Listen for yourself

The City of Lufkin’s own recordings of two Planning and Zoning meetings in February 2026, released to the East Texas Legacy Coalition under public records request CRR-2026-348 on Oct. 23, 2026.

Feb. 9, 2026

Lufkin Planning and Zoning Commission · Public hearing on a special use permit for a hotel (Request #26-02) · Full meeting: 11 minutes

The data center was not on the agenda. The hotel was, and a new hotel means new demand on the City’s water. Our founder spoke during the public hearing on that item.

Here is how the City’s draft minutes of the meeting record what she said:

“Mrs. Fawn Zion spoke and came forward with concerns regarding water usage for the hotel and expressed concerns regarding city-wide water usage and the proposed data center to be located outside the city limits.” Minutes of the Feb. 9, 2026 meeting, as drafted in the City’s Feb. 23, 2026 agenda packet. The commission approved them on Feb. 23 with no changes noted.

Here is what was said.

Clip 2: the public comment

She cites the lake level, the water demand of large data centers, and the City’s water rights: “You own the water rights, which means you own the choice.” She asks the commission to halt all new high-use permits, including this hotel, until a full public water study is done.

5:41 to 7:28 of the full recording

Clip 3: after public comment closed

At the commission table, members say the data center is outside the city limits, that anything past the commission goes to City Council, and that her statement will be “recorded in the minutes.”

8:27 to 10:11 of the full recording

Clip 1: the rules for public comment

The chair opens the meeting by explaining that public comment is limited to items posted on the agenda.

0:42 to 1:13 of the full recording

The full Feb. 9 meeting, unedited

Released by the City as “2-9-26 Recorded Minutes.MP3.” Download · SHA-256 6808f3c104a538ee1645618e0e20be97b8a751f628983370356a2f1ab29ebb7f

We were told it was a City Council matter. When residents asked the Council to put the data center on its agenda, they were told to sit down.

Feb. 23, 2026

Lufkin Planning and Zoning Commission · Review of the commission’s bylaws and public hearing procedures

Clip 4: “a lady at our last meeting”

During the review of public hearing procedures, the previous meeting comes up: a woman who spoke about the data center, and how she was steered back to the agenda. The minutes of the Feb. 23 meeting do not mention it. Her Feb. 9 comment was made during the public hearing on a posted agenda item, the hotel permit.

15:27 to 16:33 of the full recording

The full Feb. 23 meeting, unedited

Released by the City as “Feb 23 2026 Recorded Minutes.MP3.” Download · SHA-256 42842da9f188f614abac03a9f22ba4c4ef71625cb592e07e45c2dda149902183

About these files: each clip is one continuous, uncut stretch of the City’s recording, saved at the same quality setting as the original. Nothing inside a clip has been removed or rearranged. The full recordings are posted exactly as the City released them; anyone can check that with the SHA-256 fingerprint. Times shown match the full recordings.