SkyBox on Council's Agenda for Closed Session

San Angelo City Council will meet Tuesday, February 3rd at 8:30 am and tackle legal issues relative to the economic development arrangement with SkyBox Data Centers.  The public will not hear Council's deliberations and the City has been unwilling to share public information on aspects of any deal.

I submitted a public information request (PIR) in December and the city appealed to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for approval to not share certain and possibly any information regarding incentives and subsidies.  At the time of submission I did not realize the city annexed the land the same day it approved the letter of intent to sell the land to SkyBox.  That was March 4, 2025.  

My PIR request is below:

Please provide documents, communications, emails and texts relative to the City of San Angelo's economic development arrangement with Skybox Data Centers or whichever legal entity is developing the data center on former city land within the City Farm area, just outside city limits to the northeast of town. This information could include a projected timeline, the city's plans to annex the land or develop a special arrangement where the city provides services (police, fire, water, etc.) to an entity not within city limits, specific financial or tax incentives, and any other inducements, monetary or in-kind services. The Development Corporation website mentions the project with its statement: "Facilitated data center site development tied to renewable energy access." My request is relative to this specific City of San Angelo effort.

City leaders, both elected and employed, have signed non-disclosure agreements (NDA) regarding this project.  That is why  you will hear Mayor Thompson say things like "I've heard this number ($ investment, # of gallons of water use, number of cars using street after construction is completed)."  The Mayor can share information that is already in the public sphere that approximates this particular SkyBox project.  He has to keep the actual specifics confidential per the NDA.

Normally, an elected official would come up with critical information items that need to be shared with the public and ensure that occurs as part of the business recruitment process.  Not anymore.  Companies consider the most basic information to be confidential and require officials to sign NDAs.

City Council members have a fiduciary duty when approving a new economic development incentive.  What happens when some Council members have access to more detailed information, financial and otherwise, on the project?  Can the lesser informed Council members fulfill their fiduciary duties?

Recently,  the City of San Angelo Development Corporation (COSADC) approved an economic development agreement with True Lighting Protection LLC.   San Angelo's Chamber of Commerce produces the economic development impact analysis as part of their contract with the Development Corporation.  

COSADC board member Travis Stribling asked for detail regarding the projections relative to that agreement.  Rather than provide more detail or reveal projection assumptions, city staff restated the information on the slide.  In the past more detailed economic development analysis have been included in board packets and presented in the meeting. 

I requested a copy of that analysis for True Lightning Protection via a PIR and received what staff did not share with the board and a member who sought such information.  What I received was totally appropriate for a board providing project funding.

It remains to be seen what is shared after the closed session on Tuesday, if anything.  It is more common for no report to be given to the public after council meets in executive session.