Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting IC ISD campus under construction the week before this meeting. A. Agenda Analysis BoardBook: The Board has recently started using BoardBook, a web based meeting preparation software. This is a really positive development that I'll be pointing out here and there. The agenda above is a screen shot of how it looks on BoardBook. When I find out who to send your request to to get subscribed, I will post it here. Meeting documents - Here are the meeting documents for this meeting. (Amazing!) SB 12, Item 4: This is the new DEI policy required by state law. Another example of the benefits of BoardBook...read the policy before the meeting by reviewing the meeting documents at pages 2-5. I also provided some Commentary below on these policies. Consent agenda, item 6: At last, the mystery is gone. By reviewing the meeting documents in advance of the meeting, you can see exactly what they will be approving on the consent agenda. This includes meeting minutes for the last meeting, the revenue and expenses. Here is Google Gemini’s verbatim summary of the check register: “The check register for Irion County ISD, covering the period from Aug 01, 2026, to Aug 31, 2026, reflects a total expenditure of $78,478.97. The disbursements include operational costs, facility maintenance, and various staff and student activity expenses. Disbursement Summary • Facility Maintenance & Utilities: Significant payments were made for essential services, including $14,182.55 to TXU Energy for electricity and $4,362.21 to the City of Mertzon for water and sewer services. Maintenance projects featured a $4,750.00 heat pump installation by Bowles Heating & C and $3,237.88 for walk-in cooler service at the cafeteria. • Instructional & Administrative Support: The district invested $5,800.00 in tax collection services and $2,642.19 for the StopIt platform from Lightspeed Solutions. Additional costs included $1,510.86 for copier leasing from CTWP Leasing and $2,280.00 for CPR training provided by Sav-A-Life Skills. • Student Activities & Food Services: Substantial food service payments were made to Labatt Food Service ($5,471.02) and Gandy's Dairies ($1,309.12). Extracurricular expenses included $1,748.66 to BSN for football supplies and various smaller amounts for student athlete meals. • Security & Safety: Key safety expenditures included $2,945.84 to Raptor Technologies for a visitor management fee and $852.11 for a weather alerting package from Perry Weather. • Cancellations & Corrections: The register notes a $840.00 credit from Stadium Lanes due to a cancelled reservation. A $360.00 payment to Smashers for a staff outing was also voided and reposted to the correct period.” IC ISD construction the day of this meeting. This is northwest of the 1909 building, which is barely visible in the background. B. Meeting Review DEI compliance, item 4: The Board approved the policy. They had no choice. See my commentary below. This will do more harm than good. Administrative reports, Accountability, item 8: The Board accomplished a number of things at this meeting, but I want to highlight only one thing - the dramatic improvement in State accountability under Drs. Nikki Moore and Jessica Parker. IC ISD overall comparison '25 to '26. IC ISD high school comparison '25 to '26 IC ISD elementary comparison '25 to '26 IC ISD STAAR comparison to region and state. Green signifies exceeds, light orange signifies below. (Click on image to enlarge.) The entire accountability system is changing this year (again!), so it will be somewhat of an apples to oranges comparison under new Supt. Dr. Mike Heath. The improvement above is under Drs. Moore & Parker. (Note: I typically don't cover accountability on this site. Here's why: first, administrators, teachers and TEA know how to grade accountability on a curve, and, second, the goal posts are always changing. I am more interested in promoting the civic value that the community must expect constant improvement in public education, and a good way to achieve that is through community engagement at school board meetings. Regretfully, I was the only member of the public attending this meeting. All that said, there is some real importance in these numbers, and it’s worthwhile to point out the improvements.) C. Commentary Anti DEI Policy: See the policy at pages 3-5 here. I recognize that the Texas Legislature is forcing the District to pass this policy and so the District has no choice but to pass. I will be as plain spoken about this as I possibly can: History is not going to judge these policies favorably. They are racially discriminatory, misogynistic and most certainly violate the Equal Protection clauses of the Texas and U.S. Constitutions. Our federal government is showing its animus (spiteful or malevolent ill will) with this, removing disparate impact in Title VI regulations, while simultaneously dismantling the Office of Civil Rights within the Dept. of Education and moving it to other agencies. These actions are transparently hateful and in time will be judged as mistakes. In the mean time, policies like the one being approved here are going to do a lot harm. It's very unfortunate. We can do better. Finally, consider, however, that the policy cannot do away with the Constitution. This section in the policy is worth pointing out: "Constitutional Protections: Nothing in these guidelines shall be construed to infringe upon or affect a student’s core constitutional rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or Article I, Section 8, of the Texas Constitution." And, just because this provision fails to mention the Texas and US Equal Protection clauses does NOT mean that students don't have equal protection rights. So, anti-DEI all you want, there are still going to be some protections. 765 kV update: On 9/11 the PUC Commissioners remanded two of the cases, 59185 (involving Irion Co.) and 59475 involving the line going east from Eldorado. A "remand" means they sent it back to the ALJs for more review...or, in other words, they didn't like the judges' ruling and want them to try again. The opinion on the table now provides that the applications for the lines should be denied, so this says something about where this is going... When I know more about the exact terms of the remand I will be filing an objection. I will post that on my 765 kV page. BoardBook is a significant advance because community members can subscribe to notices from the District and not only be advised of upcoming meetings, they can review and download the meeting documents before the meeting. So, if a community member wanted to advise the board of their opinion on a matter before the Board took any action, they could come to the meeting educated on their issue by reviewing the documents in advance. Seems revolutionary, doesn't it? Come prepared to a public meeting?! Well, it isn't. BoardBook is owned and managed by the Texas Association of School Boards, and it was launched back in 2002. School district boards have been using it for decades now, and thankfully IC ISD has joined up. It is a great decision. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting The new coffee shop in town, Duke's Mercantile and Coffee, has an excellent out door table to watch the sun rise. A. Agenda Analysis Meeting time: This meeting is on the 14th at 6:30. Watch for my ICISD posting for their board meeting at 6:00 pm on the same day. Alley closure, item 6: This particular closure (which is distinct from an abandonment of the right of way) has a fact specific public safety basis tied to it. I'm going to forgo my usual ordinance and statutory analysis. Ordinances 20.02, 19.02 and 16.01, Items 7-9: Ordinance 20.02 appears to be a new agenda item, but the parades and block party ordinances are recent repeats. Marking the change of seasons. B. Meeting Review I was not able to attend this meeting because the IC ISD board meeting was at the same time. I will be reviewing an audio of the meeting and will post my highlights in the near future. C. Commentary Pending Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Introduction | 59182 CCN Case | 59475 CCN Case | Commentary AI generated image of potential 765 kV line across West Texas. George Noelke is actively participating, pro se, as an intervenor in two (59182, which passes through Irion County and 59475) of the proposed 765 kV line projects sought by Oncor and LCRA at the Texas Public Utility Commission. This page provides links to many of his self authored legal documents he filed, as well as other important documents. It is a work in process. The purported purpose of the lines was to provide additional electricity to the Permian Basin, which includes Irion County. As the cases unfolded, however, it became readily transparent that the lines would also be used as transmission lines for AI data centers. Landowners attacked whether the projects were needed; the lines were transmission lines and did not simultaneously provide for generation of additional electricity. And, as the cases neared final decision at the PUC, public outrage at data centers and the economics of mass energy generation have caused Governor Abbott to propose that data centers need to be responsible for their own energy generation. See additional commentary at the bottom of this page. A. 59182 (Involving Irion and other Texas Counties) September 10, 2026: Noelke’s Replies to Exceptions in 59475, with ongoing special appearance in 59182. This is undoubtedly tedious reading, but pay attention to: 1 the opening concerning the late breaking remand to SOAH, and 2, my summary on page 2 and 3. Here are Oncor/LCRA's Replies. Here is Commissioner Gleeson's proposed remand memo. (I provide a very brief response on the last page of my Replies at the Addendum.) September 2, 2026: Noelke's Exceptions in 59475 and Special Appearance in 59182. Filed in both 59182 and 59475, this document explains how the ALJ's in 59475 got it right. Here is what Oncor and LCRA filed to explain how the ALJ's got it wrong. The parties have 1 week to reply to one another. (This is being cross posted in 59182 and 59475 because the cases were consolidated on whether the 765 kV lines were "needed".) August 20, 2026: Proposal for Decision issued in 59475 against Oncor and LCRA. Since the decision on “need” was consolidated in 59182 and 59475, this means the “need” in 59182 likewise was not proven so 59182 now also falls. Caveat: the exceptions process has not been completed yet, and then the PUC has to issue its final agency order. August 19, 2026: Noelke’s Notice of Legislative Testimony in the Texas House State Affairs Committee. https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/search/documents/?controlNumber=59182&itemNumber=583 August 14, 2026: ALJ Exceptions Letter responding to Noelke’s jurisdiction issue filed, wholly rejecting his arguments. Noelkes exceptions not considered. (See Commentary below.) August 14, 2026: Go here to view the PUC board meeting addressing the 765 kV cases. PUCT Chairman Gleeson filed this memorandum about this meeting. Query whether the public comment by intervenors was ex parte. The same day Senator West files this letter on behalf of the Rocker B; note that he is not calling for dismissal of the cases. And, see the Exceptions Letter also filed the same day, mentioned above. August 2, 2026: Noelke's Notice of Legislative Testimony filed in 59182 and 59475. The PUC isn't as eager as Senator Schwertner is to get these cases dismissed, so this document serves as a prompt. July 31, 2026: Noelke’s jurisdiction objection to the PUC setting late deadlines (after the 180 days) for exceptions and replies to the PFD. July 29, 2026: Noelke’s testimony before the Texas Senate Business & Commerce Committee. July 15, 2026: Noelke’s Notice of Denial of CCN by Operation of Law. Note: about 1 day after filing this the PUC filed a response to the SOAH memorandum and set a deadline for exceptions and replies; See Item 555. Without briefing this here, this filing still does not adequately addressed the missed deadline; the PUC can't correct for the missed deadline simply by late filing their response. July 14, 2026: Applicants’ Reply to Motion to Dismiss July 7, 2026: Noelke’s Motion to Dismiss 59182 . (The pending deadline for the CCN to approved by the PUC is July 14, and it is legally impossible for them to meet that deadline. ) June 17, 2026: Noelke’s Exceptions to the PFD. June 9, 2026: Proposal For Decision (PFD) favoring Oncor/LCRA’s Route 228. April 10, 2026: Noelke’s Post Hearing Reply Brief with recommended Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Ordering provisions. April 3, 2026: Noelke’s Initial Post Hearing Brief. February 18, 2026: Noelke's Statement of Position and Route Adequacy Challenge and Direct Testimony. B. 59475 case September 10, 2026: Noelke’s Replies to Exceptions in 59475, with ongoing special appearance in 59182. This is undoubtedly tedious reading, but pay attention to: 1 the opening concerning the late breaking remand to SOAH, and 2, my summary on page 2 and 3. Here are Oncor/LCRA's Replies. Here is Commissioner Gleeson's proposed remand memo. (I provide a very brief response on the last page of my Replies at the Addendum.) September 2, 2026: Noelke's Exceptions in 59475 and Special Appearance in 59182. Filed in both 59182 and 59475, this document explains how the ALJ's in 59475 got it right. Here is what Oncor and LCRA filed to explain how the ALJ's got it wrong. The parties have 1 week to reply to one another. (This is being cross posted in 59182 and 59475 because the cases were consolidated on whether the 765 kV lines were "needed".) August 20, 2026: Proposal for Decision issued in 59475 against Oncor and LCRA. Since the decision on “need” was consolidated in 59182 and 59475, this means the “need” in 59182 likewise was not proven so 59182 now also falls. Caveat: the exceptions process has not been completed yet, and then the PUC has to issue its final agency order. August 19, 2026: Noelke’s Notice of Legislative Testimony in the Texas House State Affairs Committee. https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/search/documents/?controlNumber=59475&itemNumber=6440 May 17 - July 29, 2026, en masse dismissal of Intervenor issue: Noelke's Objection to Applicants' List of Intervenors who did not file Statement of Position or Direct Testimony and Motion to Provide Notice and Opportunity for Hearing. And, Applicants' Response to Noelke . And, Another response by Noelke of the dismissal of over 800 Intervenors en masse. And, yet another Noelke Motion for Clarification of Order Dismissing 839 Intervenors en masse. Note: this list is incomplete. For a plain English summary of these arguments, see the third point here: testimony to the Senate Business and Commerce Committee on July 29. May 9, 2026 Noelke's Statement of Position. May 5, 2026 Noelke's Response to Applicants' Objection to Kennedy's Motion for Continuance. C. Commentary September 3, 2026: The law is such that it is extremely difficult for an agency to change certain Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law in a PFD, Proposal for Decision. Applicants' Exceptions, though, just as well have the kitchen sink in it, so this may well be a situation where the Commission makes substantive changes to the PFD. August 22, 2026: Here is the entire PFD in 59475 favoring the landowners. Here are some key things to know: a. The dates for exceptions and replies to exceptions can be found here. The ALJ's have until September 15 to finalize the PFD. As of the date of this posting, no date has been set for the oral argument for this pfd or for the 59182 PFD. b. Here is the law on what the PUC can do if they seek to change the PFD and the ALJ's final corrections in any way: 1. 16 TAC 22.262 & 2. Texas Gov't Code 2001.058(e). My take away: It is going to be extremely difficult for the PUC to change the lynchpin, Conclusion of Law # 13, which reads, ERCOT’s PBRP recommendation is not entitled to great weight in the determination of need for this reliability project." The Applicants relied solely on the Permian Basin Reliability Project to justify the 765 kV lines, and if it isn't given great weight, then the PFD will stand. August 16, 2026: This Exceptions Letter says I am headed to Oral Argument at the PUC. Note: losses down below in the administrative process creates more grounds for appeal at the district court and above process. Will update site once the PUC announces when oral argument is scheduled. July 31, 2026: A couple things come to mind after attending the full day (14 hour) Senate Business and Commerce Committee in Austin on July 29: HB 5066 was initially understood to be a "study" bill, not the justification for using the Permian Basin Reliability Plan to build 765 kV lines. The 180 day deadline is already understood to be be too aggressive by both the PUC and this Committee. The en masse dismissal of the 839 Intervenors in 59475 is weighing heavy on the minds of the Committee members. Here is my written testimony to the Committee. My spoken testimony was much more brief because speakers were only allowed two minutes. The day after this hearing I filed this notice about the PUC's and SOAH's ongoing lack of jurisdiction. July 4, 2026: Bruce Springsteen recently said in this interview, "Well, I believe in critical patriotism. I believe that's the definition of a patriot, that you love your country so much that you are willing to look at it clearly, recognize its faults, encourage it to be a better place, and believe that you carry in your heart the country that is waiting." There's no better example of critical patriotism than the massive numbers of landowners who have come out to fight these 765 kV projects. These are the folks who understand how unjust this process has been, not the elected legislators and the Governor who have come late to the process to register their misgivings. Elsewhere in these pages I have quoted James Baldwin, "I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” These are the things I am thinking about on this 250th celebration. June 20, 2026: Listen to this February 2026 interview of Elon Musk for why he thinks in 30-36 months AI data centers will be located in space. It comes down to 1) it is very difficult to build large scale energy generation plants on the ground, and 2) solar energy in space. Keep in mind that these 765 kV projects are transmission not generation projects. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting Speak out against the destruction of Big Bend National Park by our federal government. Big Bend NP is about 4 hours southwest of Mertzon. A. Agenda Analysis Public hearing, items 5 and 6: These are allotted times for the public to speak in open forum about the proposed City budget and tax rate. Adoption, items 7 and 8: These are the allotted times for the Council to vote to approve the budget and tax rate. Last year: Here is my page for this meeting in 2025. B. Meeting Review Here are the meeting documents, which includes the approved, almost final, budget. Public hearing, Items 5 & 6: No one from the public, other than myself, attended the meeting. I didn't speak. (This website is my forum.) Adoption of budget and tax rate, items 7&8: After some hesitation because the law requires they adopt a budget first and tax rate second, the Council approved both. See the meeting documents for the details. C. Commentary Did you know that the City of Mertzon, unlike Irion County ISD, did not pass a deficit budget? Why? First, the City doesn't face a recapture demon like the District. Every year the State takes funds from the District because it qualifies as "wealthy" under school finance laws from the mineral wealth in Irion County. The City doesn't share in any of that wealth, which also means that it doesn't share in the burden of a constant raiding of their coffers. Second, the City functions on very little debt, which means that their income is not going to interest payments like the District's. Indeed, with the latest round of bond issuance at the District, if they pay according to the 30 year schedule, the first 10 years or so will be interest only payments. Robert's Rules of Order: Most governmental entities follow them, but haven't "adopted" them formally. (That's a good thing.) A procedural issue came up in this meeting worth noting. What happens when the Council is obligated by law to pass a budget and tax rate, but none of the Council members are willing to make a motion to approve them? That awkward situation arose at this meeting when the Council bucked at the idea of passing a budget before the tax rate. The silence after Mayor Stewart asked if there was a motion was long enough that I wondered if they were going to take action. (They ultimately did approve both, in this case.) After conferring with Tax Assessor Collector Joyce Gray at this meeting, we agreed that the matter dies. That is, a matter on the table that doesn't get a motion and a second and a vote automatically fails because no action was taken. As she put it, they would have to start all over again. You won't find an answer to this type of issue in the Texas Open Meetings Act because it doesn't incorporate Robert's Rules. Robert's Rules typically apply by custom, so that is why one sees "motions" and "seconds" at public meetings. Robert's Rules also address "Discussion". Here's a tip, though not relevant to this meeting: Any member can end a discussion, say if folks have been going on too long, by saying, "I call the question". Procedurally, this ends the discussion and forces a vote. 765 kV cases: Watch for a Commentary update on my 765 kV page. At the time of this meeting, the ALJ recommended against granting the application for the line that goes through Irion County. But, the administrative process is still not over. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting We Believe, 2026, Cheerleader street art, 4th Street, Mertzon A. Agenda Analysis Budget, Items 5 and 6 #2: This is the meeting where the Board formally approves its 26-27 budget. Here is the public notice about the budget and proposed tax rate. To drill down, go to the Financial Transparency page of the IC ISD website. Budget amendments, Items 5 and 6 #4: This item addresses amendments to the 25-26 budget to true it up before the end of the fiscal year (Aug 31). I highligted "as presented" as I have in the past. I'm a broken record on this issue: "as presented" is not specific enough, so an average person could not tell what this item is about. IF there is any fiscal mismanagement ( I am confident that isn't the case here), the time and place where it could be swept under the rug is in the agenda for the last meeting of the fiscal year. This especially could occur where, as in this community, the public doesn't attend school board meetings to question the budget. (Not the case, for example, with the County's budget.) Where it really becomes problematic is when the minutes are approved after this meeting. If the minutes read something generic like "Board Member B made a motion to approve budget amendments as presented" without describing even generally what those amendments cover, then there is no public accountability for how the budget was trued up at the end of the year. Transparency begets accountability, and that is a very good thing when dealing with public funds. Approve the 26-27 tax rate, items 5 and 6 #3: Dr. Joyce Gray, Tax Assessor and Collector, will be present to guide the Board on exactly how this has to be done. Every bond brings additional Maintenance and Operations expenses, which must be paid for by local taxes from the M&O tax rate. This new entry for water to flow into the flood protection area is always going to require upkeep, which will carry a cost. B. Meeting Review Go to this page to see my review of this meeting in 2025. Chad Koonce lead his first meeting as President of the Board, and it was one of the most significant meetings of the year. The Board accomplished a lot in short order. 26-27 budget, Items 5 and 6 #2: The Board is now using BoardBook, a paperless live meeting software, but I am still working out my subscription. I couldn't follow along with the discussion as well. That said, the District has budgeted a $303,000 deficit for 26-27, as opposed to a $420,000 deficit budget for 25-26. That's improvement, but hold that thought for this same meeting in 27. Property valuations went down in Irion County 29%, and in practical terms for recapture that means the $8.1 M in recapture to the State this year has been reduced in this budget to $ 5.4 M in this budget. (Irion County is a "wealthy" district because of its oil and gas property values.) The State is getting less money too. The legislative session starts in January 2027, and they will be looking to recover their income. Budget amendments, Items 5 and 6 #4: The Board approved two that I could tell from listening in. There was a $527,000 amendment ($375,000 of that from a state ordered recapture correction from the previous fiscal year), and $35,000 for cafeteria. That $375,000 correction is what to watch for at this meeting in 27. Ms. Lakey is correct when she says the State always comes back asking for more. They do, an that fact could make the budget process for 27-28 very difficult. Now that I now know what the amendments were about, here is an improved agenda item that deletes "as presented": Approve the 25-26 budget amendments concerning recapture and cafeteria. 2026 Tax Rate, items 5 and 6 #3: The Board approved the same rate as last year, which is significant considering the loss in property value. Bond issuance, Item 6 # 8: The Board approved the issuance of the second half of the 2024 bond election - $25 M at a True Interest Cost at 4.8934%. The sale is not particularly timely given the recent volatility in the bond market. Regrettably, this mean higher costs and longer maturity term - 30 years. I'm going to take a leap here that the Board under President Koonce is going to continue the Board's discipline of paying off their bonds early. Vice President Carlile piped in just at the right moment in this meeting to point out that the 2019 bonds will be paid off in 2027. That's what is going to keep the District out of trouble, but years like this one where there is a 29% property value decrease have a potential of creating hurt for years. Issuing bonds is no different than any other loan - it is a judgment call for the government for when they think you can get the best rate. In August of 2024, the Board went out for its first round with a $30 million issuance. If I recall correctly, the rate was much better and the maturity was 15 or 20 years. There was some talk then about doing the entirety in one issuance, and I suppose now...hindsight is 20/20. In Travis County I have Live Oak trees in a hot zone for Oak Wilt. As an aspiring arborist, I have become proficient enough at the treatment, shown here, to have not lost any trees to the disease. The Live Oaks in Irion County, thankfully, haven’t been exposed to it, as far as I can tell. C. Commentary 765 kV update: I am preparing "Exceptions" to the PFD in the 59475 case. Exceptions are typically where one points out where the ALJ got the PFD wrong, but in this case I will be saying where they got it right. I will file those on September 2 and post them on my 765 kV page. Irion County Commissioner's Court budget. Several of us spoke out yesterday against a $10,000 line item in the Sheriff's budget to pay for Flock cameras. Go here to see the location of Flock cameras in Irion County. My opposition isn't based on a lack of trust of Sheriff Estes, but more the reality of their abuse by 3rd parties. This is 2026, folks, and we are well beyond the point of accepting as a justification for government surveillance, "Well, if you aren't doing anything wrong you don't have anything to worry about." Update: On August 28, 2026 Governor Abbott put a freeze on all state funds dedicated to Flock Cameras. This doesn't apply to county funds, but it does show the issue has some legs. Duke's Mercantile and Coffee, downtown Mertzon. Excellent drip coffee! Owned and managed by former IC ISD board member, Ashley Hill. On May 24, 2022 I was attending a Texas Senate Education Committee hearing to provide testimony on an interim charge about public school bond reform. I did read my testimony - but to a virtually empty dais. The Senators, all but a handful, had left the room to deal with the Uvalde school shooting. Needless to say, that interim charge was dropped, and it its place was school safety. I have moderated my views on school bond funding largely because I have seen how the discipline (and good luck!) IC ISD has had minimizes the fiscal risk. That said, reform is still necessary because the jug keepers (seem my Commentary at C) are getting quite wealthy. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting The base was being prepared for the pavement part of the new flume on 4th Street on August 13. No one should cancel their flood insurance just yet. August 17 Agenda August 10 Agenda A. Agenda Analysis 1. August 17 agenda: a. Hibbs and Todd and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), item 6: Underscore "explain delays" in this agenda item. Ground hasn't broke on projects approved 2+ years ago. Put plainly, Hibbs and Todd has repeatedly not treated the City of Mertzon as a valuable client. b. Ferguson Alley closure request, item 7: Watch all street and alley requests for closure for equal treatment under the law. c. Ordinances 19.02 and 16.01, items 11 and 12: Pending analysis below. 2. August 10 agenda: a. I missed this meeting, but I have listened to the audio. (Audio recordings of public meetings are subject to the Public Information Act. The City has a reliable history of being cooperative with the production of these recordings without cost to the requestor.) b. Analysis pending I predict that the new drainage system on 2nd Street, paid for by IC ISD bond money, is going to need ongoing maintenance after all measurable (1"+) rains. For all the talk of "no new taxes" before the 2024 IC ISD bonds were passed, taxpayers can't ignore the downstream maintenance and operations cost increases that were never discussed (but were foreseeable) before the bond vote. So, the operative question to ask when the next IC ISD bond is proposed will be: "Can we afford to maintain it after all the bond money is spent?" IC ISD is facing a 29% reduction in its tax base for 2026. The City is also facing a shortfall, but not nearly as drastic. What will save both the City and IC ISD in 2027 is a history of aggressively paying down existing debt. B. Meeting Review I attended the August 17 meeting, and my analysis is pending. C. Commentary Watch for my 765 kV updates. There was a lot of activity on the cases on August 14. I can’t manage to protest 765 kV lines and road/wall construction at Big Bend NP at the same time. It is outrageous what the federal government is doing in Big Bend right now. I encourage your engagement on the issue. Please see this Texas Tribune article for the latest today. https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/17/texas-big-bend-national-park-border-wall-construction-pause/ Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting The latest design of the entry flume where stormwater will flow into the new detention area at 4th and W. Fleming. Click on the image to enlarge it. Architect/engineer drawings and plans are subject to the Public Information Act, btw. A. Agenda Analysis Start time: 8:00 pm, not the usual 6:00 pm slot. Action Item 8, first matter: Dr. Joyce Gray, Tax Assessor Collector for Irion County, will be presenting her numbers on the proposed tax rate. This is hands down the most important part of this meeting. Watch for more board meetings this month to set the rate and budget. Action Item 8 # 5, Guardian Program: Search in the search box on this page for “guardian” to see why I always highlight this on District agendas. Let me add another reason to pay attention: ammunition is not cheap. Action Item 8 # 6: Election of Board Officers. I received a a heads up about this matter a few days before this meeting. I’m not going to preempt the re-org out of respect for what the Board wants to accomplish here. Opening ceremonies, Moment of Silence, Item 2: My preliminary research is that this is the only way this can be done. Note that the law on prayer at meetings is different for school boards than it is for other local government entities. Administrative reports, item 6: Always relevant. This was the site on August 1. B. Meeting Review Open forum, Public Comment, Item 3: This is the ideal use of Public Comment - a new mother (who brought her baby to the meeting and handed off the baby to the new father before she spoke) protested that she was told by an (unnamed) IC ISD coach that she couldn't use the new track around the football field as a place to walk her baby in a stroller. Even the baby had a role, crying a bit at the beginning. The mother's point was spot on: explain your policy. (There's no discussion during open forum, so no resolution could be offered during the meeting.) Action Items, Item 1, proposed tax rate: The Board approved a proposed M&O (maintenance and operations) tax rate of .635 per $100 valuation and .23 per $100 for I&S (interest and sinking). According to Dr. Gray, loss of loss of value is substantial: 39%. That loss is almost entirely based on minerals. The expected loss was 10-15%. The Board's next meeting will be August 27, when it will likely approve these rates. Action Items, election of Board Officers, item # 6: President Carlile advised the Board that she might not be running for re-election in 2027 and, if so, wanted to assure a smooth transition. She recommended that she and Chad Koonce switch roles (she is President and he is Vice President), so that she could spend this year mentoring VP Koonce. The Board made it happen in two votes. Admin. reports, item 6A, Business Manager's report: Ms. Lakey announced that recapture (local tax revenue going back to the State because Irion County is a "wealthy" district) this year will be $8.143 million. Also, watch for around $200,000 in budget amendments at the next board meeting. Admin reports, Item 6C: Supt. Heath advised on bond matters that the District is attempting to get an earlier move in date on the new library so that bidding can start earlier on the 1909 first floor renovations. The 1909 building is slated to all be dedicated to Administration. Construction update, item 4: The folks at Gallagher announced that the pavement for the 4th Street flume will be put down this week by Aug 14. Note what was not mentioned: Gallagher did not mention when they would be carving the drainage flume down the alley from the new transportation facility so that the new water from that facility would also be directed into the new flume on 4th St. They received a go ahead from the City Council earlier this year to construct this flume. (It is necessary so that all that new water goes into the new detention area and not invade the property of the next door resident and adjacent neighbor. Slot Canyon in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, about 45 minutes west of Santa Fe NM. C. Commentary Tax base: As grim as a 29% tax base loss is, pay attention to whether there will be partial recoveries in 2027 and 2028. I would be guessing at the improvement values, but the Eiger pipeline will be partially online in 2027 and fully operational in 2028, if current plans hold. It is larger in size than the currently operational Matterhorn pipeline. Board transitions: In my own nonprofit board experience, I failed to come to grips soon enough with my burn out and exhaustion. I really admire what now former President Carlile has set out to accomplish in this meeting. Regardless of whether she comes or goes next year, her recognizing the need for mentoring and making the time for it is vitally important for the health of the board. Giving up power and managing the transition of power to someone else is one of the most selfless acts a leader can make. That is tangible evidence of one's dedication to the institution they are serving. 765 kV update: Once a contested case proceeding began in these cases, they have become very difficult procedurally to slow down, much less get the applications entirely dismissed. I do think we are in the process of watching them get dismissed, though the lawyers and elected officials on all sides are being vigilant. What made the difference were the large number of landowners, including some from Irion County, who traveled to Austin to attend the Senate Business and Commerce Committee hearing last month. Another factor has been the changing market forces. The 765 kV lines, as justified by the Permian Basin Reliability Plan in 2023, didn't consider the impact of AI data centers on the load. Today, it is estimated that if the 765 kV are built as planned, 91% of the load will be for data centers. It is also readily transparent that none of these lines would decrease the cost of electricity to consumers. Tent Rocks National Monument: Go here for more information. It is absolutely worth the visit. If you schedule it just right, you can be back in Santa Fe to eat breakfast at Pasqual's before the lunch crowd hits. Blintzes and Huevos Motulenos, oh my! This was the site on August 10, the date of this meeting. That is Estes Gym in the left and City Gym on the right. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting 4th Street between Juanita and W. Fleming in Mertzon, as of Aug. 1. A July 31 deadline in the MOU has passed, but the District appears to be operating in good faith. A wet July has slowed construction. A. Agenda Analysis Ordinance 7-15-24, item 5: It is impossible to tell from this agenda description exactly what this is about, so I searched "7-15-24" on this site and...go here to review my previous coverage. This ordinance addresses special events, parades and block parties. If memory serves from a discussion at a meeting last month, perhaps the ordinance was recently neglected over the July 4 holiday. The rest...is a standard agenda. B. Meeting Review Pending. And it may be pending until next week. C. Commentary Make sure and review my 765 kV page for updates. I testified last week at the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee hearing on the impact of 765 kV on landowners. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting The new flood prevention construction by IC ISD on 2nd Street between Fayette and Juanita. A. Agenda Analysis Previous meeting: A previously scheduled meeting was postponed for lack of a quorum, and several of the items on this agenda were on that agenda. Here is the page for that meeting. Nexbil, item 8: The City doesn't currently have an online portal for water/sewer customers to access and pay their accounts. My recollection from a previous Council meeting that this item will address this. Texas Water Development Board WSIG grant, item 9: More information on the TWDB Water Supply and Infrastructure Grant can be found here. These last several years the City (and, in particular, Michele Rabenaldt) has been quite successful at getting grant monies, so this is something to watch. ICISD is immediately to the west of the diversion. I have some doubts about how it will perform, but I’m going to let it be for the moment. B. Meeting Review Ordinance 7-6-26, item 5: See page 3 of the meeting documents. This is the ordinance required by 311.008 of the Texas Transportation Code to close an alley or street. Council Member Crutchfield made the motion to approve, Council Member Harper seconded, and the Council unanimously approved. See my Commentary below on the significance of this vote. The Council had a good meeting and accomplished several other worthwhile things, like approving the application for the WSIG grant. But, for this meeting I am going to keep the focus on Ordinance 7-6-26. Big Bend National Park allows e-bikes, except on hiking trails of course. The park is an easy 3 hours drive west of Mertzon. C. Commentary My regular readers know that the origin of this site is based on Irion County ISD's 2019 bonds that were used to construct a 30,000+ sf gymnasium a block from my home. Stormwater runoff was already flooding my property, and it was evident from the placement of the gym that my property was going to be inundated with even more water. My early advocacy included a brief unsuccessful effort in District Court using the Texas Private Real Property Preservation Act at Texas Gov't Code Chapter 2007. I've stayed out of the Courthouse since then. Instead, I've relied on persistently attending public meetings, oral and written advocacy and, of course, this blog. This meeting of the Council is significant because it represents the City of Mertzon coming full circle and finally recognizing my key argument that I presented before construction of the gymnasium started: the City failed to lawfully close the street and alley under 311.008 of the Texas Transportation Code. In this meeting, the Council left no room for doubt by passing Ordinance 7-6-26 that applies 311.008 for the benefit of a local citizen who sought to have an alley abandoned when the citizen owned the entire city block. Council Member Crutchfield, the very same member who made the motion to close the street and alley for the benefit of IC ISD's gym, made the motion to close the alley for this citizen. Full circle. One reason for municipalities to strictly abide by 311.008 is that failing to follow it leaves a cloud on the title of the property that was abandoned. That is why I don't recognize the new gymnasium near my property as "Hornet Gym", its given name by IC ISD, but instead as "City Gym". There's no duration of squatting on that street and alley by IC ISD that will ever convert it to the property of IC ISD. I predict in the future IC ISD will have trouble getting Moody AAA ratings through TEA's Bond Guarantee Program when they seek to pass bonds to improve the gym. IC ISD is just like the rest of us when we seek to use credit to improve real property - if there is a cloud on the title they are going to pay more or maybe not even get the credit at all. Another reason to abide by 311.008 is that a protestor like myself just may have a point: abandoning the street or alley is not in the best interests of the public and may have some very expensive consequences. In my situation, IC ISD had to spend over $800,000 in 2024 bond funds to build a flood detention wall to protect a Mertzon city street and my real property from flooding. (Case law has long held that the flooding of private property by government is an unlawful "taking" under the Texas and US Constitutions. If the government doesn't first pay a fair price first for the taking, the flooding is called "inverse condemnation". ) Moreover, the extra rainwater runoff from the impervious cover of the gym will forever flood City Park, where the rainwater drains to, and where the Community Center, public pool, public livestock arena and IC ISD's football stadium are all located. So, the costs associated with City Gym will be experienced for decades to come. All that said, Ordinance 7-6-26 stands for progress for property owners in Mertzon. And, perhaps others are using this unfortunate situation to learn from. Because folks are always searching for how to close a city street or alley, my page Alley Oops regularly receives hits and remains popular on my blog three years after it was posted. 765 kV cases: Last week was a significant week in these cases. I filed a notice that because the PUC had missed a significant deadline the application sought by Oncor and LCRA, including the route that goes through Irion County, was denied by operation of law. Also, there’s a Texas Senate hearing on the cases on the 29th. I’ll provide more info on my 765 kV page. A delicious combo plate can be found at the Boquillas Restaurant Bar in Boquillas Mexico. You can get there inside Big Ben National Park at the Boquillas Entry Point. There’s a boat ride available to cross the Rio Grande, and after that you can get a burro ride into Boquillas. Get it all done before 11:00 am in the summer. It’s blazing hot by 11:00 down there. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting As of the week before this meeting, the plume for stormwater to enter the new detention area at 4th Street is under re-construction. The first edition was not nearly robust enough to handle the water, and it is being redone at no expense to the District. Agenda for this public meeting A. Agenda Analysis Bond update, item 3: This is Supt. Heath's second meeting, and he is here during peak construction of the new elementary school. Administration reports, item 4: Everything here is important. I am following the TIA item at 4B. See my meeting review for the Oct 8 2025 meeting at B3. In short, this program gets higher salaries for teachers if they meet certain performance goals. It is highly structured and worth the attention. Hiring and resignation, 6A and 6B: I always pay attention to the comings and goings. It is generally easy to learn about new contract approvals, but resignations can be firings. They are often hard to get info on without an PIA request after the meeting. Approval of minutes, item 7D: I missed the last meeting, though I've received an update on it from President Carlile. I anticipate doing a PIA request on some matters related to it and covering it later, but the 765 kV cases are taking up my extra time. Miscellaneous: There are a few things about this agenda that are unique and worth knowing more about. At the beginning of Dr. Moore's tenure I publicly dinged her on some things on her agendas. I learned some things from that approach, and I won't be handling it just the same way here. Birders and local thrill seekers: stand in the street next to my Pecan tree and these two Mississippi Kites will pay you a surprise visit. They often perch in this oak tree across the street. There are more in the area, but I'm unsure of their numbers. The local squirrel population, though, has suddenly decreased. They don't seem deterred when I wear a bike helmet around them... B. Meeting Review Bond update, item 3: The folks at Gallagher provided the Board with some bidding updates, as well as flood detention construction work. The flood work on 2nd St. between Fayette and Juanita is nearing construction. (Photos are being posted here at the City Council meeting page.) The project on 4th between Fleming and Juanita is seeing delays because it isn't passing certain tests. I will be exploring this soon. Administrative Reports, item 4: a. Principal Parker gave an update on student progress on the state tests; I will be exploring this more after reviewing the meeting documents. The District has met "meets and masters" (the State target, which is above passing) in every single area except for elementary math, secondary math and RLA growth targets. See my Commentary below at C2 b. Teacher Incentive Allotment, item 4b: According to Principal Parker, progress continues towards getting certified. This is a multi-year project. This current year is considered the data collection year, and if certified teachers won't receive funds until Aug 2028. Here is the TEA site on the program. Whether teachers get extra funds in part is based on 60% student growth and 40% teacher evaluation. The Board will approve the spending plan on 10% of the funds awarded to the District. (90% of the funds go to teacher, 10% goes to the District to allocate within the TIA program.) During the discussion it was apparent that Supt. Heath is as supportive as Supt. Moore was when she initiated the program during her tenure. c. Business report - close to $8 million will be returned to the state for the current year. Watch for several budget amendments at the next board meeting. Budget docs to be posted here soon. d. Supt. report: Supt. Heath gave an update on ramp sales, damage to auditorium stage, classroom carpet replacement and auditorium lighting system/sound system evaluation. Campus updates: 9 students were awarded the Lonestar Degree in FFA. This is the highest degree the State awards. (I am not surprised by this - this is a really good program at the District.) Mr. Green and Principal Parker received Honorary Lonestar degrees. Campus Security - Guardians received training in June, will finish up in July. Hiring, item 6a: Put off until a fter Executive session. (Afterwards, President Carlile advised me they approved 3 new hires, meaning the District is fully staffed. Consent agenda: all approved. Watch for my document update on meeting documents. Previous meeting: My regular readers might have noticed I did not write up a page on the Board's June 3 meeting. I missed that meeting but am in the progress of doing a PIA request for those documents. President Carlile has advised me of the following: We went over policy update local/legal 127. Approved 2 bids for the bond. One was for work on the retention pond on 2nd St below the band hall and ag shop. That project was all coordinated and approved by the city. The 2nd bid was to remove all the plumbing and electrical for 2 of the portables that we were able to get a few teachers out of. We approved some teacher/coaching contracts to replace the coaches that have either left or retired. I believe Head Boys BB is all that we’re lacking. There were 2 ladies that spoke in open forum wanting us to consider adding volleyball for the girls. Then the usual consent agenda items. The scene at ICISD on the date of this meeting. C. Commentary 765 kV cases: I have added a new page, 765 kV Documents. If you’ve noticed some delays on my posts, well these cases are the reason. Administrative Reports, Principal student data: My general approach has been to not address academic performance at ICISD in this blog. However, the community doesn't have parent advocates attending the board meetings, while at the same time it experiences regular superintendent roll overs every few years. The community, even those of us who don't have children at the school, has a stake in District's academic performance. I want these students to receive a better than an average education because that benefits the community at large. An educated community creates diversity of thought and greater opportunity. Prayer - at Item 1. No need to write a treatise here. The law makes it virtually impossible to have prayer at school board meetings, as it should be in my opinion. President Carlile passed on the opening ceremonies for this meeting, which is often the case during summertime, so there was no prayer. More on the football field and Hellas: Also attention worthy at this meeting was the football field treatment for fire ants and harvester ants. Do a search on this site for "Hellas" to get my background here. Briefly, one of the problems with the previous field was, like most artificial turf fields, the rubberized material to soften the field retained heat. When Hellas pitched their field to the Board, a key selling point was that it would not burn the kids by overheating. What they failed to disclose was their organic pellets they use are basically ant food. Ants love the stuff! Supt. Heath advised at this meeting that the District would be paying about $2,200 a year for ant treatment. This isn't a huge amount when you consider their budget is over $20 million. But, this ant extermination effort is putting pesticides into our ecostystem (Spring Creek is less than a 1/2 mile away) and exposing the kids to the treatment. I’m keeping my opinion that grass is better than artificial turf. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR LACK OF A QUORUM. I WILL REPOST WHEN IT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED… A “Strawberry Moon” over downtown Mertzon on June 29 2026. This is the first moon of the summer when the moon is at its farthest from the earth - the apogee. A. Agenda Analysis I am terribly busy at the moment, so my analysis for this meeting will have to be my highlighted marks above. Alley closing, item 5: I wrote extensively about this last July 7. B. Meeting Review Pending C. Commentary Screworms: The July 2, 2026 Livestock Weekly issue has a reprint of their February 1962 article on the prevention of screw worms by using sterile flies released from planes and vehicles. We’ve known and put into practice how to avoid this for over 60 years. Here is the Texas Animal Health Commission page, with infestation map. Mertzon is not currently on the map, but it’s a matter of time… 765 kV cases: See my page 765 kV documents. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting Gallagher et al began the redo of the street flume on 4th Street the week before this meeting. Large amounts of stormwater runoff come from City Gym in the background. The purpose of the flume is to redirect the water off of the street and the alley (where stormwater from the new transportation facility is directed) into the new flood detention area. The amount of water that is repelled from an impervious surface (like a gym roof) can be determined by a mathematical formula. So, this is a math problem long in the making. A. Agenda Analysis Speed bumps, item 5: The Council should be considering vendors and pricing at this meeting. Mayor Pro Tem: Jayton Lindley recently left his Pro Tem post for the IC ISD school board. Councilman Councilman (you read that right) was elected as his replacement. B. Meeting Review Duncan Speed Bumps, item 5: The vendor quote was discussed, then support flattened. The matter was tabled, but more probably dead. Slow down, folks. It’s a street bordering a park. There are a pair of Mississippi Kites, raptors, aggressively dive bombing in the vicinity of 4th and W Fleming. C. Commentary I’ve created a new page for the 765 kV transmission cases I am involved in. See 765 kV Documents. Screw worm: I helped doctor wormy sheep infected with maggots in the 60’s during the last screw worm outbreak. Take this outbreak seriously. Enough said. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke