By Pauline Masson –
Set aside your anger for a minute and think about this, folks. I say it out loud at the risk of being pillloried. But if Franklin County approves the data center on the McLaren Farm – and it gets built there without the property being annexed into Pacific – tough days for Pacific are coming.
Our city will face all the things we fear – air, water, power, and noise problems – and we get none of the projected benefits of a multi million dollar data center in our town that has been throwing around benefit numbers, as one concerned citizen said, was snake oil salesman at its finest.
Where are the choice negotiators in our city. Why have we allowed the staff, economic development director, city administrator and city attorney and contracted public works director – all whose loyalties are in question – be the individuals carrying the water for the develper?
They may say their loyalties are with the city, but I see them doing everything they know how to do to satisfy the demands of the developer.f
“The developer told us to hide it from the aldermen.” who may have had a different approach to negotiation. “The develop said it had to be done by their date,” even though aldermen may have called for a little time to research and think.
Why haven’t we called on known negotiators like Herb Adams, a lifelong car salesman who knows how to give and take and keep the customer in a good mood.
Maybe, former city attorney Dan Vogel who negotiated close to a million dollar payout when one of the tech firms wanted to use a Pacific tower, and another $400,000 as part of a communications lawsuit.
Or former city administrator Harold Selby who negotiated with St. Louis County for the city to annex the prison. Some St. Louis County leaders opposed Pacific getting prison. But Harold to the governor for some help and go it.
Even tough real estate broker Stephen Flannery III who never gives up when he thinks something is right for the city, even if it means his friends will cry traitor.
We need someone talking to the developer who has the skill, personal commitment and toughness to vie for a package that would benefit the city.
This is a total mess.
If there is to be a data center at our door step shouldn’t we be tussling cheek and jowl to get benefits for our city and the adjacent neighbors of the data center.
“The data center is going to be approved,” one concerned citizen said to me recently, “and Pacific is going to get nothing from the developers.”
If everyone wouldn’t have fallen for the fear mongering and mass hysteria, maybe we could have been putting all that energy into trying to form a proposal to Beltline to cement our little town as a model for all communities to follow.
But we had to start calling our neighbors names and bashing them with no education into any of it til recently.
There’s no way the Ozark aquifer, and specifically, the Meramec river alluvial, is going to dry up!
It has approximately 208 trillion gallons of water in it, and even if they were to pull 1 million gallons a day, that would take 569,863 years to dry up. And that’s not counting the replenishment that would occur yearly!
Gee,Loyd.I should have mentioned you in the possible negotiators.
Pauline I think you are way off base with your assessment of what is happening here.
First off, none of those you mentioned to be great negotiators have a clue about data centers or a project of this magnitude. My guess is Harold Shelby can’t spell AI. If I’m wrong on that, prove it. Beltline is playing chess while those people would be playing checkers.
Beltline doesn’t want a fair deal, if they did they would have been willing to pay for expert analysis of their project as requested by the BOA. Instead they went where they think they won’t be questioned and it will be easier to push through, however, McLaren can’t vote and there is another project before Franklin county as well and I think enough pressure they are going to ask tough questions as well.
You lost points with me in the unbiased, well informer column today.
Our BOA did what they were elected to do, represent the will of voters and attempt to make an educated and informed decision.
Shame on you for this divisive drivel and your continued pandering to the old guard of Pacific who is no longer relevant in moving Pacific forward.
What they have a clue about, Susan, is negotiating. The applicant always asks for more than they want. The individuals I mentioned know how – and have experience in – evaluating the wishes of the applicant against the needs of the their side, which in these cases was they city. So Mr. Hoven thinks nobody in the city knows anything about data centers so everything they did was right. Of course, Beltline doesn’t want a fair deal, Susan. They mapped out everything they wanted and our well-intentioned staff gave them what they wanted. Our elected alderman didn’t do anything. They were kept out of the loop until Beltline got everything they wanted from the staff. They publicly thanked the staff for all their work before the “rest of the group” (the aldermen) got involved. I’m as serious as you are. It looks to me like this thing is going to the county but it will still be at our back door. Think about it.
Pauline, Festus has 2 pending lawsuits right now because City Admin was negotiating Data Center deals behind closed doors, exactly what you are advocating for, just with a different cast of characters.
There’s also no promise that Franklin County is just going to let this happen.
Concerned citizens have been mobilized, legal representation has been acquired and there is no telling where this will go. Other communities have been able to legislate “no data centers” be built at all.
I’ll see you in Union on March 17th, Please record the meeting so you are able to recall the facts accurately for your article
This is not to say I’m for or against this proposed development, I want to make that clear. However, to say that a realtor, a car salesman (who had other careers), one person who negotiated a contract for a measly cell tower, and another for an annexation could seal the deal for us is laughable and would deeply concern me.
Once again, we would be met with people like all of us involved in the vetting process, making deals on something they know nothing about. Something on a scale that none of them has ever seen before.
That’s exactly why we were trying to hire experts on the various subject matters to evaluate all the potential good or bad regarding this development.
I saw that you tried to hire experts to help you evaluate the project, but you did not get any hired. It’s easy to look down on people who have negotiated for the city and won. Herb Adams negotiated a multi-million dollar buyout with FEMA to buy flooded homeowners’ property. He also got millions of dollars in infrastructure funds. Harold Selby was up against the powerful St.Louis County government when he brokered a deal to annex the prison. One of the reasons you knew nothing about it was because the staff kept you in the dark until they had completed what the developer asked the city to do. The city, Tyler, not the staff should have put its best strength in reviewing that application. Your laughter is wasted here.
Obviously neither do the alderman It’s not in their wheelhouse Herbie Adams has the smarts and Harold Selby was the best city administrator The city of Pacific as usual drops the ball and screws the citizens in the process Stand up for what you believe and believe in what you stand for JS Opinions are like assholes and everyone has one
The biggest problem here is that the companies who run data centers can’t be trusted to not violate any terms agreed upon (as seen in EVERY place these centers go in). The city won’t have any recourse when there are violations. We will stop this on the city level, and we will stop this on the county level. These companies have spent the last decade censoring us, spying on us, stealing and selling our data (to China). This is a bad deal. And now they want control of our power and water. Sounds like an obvious bad deal to me. Only a fool would be in favor of this. Also, they will be tax exempt thru the use of TIFs (tax incremental financing), so there is, very literally, NO UPSIDE.
James, This is in the hands of the county and city legislatures. Concerned citizens can’t vote on this. No matter how bad you think these companies are, citizens are limited on what they can do to stop it.