Missourian photo
By Pauline Masson –
Public outcry over a proposed data center near Pacific took an unexpected turn on Thursday when two Missouri state senators voiced concerns over Pacific abruptly ending the Feb. 25 Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) meeting at Pacific High School, sending a room full of citizens away without giving them a chance to speak.
The meeting was originally set as a public hearing on a data center proposal by Beltline Energy. Beltline asked P&Z to table the public hearing because they had not been able to finalize a funding agreement with the city that was needed to properly evaluate the Beltline application.
In an official news release dated Feb. 26, the day after the cancelled meeting, Senators Mary Coleman, R-Arnold and Ben Brown, R-Washington voiced concern that citizens who traveled from Jefferson and Franklin counties and were not given full opportunity to be heard.
“The senators agree that government has an obligation to protect its citizens and not to allow companies to override local concerns or push projects through over the objections of the people who actually live there,” the release said.
Without directly addressing the data center, Sen. Brown referred to its impact on citizens who, he said, “must,” be heard on big issues.
“Missourians’ must have the opportunity for their voices to be heard when it comes to making major changes in local communities,” he said.
Linda Bruns, Pacific P&Z chair said citizens will have an opportunity to be heard if the data center comes back before P&Z. In hindsight, she said, maybe she could have allowed citizens to speak, but it seemed inappropriate because there was nothing before the commission for citizens to comment on.
“We (P&Z members) had not had a presentation on the data center.And data center developer Beltline Energy had requested tabling the public hearing,” she said.
“But I can assure everyone, that when we (P&Z) have a presentation so we know what is being asked for, and the appropriate application where we are expected to make a recommendation, everyone, and I mean everyone, will be allowed to speak.”
Simultaneous with tabling the Pacific P&Z meeting, Beltline made application to Franklin County to rezone the Bill and Linda McLaren property, which has been identified as the data center site.
Beltline had contacted several aldermen with the ominous message that if they did not get what they wanted from Pacific they would go to Franklin County, which is considering an application for a data center on Eckelkamp property in nearby Robertsville.
It unclear whether area resources – water and power – could serve the needs of two mega data center within arms reach of each other and still meet local residential, business and agricultural needs.
Senator Coleman said she commended the advocacy, without specifically mentioning the local advocacy group that organized a public meeting on the data center and had advocated for respectful public comments.
“We want to commend the organized, respectful advocacy of residents in Jefferson and Franklin counties who showed up to engage in the meeting,” Ms. Coleman. “I will continue working to make sure Missouri welcomes responsible investment while protecting ratepayers, respecting local input, and ensuring that growth benefits our citizens first.”
She also noted that she had voted for Senate Bill 4 to ensure that any future data centers operating in Missouri pay their fair share of energy infrastructure and power costs without foisting those costs onto consumers.
She did not address how state legislators could impact local municipal government.
“Other than embarrass the city for its handling of the issue, I don’t think they (the senate) can do anything to interfere with city business,” one local pundit said.
While this public statements by two state senators puts Pacific and the proposed controversial data center in a broader spotlight, there does not appear to be any statutory authority that empowers the state legislature to interject itself into municipal government.
The Planning and Zoning Commission is an appointed recommending body, whose duties and responsibilities are regulated by state statute.
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89.070. Zoning commission — appointment — duties. — In order to avail itself of the powers conferred by sections 89.010 to 89.140, such legislative body shall appoint a commission, to be known as “The Zoning Commission”, to recommend the boundaries of the various original districts and appropriate regulations to be enforced therein. Such commission shall make a preliminary report and hold public hearings thereon before submitting its final report and such legislative body shall not hold its public hearings or take action until it has received the final report of such commission.
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‘We on the planning commission all know that the public is against the data center but we are required to consider every application that comes before us fairly,” Chairman Bruns said. “If this comes back before us we will listen to both presenters and the public. Everybody who want to speak will be allowed to speak.”
