Guest Post: Mayor Maya Sanchez - ONEOK to host Public Meeting on Roadrunner Pipeline

This post is to invite and ENCOURAGE your participation in a public meeting, hosted by ONEOK Partners to present their plans for the Roadrunner Pipeline. The meeting is Saturday, July 25 at 1pm at the Clint Community Center located at 200 North San Elizario Rd - Clint, Texas 79836.

As a reminder, this is one of two natural gas pipelines headed our way. It is a 30-inch steel pipeline from Cayanosa, Texas, that will connect to the Tarahumara gas pipeline in Chihuahua.

I have learned the format of the meeting is to be held in workstations. The preference is town hall so that we may collectively hear from them and they from us. Town hall would better allow us to understand our neighbors concerns because we'd all hear questions but more importantly, it would require them to give clear answers that in theory, should all be the same.

I reached out to a contact in the Big Bend region who has gone through this type of presentation and in her experience, the workstation approach was a bit confusing and left room for lack of accountability. Thus some advice has been offered to help our citizens make the most of this opportunity.

Tips to approach the meeting:

1. Visit workstations in groups of at least two so that accountability is harder to question. If it is one rep and one constituent, the potential exists to become a matter of "he said, she said".

2. Have a set list of questions you ask each of the stations. This will help determine if the info received is consistent or varies from station to station. I will email a list of questions that may be helpful but again, be sure you ask what is important to you.

3. Have media present. The media will help inform the public and will better help keep these private companies accountable to our community. These companies don't want negative media attention.

4. Draw as big a crowd as possible. If people do not show up, we'll send a message that this issue is not very important to our community. In reality, this affects more than just the landowners whose land may be directly affected. These lines will be mighty close to both Clint and San Elizario high schools and densely populated neighborhoods.

Thank you in advance for making plans to attend AND for bringing neighbors and family with you!

More info to come... But should you wish to be removed from these types of email, please let me know and I will remove your contact info.

Thanks to state representative Mary Gonzalez and her team for arranging this public hearing.

Best,

Maya Sanchez

Mayor of San Elizario

P.O. Box 1723

San Elizario, TX 79849

(915) 974-7037

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