They Voted to Allow Drilling in Dallas Park Land
Documents have been revealed today showing that in June of 2008, current City Council member Delia Jasso, Monica Alonzo, along with rumored City Council candidate Lee Kleinman attended a Park and Recreation Board meeting as Park and Rec Board members, and then voted to allow drilling under Dallas park lands. Also in attendance were Park and Rec Board President Tom Baker, City Planning Commissioner Michael Anglin, Darren Boruff, Taylor Brannon, Ann Margolin, Jean Milligan, Wayne Smith, Gabriel Soto, Gail Terrell, Joan Walne, and Tiffani Young. This meeting was held after City Manager Mary Suhm was revealed to have crafted agreements with XTO Energy and Trinity East Energy to allow gas drilling throughout the city limits in February 2008.
The Park and Rec Board meeting concluded with an agreement to allow Trinity East Energy to drill horizontally under the parklands but not allow drilling on the park lands surface. In 2011, plans were being altered to allow drilling on parklands and floodplains. This was integral to laying the groundwork for future drilling any place the gas industry saw fit.You may remember that during the Dallas Gas Drilling Task Force process, Joan Walne, a member of the Task Force was a leader in laying the ground work for drilling in Dallas parklands. Concerned residents at the time could not understand why a ‘parks person’ such as Walne, was leading the efforts to allow drilling in Dallas parklands.
JOAN WALNE
Up to this point, neither Jasso or Alonzo has admitted to attending this meeting in 2008, nor voting to allow such activity under Dallas parkland.Many have wondered if this is the ‘deal’ that Mayor Mike Rawlings has referenced last week to the Dallas media.
On Thursday, December 20th at 1:30 in City Council Chambers, the City Planning Commission will consider the Trinity East Energy Special Use Permits that would allow drilling in the Trinity River park lands, floodplains and ecosystems. Currently, Dallas laws prohibit such activity. Michael Anglin, currentDistrict 3 City Planning Commissioner who voted to allow the drilling in Dallas park land in 2008, will hear the Trinity East Energy special use permits on Thursday, December 20th at 1:30.
The 2008 Park and Rec Board documents are below.
So…while we thought these drilling decisions had not yet been made, and a committee was studying the situation and a policy would be formulated to protect citizens, these deals were made years ago???
If I were these elected officials, I would be feeling quite uncomfortable.
Interesting that Ms. Jasso was the Park Board member who made the motion in 2008 to allow the drilling (Page 1 about halfway down the page) … So much for being the park advocate she claims to be. Hypocrisy at its finest!