Jackson County, Gardner hear neighbor input on data center moratoriums
The Jackson County Legislature in Missouri and the Gardner City Council in Kansas recently heard public input on proposed data center moratoriums. In both cases, residents spoke for and against the development pauses, citing economic benefits and concerns about transparency and zoning. Neither governing body took immediate action, delaying decisions to future meetings.
The Jackson County Legislature in Missouri is considering a temporary 120-day moratorium on new data center proposals, which would halt future applications within the county. During a recent meeting, legislators heard arguments from residents both supporting and opposing the measure. Wade Kiefer, representing a local labor union, highlighted the substantial long-term tax revenue benefits data centers can bring, while Beto Martinez advocated for the moratorium to ensure transparency and accountability to the community.
Across the state line, the Gardner City Council in Kansas also discussed a resolution for a data center moratorium. Community members urged city leaders to pass the moratorium, with resident Carrie Schmidt emphasizing the need to address zoning codes and environmental standards before allowing data centers to "railroad" the city. The discussion in Gardner follows a data center developer withdrawing their application after being denied tax incentives. Similar to Jackson County, the Gardner City Council ultimately took no action on the proposed moratorium resolution, deferring the decision to a future meeting.