St. Joseph City Council rejects data center advisory committee

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The St. Joseph City Council voted 3-6 on a resolution to establish a Citizens Data Center Advisory Committee Monday evening.

The ordinance was sponsored by Council Member Russell Moore. The advisory committee will provide feedback and recommendations to the Planning Commission and City Council on data center development.

Moore, Gary Wilkinson and Collin Clibon voted in favor of the advisory committee, while Mayor Larry Miller and council members Andrew Trout, Randy Schultz, Marty Novak, Madison Davis and Jason Eslinger voted against it.

The vote comes after residents called for an 18-month moratorium and the creation of a citizen advisory committee during the July 20 City Council meeting.

Council member Moore emphasized that establishing the committee won’t cost anything.

"It gives added trust to the citizens, and I’m all in favor of that," he said.

Council member Wilkinson doesn’t see a problem with getting more people involved.

"Getting more advice on the consideration because it’s a very important one," he said. "I’ll support this."

While council member Schultz said the citizens of St. Joseph elected the council to make these kinds of decisions, and they don’t need another layer of bureaucracy.

"We need to take this on ourselves, take it on our shoulders. We’re going to have plenty of public input, and we should take that public input," he said. "We should be the ones that champion this, either yes or no, and get the guard rails up."

During the meeting, many residents came up to ask the council to consider creating the advisory committee.

One resident, Veronica Hupp was a little taken aback because she thought the council was for the advisory committee. She said it is crucial that the council vote yes on the committee, especially as were in unprecedented times.

"I feel we can be very beneficial to helping you make these decisions, and to helping you lay out a path top protect this city," she said. "Keep some order, keep some control because many communities have not had that opportunity."

Another resident, Conni Muff, said there’s a lot of distrust with this council, and people don’t trust them.

"I feel like the best way to help repair that trust is having us involved not in the decision-making. Of course it’s your decision, but listening to our concerns, and the information we gather about data centers over the last 6 months," she said.

Penny Adams is not for or against the data center she wanted to be on the committee to learned the pros and cons of data center.

"Help established or recommend because I understand it's your ultimate decision; some safeguards for our city, for our community and I want to know how or learned how it will benefit our community," she said.

The Say No to Data Centers St. Joe are shocked and angry about the outcome of the decision the council made.

Back in July, the council did vote on a 12-month pause for new data center projects within the city.