Granbury residents sue city over data center plan, allege Texas Open Meetings Act violations

Four Granbury residents, Daniel Piatt, Janet Logsdon, James Logsdon, and Craig Jackson, have filed a lawsuit against the City of Granbury, Mayor Jim Jarratt, Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Wadley, several city council members, and City Manager Chris Coffman. The lawsuit, filed in Hood County, alleges violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act and a lack of transparency regarding the annexation of Knox Ranch, a 2,000-acre tract, and its ties to a proposed "massive data center." The plaintiffs claim they were denied proper notice and access to information about the annexation, which they argue will force taxpayers and utility ratepayers to fund infrastructure without adequate input. Specific allegations include a broken hyperlink to an ordinance on a city council meeting agenda, preventing prior review, and city officials allegedly attempting to avoid a quorum by staggering attendance at a tour of a data center operated by Bilateral Energy. The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order and a permanent injunction to halt the annexation and any related development, pending a court determination of the city's compliance with state law. The plaintiffs also ask the court to declare the annexation invalid due to alleged procedural violations and lack of authority. The City of Granbury has not yet responded to the lawsuit, which comes amid increasing scrutiny of large-scale data center impacts on North Texas infrastructure.