Aug 03, 2026 Public Works Committee

[00:00:04]

I AM GONNA CALL THE PUBLIC WORKS TO MEETING, UH, TO, OR MEETING TO ORDER AT 1 44.

[RESOLUTIONS IN COMMITTEE]

[22323 A RESOLUTION directing the County Executive, the Department of Public Works, and all appropriate County departments and agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive framework governing the siting, construction, expansion, and operation of artificial intelligence and high-capacity data center facilities within Jackson County, Missouri, and establishing conditions necessary to protect public infrastructure, utility systems, environmental resources, public safety, and neighboring communities.]

UH, MR. EXECUTIVE, EVERYTHING ON THIS, I, THIS IS SOMETHING I'M GONNA LOOK FOR, UH, COLLABORATION WITH THE LEGISLATURE TO PROVIDE CODES OR ORDINANCES OR WHAT OKAY.

IS THIS COMING, I GUESS I'M ASSUMING IS, IS, IS, UM, THE COUNTY COUNSELOR'S OFFICE WORKING ON SOMETHING WITH THIS? THEY'RE NOT.

THEY'RE NOT? NO.

OKAY.

SEAN, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD TO THIS? SO I SENT, UH, TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, AN AMENDED VERSION THAT'S NOT DIRECTING THINGS TO HAPPEN.

IT'S, IT'S, UM, UH, REQUESTING THINGS TO HAPPEN.

UM, THERE'S A RESOURCE CONSTRAINT AROUND DETERMINING THESE, UH, UH, CHANGES TO THE UNIFORM DEVELOPMENT CODE.

UH, SO, UH, THI THIS, I THINK THE LAST CORRESPONDENCE YOU AND I HAD WAS TO FURTHER SOFTEN IT AND, AND MODIFY IT.

THE, UM, SPONSOR NEVER DID LET ME KNOW WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS OKAY WITH THE SOFTENED VERSION OR NOT.

UM, SO, BUT I MEAN, I, I THINK YOU AND I ARE ON THE SAME PAGE NOW, THAT UDC CHANGES MUST GO THROUGH THE PLAN COMMISSION, AND THE ONLY OTHER CHANGE I WAS THINKING ABOUT MAKING WAS WHETHER OR NOT TO INCORPORATE THAT STATUTE INTO, UM, INTO THE, WHEREAS CLAUSES OF THIS RESOLUTION.

SO, AND MR. LEGISLATURE, WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS, UH, A WHILE AND WE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE.

WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT THIS RESOLUTION PASSES AND THE PUBLIC THINKS THAT THE, THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOW WORKING ON CODES AND ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS FOR DATA, DATA, UH, HIGH CAPACITY DATA CENTER FACILITIES, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO DO THAT.

I, I'M OF THE POSITION THAT AS THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THE, UH, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH BRINGS THOSE AND BRINGS THOSE REGULATIONS, BRING THOSE CODES, AND YOU PASS THOSE AND WE PUT THEM INTO THE COUNTY ORDINANCES.

THEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHAT THEY DO IS IF A DATA CENTER CAME BEFORE THEM, THEY WOULD REVIEW WHETHER THEY ARE MEETING THE COUNTY ORDINANCES THAT GO THERE, THE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO ACTUALLY DEAL WITH THE CONDITIONS NECESSARY TO PROTECT PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, UTILITY SYSTEM.

THEY'RE JUST A, A VOLUNTEER BOARD THAT LOOKS AT WHEN THE ZONING COMES ACROSS AND THEY SAY YOU MEET THE ZONING.

SO I THINK WE'RE, I I, I WAS HOPING MAYBE THAT THE LEAD LEGISLA COULD FIND MAYBE EVEN A TEMPLATE THAT ANOTHER LEGISLATURE HAD PROPOSED, BECAUSE I KNOW, I KNOW THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE RIGHT NOW IS WORKING ON THE SAME THING TO PRESENT TO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.

SO THAT'S WHAT KIND OF WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.

I JUST DON'T, DIDN'T WANT THIS TO PASS OUTTA THIS BODY AND THEN THE PUBLIC THINK, OH, GREAT, THEY'RE WORKING ON REGULATIONS.

I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY WITH THAT EXPERTISE IN THE ADMINISTRATION THAT CAN COME UP WITH THIS.

YEAH.

SO I, I THINK WHAT I'M GONNA RECOMMEND THEN, WHAT WE DO BASED ON THOSE COMMENTS, I'M GONNA RECOMMEND TO MY COLLEAGUE, LEGISLATOR ANDERSON AND LEGISLATOR HUSKY, THAT WE PASS THIS, UH, WITH NO RECOMMENDATION TO GO TO THE FULL COMMITTEE, AND THEN I WILL LEAVE IT TO OUR CHAIR TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LEGISLATIVE, UM, EXPERTISE AND TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO PATH FORWARD ON THIS.

AND WE CAN GET IT OUTTA COMMITTEE WITH NO RECOMMENDATION AND WE'LL TAKE IT TO THE LEGISLATURE AS A WHOLE.

UM, SO I, WE LOOK FOR A RECOMMENDATION.

I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION THAT WE SECOND.

OKAY.

UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

OKAY.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED? OKAY, WE WILL PASS RESOLUTION 2, 2 3 2 3 WITH NO RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL LEGISLATURE.

UH, I WILL NOW, UM, WITH NO OTHER, NO OTHER ITEMS. WE'LL THEN CLOSE, UH, THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE AT 1 48.