When a town puts together an Oil and Gas ordinance, they should have every right to enforce it without the threat of being sued by big money oil and gas.
Remember the bill introduced last legislative session of 2009 trying to make it very costly and difficult for local government to rule where and how drilling is done in their towns? Oil and Gas spent "mucho money" lobbying for the bill to be passed and are spending big bucks again. This time the bill is HB 3105.
If a city ordinance prohibits the drilling of an oil or gas well within a certain distance of a home or school, a landowner could bring a claim under the bill. The city would then have three choices: (1) pay the landowner for the money he thinks he could have made from the well; (2) waive the regulation and allow a gas well in the playground of a school or in your backyard; or (3) pay attorneys to litigate the claim. This type of law is commonly known as a “pay or waive” law.
Roy Morris, a local attorney, owner of Founders Square, the southwest corner of 2499 and 3040,and the now bankrupt River Walk Property, testified in favor of the HB 2110 back in 2009 and just recently in favor of HB 3105. Both times he let it be known that Flower Mound is the reason for the bill. Thankfully HB 2110 died on the floor. Let's pray that HB 3105 dies as well.
Red Oak, Morris and his partners in River Walk sued the town of Flower Mound and its Oil and Gas Board of Appeals over denial of gas drilling variances in June of 2008. In August of 2009, the case was dismissed by Judge Carmen Rivera-Worley of the 16th Judicial District Court of Denton County. Our Oil and Gas Ordinance held up in court!!! This is why those in favor HB 3105 are working so hard to get this bill passed.
Click here to watch the video.
Mr. Morris testifies at about 4:41 into the video. Keep watching and you will see Mayor Northern and Dish Mayor Tillman testimonies against the bill. In the early part of the video, Mayor Northern testified in support of HB 3792,authored by Rep. Burnam, Municipal Authority to Regulate Gas Pipelines Located within the Municipality.
Click here to take action against HB 3105
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25 comments:
FYI. Kendra Stephenson has her signs on Roy
Morris property!!! Yet she says she wants to protect us from gas drilling? If this bill passes, it won't matter if she wants long distance drilling. The gas companies will drill where they want or sue!
@April 29, 2:18 a.m.
You are exactly correct! Then Ms. Stephenson can blame the state law. She never takes responsibility for her own actions, however, it would be true with this state law...
I sent emails. This bill must be stopped!
Do you think that the people that have businesses in Roy Morris' property are supportive of 3105? Of course you have no idea but you are willing to drag them into this fight for political gain. The people that own businesses in this shopping mall are good honest residents who didn't do anything except rent space in a great location.
Please realize that leasing space from Roy Morris does not mean you agree with his positiion on 3105. The best thing might be for you to stop using their names.
This has nothing to do with the businesses renting space with Mr. Morris. That is business. Unless you want us to think Ms. Stepheson is in business with him.
This about the appearance of support from someone who is trying to undermine our town's right to regulate gas drilling without the threat of being sued.
It is just plain hypacritical! No matter how her campaign tries to spin it.
That's the Kendra campaign way....make alliances with anyone (even people who oppose you for every other reason), trample over every business, supporter, NFL and anyone else...but by all means, get into office no matter what.
anon 10:55 As far as Stephenson - you've made up your mind its clear. This is just a request to leave the business owners out of the political statements.
Okay we changed it but don't know why that matters. It was just to help identify the location.
I am surprised at those who are willing to overlook Kendra's obvious pander to the pro-drilling crowd. Her website tries to explain we shouldn't read anything into this because Roy Morris and she are old friends. I've seen a Kendra campaigner try to explain away the obvious endorsement by writing that it nothing more than Morris's property is a prime place for exposure for her sign. Are they really that naive? Placement of a sign is acceptance of endorsment. The very same people justifying Kendra's relationship with Morris squawked like crazy over Mr. Hillard's Jody Smith signs. While I don't agree with Hillard, at least he was fighting the battle here in Flo Mo. Roy Morris is working against Flower Mound at the state level. That's even more vile.
I spoke with Ms. Stephenson. She made it clear that she is against 3105 and written to representatives against this bill. I realize this means nothing to most of you but wanted to point it out for the uninformed reader.
Was it a bad choice for her to put her signs up on Morris' property? You all have decided it is. It is not so clear to me. I like the restuarants and shops there - I don't think I'm agreeing with Roy Morris everytime I go to one.
I'm thinking if Kendra and Roy Morris are the good friends she describes on her website she should use the influencing skills her campaign is touting to persuade him to back off trying to hurt Flower Mound. As long as he is in pursuit of destroying the Flower Mound gas ordinance she should not have her sign on his property.
In last year's campaign, didn't Jody Smith have a sign in the same spot as Kendra's is now on Roy Morris's property in Founders Square? I guess Roy Morris, who is pushing HB 3105 in Austin, supported Jody last year and Kendra this year.
As Kendra stated at last night's meet and greet in Bridlewood: HB3105 is a horrible bill for a lot of reasons. Thank you Kendra! She has been writing representatives and had success working with Tan Parker to support actions that benefit Flower Mound. Don't believe the hype that Kendra is for gas drilling or HB3105, or anything else that empowers the industry. She absolutely is NOT. It is not fair for individuals to use this blog to focus on a campaign candidate they don't support when they should be using it for something more constructive. Please let's just be civil and continue to work together for what is important, the health and safety of Flower Mound.
So just take the sign down and all the controversy goes away.
"success working with Tan Parker" - really? What "work" has she done with Tan Parker, other than calling him and writing him? We ALL have done that. I've "worked" with Governor Perry too, by that qualification. Don't over sell it.
I don't think anyone is saying that just because Kendra accepts the endorsement of Roy Morris, a chief proponent of HB 3105, that she supports HB 3105. It just makes you wonder what kind of compromises she might make if elected. Why does Roy Morris support her? Why is Kendra ok with having her sign on Morris's property when he keeps attacking the town? She's really sending mixed messages.
The more I find out about her, the gladder I get that we have a good, solid alternative to vote for, someone we can feel good about voting for: Jeff Whittaker.
Jenny Rogers:
You amaze me. For almost 9 months Kendra, Sydney, Ginger and you have been attacking everything the NFL has done under fake names, and all because you lost the lawsuit against the town. Not only are you a bad loser you are a hypocrite! I guess you were wrong and Kendra doesn’t know more about law than Terry Welch.
Anon 10:55 Appearance of support? Do you have anything more than a sign to go on? Anything on the campaign finance report? Any statement of endorsement from Ms. Stephenson or Roy?
Could it just be a sign in a good location?
I wonder if there are any real issues to debate or is just sign-gate?
Anony 4-29 3:11pm, LOL! Good one and my thoughts exactly. I sent a love letter to Tom Cruise once. Can I call him my boyfriend?
Anon 8:00 pm Did you think Jody Smith's signs on Mr. Hilliard's property last year were there just because they were in a good location? Come on now.
>>Could it just be a sign in a >>good location?
Ok, let's reverse the logic. Why would Roy want Kendra's sign out there, it certainly does him no good to have her on council. In fact, it's hurts his interests (or does it?) It's not just to keep one of his clients happy. Of the 65,000 residents that live in this town, why is her sign on the ONE guy who first created HB 3105's predecessor in the last legislative session. There are a lot of stars that have to line up for that to be just a random, chaos theory event.
We got Osama Bin Laden last night. Reports from the White House are that President Obama was scrambling to quickly have a press conference before Kendra Stephenson claimed credit for the operation. It seems she wrote a letter to the President asking him to get Bin Laden. When asked about the navy seals who ACTUALLY were responsible for bringing him to justice, Kendra replied that while she appreciates them they are all pals who think alike. It was her strategic thinking to send a letter with detailed instructions on how to shoot a gun that made the difference.
No matter what you say, the Titan/Hilliard permit was already into the Texas Railroad Commission. It was considered “Vested Interest” whether the town considered it to be a new or amended permit. Texas law also confirms that a person/corporation may establish a "vested right" to finish development of a property without being subject to newly-applicable city
regulations. This is the case at the Hilliard property. The person writing the above comment knows this but doesn’t want others to know this. They are just interested in trying to justify the no win lawsuit that was brought against the town on the Titan-Hilliard property.
It is also known by many of us that Ms. Simonson was told not to do the type of lawsuit she did because it would get thrown out of court. Which is exactly what happened. This is nothing more than a resident with sour grapes, trying to ruin the reputation of hard working people.
Vote for Jeff Whittaker so all this drama will be over and our council can get back to work on important things.
There was an agreement brought before Council to address the lawsuit Williams/Mockingbird brought before the town. Town staff made a presentation on it. Several residents spoke against it. All 5 council members voted to table it. 2. If the TRRC calls it an amended application, that is what it is for legal purposes the distinction you make is irrelevant.
"that is what it is for legal purposes the distinction you make is irrelevant." - No, No, No, remember Kendra's crew are better lawyer's than the one that actually has a law degree and practices for the city.
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