A Pittsburg County rural water district board reversed a prior decision on July 24 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 that 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 .
But like in the first meeting , the vast majority of residents 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 being escorted out by Pittsburg County sheriff's deputies.
"We are going to have an orderly meeting," Board Chairman Gabe Patrick said after the first two people were kicked out of the room.
The special meeting was set just 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 it was his 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."
For the revote to take place, many residents said they were under the impression from the district's bylaws that it would include stakeholders present. Instead, only the board voted, reversing 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 undue 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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