INDIANOLA, Okla. — A Pittsburg County rural water district board reversed a prior decision in order to grant a property owner usage rights to a planned corporate poultry facility.
On July 11, dozens of Indianola residents packed Rural Water District #18 to make the case local water infrastructure cannot sustain twin chicken coops using 8,000 gallons a day.
The coops would house at least 10,000 hens each, according to the property owner, Lon Lee, who's contracted the facility to international corporation Aviagen.
2 News attended the previous meeting where people voiced their concerns:
Just like in the first meeting, the vast majority of people packed inside criticized the board members for even holding the vote.
"That's absolute crap. It lacks transparency, but we understand," Adam White said before Pittsburg County sheriff's deputies escorted him out.
"We are going to have an orderly meeting," Board Chairman Gabe Patrick said after two people got removed from the room.
This special meeting took place 13 days after the initial vote, with the hot-button issue being the only item on the agenda.
Board Vice Chair Kenny Wilson admitted he didn't know how Lee and his attorney passed the requirements to get a revote, but Board Chairman Patrick told 2 News he made the decision.
"I had gathered some information on some questions about the amount of water that was available, and I answered those questions," Patrick said. "And we have the water to give them."
Many people said they thought district bylaws said stakeholders must be present for the revote to take place. Instead, only the board voted and reversed the ruling three votes to one.
Lee and attorney Jeremy Beaver declined to comment to 2 News after the vote.
Residents Jon Marrow and Bob Lee told 2 News they're planning a petition among stakeholders to undo Wednesday's vote.
"We disagree with what they're trying to do," Marrow told fellow neighbors outside the building. "We don't have enough water to put out a fire to school. Our kids could burn while (firefighters would be) sitting here trying to transport water."
"We got people right here - they can't do laundry or wash their hair unless they wait until special times of day when nobody else is on that line because they got a one-inch line," Marrow added."But yet, we're going to give all this water to chickens. Come on, people!"
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