Sulphur Springs resident alleges Open Meetings Act violations in data center plans

Resident Jack Curtis has filed a lawsuit against the City of Sulphur Springs, Texas, alleging violations of the Open Meetings Act regarding the development of a large data center project. Curtis claims the Sulphur Springs City Council failed to disclose specific details about development agreements with MSB Global, the project developer, when approving a Letter of Intent for land and a Chapter 380 economic agreement on December 19, 2024. He contends that meeting notices only broadly mentioned "real property and economic development" and minutes lacked specific information about the data center or its developer, making public awareness impossible until after the fact. KLTV 7's investigation found no mention of "data center," "AI," or "MSB Global" in a year and a half of city council minutes reviewed from August 2024. City Manager Marc Maxwell stated confidence in the city's actions, expecting to "settle it in court." This new lawsuit has led to construction on the data center project being put on hold. Curtis is asking the court to find the Open Meetings Act was violated and to void the signed agreements, including the Letter of Intent and the Chapter 380 economic agreement. This legal challenge follows an earlier lawsuit by a previous landowner against the city regarding a deed restriction and power generation. No court dates have been set yet for Curtis's lawsuit.