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Editors Note: This article was published while the City Council meeting was still in session due to print edition deadlines.

Protestors in favor of Diligence Offshore Services wind farm spoke at the Feb, 25 city council meeting to protest the delays in the wind farm project, two years after it was introduced to the city council. 

Diligence Offshore Services is seeking 600 acres of land around Pleasure Island to construct a wind farm. Diligence Offshore Services prides itself on being an independently black-owned business that seeks to provide energy services independent of the Texas power grid.

Demonstrations began at 8:30 a.m. outside of City Hall as protesters gathered with signs demanding action be taken soon. 

Ora Smith brought the complaints from the community to the city council along with other prominent advocates for the project such as environmental advocate Hilton Kelley and Harry C. Crawford Chairman and President of Diligence Offshore Services. 

Smith made an accusation that the delay had become a race-based issue and pointed towards Mayor Pro Tem Doneane Beckcom and City Attorney Roxann Cotroneo. Smith clarified that she believes that the white members of the city who are working on the deal are the ones causing such a delay in progress.

City Attorney Cotroneo defended herself by saying that she is “100% Hispanic” in a passing statement about whether citizens were allowed to voice their opinions during a city presentation.

While Beckcom did not speak on these accusations, various city council members spoke out to defend against these accusations and clarify that the reason this problem has taken so long is allegedly due to the idea of a wind farm being a first for the city of Port Arthur. 

“It ain’t gonna be no race decision here, (city council) are going to make that decision,” said Council Member Doucet Sr. “So I can tell you no matter who’s working it, who’s negotiating it, who’s talking, the final decision will be made by (city council).”

Councilmembers also clarified that the city is only discussing leasing property to Diligence Offshore Services and is not addressing any of the environmental or economic concerns until after the lease is agreed upon. 

Kelley who has been a prominent environmental activist in Port Arthur, spoke to city council addressing his concerns as to why the plans have stagnated for the past two years. 

“What I believe what caused people to come out today is because we know there’s something rotten under the bridge,” said Kelley. “We’re not going to stand by and let this company fight for itself when we know what it’s going to bring to the city of Port Arthur, but for whatever reason the city council has been stonewalling and pushing that can down the street, it’s beyond me but it needs to end and it needs to end today.”

In the crowd were also various community members who hope that this project will bring jobs and infrastructure to the area. Brett Nash is one of those local community members who hopes that Diligence Offshore Services will hire locals to construct and maintain the wind farm. 

“I know they’re using our land, why not hire our people is the way I see it,” said Nash. “I mentioned it to the city and I had never heard anything back about it.”

While the wind farm received support at city hall, there are others in the community that do not agree.

The Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association has expressed concern that the wind farm may cause harm to local sea life and the local shrimp economy which has been struggling to compete with foreign imports of seafood.

The City Council is expected to address this concern in the near future.