43It should catch DUIs, the drunk drivers,

0:24:46as they leave and drive down 109 that

0:24:49have yet to be held accountable for

0:24:51injuring two kids of your buddy's

0:24:52daughter. So, are we going to use these

0:24:54on all the citizens or we just ignore

0:24:56the 1% in this county?

0:24:59because it's not looking real good as

0:25:01the rest of us are held to a different

0:25:03standard under the law. And we like to

0:25:06tout that there's safeguards and there's

0:25:08laws. There's laws against drink drunk

0:25:10driving. But that doesn't seem to apply

0:25:12to everybody in this county. Just a few.

0:25:17I can't believe we've arrived at the

0:25:19point in this county that we literally

0:25:22are having to fight to [clears throat]

0:25:24stay free citizens.

0:25:27You're a constitutional officer of the

0:25:29law and we have a constitutional freedom

0:25:32and you're trying to trample all over

0:25:33it. It's not that hard. You either

0:25:36choose freedom or you don't. And I'm

0:25:38going to tell you right now, I'll chap

0:25:39every one of your asses if you want to

0:25:40continue on with this.

0:25:50>> [applause]

0:25:55>> Robert Bowen.

0:26:06>> Hi.

0:26:07>> Hi.

0:26:07>> Uh, Robert Bowen, 226 Wingfoot Court. I

0:26:10think I have a tough act to follow.

0:26:13Uh, chairman and commissioners, my name

0:26:14is Robert Bowen, and I'm asking you to

0:26:16defund Davidson County's flock camera

0:26:19program. Uh, North Carolina's history

0:26:21gives a standard for this vote. On April

0:26:2412th, 1776 at Halifax, 83 delegates

0:26:27unanimously took the first official

0:26:29action by any American colony, calling

0:26:31for separation from Britain and

0:26:33independence. The Halifax resolves

0:26:35warned against power over the persons

0:26:37and property of the people that was

0:26:38unlimited and uncontrolled.

0:26:41Those delegates new freedom cannot

0:26:43survive under constant government

0:26:44observation.

0:26:46Flock cameras are not musketss and our

0:26:48deputies are not British uh soldiers,

0:26:50but our cameras that record every

0:26:52passing vehicle are modern red coats on

0:26:54every street corner, always watching and

0:26:56forcing the public to trust that this

0:26:59power will never be abused. That is

0:27:02backwards. Government must justify

0:27:04watching a person. A person should not

0:27:06have to justify driving to work, going

0:27:09to church, going to their doctor, a

0:27:10political meeting, or a friend's home.

0:27:13The sheriff's office has reported

0:27:14operating 25 cameras and spending about

0:27:17$76,000

0:27:18every year on software and maintenance.

0:27:21And just to be clear for everybody

0:27:22listening, that is taxpayer money

0:27:25watching taxpayers.

0:27:28These cameras can help solve crimes. I

0:27:29don't dismiss that. But usefulness is

0:27:32not a blank check for surveillance that

0:27:34is too broad, too secretive, and

0:27:36vulnerable to misuse.

0:27:38Misuse is not hypothetical. In

0:27:41Morsville, authorities charged an

0:27:42officer after the chief said she used

0:27:44flock 31 times to track her boyfriend's

0:27:47former wife. In Charlotte, authorities

0:27:50charged an officer accused of searching

0:27:51an undercover officer's plate and

0:27:54passing information to a drug

0:27:56investigation target. policies did not

0:27:59prevent those alleged abuses. Audits

0:28:01found them afterwards.

0:28:03North Carolina communities have already

0:28:05chosen a different path. Hillsboro

0:28:07terminated its flocks it flocked

0:28:09contract over data privacy and

0:28:11thirdparty disclosure concerns and its

0:28:13cameras were removed. Pittsburgh voted 4

0:28:16to one to terminate, deactivate the

0:28:18equipment and appropriate no new renewal

0:28:21money. Davidson County can do the same.

0:28:25Please vote to appropriate no further

0:28:27county funds for flock. Terminate or

0:28:29decline renewal of the agreement.

0:28:31Disable county access and outside

0:28:32sharing. Preserve only evidence the law

0:28:35requires. Delete non-evidentiary data

0:28:38under applicable rules. Revoke

0:28:40credentials. Remove the equipment and

0:28:42publish a written closure report. In

0:28:441776, North Carolina led the colonies

0:28:46away from unaccountable power. Tonight,

0:28:49lead again. Take the red coats off our

0:28:51streets.

0:29:01Adam C, excuse me, Adam Cranford.

0:29:05Sorry, Adam.

0:29:10>> Hi, I'm Vicer Adam Cranford. I live at

0:29:14407 Edinger Road, Thomasville.

0:29:17And well, I'm here in the uniform of my

0:29:20office.

0:29:22It's probably one of the most

0:29:23recognizable in the entire world and

0:29:25very few people know what it actually

0:29:27means. The reason that I and all who

0:29:29wear this along with me dress in black

0:29:32is it's a representation of the fact

0:29:34that all of us are sinners. There is no

0:29:37one good, not even one.

0:29:41That is why these cameras have to be

0:29:44removed and all of them like it. It

0:29:47can't just be Flock. has to be Axen and

0:29:49any other brand that comes along because

0:29:52these things represent an unprecedented

0:29:55level of potential for abuse.

0:29:58We remember six years ago when the

0:30:00governor of North Carolina himself had

0:30:02to be sued to be reminded that it was

0:30:05constitutionally illegal for him to try

0:30:08to interfere with church gatherings. As

0:30:11has already been mentioned, we remember

0:30:1322 years ago when the sheriff of

0:30:15Davidson County was charged with

0:30:17multiple felonies and plead guilty to

0:30:20two of them.

0:30:22Even if by some miracle everybody here

0:30:26right now involved in this, it can be

0:30:30trusted with it. That will not always be

0:30:32the case. Your office, your uniform is

0:30:35no protection or insurance against

0:30:37corruption and abuse.

0:30:42Someone either by election or

0:30:45appointment or hacking will gain access

0:30:49to this system.

0:30:52And that's going to be something that

0:30:54all of us will suffer for. All of you,

0:30:56all of our children, all of our

0:30:58grandchildren.

0:31:00It's unavoidable. And that's why they've

0:31:02got to come down. So take them down. All

0:31:04of them. Everything like them. And ban

0:31:07all of it in our county. Thank you.

0:31:09>> Thank you, [applause]

0:31:17>> Benas.

0:31:23[clears throat]

0:31:27Good evening. My name is Benjamin D. Ro.

0:31:29I run the group D Flock Davidson County

0:31:32and I represent the voice of the

0:31:33citizens against flock. First and

0:31:36foremost, these are not just license

0:31:38plate reader cameras. Using artificial

0:31:40intelligence, they catalog a vehicle's

0:31:43make, model, body type, color, and

0:31:46unique identifying features. They also

0:31:48use no plate tracking with features like

0:31:51free form search to track and find

0:31:53vehicles based purely on their physical

0:31:56description when the plate is missing.

0:31:59as well as movement profiling, which

0:32:01logs timestamps and locations to map out

0:32:04travel patterns across regional and

0:32:07national camera networks. Now, let me

0:32:10reiterate, national camera networks. In

0:32:13other words, a national database and not

0:32:16a database that a law enforcement

0:32:18officer or hacker has to sit through and

0:32:20watch continuously to find their

0:32:21subject, but a database that is AI

0:32:24controlled and by a simple command

0:32:26prompt can bring up a person's private

0:32:29information anywhere this database is

0:32:31shared or compromised. And here in lies

0:32:34one of the big problems. We now have an

0:32:37unauthorized warrantless mass

0:32:40surveillance program that has been snuck

0:32:42under the guise of fighting crime.

0:32:45Flock cameras are creating a digital

0:32:47profile that is stored and that is what

0:32:50becomes a Fourth Amendment violation

0:32:52an entire save database we don't even

0:32:55know about. That is why the FTC has been

0:32:58pushed to investigate these flot cameras

0:33:01for their lacking cyber security

0:33:03systems, not to mention abuse.

0:33:06Morsville, North Carolina alone, 10

0:33:09officers in August were investigated for

0:33:12misuse of flock cameras and two other

0:33:15officers in North Carolina have been

0:33:17criminally charged with newer violations

0:33:20happening as we speak.

0:33:23And I'll close with this. The most

0:33:25common argument I get is, "Hey Ben, if

0:33:29you're not doing anything wrong, what

0:33:31are you worried about?" "Hey Ben, you're

0:33:34not a criminal. Why are you so concerned

0:33:36with these cameras?" Well, aside from it

0:33:38being the Fourth Amendment violation for

0:33:40the reasons I just stated, it wasn't so

0:33:43long ago that the definition of wrong

0:33:45and criminal changed. Everybody

0:33:47remembers CO 19, the lockdowns, with the

0:33:51pandemic. The rules and definitions

0:33:54changed pretty quick. Many businesses

0:33:56were fined or shut down, and people were

0:33:59arrested for things like going to

0:34:02church, birthday parties, wedding

0:34:05celebrations.

0:34:07People were wrong and criminals when the

0:34:09definition changed quickly.

0:34:11Don't give the powers that be another

0:34:13tool to use if and when the definition

0:34:17changes again. Get these cameras out of

0:34:20my county.

0:34:20>> AMEN.

0:34:23>> [applause]

0:34:29>> TYLER

0:34:31TYRIE.

0:34:33[clears throat]

0:34:39>> HELLO, Davidson County. My name is Tyler

0:34:41Tyrie. I think it's very clear to

0:34:44everyone in the room how the people feel

0:34:46about flock cameras.

0:34:49As Ben said before me, you may ask, if

0:34:52you're not doing anything wrong, then

0:34:54what do you have to worry about? What

0:34:56you have to worry about is when the

0:34:57definition of what's wrong is changed.

0:35:00He gave an great example of COVID being

0:35:03uh a co changing the definition of what

0:35:07is wrong. That is why the people of our

0:35:09county want these cameras gone. Thank

0:35:11you for your time. Thank you,

0:35:17>> Grayson Guyire.

0:35:25Thank you guys for having me tonight. My

0:35:26name is Grayson Guyire at 304 McGee Road

0:35:29over in Midway.

0:35:31Uh, first I really want to thank you

0:35:34guys. I know the service is thankless

0:35:37often and I can see that this evening

0:35:39and I don't want to be here. Um, I'm

0:35:42supposed to be coaching a uh soccer

0:35:44practice tonight. It's our first of the

0:35:46year. I sat with my boy uh this evening

0:35:49and I tried to explain to him that this

0:35:52civic duty was more important than that

0:35:54this evening. Um

0:35:57[sighs and gasps]

0:35:59he is 7 years old, my son. 10 years from

0:36:02now he's going to be a military age. And

0:36:04I and I hope he serves. Um I served, my

0:36:07father served, my grandfather before me.

0:36:10uh and it's important to us. What's most

0:36:13important and more important than that

0:36:14is that he has something worth serving

0:36:16for. And that's why I'm here this

0:36:19evening.

0:36:20Uh on 911, I was 21 years old. I was on

0:36:24a grinder in Coronado, California.

0:36:27Uh I could not wait to go

0:36:32protect the free world from Saddam

0:36:34Hussein and his weapons of mass

0:36:36destruction.

0:36:37>> Amen.

0:36:3925 years later, we all know what that

0:36:40was about. And and it's a shame. And so

0:36:45around

0:36:46that entire global war on terror, my

0:36:49faith in institutions began to wayne.

0:36:52And and unfortunately tonight, as I look

0:36:54at all of you guys who are my neighbors,

0:36:56you're the face of the institution to

0:36:57those of us in here. And and I want so

0:37:00desperately to trust you guys. I really

0:37:03do. Um,

0:37:05we seem to be in a race. I don't

0:37:08understand the lack of prudence with AI.

0:37:11Uh, I I recognize that the rhetoric is

0:37:14around China and that we need to somehow

0:37:16beat them to artificial general

0:37:18intelligence. Though, as as I have

0:37:21worked really really hard to try and

0:37:23understand what that means for us moving

0:37:25forward, uh, all I can say is if it

0:37:28works out, it's potentially really

0:37:31really scary. I don't know. Um, I've

0:37:34heard some uh some of the folks that uh

0:37:37that run those companies describe it as

0:37:39creating a god. I think that's the

0:37:41scariest thing I can possibly imagine.

0:37:43And then on the other hand, if it

0:37:45doesn't work, if it turns into a flop,

0:37:46then we know uh that about 50% of the

0:37:50S&P 500 is riding on it right now. And

0:37:52that's not good either, right? So, uh

0:37:55doesn't feel like a a great situation to

0:37:57be in necessarily

0:38:00in this race with China. I think in

0:38:02terms of flock, uh, it just feels very

0:38:05dystopian and Orwellian to me. And for

0:38:08those of you, anybody up there that

0:38:10hasn't read 1984, I'd be happy to drop

0:38:12ship you a copy after this. Um, I have

0:38:15zero interest in becoming China in

0:38:18trying to win this race. And and really,

0:38:21that's all I have to say on the subject.

0:38:22And thank you very much for having me

0:38:24this evening. Good morning.

0:38:26[applause]

0:38:32Kelvin Renen.

0:38:41Good evening. My name is Kelvin Ringcon.

0:38:44I'm I live in Thomasville. I am sorry. I

0:38:48apologize if I'm going to be repeating

0:38:49what everybody has said, but I felt the

0:38:52need to come here and speak my mind and

0:38:54on behalf of my family.

0:38:58In case of you all have forgotten, I

0:38:59would like to read this. The fourth

0:39:01amendment to the United States

0:39:03Constitution is a crucial part of the

0:39:05Bill of Rights. It protects individuals

0:39:08from unreasonable searches and seizures

0:39:10by the government. This amendment is

0:39:12essential for maintaining personal

0:39:14privacy and security. Key provisions

0:39:17protection against unreasonable

0:39:19searches. The fourth amendment prohibits

0:39:22government agent from conducting

0:39:24searches without a valid reason. Warrant

0:39:27requirements. Generally generally law

0:39:30enforcement must obtain a warrant to

0:39:32search a person's property. This warrant

0:39:35must be supported by probable cause

0:39:38issued by a judge or magistrate specific

0:39:41about the location to be searched and

0:39:43the items or individuals to be seized.

0:39:46Exceptions to the warrant requirement.

0:39:48There are limited situations where

0:39:50police can conduct searches without a

0:39:52warrant, including consent. If a person

0:39:55with authority consent to the search,

0:39:58search incident to arrest. Police may

0:40:01search a person and their immediate

0:40:03surrounding during a lawful arrest.

0:40:06Exigent circumstances. If there is an

0:40:09immediate threat to public safety or

0:40:11risk that evidence may be destroyed.

0:40:14important of the fourth amendment. The

0:40:16fourth amendment is vital for protecting

0:40:19individual privacy rights. It ensures

0:40:21that citizens are secure in their

0:40:23persons, homes, papers and effects

0:40:26against arbitrary government actions.

0:40:29And I would like to also share a few

0:40:32facts from flock camera system. The

0:40:35flock camera system are hackable under

0:40:3830 seconds. M

0:40:40>> a 12 years old kid with basic

0:40:42understanding of computer networking can

0:40:45hack them in less than 30 seconds.

0:40:49>> Hundreds of citizens have already been

0:40:51wrongfully accused of crime that they

0:40:54did not commit due to errors made by the

0:40:57flock camera system software.

0:41:01The camera system is running Android 8,

0:41:05a version of Android that hasn't had

0:41:07security updates since 20121

0:41:12and is missing all the Android security

0:41:15features added since 2017.

0:41:19Some highranking law enforcement

0:41:21official have been accessing the

0:41:23[clears throat] flock camera system

0:41:24hundreds of time to track their to

0:41:27rather their exes and current partners.

0:41:31Due to these facts and many others that

0:41:35the my fellow citizens have already

0:41:36stated as your concerned constituent I

0:41:40demand you cut all funings to the flock

0:41:43camera system and have them taken down

0:41:46immediately. Thank you for your time.

0:41:48Thank you for the pants. Thank you,

0:41:50[applause]

0:41:54>> Wesley Barnes.

0:41:57[clears throat]

0:42:08Well, I hope I'm at the right place,

0:42:09right time, cuz I'm I'm talking about

0:42:11data centers evidently. Evidently, plot

0:42:14cameras. [laughter] I want to want to

0:42:16break it up for y'all some a little bit,

0:42:18>> but uh

0:42:20>> uh on the data centers, I I think you're

0:42:22going to have a little little public

0:42:23forum on those. Uh

0:42:25>> my family and I, we have three different

0:42:28cattle farms in Davidson County, one in

0:42:30Randolph. And uh we want to speak a

0:42:33little bit about the energy those things

0:42:36put off and the low low volume noise

0:42:39that they put off. Uh we we do a direct

0:42:42to farmer sale on all of our beef, pork,

0:42:45chicken, eggs, vegetables. Uh we have

0:42:49aggra tourism business on a highway 150

0:42:52Fry Creek family farm. And uh one of the

0:42:55data centers that has been talked about

0:42:57in the Lynwood business park area is 2.5

0:43:01miles away from my biggest farm. Uh we

0:43:04run 120 head of cattle, mama cattle on

0:43:08on that farm. Um, and from all my

0:43:12research and all the data that's come

0:43:14out, anybody within a five mile radius

0:43:16of those folks have have had a

0:43:19tremendous amount of steel born calves.

0:43:21Um, those farms for my family provide an

0:43:25income every year of of, you know, over

0:43:29over six figures. We we barely ek out a

0:43:32profit, but we we try to uh we try to

0:43:36and I can't have stillborn calves. Um, I

0:43:40know that's not even down on 64 where

0:43:43we're talking about putting a data

0:43:45center. I have a cattle farm close to

0:43:47there, vegetable farm, too. Um, water

0:43:52greatly important to us, greatly

0:43:54important to them. We don't know enough

0:43:55about it to put a moratorium on it for

0:43:57just 6 months a year. We need to put a

0:43:59moratorium on it forever. Um,

0:44:02uh, for my family, we direct sale. We

0:44:06just finally with with trucker's help we

0:44:09have gotten you know in got to be inc

0:44:12got to be inc so that's taken years

0:44:15years and years and years and we have

0:44:17finally seen where we are able to direct

0:44:20sell our our products directly to

0:44:23customer we do it right at right at our

0:44:24farm we do it at farmers markets and uh

0:44:28the state has been a huge help we don't

0:44:29need any other struggles or any other

0:44:31setbacks with these data centers um We,

0:44:36you know, with with Tyson closing three

0:44:37plants just just the other day, we we

0:44:40sell to hundreds if not thousands of

0:44:42families every single year. Uh uh and

0:44:46and direct consume our products. and um

0:44:49to have me here on a Sunday or or sunny

0:44:52Monday afternoon. Uh it's very very

0:44:55important to me and my family and um

0:44:57just just wanted to let you guys know

0:44:58when y'all when y'all start talking

0:45:00about it that that it is going to

0:45:02greatly affect farmers and especially

0:45:04farmers and ranchers like us. So thank

0:45:06y'all.

0:45:06>> Thank you sir.

0:45:10[applause]

0:45:14>> I wanted to let you know we were at 30

0:45:15minutes. I don't know how many more we

0:45:16have left. We have five more and I I

0:45:20think it would be a good idea to let

0:45:22those five speak. Okay. If that's all

0:45:25right with everyone. Okay. Okay.

0:45:28[clears throat] Daniel Nana or Naha

0:45:31Nehas. Okay. I'm sorry. [laughter]

0:45:34>> All right.

0:45:39>> Hi there.

0:45:39>> Hello.

0:45:40>> My name is Daniel Nhas and I live at 260

0:45:42Bogs Road here in Thomasville. And what

0:45:44what what more can be said? I'll cut to

0:45:46the chase. The flock cameras have to go.

0:45:48Now, I appreciate the difficult job our

0:45:50law enforcement does, and I don't doubt

0:45:52the sincerity of their desire to protect

0:45:54the community, but my concern and yours

0:45:57should be far more fundamental. We're

0:45:59told that when we travel on public

0:46:00roads, we have no expectation of

0:46:02privacy. Fine. At human scale, that

0:46:05makes sense. Someone could see my car,

0:46:07read my plate, snap a photo. No

0:46:09objection. But what I object to is

0:46:11taking that simple principle and

0:46:13expanding it into something

0:46:14fundamentally different. You've replaced

0:46:17the public observer with one who never

0:46:18sleeps, who exists across the city.

0:46:20Interconnected, automatically IDing

0:46:22every vehicle with a date, time,

0:46:24location, description. You store it,

0:46:26share it, and you make it searchable.

0:46:28Now, when did observable in public

0:46:31become a license for a government

0:46:33searchable database of your movements?

0:46:35These are not the same thing. This is

0:46:38not simply benign observation. This is

0:46:41surveillance. And not just surveillance,

0:46:43but the worst kind of privacy invasion.

0:46:45Cameras owned by we the people require

0:46:48due process to access either subpoenas

0:46:50or permission. Flock does not. The

0:46:52pipeline simply goes directly from Flock

0:46:54to law enforcement. So we get the worst

0:46:57of both worlds. Government intrusion

0:46:59helpfully provided by corporate greed

0:47:02powered by AI, but no way to hold Flock

0:47:05accountable for how that data is used

0:47:07and abused. And we already know it's

0:47:09being abused. The Fourth Amendment

0:47:12exists to protect all of us from

0:47:13unreasonable government searches. And I

0:47:15submit to you that recording everyone's

0:47:17movement first and then deciding later

0:47:20who deserves investigation is

0:47:22unreasonable. The real question isn't

0:47:25whether you trust today's elected

0:47:26officials or today's sheriff, but

0:47:28whether you're willing to give this

0:47:29power to every future administration,

0:47:32including ones you oppose, because every

0:47:34future government wields, inherits, and

0:47:37expands the power that the previous

0:47:38government had. This will only get

0:47:40worse, not better. So, I am asking you

0:47:43respectfully to please undo this poison

0:47:46pill that has been introduced into our

0:47:48county. Pull the funding and put a bag

0:47:50over those cameras. Freedom is rarely

0:47:52lost all at once. It is surrendered one

0:47:55compromise at a time. Thank you.

0:47:58>> Thank you, SIR. [applause]

0:48:06>> Gregory

0:48:07Mus.

0:48:11>> Okay.

0:48:15>> [clears throat]

0:48:19>> Like many of us here tonight, this is my

0:48:22first time ever attending a county

0:48:24commissioner event or meeting. As a busy

0:48:27husband and father, I normally don't

0:48:29feel like I have the spare attention or

0:48:31time to get involved in local politics.

0:48:34But when I think about the future of my

0:48:36family, our country, and our county, the

0:48:40issue of flock cameras and data centers

0:48:43is something that brings me out.

0:48:46If you listen to San Francisco

0:48:49billionaires like Altman, Teal, and Musk

0:48:52during their interviews, they say that

0:48:54not only do we need these clock cameras,

0:48:56we need to spend trillions of dollars

0:48:59and poison our air and our water for

0:49:01these data centers because they will

0:49:03bring out or bring about a future of

0:49:06super intelligent AIs to rule over us

0:49:10like gods and to watch us through all of

0:49:12our surveillance cameras.

0:49:14They speak breathlessly of a

0:49:17technological singularity uh basically

0:49:21or a rapture for atheists.

0:49:24They claim that all of this is an

0:49:27inevitable future just like the

0:49:30metaverse was an inevitable future just

0:49:32like NFTTS were an inevitable future.

0:49:36It's hard to say how many of these

0:49:38billionaires actually believe in these

0:49:40delusions and how many of them have been

0:49:44just drowned in ketamine and yesmen to

0:49:48fall into it versus how many of them are

0:49:51just making these claims to con more

0:49:53investors into giving them even more

0:49:55money. Either way, they're worshiping

0:49:59golden idols.

0:50:02As I've said before, I'm one of many who

0:50:05are just starting to pay attention to

0:50:07local politics and issues like these

0:50:09bring me out. So, I did some basic

0:50:12research and commissioners, each of you

0:50:15on your sites, or at least most of you

0:50:18make a point about your fate and how it

0:50:20drives you. At the beginning of this

0:50:22meeting, we did an invocation claiming

0:50:25that God would guide your judgments.

0:50:29So, I hope that you actually are sincere

0:50:33Christians and that you actually believe

0:50:36in your God-given responsibilities

0:50:39to your neighbors and the earth.

0:50:44When it comes time for your votes on

0:50:49data centers and on flock cameras, we

0:50:52will see whether you stand beside your

0:50:54god and your neighbors here or if you

0:50:57will kneel down before a golden calf

0:50:59alongside San Francisco billionaires.

0:51:02Thank you.

0:51:02>> Thank you,

0:51:05[applause]

0:51:10>> Kyle Cavender.

0:51:25Um, name's Kyle Cavender, 23 in Grime

0:51:28Circle, and good evening. Um, just short

0:51:31of two months ago, I got my political

0:51:33science degree, and I'm hoping to expand

0:51:37on the flock issue a little differently

0:51:39than everyone else. Um there's two

0:51:41different ways that we could look at

0:51:44block camera. And the first one is

0:51:46actually a Supreme Court case. Uh

0:51:48Miranda v. Arizona in which case the

0:51:51Supreme Court ruled that uh government

0:51:54efficiency when it comes to law

0:51:55enforcement does uh not justify

0:51:58violating you know constitutional

0:52:00rights. So, and I understand there's the

0:52:05debate is that we have uh we don't know

0:52:08if it's a fourth amendment right or not.

0:52:10It's still kind of up in the air with

0:52:12the Supreme Court. Understood. U next

0:52:14issue. North Carolina general statute

0:52:18provides both the sheriff and

0:52:20commissioner a oath that they swear when

0:52:23they get in office. Both oaths state

0:52:26that your role essentially is still to

0:52:29uphold the constitution.

0:52:31>> Amen.

0:52:32>> Knowing these two bits of information,

0:52:36my question is with litigation still

0:52:40ongoing with uh the flock issues,

0:52:44is it upholding your obligation by

0:52:49dipping into this gray area of maybe it

0:52:51is, maybe it isn't?

0:52:55I would wager or I would I would imagine

0:52:57that like if I was in your y'all's

0:52:58position or any uh similar position,

0:53:02I would try to avoid getting into that

0:53:04this gray area of maybe it's

0:53:07constitutional, maybe it's not. Let's

0:53:09take the risk anyways and just go for it

0:53:11because that seems kind of disrespectful

0:53:12to the voters. Um, and point two,

0:53:17knowing that it is up in the air, what

0:53:21happens if the Supreme Court goes and

0:53:23they rules against flock, what is the

0:53:26plan to take them down when, you know,

0:53:29if and when that happens, my concern is

0:53:33if it does happen, you know, whenever it

0:53:36does and they do rule that, you know,

0:53:38hey, fox illegal, you can't have them

0:53:40anymore. um

0:53:43the moment someone gets, you know, taken

0:53:47a picture of by the flock cameras, is

0:53:49that then not a violation of their

0:53:52rights as confirmed by the Supreme

0:53:53Court? So, is the plan that the moment

0:53:56that the Supreme Court rules that we

0:53:58chop them down? Are we going to have

0:53:59people stationed there, you know, ready

0:54:01to go at the moment's notice, or are we

0:54:04just going to take the risk and assume

0:54:07no one's going to get a picture taken

0:54:09the moment it might roll the wrong way?

0:54:11So, I'm just kind of concerned that

0:54:12we're uh, you know, maybe this could

0:54:15lead us into, you know, litigation,

0:54:18civil issues, whatever else. That's it.

0:54:21Thank you,

0:54:27>> Angel Jeffrey.

0:54:38>> Good evening. I live at 105 D West Court

0:54:41in Lexington. I grew up in Welcome.

0:54:44Commissioner Watford, you were my 11th

0:54:46grade AP English teacher at North

0:54:48Davidson.

0:54:49>> Nice to see you. Hello.

0:54:52>> On July 30th, Global Footprint Network

0:54:55reported that we had already used all of

0:54:58the natural resources that the Earth can

0:55:00regenerate this year.

0:55:02I was taught from a young age that if we

0:55:05don't take more than our fair share,

0:55:08then there will be enough to go around.

0:55:10And it should be true, but we keep

0:55:12taking more and more.

0:55:15If we can even delay construction of a

0:55:17data center, we should. We've

0:55:20experienced droughts this year that have

0:55:22affected local food supplies across our

0:55:24whole state. Church gardens that can't

0:55:26provide food hubs with produce.

0:55:30Not even considering a moratorum during

0:55:32a drought is not only irresponsible but

0:55:34life-threatening for the most vulnerable

0:55:36in our communities.

0:55:38Across our nation, there have been

0:55:40significant increases in asthma attacks,

0:55:43cardiovascular disease, and reduced lung

0:55:46function linked to introduction of data

0:55:48centers.

0:55:50I'm not even sure that we know enough

0:55:52about forever chemicals to continue to

0:55:54have them enter our water supply, air,

0:55:57and food chain.

0:55:59My health is nobody's business, but I

0:56:01feel the need to share a little bit

0:56:03about it with you today. I suffer from

0:56:06asthma, chronic migraine, and two

0:56:09different forms of autonomic nervous

0:56:11dysfunction,

0:56:13nervous system dysfunction, excuse me.

0:56:16I still work hard. I volunteer. I go to

0:56:20church. I pay my taxes. While some

0:56:23people might not notice a difference

0:56:25[clears throat] in air quality, an

0:56:27increase in temperature, or a low

0:56:29decibel of persistent sound, it could

0:56:31potentially be debilitating for me.

0:56:34I currently have access to a great

0:56:36health care team, but I don't have the

0:56:38privilege of ignoring sound pollution,

0:56:41air quality, and access to clean water.

0:56:44Over and over across this country,

0:56:46communities foot the bill for the

0:56:48increase in energy costs. The data

0:56:50centers and the energy companies

0:56:52continue to profit off of all of us.

0:56:55Please don't put our community at risk.

0:56:57Please consider a moratorum on the data

0:56:59centers. Thank you for your time.

0:57:01>> Thank you.

0:57:04>> [applause]

0:57:08>> THIS IS THE LAST ONE. Ramsay Hunt.

0:57:14>> Yes.

0:57:22>> Can you hit that that blind?

0:57:26Thank you.

0:57:27>> Hey, my name is Ramsay Hunt. I live at

0:57:30189 Christopher Lane, Thomasville.

0:57:3315 years ago, I was watching videos

0:57:35about China's social credit system, and

0:57:37I knew it would hit America one day, but

0:57:39I didn't know it would be coming this

0:57:40soon. If you don't know about China's

0:57:42social credit system, in short, every

0:57:44part of China is under surveillance. I'm

0:57:46talking six cameras at one stoplight. If

0:57:48you jaywalk or litter, then you lose

0:57:50points on your social credit, and then

0:57:52you lose rights, like riding the train.

0:57:55That's just a brief description. I

0:57:57believe that our sheriff has good

0:57:58intentions with these cameras. However,

0:58:00I do not believe the elites of this

0:58:02country do. And we have to look at the

0:58:04whole picture, not just the good parts

0:58:05of what we want to see. And there are a

0:58:07lot of good things being done with these

0:58:08cameras. I will not deny that. But it

0:58:10would be very naive to believe that

0:58:12these cameras will stay in the power of

0:58:14our local police officers, which is

0:58:16already dangerous enough to our privacy

0:58:18for those who can't fight the temptation

0:58:19to use them incorrectly. Now, to the

0:58:22data centers.

0:58:24I don't know about any of y'all, but I

0:58:26enjoy having clean water to drink and

0:58:27clean air to breathe. That's more

0:58:29valuable than money could ever be. Quit

0:58:31thinking about right now and think about

0:58:33the future. Is this really what is best

0:58:35for our children? What will our

0:58:36ecosystems be like in 30 years if we

0:58:39allow this data center and Duke Energy

0:58:41to use up our natural resources? Since

0:58:44y'all signed an NDA, we don't know what

0:58:46kind of data center is going to be

0:58:47built. But many people who live next to

0:58:49data centers complain about gas

0:58:50emissions that are causing them cancer

0:58:53in their community. Noise pollution from

0:58:55the constant buzzing. Light pollution

0:58:58making 2 a.m. look like 100 p.m. Water

0:59:00pollution dumping their contaminated

0:59:02waste into our rivers and creeks.

0:59:04Massive water consumption. Say goodbye

0:59:06to our lakes, rivers, and creeks. Part

0:59:08of Brier Creek is at the bottom of my

0:59:10hill. It's been dry all spring and

0:59:11summer, and it may never come back

0:59:13thanks to these greedy or water greedy

0:59:16data centers. You know, we need water to

0:59:18drink to survive and water to grow food

0:59:20to eat to survive. Even these data

0:59:22centers need water to survive. So, why

0:59:24aren't they making them more

0:59:25eco-friendly? Because it's cheaper. I

0:59:27would like to know how close the owners

0:59:29of these companies live to data centers

0:59:30or power plants themselves. Probably

0:59:32nowhere near close to one. Why else are

0:59:34they trying to use and abuse our land?

0:59:36Go back to your home and build a data

0:59:37center in your backyard. And for those

0:59:39voting today, please take money out of

0:59:41the equation and think about the pros

0:59:42and cons of the data centers. I know

0:59:45money is appealing and it can fix up

0:59:47schools and all of the problems that the

0:59:48county needs, but we can fix this

0:59:50together as a community. We do not need

0:59:52big tech's help. Money is the root of

0:59:54all evil. Don't overlook the evil for

0:59:56the good of the money. Thank you.

0:59:59[applause]

1:00:05[applause]

1:00:10>> Thank you all that spoke tonight.

1:00:13We're going to move on to our public

1:00:16hearing. Am I on the right page, y'all?

1:00:19Yeah. Yeah. Okay. [clears throat] Our

1:00:22first public hearing is uh the

1:00:25transportation grant applications. And

1:00:28here we have Mr. Richard Jones with us

1:00:30and also um if is Mr. Crook coming up or

1:00:35>> I meant to work through that.

1:00:36>> Okay. So, he's he's not coming in.

1:00:39>> You're you're just gonna Mr. Jones is

1:00:41going to go ahead. Okay, you go ahead.

1:00:43>> Good evening, commissioners.

1:00:45>> It's our annual uh public hearings that

1:00:47I'm here for tonight. Uh the hearings

1:00:49are for the federal grants that we apply

1:00:52uh for to run the public transportation

1:00:53system here in Davidson County. That's

1:00:55both for our deviated fix routes that we

1:00:58run the four routes throughout Lexington

1:01:00and Thomasville that meet at the

1:01:01community college and then also our

1:01:03demand response which reaches all across

1:01:05the county. Okay.

1:01:06>> Um in in those trips.

1:01:08>> Okay. So, I think this is the point

1:01:09where I need to to say uh declare the

1:01:12public hearing open, I think.

1:01:14>> Okay.

1:01:14>> Okay. So, go right ahead.

1:01:17>> Anything else you want to say for it?

1:01:19>> Um, [clears throat] no. I I won't take

1:01:21up too much of time. I know there's some

1:01:22folks here that that probably want to

1:01:23talk about transportation and why it's

1:01:26important um here, but I'll answer any

1:01:28questions. I can do that now or

1:01:29afterwards.

1:01:30>> Anyone have any questions? You can see

1:01:33the the which grants are listed up at

1:01:35the top of the page. Not not a question,

1:01:38but uh this being [clears throat] the

1:01:40last time that we do this uh before I I

1:01:43step down in December, I just want to

1:01:46let you know the the last 26 years of my

1:01:48life being here and I appreciate that.

1:01:50Thank you.

1:01:51>> Last 26 years of my life that I've been

1:01:53here, I've seen the the impact that

1:01:55transportation has had on the less

1:01:57fortunate in our county. Uh drove a bus

1:02:00for a while. I saw people that were able

1:02:03to go from having nothing to eventually

1:02:05affording to get their own

1:02:06transportation in a car and it was like

1:02:08a party on the on the bulldog bus back

1:02:10then cuz it was in Thomasville.

1:02:12>> But um

1:02:14>> it's it's really it's it's almost a

1:02:16ministry that you are giving folks a

1:02:19chance to to make a better life for

1:02:21themselves. And I see that and it's a

1:02:23thankless job being a part of the 5311

1:02:265310 grant stuff helping George a little

1:02:29bit and what you do is phenomenal and u

1:02:32this the last time I'll be able to tell

1:02:34you this but I I I appreciate what you

1:02:36did. Yes,

1:02:36>> sir. Appreciate you sir. I

1:02:37>> think last year we provided uh between

1:02:39both the deviated fix routes and the

1:02:40demand response about 168,000 trips.

1:02:43>> Amazing.

1:02:44>> Right about there.

1:02:45>> Fantastic.

1:02:46>> Mr. Jones, this is a

1:02:49matching grants. Am I correct on that?

1:02:52>> Yes.

1:02:53>> What kind of money is we talking about?

1:02:54>> On the 5311 administrative grant that

1:02:57covers the cost for the administrative

1:02:59office that we to run the both the

1:03:02systems. Um it's a 15%

1:03:06um a local match.

1:03:07>> Okay.

1:03:08>> The [clears throat] 5307 grants are a

1:03:1050/50 grant. Uh so we have to provide

1:03:1350% of the money locally. um both uh

1:03:15city Thomasville and city election to

1:03:17help contribute to that along with the

1:03:19the general fund for the Davidson County

1:03:21and then the 5310 is a 10% grant u that

1:03:25the uh general fund I think provides for

1:03:30>> any other questions by the board.

1:03:33>> Okay. Is there anyone in the audience

1:03:34who wishes to speak either in favor of

1:03:37or opposition to this request?

1:03:43>> Amen. Okay. I don't believe we hear

1:03:45anything.

1:03:46>> You want to speak?

1:03:46>> Oh, there there's some ladies right

1:03:48here. Okay. Come on up.

1:03:52>> Good evening.

1:03:53>> Good evening.

1:03:54>> I am Betty White

1:03:56and I use senior transportation.

1:03:59>> Amen.

1:04:00>> They say a lady shouldn't tell her age,

1:04:01but I'll tell mine. I'm 80 years old and

1:04:03I no longer drive. [laughter]

1:04:05But um transportation, it takes me to

1:04:08the grocery store, to my dental

1:04:11appointments, to my doctor's

1:04:12appointments

1:04:14basically, and to the senior center.

1:04:17>> Amen.

1:04:18>> Every day when I want to go.

1:04:20>> So, it's really a help to me. Without

1:04:22that, I couldn't make wouldn't be able

1:04:25to make it. So, I love Davidson County

1:04:29Transportation. Anytime I call, I can

1:04:31always, you know, get an appointment,

1:04:33get a ride, and Meredith that works in

1:04:36our office at the senior center, she's

1:04:39always quick to help you get an

1:04:40appointment or tell you how to how to do

1:04:43all that. But I don't have 30 minutes to

1:04:46talk about it. But [laughter] that's

1:04:50helps me do what I need to get done

1:04:53without them because my children,

1:04:55they've moved away. So, they're not here

1:04:56to take me everywhere I want to go. So,

1:04:59I really depend on Davidson County

1:05:01Transportation.

1:05:02>> Thank you for being a cheerleader.

1:05:04[laughter]

1:05:06>> Thank you.

1:05:07>> Thank you.

1:05:11[applause]

1:05:14>> Um, I'm going to close the public

1:05:16hearing. Any further discussion with the

1:05:18board? Do I have a motion and a second

1:05:20to approve the submission of this grant

1:05:22application at the appropriate time?

1:05:24>> I'd like to make a motion to approve it,

1:05:26Madam Chair.

1:05:27>> Okay. Might have a motion and a second.

1:05:29All in favor say I.

1:05:30>> I.

1:05:31>> And and thank you so much for what you

1:05:33do.

1:05:38>> Okay.

1:05:40Our next public hearing is the

1:05:41consideration of a temporary moratorum

1:05:44on data centers. Mr. Jones and Mr. Crook

1:05:47is not here tonight. If you want to

1:05:49introduce the item and then I'm I'm sure

1:05:53>> Oh, yes, he is. He is. Okay.

1:05:56>> Okay. Mr. Crook's here. Welcome.

1:05:58Welcome. And and then I'm sure each of

1:06:01us individually will have comments to

1:06:04make and and things to say. Okay.

1:06:08>> Okay. Thank you. Um appreciate the

1:06:11opportunity uh here tonight to discuss

1:06:14potential moratorum for data centers. Um

1:06:18this is a a very new use. It's it's in

1:06:20the news a lot. Um the um I've read

1:06:23through the the moratorum that's

1:06:25proposed. I think our current zoning

1:06:27regulations are woefully prepared to

1:06:31handle this new use. Um it probably it'd

1:06:35be my professional opinion that we do

1:06:37need a little time to uh to put

1:06:40something together to effectively

1:06:42identify you know not this moratorum is

1:06:46not intended to end it forever. If it's

1:06:49a legal use of of property statutoily,

1:06:53we can't limit them forever. So, we need

1:06:56to identify the proper locations in the

1:06:58county where there's adequate power,

1:07:01where there's adequate water, where

1:07:02there's adequate sewer and the

1:07:04infrastructure needed for these

1:07:06facilities and uh produce an efficient

1:07:10regulation that will site these things,

1:07:13but more than that, protect the folks

1:07:15that are around these things. There

1:07:17there are common uh there are common

1:07:20side effects to them. I I don't know if

1:07:22we have adequate water. I don't know if

1:07:24[clears throat] we have adequate power.

1:07:25This is what the moratorum uh would

1:07:28would be for is to to delve into these

1:07:30topics and see. But um

1:07:34I'd be happy to answer any questions

1:07:36that the board has tonight um if if you

1:07:40have any.

1:07:44>> Go ahead.

1:07:44>> Go ahead, honey.

1:07:47by placing a moratorum.

1:07:50You were talking about u taking a look

1:07:53at a particular data center. There's

1:07:56several kinds of data centers.

1:07:59Do you not feel that a moratorum would

1:08:03handcuff the commissioners and the

1:08:05commissioners coming in if in case they

1:08:08saw something that was beneficial to the

1:08:12people?

1:08:14Well, if under the classification,

1:08:15>> can they even look at it during the

1:08:17moratorum? I'm sorry.

1:08:18>> No, that's okay. I apologize. I thought

1:08:20you you were done, Commissioner Shell.

1:08:22Um, obviously, if a mortorium is adopted

1:08:25and a facility comes in that meets the

1:08:28definition of data center that's in the

1:08:29moratorum, sure, it would prohibit its

1:08:32location.

1:08:34>> Um, that that's the purpose intent of

1:08:36the document.

1:08:38But as it stands,

1:08:42if the commissioners decided against the

1:08:45data center, they could do that

1:08:48individually, couldn't it? And and and

1:08:52uh look at each data center on its own

1:08:55merits and failures. Well, I I think the

1:08:59the the purpose and the position that

1:09:01that right now Davidson County does not

1:09:04have that use in its zoning ordinance

1:09:06and the way we are currently regulating

1:09:08it is a warehouse and those are used by

1:09:11right in limited industrial and and

1:09:14heavy industrial districts that these

1:09:17uses have

1:09:20more more um side effects and potential

1:09:24potential impacts on surrounding

1:09:26properties.

1:09:28um you know you you you guys I'm sure

1:09:31have researched and you know the the

1:09:33potential side effects but um I think

1:09:36the moratorium would be a six-month

1:09:38reprieve so that we could potentially

1:09:41prepare for those and site them in the

1:09:43most um appropriate locations

1:09:46>> during a moratorum would you have

1:09:48participation by individual data centers

1:09:52to come here. So what would there be for

1:09:55the for the commissioners to

1:09:57investigate?

1:09:58>> I think the moratorum lays out some

1:10:01visitation to existing data centers and

1:10:05talking to data center experts, talking

1:10:07to utilities experts, talking to to

1:10:09folks that know, you know, we've got a

1:10:12really solid water supply. If you read

1:10:14Davidson Waters charter, it's to provide

1:10:15portable drinking water. They're not in

1:10:17the business of insurance. They're not

1:10:19in the business of providing water for

1:10:21data centers, but they're, you know,

1:10:23they're used for insurance

1:10:26and they do a wonderful job. Don't know

1:10:28how many gallons per day they can

1:10:29produce. We don't a lot of question

1:10:31marks is my point.

1:10:32>> I'm not I'm not I want you to understand

1:10:34I'm not speaking in favor of data

1:10:35centers.

1:10:36>> Sure.

1:10:37>> I'm I'm saying that I think the

1:10:39commissioners need to have don't need to

1:10:42handcuff themselves. They need to have

1:10:44the opportunity to evaluate data centers

1:10:48[snorts] individually because some of

1:10:50them if the people would look at it are

1:10:53very beneficial.

1:10:55>> Sure.

1:10:56>> And some of them Yeah. We don't want you

1:10:58know we don't want them

1:11:00>> and but I think they need to have the

1:11:02opportunity to do that and I don't think

1:11:04they need to hand handcuff themselves

1:11:06with a moratorum. I

1:11:08>> in and certainly

1:11:09>> because I think you can do the same

1:11:10thing individually by looking at them

1:11:12individually.

1:11:14>> Sure.

1:11:15>> No, there are several different levels.

1:11:17The colo the colo data centers and then

1:11:20you got the hypers scale and then you

1:11:22got the hypers scale AI. Yeah.

1:11:24>> So there are several different different

1:11:26levels of data centers.

1:11:28>> Right now the commissioners if somebody

1:11:31finds a piece of industrial property

1:11:33it's already zoned the commissioners

1:11:35don't have a say in it. they it's a use

1:11:37by right. It can go there without any

1:11:39say. And what I think and in my mind as

1:11:43as the planning director, I think this

1:11:45would basically set what you're talking

1:11:49about up, the ability to look at

1:11:51criteria beneficial and detrimental to

1:11:54the county and the surrounding property

1:11:56owners and allow that yes or no to be

1:12:00placed where it's appropriate, which is

1:12:02right here. because it's it's y'all's

1:12:05this DEAS's philosophy is what what we

1:12:07as staff you know interact and is what

1:12:10we execute.

1:12:12>> Lee.

1:12:12>> Yes, sir. If I'm understanding

1:12:14correctly, the purpose of the moratorum

1:12:16is to give us as commissioners that

1:12:18opportunity not only to visit these

1:12:20places, but gather our documentation,

1:12:23consult with our constituents to see

1:12:24what they do and don't want, and maybe

1:12:26in the meantime consult with you to see

1:12:27if you can implement more stringent

1:12:30zoning to where maybe they couldn't pass

1:12:33the zoning. So, that's what I'm

1:12:35thinking. That's what I'm understanding

1:12:36the moratorum is to give us time to to

1:12:39research these things to where these

1:12:41things just can't come in and drop one

1:12:42on us in the meantime.

1:12:44>> I I would I'd like to take a second to

1:12:46thank Mr. Travis Curry because he's been

1:12:48a he's been an amazing resource. He he

1:12:50has forwarded documents that you folks

1:12:52have seen that our office has seen and

1:12:55and looking at what other counties do

1:12:57that that would be my impression of what

1:12:59would take place. It would be an an

1:13:02explorative effort to try to see where

1:13:05we want our decibel levels for adjoining

1:13:07property owners, where we want our

1:13:09setbacks, where we want uh the level of

1:13:12input from an electric provider or water

1:13:15provider or a sewer provider to to be

1:13:18able to handle the uh the effects of one

1:13:20of these facilities. So, I would I would

1:13:22think that that would be the outcome or

1:13:24at least the proposal of the Paul so

1:13:27that we could vote go to the plan board

1:13:29for that text amendment then come

1:13:30ultimately to this board so that u y'all

1:13:34can decide on what's appropriate.

1:13:37>> Guess I got a question for you.

1:13:39>> Yes, sir. You know, I've been pretty

1:13:40much involved with with with the data

1:13:43center too that's uh had looked to come

1:13:46here. Okay.

1:13:47>> Yes, sir. So, you know, I hear you say

1:13:49the commissioners ought to get involved

1:13:51with the power and the water. Well,

1:13:54we're not in the power and the water

1:13:55business. So, we can't get involved in

1:13:57that. If the water company don't have

1:13:59the water to give them, then they're not

1:14:01going to give them the water. The power

1:14:03company don't have the power to give

1:14:04them, they're not going to give them the

1:14:06power. So, some of these sites are

1:14:09generating their own power now.

1:14:10>> Yes, sir.

1:14:11>> So, everybody says, "Well, it's going to

1:14:12pull from the grid and it's going to

1:14:14make our power go up." Well, they

1:14:15furnishing their own power. So they

1:14:18don't have to get it off the grid

1:14:19anymore. So it's kind of like Mr. Shale,

1:14:22we we kind of tie in our hands. Now if

1:14:24we want to go to work and try to get

1:14:25some setbacks and and those kind of

1:14:28things uh worked out, that's fine. But a

1:14:306 months moratorum. So let me tell the

1:14:33people that that the one that I've been

1:14:35looking at and I get it, money's not

1:14:36everything. Okay? So but again, we got

1:14:39to look out for the future of our kids.

1:14:41Um, and when me saying that,

1:14:45I [clears throat] talked with a

1:14:46specialist the other day and they use AI

1:14:48with melanoma skin cancer. Okay, I got a

1:14:52spot right here. I got to be at a doctor

1:14:53Wednesday. You have a 68.9%

1:14:57chance of survival using AI and the

1:15:01method of AI treatment compared to the

1:15:03conventional doctor's treatment of

1:15:05surviving melanoma.

1:15:08So, there's good. I guess what I'm

1:15:10trying to say here, not everything is

1:15:13one way or the other. There's some good

1:15:15in some things and there's some bad. So

1:15:17you got to try to outweigh. So one of

1:15:20the companies that was looking here

1:15:22would generate 54 million a year in

1:15:25property tax. Okay. We raise 200 million

1:15:29a year. David, do you know what it is?

1:15:31178 or 180.

1:15:33>> Just property tax is only about 95.

1:15:36>> 95 million a year. Just property tax.

1:15:41You're right.

1:15:41>> Sales tax.

1:15:42>> You're right. Because rest is sales tax

1:15:44and then generated. So half of what's

1:15:47generated by property tax would have

1:15:49come in with one business. So you got to

1:15:51say, is that worth it? Well, I don't

1:15:54know if it's worth it, but I can tell

1:15:56you one of the new schools at Lexon is

1:15:59100 million. They want a new school now.

1:16:02[snorts] Thomasville wants a new school.

1:16:04That's a h 100red million.

1:16:06We need

1:16:08air condition work on the schools. We

1:16:10need some upkeep on the schools. After

1:16:13the first four years of building two new

1:16:15high schools at 54 million a year in

1:16:17property tax, you could get four you

1:16:19could get two brand new high schools.

1:16:21Then you could spend in two years you

1:16:24could spend a h 100red million on the

1:16:26schools. Now what that does you can say,

1:16:28well you know we ought to be doing that

1:16:30anyhow. Well we can if you want to raise

1:16:32your property tax. If you want us to

1:16:35bring in another 54 million a year, you

1:16:37can hear Mr. Rickard now says we only

1:16:39bring in 90 some with property tax. So

1:16:42you're going to have to probably go up

1:16:43about another 30 cent on the 100 for

1:16:46your property tax. So again, does the

1:16:49good outweigh the bad?

1:16:51>> Sure.

1:16:51>> And I agree with Mr. Shell. Do we h do

1:16:53we handcuff oursel or do we try to get

1:16:56some Thursday morning meetings right

1:16:58away? Because again, I've been told too,

1:17:01if you do a moratorum, they going to go

1:17:03somewhere else.

1:17:05>> OKAY,

1:17:08[applause]

1:17:09>> let me speak.

1:17:09>> I get it. You don't want them. Okay, I

1:17:11get it. But your kids may want them 30

1:17:13years down the road or 20 years.

1:17:16>> So again, please give me my time and

1:17:18then you can you can speak whatever you

1:17:21want during the public hearing. Um,

1:17:24>> I just might remind you that we do not

1:17:26interrupt you when you speak. And if

1:17:29you're sitting out there talking to each

1:17:31other, we're listening to what Mr. Crook

1:17:34says. And we also have significant

1:17:37things that we would like to say to you

1:17:39as well and not to be interrupted every

1:17:41time we say something that we think is

1:17:44something to think about, at least

1:17:46something to think about. Go ahead.

1:17:48>> But I'm not, again, Mr. Crook, this is

1:17:50not our decision about power.

1:17:53>> Either Duke Power or these companies

1:17:54will have to generate their own power if

1:17:57that's what they want to do. Then again,

1:17:59if Davidson Water or if Lexon Utilities

1:18:02or Thomasville Water says they have

1:18:04enough water to give them, then I guess

1:18:06that's up to them. We don't have the

1:18:08specialty to do that. We don't have the

1:18:10knowhow. That's not what we do. But

1:18:13again,

1:18:15I think we really got to take a good

1:18:17look at this. Again, Rowan County just

1:18:19put a moratorum. Okay, they just landed

1:18:22a Google data center for $8 billion.

1:18:26So again, everybody says, "Well, Rowan

1:18:28County is paying their employees more

1:18:30money." Guess what? They going to be

1:18:32able to pay them a lot more money now

1:18:34cuz they bringing in another 48 million

1:18:36a year in property tax. So again, we as

1:18:39elected officials have to look at this.

1:18:42And I know it may not be popular, but

1:18:45some of the things that this could do,

1:18:47again, not everything is good and bad.

1:18:50Some things have a intermingled a little

1:18:53bit of good, a little bit of bad. You

1:18:55got to try to figure it out. So, I'm not

1:18:57so sure. Again,

1:18:59if I got a 68% uh survival rate with

1:19:03melanoma cancer because of AI, I

1:19:05probably want it. Uh you know, now I get

1:19:08it. I'd like to go, you know, we can

1:19:11say, well, God directs us this way.

1:19:12Well, maybe God gave us gave us the

1:19:15intelligence to come up with AI. You

1:19:18know, you can look at that a whole many

1:19:20different ways.

1:19:21>> Yes, sir.

1:19:21>> So, uh anyhow, but that's that's my

1:19:24point. I think before we go on a

1:19:25moratorum,

1:19:27we ought to really give it some serious

1:19:29thought. I think we ought to buckle.

1:19:30Everybody says the government takes too

1:19:32long. Why do we want to wait 6 months?

1:19:34Again, we cannot stop the data centers.

1:19:37They cannot be stopped by right the they

1:19:41will make us or they won't make us they

1:19:44will tell us we can't stop data centers

1:19:46we can't downzone property um

1:19:49>> correct that the truth

1:19:50>> that is the truth u it it the very last

1:19:54page of the hurricane Helen bill when

1:19:56that was enacted they uh put in a no

1:19:59down zoning clause wherein we cannot

1:20:02create any legal nonconformity through

1:20:04regulation in a non-residential district

1:20:07is that from the state?

1:20:08>> It is. Yes, sir.

1:20:09>> So, that would have to be a legislation

1:20:11something

1:20:11>> legislative change. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

1:20:14>> And gentlemen, my point tonight is is to

1:20:17talk about what other I'm seeing other

1:20:19entities do. Some of them are asking

1:20:21for, you know, utility input. Some of

1:20:24them are not. That some counties are

1:20:26just modifying their zoning rigs without

1:20:29a moratorum. So, that's that's an option

1:20:31that's on the table as well.

1:20:33>> That's right.

1:20:33>> So, u

1:20:34>> and that's what I'm saying. We can do

1:20:35our zoning rigs and again I seen that

1:20:38sheet uh Travis sent and there's some

1:20:40pretty good ideas on there, you know,

1:20:42but again we can do that in one Thursday

1:20:43morning look over this and uh try to

1:20:47come up with some some good points, you

1:20:48know. Again, I think they should be

1:20:50setbacks. I think the decimal points at

1:20:52the property line should be um but I

1:20:55also think we need to give it because we

1:20:58can't stop them forever.

1:20:59>> Well, here's the thing. There there's a

1:21:01lot of things we heard tonight that I

1:21:03hadn't even thought about. I didn't know

1:21:05that you could even have a stillborn

1:21:06calf because it being close to one of

1:21:08these things.

1:21:09>> But you don't know if that's true.

1:21:10>> You don't know if that's true. You need

1:21:12the time to investigate that.

1:21:13>> I didn't.

1:21:14>> I just I just read and they say there's

1:21:16no proof to that. That's you know,

1:21:17again, there's a lot of things out there

1:21:20>> that

1:21:21>> there's a lot of hearsay. Okay.

1:21:23>> Yeah. If you if we can't prevent it,

1:21:25then we need to do everything that we

1:21:27can to limit uh the impact. that and and

1:21:31I think we're all interested in that as

1:21:33well. I'm I'm gonna go next and I

1:21:36probably should wait until the last but

1:21:38I've been sitting on this all day long.

1:21:40I hadn't accomplished a thing except for

1:21:43done work at home and think about this.

1:21:45But since that we had the last

1:21:47discussion I mean I've been reading

1:21:48articles, national articles, local

1:21:51articles, state articles everywhere and

1:21:53one is against, one is for, one is

1:21:55against, one is for. They're they're

1:21:57everything and they're they're these

1:21:59articles are written by legislators and

1:22:02they're written by senators and they're

1:22:04written by scientists etc. But I I just

1:22:07decided to come up with what I wanted to

1:22:09say and if you will let me say my piece

1:22:11as well it because it's something that's

1:22:15new and different but it really hasn't

1:22:17been new. IBM was doing some of this 75

1:22:21years ago and the ones that are being

1:22:24built today are have been discussed for

1:22:28the last 25 years. So with all this

1:22:32>> worry etc. It's a it's a time to make

1:22:35sure that we the approach phase and seek

1:22:39better dilute uh better solutions to

1:22:42making sure the safety is there and yet

1:22:45we can have the power that we need. Uh,

1:22:48I want to start out with the question,

1:22:50are we ready for brownouts? Are we ready

1:22:52for brownouts on a regular basis? You

1:22:56know, think about when we have these

1:22:58terrible snowstorms and and some places

1:23:00have to do without power for weeks and

1:23:03weeks and weeks and weeks. Well, a lot

1:23:05of these municipalities across the

1:23:07country have imposed these moratoriums.

1:23:10But how are we going to meet the

1:23:12demands? Okay, think about these

1:23:15demands. health advances like

1:23:18Commissioner Yates is talking about,

1:23:20cyber security, it keeps getting worse

1:23:22and worse each day, resources to deal

1:23:26[clears throat] with national disasters.

1:23:28Um, and if we put moratoriums on, we

1:23:32could find that the the data supply is

1:23:36energy supply becomes outdated very very

1:23:40quickly. And so we can embrace them like

1:23:44you were talking about with tax

1:23:46revenues, highpaying jobs. Um, but what

1:23:51has happened is that people have put out

1:23:54some bad information and some good

1:23:56information and across the country we're

1:23:59seeing violence and shootings and

1:24:01physical confrontations

1:24:03because people are not entirely sure

1:24:07about the value of these. And so they

1:24:11could create con construction jobs. They

1:24:15could create skilled tra trade jobs,

1:24:18HVAC, electricians.

1:24:21But and if we support a market that

1:24:25allows capital investment to increase

1:24:28the supply and meet the demands rather

1:24:31than a moratorum, we can be a part of

1:24:34the policy making like what you're

1:24:37talking about. if we fail to serve to to

1:24:40to get uh to solve these concerns and if

1:24:44we delay the progress too long because I

1:24:48think that we we might be looking

1:24:51instead of looking at three months, we

1:24:53might be looking at six months, then we

1:24:55go to nine months, then we go to 12

1:24:57months and in other words, we get

1:24:59further and further behind. you have tal

1:25:02you the ordinance paper that you sent

1:25:05out decide told us what we needed to do

1:25:08and I made a real short list. Uh you

1:25:11said we need to define what a data

1:25:13center is. We need to look at state

1:25:15regulations, consult legislators, have

1:25:19public hearings, get with the experts,

1:25:22look at land use, draft an amendment and

1:25:25have some hearings. But if we do

1:25:28wholesale six-month or more moratoriums,

1:25:32it crushes our chances over landing one

1:25:37or more that may

1:25:41may do good for our for our for our uh

1:25:44county. If we hesitate too long, that

1:25:49sends out this message and this really

1:25:51worries me. We are closed for business

1:25:55here in Davidson County. Okay.

1:25:59>> Okay.

1:26:02[applause]

1:26:03>> Well, I I challenge you. You're not

1:26:06thinking about the future. You're

1:26:07thinking about

1:26:14>> they make their mind. That being

1:26:16>> I know. I know. But I'm gonna I'm gonna

1:26:18say my say. Okay. Okay. because

1:26:23pardon me

1:26:25uh Mr. Caster I think we have to pro

1:26:29approach this with a possible with a

1:26:33possibility and maybe we find out that

1:26:35it's bad and and and we say no to it.

1:26:38But if we approach it like it's probably

1:26:41going to be a bad thing, you know, with

1:26:43that attitude, then we're not looking at

1:26:46the opportunity that might be there.

1:26:50Okay. Tax revenues, benefits, schools,

1:26:54law enforcement, business. You know, we

1:26:57can't help that we've had all these

1:26:59people moved into this county. They're

1:27:01here. They're here. We're going to have

1:27:03to deal with them. We're going to deal

1:27:05have to deal with finding schools for

1:27:08them, finding jobs for them, etc. But,

1:27:12but I think we need to be proactive

1:27:15and we need to be proactive

1:27:17commissioners. you. We need to work as a

1:27:20team, not against each other. We need to

1:27:23work with legal. We need to work with

1:27:26planning now. Right. Right. Now, after

1:27:29this meeting, just like you said, right

1:27:31after this meeting. Okay. Work out the

1:27:34required work that you're telling us

1:27:36that we need to do and do not enact a

1:27:39moratorum at all. Okay. And that's

1:27:43that's my belief.

1:27:49Excuse me. You don't have the floor.

1:27:52>> You don't have the floor.

1:27:54>> You You You don't need to be talking.

1:27:57We're We're having our discussion now.

1:27:59Commissioner Meiselle,

1:28:01>> there was one other thing I want to

1:28:02mention, too. I just found out too, and

1:28:04of course, I've been trying to get us an

1:28:05appointment to go look at some data

1:28:07centers, but that's been going on for

1:28:09two months, and we ain't even got a

1:28:10>> and we had gotten one yet. Got some

1:28:12contact information for all the

1:28:13questions.

1:28:14>> You finally did. Okay. Well, I found out

1:28:16there's 30 in downtown Charlotte.

1:28:18>> Yes.

1:28:18>> 30 data centers in downtown Charlotte.

1:28:20Not a word have you heard from a public

1:28:22citizen.

1:28:25>> Excuse me. You do not have the floor.

1:28:28>> Speak needs to be removed.

1:28:30>> Okay. So,

1:28:31>> you do not have the floor.

1:28:32>> You don't know what you're talking

1:28:33about.

1:28:34>> You honestly don't know what you're

1:28:36talking

1:28:38[clears throat]

1:28:39>> Mr. Could I have y'all's attention just

1:28:41one second? I I sense your frustration.

1:28:44I'm there.

1:28:45But we did respect y'all. Let y'all

1:28:48talk. You may not agree with what's

1:28:49coming across with some of these

1:28:50opinions from this end. But I would

1:28:52appreciate the respect and afford

1:28:54everybody up here the same privilege and

1:28:57respect and opportunity to speak as we

1:28:59gave you off. If y'all would just bear

1:29:00with us and keep it orderly, I'd

1:29:03appreciate it.

1:29:04>> Thank you, Mr. Castra. I appreciate

1:29:06that. All right. I'm done. So for now,

1:29:09anyhow.

1:29:10>> Okay.

1:29:11>> Do I get to talk now?

1:29:12>> Yes. [laughter] Thank you. We're ready

1:29:14for Mr. Miz.

1:29:16>> I thought I'd save me for the end since

1:29:18I uh uh asked for the moratorum, I

1:29:20guess, in the in the first place, but

1:29:21that's okay. Um

1:29:23>> what I would You

1:29:25>> haven't talked yet.

1:29:26>> You bring up the you bring up the rear

1:29:27then. How about that? Um

1:29:31>> so I I would say uh Commissioner Yates

1:29:33has hit on some some topics that I would

1:29:35agree with, which is there is a mix of

1:29:37of positives and negatives. Now where we

1:29:40would probably part ways is I would be

1:29:42in favor of the moratorum and doing what

1:29:45has been laid out and what has been

1:29:47discussed to study the ma matter under

1:29:50the protection of the moratorum so that

1:29:53there is not a data center that can come

1:29:54up a before we have done the proper due

1:29:57diligence and I'll be the first to say I

1:29:59don't I mean I've been reading articles

1:30:01I know we've received several emails

1:30:03from folks I I'm ignorant on a lot of it

1:30:06I want the time to study it visit them

1:30:09uh weigh the options and put some things

1:30:11in place in the county, proper

1:30:13regulations and zoning. Um, so they're

1:30:16not just considered warehouses currently

1:30:18because that does open us up. Um, the

1:30:21other thing I would say is, and I

1:30:23mentioned this I think probably about a

1:30:25month ago when we first broached this

1:30:26topic is our board does not have the

1:30:31authority to just flat out ban them. We

1:30:33don't. It's a limitation of the board

1:30:36>> given by the state. Now we can do

1:30:38moratoriums and we have settled on about

1:30:41a six-month I know initially you know I

1:30:43had requested one year um but if we do

1:30:46the 6 months there is the possibility of

1:30:48a renewal uh where you can continue it

1:30:50and we've got some new board members

1:30:52coming on so I think the if we go with

1:30:54the 6 months it would expire in February

1:30:57and it would give them time to kind of

1:30:59get on boarded and choose whether they

1:31:01think we're in a place to renew it or

1:31:02not. Um but my main thing is it gives us

1:31:05time to study it and it protects that

1:31:07time while we study it. So I I would be

1:31:09in favor still of the moratorum.

1:31:14>> I'll hold your applause. Thank you.

1:31:16Thank you. I just I just want to echo

1:31:19Commissioner Miselle's sentiments. I see

1:31:22both sides of it, but my biggest

1:31:25concern, you know, I don't know about

1:31:27y'all, but my Bible still says there's

1:31:29there's safety in a multitude of

1:31:30counselors. I've consulted people in the

1:31:33military background, corporate

1:31:35background, everyday citizens.

1:31:39I just think we need the protection of a

1:31:41moratorium to further assess what's

1:31:44going on because really the truth be

1:31:46known. I've read a lot of both good and

1:31:49bad about them and I'm not comfortable

1:31:51just blanketly not giving us any

1:31:53protection. So I'm I'm echoing

1:31:55Commissioner Miselle's sentiments and

1:31:57going for the moratorum.

1:32:01So I I think the uh the the

1:32:05comment of the night was that uh

1:32:11God would uh guide your judgments and uh

1:32:14don't bow to the golden calf. Uh

1:32:18uh whether people believe it or not, I

1:32:20am led by the Holy Spirit. And uh I have

1:32:23tried to give God my best in this

1:32:25position. And even though I might have

1:32:28let a lot of people down and I haven't

1:32:30always been uh the best commissioner in

1:32:33some people's eyes, uh I've tried to to

1:32:37run my position with honor and I've

1:32:40tried to honor God with every decision.

1:32:42And uh that's what I'd have to go with

1:32:45the moratorum because uh I I just think

1:32:48that that would give us more time to

1:32:52make sure that we could protect the

1:32:53citizens a little bit better. I talked

1:32:55with [clears throat] Steve Shell. I

1:32:57mean, not Steve Shell, I'm sorry, Steve.

1:32:59I talked with u our senator and they're

1:33:03working adamantly in Raleigh to try to

1:33:05get u a bill together to kind of put

1:33:08shackles on these uh on these agencies

1:33:12because we cannot prevent them. Uh but

1:33:16they're trying to get some legislature

1:33:17from Raleigh to try to help us protect

1:33:20the concerns that we've heard tonight.

1:33:23And um

1:33:26I've always uh I I think the although

1:33:29you might have suitors and you might

1:33:31have people uh that could come and make

1:33:33an economic impact

1:33:36in our community, I think the more time

1:33:37that we can look for the things and find

1:33:40answers. I I think that would be

1:33:42something that uh would be beneficial uh

1:33:46for this board and for our citizens

1:33:48moving forward and for your staff. So,

1:33:51uh, I would be I would be for it.

1:33:57>> Also just been told there's a data

1:33:59center in Lexington, an active data

1:34:01center already. So,

1:34:02>> I didn't mean to

1:34:03>> that's it's hard to imagine we got data

1:34:04centers here and uh they so bad.

1:34:08>> I I I think there's a common consensus

1:34:10across the board that that some edit of

1:34:14the ordinance and the regulations need

1:34:16to take place. What level that is would

1:34:18I ultimately be up to the board and how

1:34:20we proceed forward whether we just do

1:34:22active edits to the ordinance uh without

1:34:25the protection of a moratorum or whether

1:34:26we we pause for 6 months ultimately

1:34:29we're we're here to serve the board

1:34:30however

1:34:32>> I got one quick question has anybody any

1:34:34of these folks that's been looking for a

1:34:36data center has any of them been given

1:34:39anything in writing that says they have

1:34:41a uh right of use now

1:34:44>> we have issued some back in 24 2024 we

1:34:48issued some some staff level opinions

1:34:51that data centers would be considered

1:34:53warehousing uh

1:34:55>> okay

1:34:56>> from our office we have

1:34:56>> so that means those properties cannot be

1:34:59stopped at this point just so you know

1:35:01for the six months uh

1:35:05mean

1:35:06>> is that a fair no they they can't since

1:35:08they've already been referenced an

1:35:10opinion

1:35:11uh if they wanted to take it to court

1:35:13it'd probably be hard to challenge a

1:35:15moratorum Would that be a fair

1:35:17statement, Mr. Jones?

1:35:19>> I think it's it's harder to challenge um

1:35:23if if someone if someone who had already

1:35:25gotten a written um

1:35:29>> determination, you know, zoning

1:35:30determination, it would be harder to um

1:35:34prevent them from, you know, from

1:35:36attempting to go ahead and, you know,

1:35:38and and develop their project. Um you

1:35:42know, we certainly, you know, I mean,

1:35:46the board I mean the board will direct

1:35:48you know how how you want to how you

1:35:50want to approach it if you know if the

1:35:52board

1:35:53>> determines that you you know that you

1:35:56that you don't want um you know permits

1:35:59to be issued during you know during the

1:36:01during the term of the uh moratorum you

1:36:05know then then that that's the way that

1:36:07we would proceed and and certainly you

1:36:10know if if if someone would if someone

1:36:12wanted to challenge the county and try

1:36:15to require us to issue permits. Um, they

1:36:18would, you know, they could pursue that

1:36:20in court, but we'll we'll we'll take

1:36:22whatever approach the board

1:36:24>> understand wants to take. And I'm just

1:36:25saying that liability is out there and a

1:36:28good possibility to lose because you

1:36:30can't down, especially with the statute,

1:36:32the new state statute from last year

1:36:35that you can't downzone any property or

1:36:38so if Senate Bill 7:30 passes and we

1:36:41have that, we're going to have to change

1:36:43what we do anyhow cuz we don't

1:36:46circumvent what Raleigh brings down the

1:36:48board, right? So if it's not written in

1:36:50stone and a new laws passed, then we

1:36:52have to change everything we've got

1:36:54immediately to meet what our brothers

1:36:56and sisters in Raleigh passed down to

1:36:58us. So it might be a mute point if uh if

1:37:02they pass a law with these guard rails

1:37:05and it would limit this new person

1:37:07coming in to be able to do what they

1:37:08need to do if that law was passed. Is

1:37:10that correct?

1:37:11>> Sure. any anytime statutory regulations

1:37:13pass that affects local land use

1:37:16regulation, we have to, you know, edit

1:37:19our ordinance to to reflect what they

1:37:21have adopted.

1:37:22>> And from what I've heard, it might be a

1:37:24good thing for m Mr. Jones to reach out

1:37:27to Senator Jarvis's group and and get

1:37:30the finite details of what's in that

1:37:33from a legality approach and how that

1:37:34would change us which is another

1:37:36beneficial part for a moratorum so we

1:37:39can know exactly what we're looking in

1:37:41to kind of draft that into what we've

1:37:43got so we're prepared for when that does

1:37:45happen.

1:37:49>> Okay. You ready to hear?

1:37:52May I have a motion and a second to

1:37:54either approve

1:37:55>> public hearing open the public hearing?

1:37:57>> I do. Excuse me. Open the public

1:37:59hearing.

1:38:01>> And we've already done questions. I

1:38:03think we've already made

1:38:05>> um Oh, I have to go to this part, don't

1:38:07I?

1:38:08>> Okay. Are is there anyone in the

1:38:10audience who wishes to speak either in

1:38:12favor of or in opposition to the

1:38:14request?

1:38:17[laughter]

1:38:23I have some handouts for the board.

1:38:27>> Do you want them from her or do you want

1:38:28me to keep them?

1:38:30>> I will take.

1:38:30>> Yeah, that's fine.

1:38:32>> Yeah, bring them on up here.

1:38:36>> Thank you.

1:38:37>> Thank you. Thank you.

1:38:42>> Thank you.

1:38:51You're welcome.

1:38:57>> Good evening. My name is Shannine and I

1:38:59live at 361 Westgate Court here in

1:39:01Lexington. I'm here tonight because I

1:39:04believe that

1:39:05>> Would you please state your full name

1:39:07for the record?

1:39:07>> Janine Spudo.

1:39:10I'm here tonight because I believe the

1:39:11proposed six-month moratorum on AI data

1:39:14centers is simply insufficient.

1:39:17We are being asked to make decisions

1:39:19that could permanently affect our

1:39:20county's water, power grid, roads,

1:39:24environment, natural resources, and

1:39:26quality of life. Those are not six-month

1:39:29decisions. [clears throat] They are

1:39:31decisions that could affect this

1:39:32community for generations.

1:39:35Six months is not enough time to do the

1:39:37research, gather the facts, and

1:39:39establish meaningful protections.

1:39:42surrounding communities and cities have

1:39:44already recognized the need for more

1:39:47time. I'm asking you to extend this

1:39:50moratorum to two years and I want to be

1:39:53very clear. This request is not about

1:39:56stopping economic development. It's

1:39:58about making sure that the economic

1:40:00development does not come at the expense

1:40:02of the people and the resources of this

1:40:05county. This is not to be rushed to

1:40:08justify development. Davidson County

1:40:11currently has no hyperscale AI data

1:40:14centers operating here. None. This is an

1:40:18actual advantage. We have the

1:40:20opportunity to learn from other

1:40:22communities before we make the decisions

1:40:24here. The moratorum should require the

1:40:27county to research and document

1:40:29environmental impacts experienced in

1:40:32communities where data centers have

1:40:34already been operating for at least a

1:40:36year. We should look at actual

1:40:39measurable results, not promises or

1:40:41projections from companies seeking to

1:40:43build these facilities. What has

1:40:46happened to water consumption and local

1:40:48supply? The Yatkin River is under siege.

1:40:51It will only be able to handle just so

1:40:54much. It is not an unlimited resource.

1:40:57[snorts] It must be protected at all

1:40:59costs. What impacts have these

1:41:01facilities had on electrical electricity

1:41:04demand and infrastructure and cost to

1:41:07consumer? What about noise, air quality,

1:41:10storm water, land use, surrounding

1:41:12ecosystems? What have residents and

1:41:15local governments experienced after

1:41:17these facilities have been operating for

1:41:19a year, two years or longer? We should

1:41:22have not we should not have to become

1:41:24the experiment.

1:41:26Other communities have already taken the

1:41:28steps. We should learn from their

1:41:30experience and use that information to

1:41:32determine what protections Davidson

1:41:35County needs. And if the research shows

1:41:37that certain impacts are minimal, then

1:41:40we have the evidence to support that

1:41:41conclusion. But if it reveals serious

1:41:44problems, we will have the opportunity

1:41:47to address those problems before

1:41:49avoiding development here, approving

1:41:51development here. Once a massive data

1:41:54center is built, it is not easily

1:41:56undone. So I'm asking you tonight to do

1:41:59two things. Extend the moratorum.

1:42:01>> Three minutes ma'am.

1:42:02>> Add a requirement for a comprehensive

1:42:04review of the environmental impacts

1:42:07documented in communities where data

1:42:09centers have already been operating for

1:42:11at least a year. Please don't rush this.

1:42:14Please don't let pressure for

1:42:16development become more important than

1:42:18protecting the community.

1:42:21[applause]

1:42:26My name is Chox Leesky, 169 Deer Path

1:42:30Lane, uh, in Lexington.

1:42:33I've been talking to the board a number

1:42:36of times now, and I've yet to hear any

1:42:40kind of plan. I don't see your vision

1:42:43for the future. I don't see what you're

1:42:47planning on doing. I hear now about all

1:42:51the the uproar that was caused by the

1:42:53the flock cameras and I'm thinking to

1:42:56myself with all that money spent it and

1:42:59might have been spent better doing other

1:43:01things. Uh not too long ago, you had

1:43:05what the police uh the fire chiefs of of

1:43:07of all the fire departments here and

1:43:10they were talking about how they had to

1:43:13scrimp and save so they could buy one

1:43:16tire for their vehicles.

1:43:19>> One tire. It's a it's I remember

1:43:21correctly was $1,200

1:43:24for one tire and they have to put it in

1:43:27a budget. They also talked about the one

1:43:31fire um truck that showed up at a fire

1:43:34where I believe there were three

1:43:36fatalities and the only fireman there

1:43:39was the driver himself. What was that

1:43:42one driver going to do? My point is

1:43:46number one collectively you don't have a

1:43:49plan. Number two, collectively you're

1:43:52not supporting the infrastructure that

1:43:55is [clears throat] going to give us the

1:43:56capabilities to make the best choices

1:44:00if we don't have the fire department.

1:44:03Uh, and I'm sure that uh, although to a

1:44:07little bit lesser degree, the uh,

1:44:09emergency medical uh, item not 100%

1:44:13certain about uh, our policemen and

1:44:16sheriffs and how they're doing. But the

1:44:20infrastructure has to be there for you

1:44:22to do anything. And before you do

1:44:25anything, you need to have a damn plan.

1:44:29And you haven't addressed that plan.

1:44:32Now, does the data center make sense? I

1:44:36have no clue and neither do you because

1:44:40you don't have a plan.

1:44:43Does the uh pipeline exist I mean does

1:44:47that pipeline that is being put in does

1:44:49that make sense? I don't know. But god

1:44:52forbid if there's a fire we're not going

1:44:55to be able to put the darn thing out.

1:44:58I mean are are you thinking about those

1:45:00things? I don't see that. I see you just

1:45:05going and deciding, okay, this is what

1:45:07we're going to do. You know, we're going

1:45:09to do this. We're going to have a uh a

1:45:12um multiplex uh sports uh complex. Fine.

1:45:18You want a data center. You want Duke

1:45:20Energy to put in a power plant. Come up

1:45:24with some structure where it makes

1:45:25sense. Otherwise, you're going to have

1:45:28tons of people pissed off at you and

1:45:32rightly so.

1:45:33>> Thank you,

1:45:34>> Madam Chair. Excuse me, John. John, I

1:45:38want to explain one thing to you real

1:45:39quick. The fire departments have their

1:45:41separate tax u fee and it's approved by

1:45:46each fire district. Okay? So, we don't

1:45:49have anything to do with the fire

1:45:50departments. They are they are funded by

1:45:53the district fire tax in each district.

1:45:56Okay. I just I wanted to explain that.

1:45:58>> True. If you had $75,000

1:46:01for flock cameras, you could have given

1:46:04that to the fire department.

1:46:05>> Okay. I don't I don't [applause]

1:46:09>> Thank you very much.

1:46:12I just want to explain that to you,

1:46:13John. Okay.

1:46:16>> Chuck. Okay. I'm sorry. I thought it was

1:46:17John.

1:46:23>> My name is Pastor Lynwood Buford, Jr.

1:46:26Uh, I am the pastor of New Smith Grove

1:46:29Baptist Church down off of Highway 8.

1:46:32I'm the brand spanking new pastor of

1:46:34Newmith Grove Baptist Church. Uh,

1:46:37>> number one, Dexter, get away next to

1:46:40you. Don't Don't come me like that.

1:46:44>> Uh, I'm not from Lexington.

1:46:48I'm actually a 95 West Point graduate

1:46:51and a 20-year military veteran. And my

1:46:53wife and I, she's a veteran also. we

1:46:55decided to uh come here and Lexington is

1:46:58like an oasis for us. Uh and that being

1:47:01said, because I'm the pastor, I have to

1:47:03look out for my congregation. I think

1:47:05the moratorium is a good idea. Matter of

1:47:08fact, I think it would be better that

1:47:09you don't even put a data center here.

1:47:12Um you said that uh they can create

1:47:15their own power. The problem is with

1:47:17creating their own power, they probably

1:47:19create their own waste. That can also

1:47:21create a problem. uh here uh sir you

1:47:24mentioned that AI or AI can be

1:47:26beneficial but there's also going to

1:47:28change into something that's probably

1:47:30going to be uncontrolled down the line

1:47:32uh you you said that God gave us

1:47:35intelligence for uh to create AI

1:47:38technically that might be a little wrong

1:47:40because it was fallen angels that

1:47:41provided that information uh to

1:47:43humankind so uh there's a little

1:47:45different there you mentioned uh that

1:47:47there's no proof for the stillborn

1:47:49calves but you got an expert sitting in

1:47:51the back of the

1:47:52The reason I the reason I say that is

1:47:54because I have diverticulitis.

1:47:57Diverticulitis. Uh they'll tell you that

1:48:00you should or should not eat certain

1:48:02kinds of food. If you eat those kinds of

1:48:04food or it get down inside the

1:48:05diverticuli, you have inflammation. You

1:48:08end up in the hospital. Well, I've been

1:48:09eating peanuts and all kind of things

1:48:11lately. Haven't had too many problems.

1:48:13So, I feel like I'm an expert on myself

1:48:16because I'm actually doing and dealing

1:48:19with the issue. He's an expert on

1:48:21stillborn calves because he's got stuff

1:48:24uh he's got the um uh farms and

1:48:26everything and uh raising cattle, you

1:48:29said creating jobs. Uh being that I've

1:48:33gone around the world to different

1:48:34places, I've seen sometimes where new

1:48:36things come in, they bring their own

1:48:38people. So that means there's an influx

1:48:40of people that will come in and it won't

1:48:42necessarily be people here who are

1:48:44getting the jobs. And if that comes in,

1:48:47that's going to flood the zone. And then

1:48:48you have a different kind of problem. Uh

1:48:51here's my last thing. As I was in the

1:48:54military, sometimes I had an opportunity

1:48:55to play spades with my soldiers. One

1:48:59thing they always said, all money ain't

1:49:02good money. Thank you. Thank you.

1:49:05[applause]

1:49:14Can I talk?

1:49:15>> Well, there there's a gentleman coming.

1:49:20>> You name it in again. Sorry. I didn't

1:49:23know the data center could be discussed

1:49:25today. Otherwise, I would have something

1:49:27prepared to because I'm against your

1:49:28name, please.

1:49:29>> I'm sorry. I apologize.

1:49:31>> Thank you.

1:49:31>> My name is Kelvin Ringcon, Thomasville,

1:49:34North Carolina.

1:49:36I hear a lot about I have heard both

1:49:38side of the coin,

1:49:40good and evil. Good and evil. Let me ask

1:49:44you something. If I inject a little lie

1:49:48in the Bible, the word of God, is that

1:49:52still the truth, 100% truth,

1:49:54>> or is a lie?

1:49:56>> Thank you. If I give you steak, and I

1:49:59promise I will buy you steak next

1:50:01meeting, wherever you want it from, I

1:50:03will buy you steak. But let me put 1%

1:50:06aside arsenic

1:50:08>> and and um

1:50:10another poison. Would you eat it?

1:50:13>> Is it healthy or not? No. So just

1:50:16because you hear good things and bad

1:50:18thing, don't be

1:50:20[snorts] don't be uh um hesitant about

1:50:25doing the right thing.

1:50:27How did your grandparents survive? They

1:50:30didn't have AI. They didn't have a cell

1:50:31phone. Y'all live with that stinking

1:50:33phone stick to you to your hip every

1:50:35single day. Why don't we go back to the

1:50:38old days? Get rid of all this

1:50:40technology. We don't need it. I grew up

1:50:41in a third world country, Venezuela,

1:50:43South America, and I made it this far. I

1:50:47taught myself English. I went to Marine

1:50:49boot camp without English. How the hell

1:50:51did I made it through? I have no idea.

1:50:54But I did. I did nine years and I came

1:50:57out as a sergeant. I've been working for

1:50:59the city of High Point for 20 years. And

1:51:01I know a lot about technology. I fix the

1:51:03radios that the police officer use. We

1:51:05have a small little servers if you want

1:51:08to call it data center where our

1:51:10information is collected is not healthy.

1:51:13Who stipulate what decibel is

1:51:16susceptible of noise? Would you live

1:51:19next to this

1:51:26for the rest of your life? If I paid and

1:51:29I help you pack your bags, would you

1:51:31move next to those data center? No, you

1:51:34won't.

1:51:35Don't let the data centers ever here in

1:51:38Davidson County. Thank you. [applause]

1:51:46>> Matthew Snyder. I live in Arcadia. In

1:51:49North Carolina, there are currently over

1:51:50a 100 data centers. When factoring in

1:51:52those under construction, I want to list

1:51:54a few impacts of these data centers.

1:51:56First, energy usage. A single modern AI

1:51:59data center can use as much power as a

1:52:01100,000 homes with many of the larger

1:52:03ones now being built expected to consume

1:52:05up to 20 times that amount. For

1:52:07reference, there are only about 75,000

1:52:09homes in Davidson County, according to

1:52:10census data. Our current energy

1:52:12infrastructure is already strained given

1:52:14the massive housing developments that

1:52:16have gone up in this county over the

1:52:17past decade. Where does the land for

1:52:19infrastructure improvements come from?

1:52:21Will the government use the power of

1:52:22imminent domain to steal your property

1:52:24and homes like Georgia Power recently

1:52:26did when they took 300 parcels of land

1:52:28from residents to make way for new data

1:52:30center power transmission lines?

1:52:33Where does the revenue for

1:52:34infrastructure improvement come from?

1:52:36Spoiler alert, it does not come from the

1:52:38billionaire oligarchs supporting and

1:52:39building the data centers. It comes out

1:52:41of our pockets. 2025 saw Americans

1:52:44average energy bill increase by 10% from

1:52:472024 year-over-year. That is a $60

1:52:49billion in totality increase. And if

1:52:52they can't make up for this in rate

1:52:54increases, don't worry. They'll just

1:52:56increase your taxes to make up the rest

1:52:57on the back end. Water usage. Large data

1:53:00centers can consume as much as 5 million

1:53:02gallons daily. Where will the extra

1:53:04water needed for data centers come from?

1:53:06Will the Yadken River magically acquire

1:53:07new tributaries, or will data centers

1:53:09simply take from the existing water

1:53:11supply? Will these companies tap

1:53:13underground water aquifers and dry up

1:53:15your wells? Will there be controls on

1:53:17how much water these companies can

1:53:19consume? Or will there be controls on

1:53:20how much water we can consume? If this

1:53:23sounds far-fetched, we were recently in

1:53:25a severe drought. Just this summer,

1:53:27several state jurisdictions, including

1:53:28Raleigh, implemented strict water usage

1:53:31limits on citizens and even threatened

1:53:33to cut off the water for those who did

1:53:35not comply with these restrictions.

1:53:37Sound pollution. The cooling system used

1:53:39in data centers can reportedly reach 100

1:53:41dB equivalent to a motorcycle or

1:53:44jackhammer running 24/7 and creating

1:53:46debilitating conditions for those living

1:53:48in close proximity. Just imagine what

1:53:50this does to the property values of

1:53:51their homes adjacent to these data

1:53:53centers. Finally, I'd like everyone to

1:53:56think critically for a second as to what

1:53:57these data centers are actually being

1:53:59used for. Do they truly need all this

1:54:01computing power for AI, Google AI

1:54:03assistants? Or are they using this as an

1:54:05excuse to create a mass surveillance

1:54:06network to house data on US citizens,

1:54:08perhaps even data collected through

1:54:10things like flock cameras? As we move

1:54:12forward, it is critical that we demand

1:54:14full transparency from our county

1:54:16commissioners on data center

1:54:17conversations, including those between

1:54:19commissioners and the data center

1:54:20developers. Many of these companies

1:54:22require local officials like our

1:54:23commissioners to sign non-disclosure

1:54:25agreements to prevent this communication

1:54:27with the community, which should always

1:54:29be a red flag. What do they not want us

1:54:31to know and why? Lastly, I urge everyone

1:54:35to consider a costbenefit analysis on

1:54:36moving data centers into our community.

1:54:39What will you gain from having a data

1:54:40center in your backyard? More

1:54:42importantly, what will you lose? And on

1:54:44a personal note, for the ones who

1:54:45support it, as soon as you decide to put

1:54:47a data center in your backyard, I'll be

1:54:49more than happy to hear your expert

1:54:50opinion. Thank you.

1:54:52[applause]

1:54:58>> Hi, I'm Mary Boon, 19 Circle Drive. I

1:55:01didn't write anything. This is just

1:55:02going to be real quick because I was

1:55:03listening to some of y'all. Um, I

1:55:05believe Janine, please correct me if I'm

1:55:07wrong. A few months ago, we sat right

1:55:10here and we asked, "Has a data center

1:55:12tried to come here? Has there been any

1:55:15interest?" The answer was no.

1:55:17>> It was no.

1:55:19>> Absolutely no. because you guys sign

1:55:21NDAs.

1:55:23So, we don't get to sit at the table

1:55:25with you when you make these decisions.

1:55:28So, a six-month moratorum is absolutely

1:55:32fantastic. Actually, you should put it

1:55:34as a year because in 6 months that would

1:55:37give you time to meet with them and then

1:55:40actually bring these people to the table

1:55:42with you so we can make an educated

1:55:45decision together.

1:55:48[applause]

1:55:54Daniel Richardson 4368 Lickree Church of

1:55:56Denton. Davidson County is not primarily

1:56:01the soil nor the water nor the air nor

1:56:04the infrastructure. It is this people.

1:56:08The people tonight have spoken

1:56:11overwhelmingly clear.

1:56:15Anyone could have come here and here

1:56:16tonight and have spoken in favor of

1:56:19these data centers if they had so

1:56:21desired. But not one person from this

1:56:24side has done so.

1:56:26You folks are elected

1:56:29by the people to represent their

1:56:31interests.

1:56:33Some of you have spoken in favor of the

1:56:36moratorum which is what the people who

1:56:38have come here and dedicated their

1:56:40quality time that they could have done

1:56:41other things with.

1:56:44They have spoken in favor of that

1:56:45moratorum.

1:56:47In conclusion, just like to remind you

1:56:51some commissioners will not be repeating

1:56:53their service term when it comes to new

1:56:56year.

1:56:57That's because the people spoke during

1:57:00those elections. So just remind you the

1:57:03people have spoken overwhelmingly

1:57:06tonight. Regardless of what the

1:57:08costbenefit analysis is or other

1:57:11objections that have been given, we just

1:57:13want you to know the people have clearly

1:57:15spoken. They do not want these data

1:57:17centers in Davidson County. Thank you.

1:57:20[applause]

1:57:25[clears throat]

1:57:25>> My name is Glenn Snyder, uh 191 Rockwood

1:57:28Drive, Lexington. Um I had prepared

1:57:30statements, but a lot of people have

1:57:31already hit the high points, so I want

1:57:32to kind of focus in on something.

1:57:34Revenue and money. Uh I heard comments

1:57:36earlier about tax revenue. Uh that's

1:57:38great and dandy for how the the county

1:57:41operates its infrastructure and way it

1:57:43does things. The problem is there's no

1:57:45benefit financial directly to the the

1:57:48citizens of the county. Data centers are

1:57:50typically very very self-preserving

1:57:53entities. They have very few man staff,

1:57:55few office staff, few mechanical staff,

1:57:57few janitorial staff. They're not coming

1:57:59in hiring highpaying jobs for the people

1:58:01in the community. I'm an engineer by by

1:58:03trade. I'm very involved in a lot of

1:58:05different high-end technologies. These

1:58:07things, they're self-sufficient. When

1:58:09there's a problem, they will bring a

1:58:10high-end, high-paid tech from another

1:58:13state to come in, fix the problems, and

1:58:15they leave. When they come in to

1:58:17construct these facilities, they're not

1:58:18using your local plumber. They're not

1:58:20using your local electrician. They're

1:58:21bringing in these large conglomerates

1:58:22from other places. So there's no direct

1:58:25benefit to the citizens of the

1:58:26community, the people in the community

1:58:28that are going to have to deal with the

1:58:29consequences of these things being here,

1:58:31whether it be the power usage, the the

1:58:34water usage, the sound [clears throat]

1:58:36issues, anything else, any sort of

1:58:38radiated type energies. We heard

1:58:40individual talking earlier about, you

1:58:42know, stillborn calves. Uh any of those

1:58:44type of things that that could affect

1:58:46the community, affect the people,

1:58:48they're not benefiting from any of it.

1:58:49Now granted, there might be some more

1:58:50tax revenue, but you know, my property

1:58:53taxes went up last year, so there should

1:58:54be some more revenue there for

1:58:55something. So my thought is I'm I'm

1:58:58against the data centers. You guys have

1:59:00a tough job before you. I understand you

1:59:01got a lot of people that that that don't

1:59:03like this, and they're looking at you a

1:59:04certain way, and but I respect the fact

1:59:06the position you're in, but understand

1:59:08that these are the people that voted all

1:59:10of you guys in office year after year.

1:59:12And these are the people that are

1:59:13saying, "We don't want this. This is a

1:59:15bad idea. And if we want to bring we

1:59:17want revenue, we want to bring stuff

1:59:18into the the county. Bring in a

1:59:20manufacturing plant. Somebody that's

1:59:22building car parts or somebody that's

1:59:24doing something that's going to bring

1:59:25highaying tooling jobs, electrician

1:59:27jobs, plumbing jobs, you know,

1:59:29automation technicians, engineers,

1:59:32people that going to do something,

1:59:33actually have a place to work versus the

1:59:35data center is going to have 20 25

1:59:37employees and it's just going to be a

1:59:40nuisance on everybody. So with that

1:59:42said, I do appreciate your time and

1:59:43thank you GUYS VERY MUCH.

1:59:46>> [applause]

1:59:53>> GOOD EVENING. UM, MY I'M Pam Bird. I

1:59:56live in Arcadia. Um,

1:59:59I want to express my concern about just

2:00:02having a six-month moratorum. Um, this

2:00:05board only has three more months and a

2:00:07new board will be sworn in December 7th.

2:00:10So that really doesn't give y'all much

2:00:12time to tour data centers and do all of

2:00:15the things that you discussed

2:00:18talking about with Mr. Crook. You know,

2:00:20that's really not enough time. So you

2:00:22should really extend it to a year so the

2:00:25new board has time to do what they need

2:00:28to do. Um, I want to reiterate what the

2:00:33gentleman before me just said and

2:00:35explain the difference in the kinds of

2:00:37data centers. Um, like I find it really

2:00:41hard to believe that there are 30 of

2:00:43this type of data centers in Charlotte.

2:00:46My h dead husband worked for Wakovia

2:00:48Bank, which is now Wells Fargo, in

2:00:52Winston Salem. Um, in Winston Salem,

2:00:55right off of Silus Creek Parkway, you

2:00:57can see it as you drive by. Is

2:01:00Guacovia's data center, what they call

2:01:03it. It's been there 25 years right off

2:01:06of Sals Creek Parkway. The footprint is

2:01:09probably about like this building, but

2:01:12take off either one or two stories. It's

2:01:15definitely not as tall as this building.

2:01:18He's correct. It only employed, you

2:01:21know, 20 25 people. They don't need

2:01:24there not going to be jobs in these data

2:01:26centers. He explained that just right.

2:01:29The well the Wakovia employees called

2:01:32that building the mausoleum which as you

2:01:34know that's where we bury people.

2:01:36There's not a lot of folks in a

2:01:38mausoleum. So that's the probably the

2:01:41type that Charlotte has 30 of. These are

2:01:45some of these other folks can explain

2:01:47better but these are like football field

2:01:49size multiple football field sizes.

2:01:53Regarding the melanoma scanner AI,

2:01:56that's great. I'm sure I think we

2:01:59already have those. I was a computer

2:02:01programmer. It does not take a football

2:02:03field size data center for a melanoma

2:02:07scanner. These are something else. I

2:02:10mean that it there's not going to be a

2:02:12data one that big built just for that

2:02:15purpose. You know, that's great. Um

2:02:20the construction jobs will be shortterm.

2:02:24Those are the only jobs I mean any jobs

2:02:27that these data centers bring are going

2:02:29to be very shortterm and so you're not

2:02:32thinking about the future of this county

2:02:36and I hope you'll reconsider your vote.

2:02:39Thank you.

2:02:40>> Thank you. [applause]

2:02:47Angel Jeffrey 105 D West Court. I've

2:02:50already spoken. You know how I feel. Um,

2:02:54so regardless of what you decide today,

2:02:57I'm asking with all of my heart that you

2:02:59look at a couple of things as you do the

2:03:02research. Whether it's in your meeting

2:03:04or whether it's over, I hope the next

2:03:06six months. I want you to look at um the

2:03:10parking lot size of the data centers

2:03:13that you visit because that's going to

2:03:15tell you all you need to know about the

2:03:16amount of jobs that they're actually

2:03:17going to bring to our community.

2:03:19[snorts]

2:03:20Then I want you to look into a little

2:03:22bit of the difference in AI. I work in

2:03:24digital media and I have for the last

2:03:26decade and I have used AI to remove

2:03:30backgrounds on pictures that whole time,

2:03:33even a little bit in high school, right?

2:03:34like I've been doing this for almost 20

2:03:36years. That AI is called assistive AI.

2:03:40Now we're using generative AI, which is

2:03:43thinking at a rate and at a at a process

2:03:46rate that is much much much more intense

2:03:50than what we're talking about before. So

2:03:52I just want to echo what the lady in uh

2:03:54before me said that when you're talking

2:03:57about data center,

2:04:00it can mean so many different things.

2:04:02when we're talking about AI, it can mean

2:04:04so many different things. And so I want

2:04:07you to take the time, you said something

2:04:10about the last um couple of months that

2:04:12you've been trying to visit. If you've

2:04:15been trying to visit an AI data center

2:04:17for um the last couple of months and you

2:04:20haven't been able to, why do you think

2:04:21six months is is too fast? That like

2:04:24give it its due diligence. You have an

2:04:26expert and a planner here who's saying

2:04:29that having six months to think about

2:04:32this is a good thing for our

2:04:34infrastructure of our county to make

2:04:37sure that we have the water and

2:04:38electricity and it's not going to cause

2:04:40brownouts.

2:04:41Just give it six months. I'm not asking

2:04:44you even to not do it at all. I'm not

2:04:46completely against AI. I'm scared of it.

2:04:49As someone who works in digital media, I

2:04:53am afraid of what it's going to mean for

2:04:54our future.

2:04:56and I use it.

2:04:58With that said, six months, take the six

2:05:02months, please, because you need to do

2:05:05the research. You taught me how to do

2:05:07research, right? I started my senior

2:05:09project with you. I had to do research

2:05:11all through your class. Take the six

2:05:13months to do the research. We took two

2:05:15years on our senior projects if you

2:05:17remember. Um, and that was a much

2:05:20smaller project and it did not affect so

2:05:22many lives. So, thank you FOR YOUR TIME.

2:05:25>> [clears throat]

2:05:26[applause]

2:05:31>> WOULD LIKE TO ask staff to look into one

2:05:34thing because uh when when talking to

2:05:37Senator Jarvis, he did mention that

2:05:39there was a there was a county that had

2:05:42a couple of data centers that came in

2:05:44and what they did is they wiped away

2:05:46property taxes. They did they like I and

2:05:50I haven't heard of that. I don't know if

2:05:51that was another state or whatever that

2:05:54did that, but I would like to check in

2:05:56to see if that was, you know, where

2:05:58that's at. And and

2:05:59>> I think it was Louisiana.

2:06:01>> Louisiana. They wiped out all the

2:06:03property taxes that the citizens had to

2:06:05pay.

2:06:05>> Oh, personal property tax. Property.

2:06:08Yeah.

2:06:08>> Yeah. And I guess they just still had

2:06:09business property taxes.

2:06:11>> I don't know. I don't know the details.

2:06:12>> That would have had to been the the

2:06:14makeup of it. If not, you wouldn't had

2:06:15any tax money. So

2:06:19>> that had to be a pretty big

2:06:20>> That's a good

2:06:21>> Yeah, that have to be pretty big. Uh,

2:06:24>> so we're going to close the public

2:06:26hearing.

2:06:26>> I think we are going to close the public

2:06:28hearing. Yeah, I think it is.

2:06:29>> Okay.

2:06:30>> No, you have it.

2:06:31>> I don't know where mine's gone. Here it

2:06:32is. Hold on. [clears throat] Okay. I

2:06:34declare the public hearing closed, Mr.

2:06:36Jones. Um, I guess we need to um This

2:06:42says Mr. Jones, but it should say Mr.

2:06:44Crook, I guess. Staff recommendation.

2:06:47Um, where's Lee? Oh, there.

2:06:50>> I don't know if we need staff

2:06:51recommendation.

2:06:52>> No, I don't I don't think that. What

2:06:53What are we

2:06:54>> We just need to discuss on the board

2:06:56what we want to do.

2:06:57>> We want to do or or make a motion.

2:06:59>> Make a motion.

2:06:59>> Make a motion that we adopt a six-month

2:07:02moratorum on data centers.

2:07:04>> I'll second that.

2:07:08>> Okay. Um, Miss Verbally, do you need us

2:07:12one by one?

2:07:13>> Yes. Okay.

2:07:17>> Okay.

2:07:19>> And Mr. Jones, it can be renewed.

2:07:23>> We it at the end of the six months, we

2:07:25would have to go through another hearing

2:07:28process because it is because it would

2:07:29be another

2:07:31zoning essentially another zoning zoning

2:07:34ordinance. So, we'd have to go through

2:07:35this process again.

2:07:38>> Okay. Is everyone ready?

2:07:40>> Yep.

2:07:41>> Okay. Commissioner Kester,

2:07:43>> I vote for the six-month moratorum.

2:07:45>> Okay.

2:07:47>> All right. I have a motion and and my

2:07:48second was

2:07:49>> He's already voted.

2:07:50>> He's already Okay.

2:07:52>> Already voted.

2:07:52>> You're voting.

2:07:52>> No, wait a minute. I'm doing it

2:07:54according to the graph that I have. Um,

2:07:57Commissioner Myself.

2:07:57>> I'm in favor of the moratorum.

2:07:59>> Commissioner Shell,

2:08:01>> no.

2:08:02>> Commissioner Yates,

2:08:03>> no.

2:08:05>> Chair Wford,

2:08:06>> no.

2:08:09>> Commissioner Elliot,

2:08:10>> yes.

2:08:13We have a three-3 tie and that means the

2:08:15motion fails.

2:08:19>> The motion fails.

2:08:22>> Motion failed.

2:08:23>> Yes, ma'am.

2:08:27>> Okay.

2:08:28>> Consent agenda [clears throat] next.

2:08:29>> We're on the consent agenda. Are there

2:08:31any items to remove? I think I think we

2:08:34already did that, but um I don't think

2:08:37there are. May I have a motion, a second

2:08:38to approve the consent agenda? Motion to

2:08:41second.

2:08:42>> I have a motion and a second. All in

2:08:44favor say I. I.

2:08:45>> I. Thank you. We have a couple of folks

2:08:48at the meeting to accept some

2:08:49proclamations tonight. Um, Miss Tisha

2:08:52Everheart Roberts for senior services.

2:08:55There you are. I hadn't seen you.

2:08:57[laughter]

2:08:59I've got this one for you, Tisha.

2:09:04We have several um

2:09:07proclamations and this one is national

2:09:11senior center month.

2:09:16>> And I know we thank Mr. Jones for the

2:09:19transportation, but thank you for all

2:09:20you do for our seniors to be able to get

2:09:22there, too. Thank you.

2:09:39All right, we're taking pictures.

2:09:42>> Taking pictures here.

2:09:44>> Taking pictures.

2:09:54>> I got spiky.

2:09:57>> Good job. behind

2:09:59you.

2:09:59>> Mama is

2:10:02>> mama.

2:10:04>> I think he wanted me to

2:10:08>> teacher. We were talking about our

2:10:09ailments.

2:10:12>> I think he wants me to read them.

2:10:14>> Amen.

2:10:16>> No, we don't. We don't read those

2:10:18anymore.

2:10:18>> Well, then just introduce them and I'll

2:10:20come down.

2:10:21>> We can introduce them. Come down then.

2:10:26>> Oh, we got another one.

2:10:28It's a double double feature.

2:10:29>> Hey, none of that. None of that.

2:10:31>> You ain't gone.

2:10:32>> We need to get to the flock cameras

2:10:33pretty quick. So, if we can get this

2:10:35over and get this meeting

2:10:39>> Oh, do we have Oh, yeah. That's what I'm

2:10:41saying. Yeah,

2:10:43there's some trouble brewing out there.

2:10:50>> This is Mr. Lumis. He He's um This is

2:10:53for Mr. Miselle is going to

2:10:56>> present this.

2:10:57>> Just present this.

2:10:59>> Come on up front.

2:11:00>> Yes.

2:11:05>> Okay. Thank you.

2:11:11>> There we go.

2:11:14>> Now you're going to turn around and and

2:11:18take a fight for spit.

2:11:19>> Uhhuh.

2:11:34He's done it to me.

2:11:41Two,

2:11:44two, three.

2:11:46You can send me the names of everyone.

2:11:48Daniel.

2:12:05>> I want to thank I want to thank the

2:12:07commissioners number one and my team.

2:12:10This is a short um version of them. We

2:12:12have 1,200 followers and members of Race

2:12:14Against Drugs.

2:12:16We have Thomasville, Lexington, North

2:12:18Carolina, and now the county. Now, we're

2:12:21recognizing that we have a problem with

2:12:22overdose in this county. We have a total

2:12:25of 787 people total of any drug

2:12:29overdoses in this county from 2013 till

2:12:31today. Um, and I want to thank uh the

2:12:35sheriff's department, even though we

2:12:36disagree to agree, but I want to thank

2:12:38the commissioners in the county,

2:12:39Thomasville and Lexington,

2:12:42for understanding we have these

2:12:43problems, and if we don't work together

2:12:45as entities, unlike a certain incoming

2:12:48commissioner who told my

2:12:49>> No, no, don't do that. Don't do that.

2:12:52>> Don't do that.

2:12:59>> Oh, man. Okay, let's go to item number

2:13:02nine, items for deliberation.

2:13:05This is about the SNAP program and I'm

2:13:08going to call on Mr. Mayus to make a

2:13:10comment

2:13:13>> for us. Are you ready? [laughter]

2:13:18Um,

2:13:21>> let me let me explain to you this uh

2:13:24this resolution that we're looking at is

2:13:26about the STA SNAP benefit cost sharing

2:13:29requirement that the federal government

2:13:31is going to put in place um by next year

2:13:36in October. And we're the state of North

2:13:40Carolina association of county

2:13:41commissioners is concerned that our

2:13:45social services departments will not

2:13:48have adequate time to reduce the SNAP

2:13:52benefit error rate and that's what is

2:13:55cons of concern to us. Um our our error

2:14:00rate has come down to about 7% which is

2:14:03great. I think it was nine before this.

2:14:07But if we don't get it to below 6%,

2:14:10unfortunately, the federal government is

2:14:13going to penalize us the people that

2:14:16might still get the SNAP benefits, but

2:14:19we're going to have to have an unfunded

2:14:21mandate to pay them back.

2:14:25>> And this is of great concern for us. So,

2:14:28I'll turn it over to Mr.

2:14:30>> I sent more information out this

2:14:31afternoon to you all. I mean, if you

2:14:33want to do something this evening,

2:14:34that's fine. But if you want to continue

2:14:36to the September 3rd meeting, okay, so

2:14:38we you can so you can digest

2:14:40[clears throat] all the information that

2:14:41I sent out.

2:14:43>> To put it to put in to put in layman's

2:14:45terms,

2:14:46>> if we don't get this below 6%,

2:14:49>> it's going to cost the county how much

2:14:51money, Tim? Possibly 2 to three million.

2:14:53>> One and a half to2 million.

2:14:54>> One and a half to$2 million that we

2:14:56don't have budgeted for anything. So,

2:14:58>> and there there goes our money,

2:15:00>> right? So there's there's $2 million we

2:15:02wasn't expecting to spend on anything.

2:15:04>> That comes right off the top of the

2:15:05sales tax article. So

2:15:06>> you'd never see it

2:15:08staff to take

2:15:09>> to to send a to send a resolution to

2:15:11Washington to try not but they're

2:15:14probably not going to listen. But

2:15:15>> put this off for another year.

2:15:18>> Well, that's a no-brainer.

2:15:19>> The request is to 2030.

2:15:21>> To 2030 is is [clears throat] what this

2:15:23resolution says. So, so I I would ask I

2:15:26mean I would be okay

2:15:27>> with staff putting the resolution

2:15:29together with y'all.

2:15:31>> I agree.

2:15:32>> Yep. It's actually a resolution the

2:15:34NCACC put together and you know

2:15:36>> so again that's $2 million worth of cost

2:15:38that we [clears throat] didn't have

2:15:39budgeted for

2:15:40>> very much of a concern.

2:15:41>> Okay.

2:15:42>> We need move with it now.

2:15:45>> Okay. [clears throat]

2:15:46>> You need a vote or just cons.

2:15:49>> I'll make a motion we approve a

2:15:50resolution to

2:15:51>> second. All in favor?

2:15:52>> I Okay. Thank you all.

2:15:54>> Amen.

2:15:55>> This is a and and it, you know, it's

2:15:57under the radar. You know, not everybody

2:15:59knows everything about it. So,

2:16:02[clears throat]

2:16:02>> go ahead. Go ahead. Okay. We're going to

2:16:05move on to item number B. This is our

2:16:08discussion on the flock automating

2:16:10license plate reader cameras. Um, and

2:16:12Mr. Rickard is going to lead this off.

2:16:15Madame Chairman, um on October the 3rd,

2:16:18the sheriff's office made a presentation

2:16:20at theformational meeting concerning

2:16:23these flock cameras, and they were um

2:16:26that item was approved. There was not

2:16:28much I was not at that meeting, but from

2:16:30what I understand, there was not much

2:16:31opposition at that time, but the sheriff

2:16:34is here tonight. I'm glad I'm sure he'll

2:16:35be glad to answer any questions. That

2:16:38was moved to the agenda on October 14th,

2:16:4024, and it was approved. Um, you have

2:16:44information in your packet uh explaining

2:16:46the finances involved in that. It's

2:16:48basically $76,000 this year that's in

2:16:51the budget has not been spent yet. And

2:16:54uh so that's what I I assume that's what

2:16:56you're we're here to discuss is the

2:16:58future of flock here

2:17:00>> and and I'll turn it over to the sheriff

2:17:02who wants to

2:17:03>> Thank y'all for letting me speak

2:17:04tonight. Um this was a tool for us. Uh

2:17:08the first year we financed it with uh

2:17:10with drug asset forfeiter money from the

2:17:13sheriff's office from drugs or drug

2:17:16asset forfeiteer money. The second time

2:17:18y'all did. It's been a good tool. We've

2:17:20used it for almost two years. But if you

2:17:23don't fund it, I'll abide by anything

2:17:26you do. And it's it's y'all's call.

2:17:28>> Okay. I do have some questions and I'm

2:17:30sure some of the rest of you do as well

2:17:32because of things that we heard tonight.

2:17:35Um um how and and and you will have to

2:17:38tell me whether you can tell me this

2:17:40this question. The first one is how many

2:17:43men and women in your department have

2:17:45access to this technology. Can you say

2:17:47that? Is that something

2:17:48>> I've got a real strong policy. I saw it

2:17:50coming when when I it was about a year

2:17:53when I heard about it before I brought

2:17:55it to y'all. And we explained all this

2:17:57on on October 3rd um about the system,

2:18:01but we limited the access to it very

2:18:05admin supervisors and and our CD unit

2:18:10has access to actually put a tag in if

2:18:13your car is stolen. Ma'am, um you know,

2:18:16they can put that tag in there and it'll

2:18:18start alerting if that car comes by

2:18:20camera.

2:18:20>> Okay. But but do how many people do have

2:18:25that access or can you say that

2:18:28>> we spoke and we we discussed it

2:18:31>> out of 250 roughly in the sheriff's

2:18:34office. Depends on what day it is

2:18:35because they come and go.

2:18:36>> Okay.

2:18:37>> Um approximately 28 and that's including

2:18:40the admin staff that oversee it.

2:18:42>> Okay.

2:18:43>> Out of 240 people. We saw the problem.

2:18:46We've got a strong policy for it. We've

2:18:48got strong restrictions on it and we do

2:18:52we do look in we do uh check it make

2:18:56sure it's not being misused but if it is

2:18:59I will prosecute them to the fullest

2:19:02capability.

2:19:03>> Yeah. And that's what you told me the

2:19:04other day is

2:19:06>> um

2:19:06>> when an alert comes out everybody gets

2:19:09an alert. They you know 911 gets it and

2:19:11they give it out. If a car goes by

2:19:13camera, 911 will call, you know, beep it

2:19:16out to and and that it a stolen car or a

2:19:20missing person, whatever.

2:19:21>> Okay. One of the things I I did go over

2:19:25there because they wanted to do a

2:19:26presentation for me. So, and I went over

2:19:29there, but I didn't ask all the

2:19:31questions.

2:19:32>> I appreciate it. [clears throat] But one

2:19:34of the first questions they asked me

2:19:36was, "What do you think when when you're

2:19:39you're uh take a picture is taken of

2:19:42you, what do you think we see first?"

2:19:44And I said, "Well, you might see my

2:19:46face." And they said, "Right off the

2:19:48bat, no." So, can you explain that to

2:19:50the audience?

2:19:51>> It doesn't check your speed. It doesn't

2:19:53check anything. It gives us a tag and it

2:19:57gives us the back of your car.

2:19:59>> The car.

2:20:00>> Mhm.

2:20:00>> Okay. Okay. And that's all.

2:20:03>> Now, this man that spoke tonight, he

2:20:05said, and because I wrote my my He said

2:20:09that

2:20:12that they record the phone of all the

2:20:16people in the vehicles. Why is that? Why

2:20:19is that? Why do they record their phone?

2:20:22>> It doesn't.

2:20:23>> Okay.

2:20:23>> It It doesn't I mean, I have

2:20:25capabilities to do that. I have

2:20:27capabilities to download phones. Um, but

2:20:31I have to have a search warrant to do

2:20:33any of that stuff.

2:20:34>> Okay. Okay. Okay. So, I, you know,

2:20:39>> I know we actually sat down and I

2:20:41appreciate sitting down with you and

2:20:43your officers last week as well as a

2:20:45flock representative because I know I

2:20:47had a lot of questions too. Um, one of

2:20:50the questions I thought about after the

2:20:51meeting, similar to to Chair Watford, is

2:20:55can the data

2:20:57be passed on to other agencies in other

2:21:00municipalities or state agencies or

2:21:03federal agencies?

2:21:04>> I'm going to call this is a flock

2:21:05representative. I had him because he's

2:21:08got all the technical questions.

2:21:10Anything technical he can he can.

2:21:13>> Appreciate you having me.

2:21:14>> Okay, y'all. Please just let's let's

2:21:17have this presentation. I'm

2:21:19>> not repeating your question. Sorry, sir.

2:21:20>> Yes. And and for the audience, I one of

2:21:23the responsibilities of this position.

2:21:26I'm we don't take it lightly. I in

2:21:28addition to to meeting with them, I know

2:21:30several folks out in the community have

2:21:32sent me articles and videos and some

2:21:35were very long YouTube videos and they

2:21:36have been watched. Um in addition to

2:21:39looking at court cases, some pending,

2:21:41some already uh with opinions. So, I've

2:21:44tried to do my due diligence on this

2:21:45matter because I've got more information

2:21:47now and I think we have learned more

2:21:50about these than we knew a year or two

2:21:53ago. That's probably similar to y'all.

2:21:54You probably learned started learning

2:21:56more about them over the past year. My

2:21:58my question is, can any data collected

2:22:03by our department be passed on to

2:22:06another agency or department? So,

2:22:08another police department or a federal

2:22:11agency or a state agency.

2:22:13>> Sir, before you answer that, can I get

2:22:14your name?

2:22:15>> Uh, yes. My name is Will Baker.

2:22:16>> Will Baker. Thank you.

2:22:19>> Um, all sharing policy is determined by

2:22:21the sheriff's office. So, if you choose

2:22:23to share um any information with other

2:22:25jurisdictions across the state to help

2:22:28any type of investigation, you can do

2:22:30so. Um, but that is a manual process

2:22:33done by the sheriff's office.

2:22:34>> Right.

2:22:35And an example of that would be like the

2:22:38the man from Dawsonville, Georgia that

2:22:40come up here. They shared the

2:22:42information. They put a wanted out on

2:22:44his car. They sent out an alert. Again,

2:22:4728 of our people are the only ones that

2:22:49could put that out. We have to have a we

2:22:53have to have a case number or a CAD

2:22:56number if it's an instant instantaneous

2:22:58need to get it out. We just can't say,

2:23:01you know, a suspicious car or this. And

2:23:04I know there's been a couple of cases in

2:23:08Charlotte and Morsville. I've heard that

2:23:10tonight, too. Um, I can't, you know, I

2:23:13can't help what they do. I know what I

2:23:15do. I'm not going to throw the baby out

2:23:17with the bath water. I'm going to get

2:23:18rid of the bath water. If it's dirty,

2:23:21it's not going to be with me.

2:23:24>> Okay.

2:23:24>> And Sheriff, I've know you and I spoke.

2:23:26You you know my position. We had a very

2:23:28good civil conversation earlier today

2:23:30chatting through it. My my concern is

2:23:32just based on everything that's going

2:23:34around nationally both with like the

2:23:36courts, we have bills being introduced

2:23:38in Congress. We see abuse cases. I know

2:23:41they have not happened here in Davidson

2:23:43County and I think you've got the proper

2:23:45procedures and everything in place. That

2:23:47made me feel good when we were sitting

2:23:48down last week discussing it. But I

2:23:51think where I've gotten to over the past

2:23:54few weeks is we have to start thinking

2:23:55beyond just Davidson County because the

2:23:58data can go beyond those borders.

2:24:02>> And the cameras exist. There's a network

2:24:04of them throughout the country.

2:24:06>> And so for for me at least, it's moved

2:24:09from a simple observation

2:24:13to surveillance. And it runs the risk of

2:24:15that not with your agency, not with

2:24:18based on the standards in your zero

2:24:20policy that you or zero tolerance policy

2:24:22that you have, but in others that we

2:24:24can't track. And I guess the other piece

2:24:28of that is with the pending court cases

2:24:31and case law has not caught up, that

2:24:33creates some ambiguity. And for for me

2:24:36when the constitutional line is what I

2:24:40would say uncertain I would rather

2:24:42government take a step back than take a

2:24:46step forward that they'd regret and I'd

2:24:49like to keep

2:24:50>> or I know someone mentioned uh Orwell's

2:24:521984. I think it's uh it's best left as

2:24:55fiction.

2:24:56>> Yes.

2:24:56>> Um that's my position. So I would I

2:24:59would recommend that we they come down.

2:25:05>> [applause]

2:25:07>> AND like and like I said there there was

2:25:10legislation um our North Carolina

2:25:13legislators passed this. Um your husband

2:25:17is on on the in the house and the senate

2:25:20passed it. Um it came to the executive

2:25:24branch after it left the legislature.

2:25:27Executive branch being the governor

2:25:28signed it. There is no judicial anything

2:25:32now. So, I take that, you know, there's

2:25:34nothing for, nothing against. Um, it was

2:25:38a tool given to me. I used it well. I

2:25:42used it honestly. I've been doing this

2:25:43for 40 years, and I'm going to continue

2:25:45to do it honestly. I took an oath of

2:25:48office. Back 40 years ago, it was the

2:25:5115th of August, that I would uphold the

2:25:54Constitution for everyone here. I will

2:25:57do that, and I will protect your rights.

2:25:59I will protect you up to giving my life

2:26:02to it and I have given most of my adult

2:26:05life to it and I'll continue. But yes,

2:26:07there is no court case that's come

2:26:10through. I know one I know one in

2:26:13Virginia that sided with the cameras,

2:26:15but it's under it's in the fourth

2:26:18circuit now.

2:26:19>> Okay.

2:26:19>> I'd like to say something just I too I

2:26:22just want to

2:26:24>> you know demonstrate my respect. The

2:26:27sheriff's not only my friend, he's my

2:26:28brother in Christ. I've voted for him

2:26:31every every time he's run. If I didn't

2:26:33support him, I wouldn't work for him.

2:26:35But the criteria I use in any decision

2:26:37pretty much in my whole life, if I'm

2:26:40considering a certain issue, I look at

2:26:42is it right, is it legal, and is it

2:26:44constitutional? That's my lititness

2:26:46test. And when we sat down at your

2:26:48office last week, I fully appreciate and

2:26:51respect the lengths the agency has gone

2:26:54to. I think it's probably one of the

2:26:56exceptions to the rule as far as putting

2:26:57guard rails in place and him not

2:27:00tolerating any abuse of it. And I

2:27:02appreciate that. But I've talked with

2:27:05people, friends that I have that are

2:27:07military, ex-military,

2:27:09corporate people, people much more in

2:27:12the know specifically about the

2:27:14capabilities of this system than I am.

2:27:17And it's just like it's just like I said

2:27:18earlier, there's safety and a multitude

2:27:20of counselors. And in looking at this

2:27:23whole totality, I got to balance not

2:27:26only my oath as a deputy, but my oath

2:27:29that I took when all y'all voted me in

2:27:31this chair. And I take that really

2:27:33seriously. But when I when I weigh

2:27:36everything out in spite of the fact of

2:27:39the due diligence these guys have done,

2:27:41I respect it. I appreciate it. But I

2:27:43have to air on the side of caution and

2:27:45say

2:27:46when I look at our own policy section

2:27:494.5 of where the data is stored with

2:27:52flock. There's no local oversight that

2:27:55can actually verify. I'm a big proponent

2:27:57of what Ronald Reagan used to say, trust

2:27:59but verify. And there's no way we as a

2:28:02county entity can verify what flock is

2:28:04or is not doing if they're deleting it,

2:28:05if they're sharing it. Um, there's

2:28:08supposedly another federal agency

2:28:09sieging that's supposed to overlook the

2:28:12disposal of this stuff every 30 days,

2:28:13but I don't know about y'all, but I got

2:28:15zero trust for the federal government.

2:28:17They prove every week.

2:28:19>> They violate our rights. They take our

2:28:21money, everything else. There's no

2:28:22oversight with if it was just them doing

2:28:25it would be one thing.

2:28:26>> But I I just have to stand with

2:28:28Commissioner Miselle to say take them

2:28:30down.

2:28:35And let me say again, I believe in, you

2:28:38know, we have checks and balances. You

2:28:41are a b checks and balance for my

2:28:43office. I just was doing what my due

2:28:45diligence does.

2:28:46>> I was doing my job to the best of my

2:28:48ability and I'll continue to be doing my

2:28:51be to the best of my ability. Whether I

2:28:53have this tool or not, I'll find a tool

2:28:56that works

2:28:57>> for transparency as we did as a board

2:28:59about two years ago approve it. Yeah,

2:29:01>> I mean I was on the board at the time,

2:29:03>> but as more information has come out,

2:29:06that's when we say, "Okay, let's let's

2:29:07kind of reassess some things." Um, if we

2:29:10if we held our tongue till we had all

2:29:13the information, you know, before we

2:29:14said an opinion, we would never profer

2:29:16an opinion. So, um, I mean, we were

2:29:18right there with you then. I think

2:29:20there's just been more that's been

2:29:21revealed over time.

2:29:22>> I'll accept it and

2:29:24>> I like I like

2:29:25>> whatever y'all choose. First of all, for

2:29:27those folks sitting in this room, I

2:29:30don't want anybody

2:29:32to take it that this board is

2:29:34discrediting our sheriff. I have nothing

2:29:37but respect for you, Richie.

2:29:41But this this system is what it is

2:29:44today. We don't know where it's going to

2:29:45be 5 years from now.

2:29:47>> But most of that information goes to a

2:29:49cloud and you have access to some, but

2:29:52you don't know where the rest of it goes

2:29:53to. there's no way you can know. And so

2:29:57that's my biggest concern. And I think

2:30:00each and every breath we take, we're

2:30:03losing our rights and our liberties.

2:30:06>> And I I [applause]

2:30:09I'm opposed to that. I'm not opposed to

2:30:11our sheriff

2:30:12>> who I trust, but I am opposed to that

2:30:16because I see the farreaching scale of

2:30:19it.

2:30:20And thank you for what you do, Sheriff.

2:30:22>> Thank you. I I keep breathing. Would

2:30:25>> you like to say something?

2:30:26>> Yeah.

2:30:26>> Okay.

2:30:28>> Y

2:30:29>> Yeah.

2:30:30>> Uh I have the utmost respect for Richie

2:30:33Simmons. I I think that uh

2:30:36>> No, I I'm all right. I'm all right. Let

2:30:38me just

2:30:38>> pass out.

2:30:40You like a Baptist preacher up here. You

2:30:42got a little excited.

2:30:44>> Go ahead, brother.

2:30:45>> Are you full Coke?

2:30:48>> I'm sorry.

2:30:49>> If something were to happen to you, are

2:30:51you a DNR or a full coke?

2:30:53We're resuscitating.

2:30:55>> Yeah. Lord, do not resuscitate. Let me

2:30:58go.

2:30:58>> He's full lip. Okay.

2:31:00>> The Lord's waiting on me. Okay.

2:31:02>> Thank you.

2:31:03>> Yeah.

2:31:04>> Amen. Thank you. Uh

2:31:08we

2:31:10>> you got a little over.

2:31:11>> So,

2:31:13>> so I respect I respect the

2:31:18>> I respect the sheriff. I think uh I you

2:31:21know I'm a little uh we we came in

2:31:24together about 8 years ago. I think he's

2:31:27uh not only a great sheriff. I think

2:31:29you're probably one of the best in the

2:31:31entire state.

2:31:32>> Amen.

2:31:32>> U and and that all comes from your

2:31:35Christian character. My concern is u

2:31:38somebody and anybody can run for

2:31:41sheriffs and anybody can vote for a

2:31:44sheriff. And we see in Dearbornne,

2:31:45Michigan, what's happened down there

2:31:47where a pastor just recently had to

2:31:49stand up and and ask if they would

2:31:51renounce Sharia law. And even the ones

2:31:53that went to to a Baptist college with

2:31:57him for a pastoral role ended up would

2:32:00not denounce Sharia law. And uh it my

2:32:04concern is is not you and every one of

2:32:07these deputies that are involved right

2:32:09now because there is no better man of

2:32:11character than Richie Simmons. You

2:32:13remind me a whole lot of uh Andy Taylor.

2:32:16I mean, honestly, I mean, seriously. I

2:32:18mean,

2:32:20>> well, I mean, you you really do. And

2:32:22that's saying a lot cuz you're a good

2:32:24Christian man.

2:32:24>> Thank you.

2:32:25>> But, uh, thank you.

2:32:27>> He told me Barney yesterday.

2:32:29>> No, I did not. [laughter] That's

2:32:31>> what he told me yesterday.

2:32:33>> I'd be the only one with one bullet.

2:32:34But, u No, I think a lot of you. I I

2:32:37just don't like the the unknowns, the

2:32:39fact that who could be voted in charge

2:32:42and what kind of limits to government do

2:32:43we have? And uh that scares me. And u if

2:32:49if we could guarantee that you would be

2:32:50the man that looked over this and we

2:32:53wouldn't have another one and then

2:32:54before somebody else could come in, we

2:32:56could change it, I'd be all for it

2:32:58because I know you wouldn't abuse it and

2:33:00I know these gentlemen wouldn't abuse

2:33:01it. But the fact that anybody can be

2:33:04elected in and things can change and

2:33:06then uh we're not going to be in these

2:33:07positions, I think I have to go against

2:33:09the flock. I don't like it.

2:33:11>> Yeah.

2:33:12>> Yeah.

2:33:12>> Yeah. AND AND

2:33:15[applause]

2:33:17I wanted just to say that, you know,

2:33:20after meeting with you the other day,

2:33:22you know, I have no doubt that the

2:33:23things that you told me, you know, were

2:33:26accurate and you know your officers, you

2:33:28know, and we know your character. So I

2:33:31think I think there's no no worry about

2:33:34that because on one side you can the way

2:33:36you're looking at it and the way I kind

2:33:38of look at it is I want my granddaughter

2:33:42saved if this can help save her. Uh but

2:33:46on the other hand, you know those guys

2:33:48that did the wrong thing, you know, and

2:33:51chasing their ex-wives or their

2:33:53girlfriends or whatever, you know, you

2:33:56you can't always control that, you know.

2:33:59And I love what you said about the next

2:34:02one that comes along and the next one

2:34:03that comes along. So, we need, you know,

2:34:06we need to respect each other's privacy.

2:34:10Uh, I think that's very important. And

2:34:12and I I want to know another question I

2:34:14had was how did the officers in these

2:34:17other areas that were caught doing the

2:34:19wrong thing, how were they caught? How

2:34:21were they able to be caught?

2:34:23>> I can answer that, but he knows the tech

2:34:26is doing an audit.

2:34:27>> They do. They do. How often do I often

2:34:30>> audit assistance tool about six months

2:34:32ago which is where that uptick is. So it

2:34:34is the leader in transparency in ALPR

2:34:36systems. There are other systems out

2:34:37there that do what Flock does that don't

2:34:40have these audit systems which is why I

2:34:41think you're seeing a lot of these

2:34:42officers get in trouble for using Flock.

2:34:44>> Okay.

2:34:44>> Um but there's also a manual audit

2:34:46process that the sheriff's office runs

2:34:48as well. you know, and I'm, you know, I

2:34:51I think

2:34:52>> and the state allowed in in North

2:34:54Carolina state law

2:34:5690 days to do this. We went an extra

2:34:59step to

2:35:00>> and I noticed that the uh CEO of Flock

2:35:03offered one week the other day uh to

2:35:07address this issue, too. So, but I I'm

2:35:10I'm going I agree with our our

2:35:12colleagues and

2:35:13>> that audit only shows our officers

2:35:15ability to search the the cameras in in

2:35:18the the county that we look at, right?

2:35:20Or the they can look at other counties

2:35:23information, but does the audit show

2:35:24other officers in other counties that

2:35:26can look at our cameras?

2:35:28>> No, that's the problem.

2:35:29>> There's two separate audits. There's a

2:35:31nationwide audit and there's an

2:35:32organizational audit.

2:35:33>> Um the audit assistance is the

2:35:35organizational audit. So, how your your

2:35:37officers are utilizing the tool? If

2:35:38somebody had a foyer request, who would

2:35:40they go to?

2:35:41>> Um, I'm not

2:35:42>> flot.

2:35:43>> No, the for requests go directly to

2:35:45sheriff's office, but I I'm not educated

2:35:47enough to speak on court requests.

2:35:49>> Okay. I want to go to my chief deputy.

2:35:50>> Okay. He knows the public.

2:35:53>> But I'm talking like for a national if

2:35:56uh there's really no way to check if

2:35:59another officer in another county or a

2:36:01state is abusing anybody under our flock

2:36:05access when they have access to our

2:36:07county. There's no way to hold them

2:36:09accountable because our sheriff wouldn't

2:36:11know about it and flock obviously

2:36:13doesn't know about it. So then there's

2:36:15no way to track it. The only thing that

2:36:17we can track is our people if they could

2:36:20abuse it. Is that correct?

2:36:22>> The only reason I say, and I'm not going

2:36:24to set you up for an answer I don't

2:36:26already know the question. I mean, the a

2:36:28question I don't already know the answer

2:36:30of, but Josh Thomas with Flock, he did a

2:36:34uh he did a a YouTube video and he came

2:36:36up and he said, uh, city councils and

2:36:39county commissions

2:36:41when dealt with the foyer request, it's

2:36:44up to the to the ones that are paying

2:36:46the bill for the responsibility. So

2:36:48Flock pretty much said we're not

2:36:50responsible. It's the governing board

2:36:52that pays for this data and because you

2:36:54pay for it now the liability is on you.

2:36:58So that would either be with the sheriff

2:36:59or it'd be with us. And that's scary

2:37:01when you're talking about people other

2:37:04than our agency has direct access to

2:37:07track our people in our county and

2:37:09access to our cameras.

2:37:11>> Uh yes sir. We block does not have

2:37:13access to any of your data. Okay. Um, so

2:37:15it' be we can't um audit that because we

2:37:18don't have access to any of the data

2:37:19that that you own and other

2:37:21jurisdictions own.

2:37:22>> Oh, gotcha. Is so if they share it with

2:37:24each other, the departments house that

2:37:26data in between the departments all over

2:37:28the nation. Is that correct?

2:37:32>> I'm not sure I understood the question.

2:37:33Sorry.

2:37:34>> Okay. So, um, we share the database with

2:37:37agencies all across the nation, not just

2:37:40the state. And if it passed state lines

2:37:44or it passed county lines or whatever

2:37:46like this, we are very limited on how we

2:37:48audit that abuse outside of our internal

2:37:52agency.

2:37:53>> Uh you have visibility into that.

2:37:55>> Um but again, you are a little bit

2:37:58relying on other jurisdictions to use

2:37:59the

2:38:00>> to be honest and and give them Okay, I

2:38:02got you. Thank you.

2:38:04>> How long does it take to turn them off

2:38:05and how long does it take to get them

2:38:07down?

2:38:08>> Good question. [applause]

2:38:15I imagine you can turn the cameras off

2:38:17tomorrow uh taking them down. That would

2:38:19be a scheduling thing. Um but once the

2:38:22cameras are off, they're not going to be

2:38:23taking any images.

2:38:24>> Okay.

2:38:24>> I think under our contract under our

2:38:27contract, we're we've got to give them a

2:38:2930-day notice. Okay.

2:38:31>> And to be legal and and the contracts to

2:38:35be renewed in November. Um it's passed

2:38:38in the budget. Um, but you know, if we

2:38:42if whatever y'all vote, like I said when

2:38:44I got up, um, I've used it to the best

2:38:47of my ability and I'll do whatever

2:38:50whatever you say.

2:38:51>> So, but you can cut them off tomorrow.

2:38:53We just got to give them 30-day notice.

2:38:55Is that

2:38:55>> to get out [snorts] of the

2:38:57>> contract? Contract?

2:38:59>> Yes, sir. You can shut the cameras off

2:39:00tomorrow. I'm not familiar with the

2:39:02contract as it's written. Um, in your

2:39:04specific case, um, so I think can't

2:39:06answer that question, but we can shut

2:39:08the cameras off tomorrow. Okay.

2:39:10>> And then y'all will come take them down.

2:39:12Is that right?

2:39:13>> Okay.

2:39:14All right.

2:39:16>> And then can we also make sure that for

2:39:18the funds that would be freed up that

2:39:19they could stay with the sheriff's

2:39:21department to use elsewhere? Not for for

2:39:24cameras.

2:39:25>> Yeah.

2:39:28>> For gear, for anything you need. Yes.

2:39:30>> Since it's already been allocated.

2:39:31>> I'm good with that.

2:39:32>> Yeah.

2:39:32>> Yeah. I'm trying to raise funding for a

2:39:35uh command mobile command bus for the

2:39:37whole for the whole county for fire EMS

2:39:40for us and also regional. We uh we also

2:39:44serve Mitchell County and Bunkham County

2:39:46when the hurricanes hit up in the

2:39:48mountains. This would be a great tool

2:39:50for us to use.

2:39:51>> I think folks,

2:39:52>> I make a motion to allocate those funds

2:39:54towards that mobile command center

2:39:56>> with the Yeah.

2:39:58>> And I think and also to vote on what to

2:40:00do with the block.

2:40:00>> Yeah. I think we got to have a motion

2:40:02for the plot cameras first and then you

2:40:04take them down off immediately and take

2:40:07them down within 30 days.

2:40:08>> I'll second that motion.

2:40:09>> We have a motion and a second. All in

2:40:10favor say I.

2:40:12>> I.

2:40:12>> Okay. Now,

2:40:13>> so motion to allocate the 76,000 that's

2:40:17going to be freed up by taking those

2:40:18cameras down to go towards their mobile

2:40:20command center.

2:40:20>> I'll second that.

2:40:21>> Okay. I have a motion and a second. All

2:40:23in favor say I.

2:40:24>> I.

2:40:25>> Can I get Can I just ask one thing? Can

2:40:26can you all make a motion to terminate

2:40:29like to actually terminate the contract?

2:40:31I think that would be

2:40:32>> motion to terminate the contract.

2:40:34>> Uh second motion and a second. All in

2:40:37favor say I.

2:40:38>> I.

2:40:39>> Okay.

2:40:40>> Thank you'all.

2:40:41>> Thank you. [applause]

2:40:48>> Motion to adjurnn. Madam chair.

2:40:50>> Have a motion to adjurnn.

2:40:52>> Motion to adjurnn.

2:40:53>> Second.

2:40:53>> All in favor?