In the above photograph, from left to right are Sulphur River Basin Authority board members Judy Lee, Michael Burke, President Mike Huddleston (Mayor of Wake Village, near Texarkana), Charles Lowry and Patsy McClain. Member Dick Goodman was absent.

This meeting was sparsely attended by the public and was hurriedly completed in about 15 minutes. Since the matter of clean riverwater was on the agenda, I was allowed to ask the board about the continuing massive logjam on Sulphur River at the bridge on Texas Highway 37 just north of Hagansport. The board was aware of this longtime problem, and Mr. Huddleston said that $100,000 had been spent on a "study" to determine the best way to clear the mile-long logjam, but no follow-up action was ever taken. I suggested to the board that they just spend about $500 on some dynamite and blow it up. Mr. Huddleston informed me that such action is prohibited by state law or regulation, and he cited the example of one resident along that blocked stretch of the river who had tried to dig a channel on his own property to divert the water around the logjam; however, he was stopped by law from doing this. It seems to me that we need to change some laws to reflect a bit more "common sense" and fewer expensive "studies"!

Beyond that, I was not allowed to ask any other of my prepared questions. The board assumed, I suppose, that I wanted to ask them about the Marvin Nichols Reservoir. Far from it! I had other, more "general" questions to ask. Not believing that they were actually going to adjourn after only such a brief meeting, I stood up and stated that I would like to ask some questions.

"I have a few questions," I said.

"Sorry, but the meeting is adjourned," said Mr. Huddleston.

"Adjourned?!" I said. "I only have a couple of questions."

"The meeting is adjourned."

Then educator Dr. Jane Morris of New Boston stood up. "This was a very short meeting," she stated. "At least let us hear his questions."

Mr. Huddleston said nothing and shuffled some papers.

"Yeah!" I shouted. "This was a short meeting!"

The panel got up to leave, and I was infuriated. I began yelling at the top of my voice, and people were quiet as they got up to go, listening to me.

"According to the minutes of the Irving City Council meeting on January 24, which I found on the Internet, Agenda Item 27, Resolution No. 01-24-02-046, the City of Irving paid you $23,000. What did you do with that $23,000?"

They said nothing, and I was directing my loud words at Mr. Huddleston himself. He started walking towards the door. Then without even leaving the table, board member Judy Sandlin Lee (owner of El Chico Restaurante, which stands to gain potential "tourist business" and laugh all the way to the bank if this lake is approved, as well as political crony of Senator Bill Ratliff) quickly got on her cellphone, seemingly to make a frantic call to someone. Then I shouted, very sarcastically at this point, because my hot blood was boiling.

"This is a democracy, Mr. Huddleston! You can't silence our public opinions! This is not Communist China! I would like to remind you that these meetings are governed by the Texas Open Meetings Act! Do you hear me, Mr. Huddleston?!"

He glared at me silently, like "Yeah, I hear you, #%*!&!"

"Well," I shouted again, "I'll get some answers to my questions, even if I have to take you to court!"

The following article appeared on the front-page of today's Texarkana newspaper. Apparently the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune did not consider this meeting to be newsworthy, I guess, as they sent no reporter to attend it and published nothing about it in their Wednesday afternoon edition. Roberto

Texarkana Gazette

Complaints Flood Water Board, By Prashansa Sai, 22 May 2002
Email: psai@texarkanagazette.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas -- Attendees of a meeting of the Sulphur River Basin Authority Tuesday were angered that there was no public comment period on the agenda and did not hesitate to express their discontentment to board members as the meeting was adjourned.

"I'd like to remind this board that this organization meets under the Texas Open Meetings Law," yelled Mount Pleasant resident Robert Russell, at the conclusion of the meeting. "That does not mean secrecy or closed meetings."

Board President Mike Huddleston, however, denies that the absence of a public comment period was in any way illegal. "Holding a public comment period that is not on the agenda, and with no prior advertisement about such a period would be violating state and federal statutes, not to mention denying the rights of other members of the public who wanted to attend the meeting to discuss the said topic," said Huddleston, citing the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir as an example. "The business of the board (today) had nothing to so with Marvin Nichols ... there was nothing on the agenda about it ... if we had allowed people to discuss it, then that would have been illegal ... there might have been other people in the community who wanted to attend to discuss it also."

However, Russell said [to the reporter in an interview] his questions centered more around the board itself, rather than the reservoir. "I had three questions," said Russell. "One, the city of Irving gave the board $23,000. I want to know what they did with it. Two, what is the board's connection to [Texarkana engineering firm] Murray, Thomas & Griffin? And three, who appointed each member of the board, and where [should have read 'when'] were they appointed?"

Russell stood to voice his questions as board member Judy Lee made a motion for adjournment, and proceeded to shout his opinion on the board's refusal to hear from the public, as board members quietly gathered their belongings and filed out of the room. "I don't like all this secrecy," said Russell. "I thought we live in a democracy." Russell further expressed his contempt [to the reporter] by likening the SRBA to an axis of evil, comparing them to such nations as Iran and Iraq, because of his belief that the board was conducting business behind closed doors.

"Some members of the public seem to be confusing a public hearing with a board meeting where the public is invited," said Huddleston in response. "There is a right way and a wrong way to address a board ... these people have been totally untactful, and I'm not going to allow it."

Huddleston further added that the SRBA has been nothing but cooperative in the past by conducting research and answering questions from members of the public as long as they were submitted in writing and the board was given ample time to reply to the inquiries. "Not too long back, Mr. Bill Ward had some questions for us regarding mitigation issues in relation to the Marvin Nichols Reservoir, and this board took the time to research the answers to his questions and deliver those to him," said Huddleston.

Following the meeting, De Kalb resident Max Shumake distributed fliers to both board members and attendees on behalf of the Sulphur Oversight Society. "The Sulphur Oversight Society [SOS] and Friends United for a Safe Environment [FUSE] jointly express our disappointment with the Sulphur River Basin Authority's stated policy to stifle the public's freedom of speech. This constitutes an unprecedented gag rule," stated the first paragraph of the statement.

FUSE President Dr. Chester Williams also submitted to the board a request in writing that the "board place on its agenda at its next monthly meeting, i.e., June 2002, the following matter, with full participation, to wit: A full discussion of the Sulphur River Basin Authority's board policy on limiting public discussion and participation on matters of concern to the public, not limited to items on the agenda for any specific meeting."

"I understand that there are different opinions," said Huddleston. "There are individuals who are so deeply committed against the Marvin Nichols Reservoir, just how I am deeply committed in favor of it. I am convinced that it is the only choice, and the best choice to secure the future water needs of Northeast Texas."

[Comment: We do NOT need any of this water in Northeast Texas! Mr. Huddleston is well aware of this, since as a member of the Region D Water Board, he has heard the board openly admit that this water will be used for the Dallas area, that we do not need it. Mr. Huddleston is brazenly lying about this, as a sort of "scare tactic" to intimidate the public falsely to fear future local water shortages! R.]

The six-member SRBA is the state agency that has oversight of any and all water management resources on the Sulphur River, which will include the Marvin Nichols Reservoir, if built. Board member Dick Goodman was not present at Tuesday's meeting.