Warrenton residents press council on proposed data center; alderman proposes heavy‑industrial ordinance, board to convene workshop

Warrenton City residents and elected officials spent much of the Oct. 21 Board of Aldermen meeting focused on a proposed data‑center project and how the city should regulate heavy industrial uses.

Multiple residents warned the board about water, power and traffic strains from a large data center. ‘‘They can guarantee the sales of themselves for another 2,000,000,’’ said Samantha Jorans, who objected to lot‑size reductions in a nearby subdivision and tied that development practice to broader planning concerns. Raymond Bergeron, a county resident whose property borders the proposed site, told the board ‘‘my back door is 40 yards from this property’’ and urged the city to negotiate a remediation buffer with the landowner and developer.

Other speakers requested technical review: Bridal Hogan, who described herself as an IT project manager, said the site under discussion was ‘‘158’’ acres and warned of ‘‘massive power consumptions,’’ a claim she described as comparable to ‘‘enough electricity to consume 80,000 homes.’’ The board did not endorse the numeric claims but used public comment to prioritize technical follow‑up.

At the same time, some residents urged preparedness rather than outright opposition. Anna Farrar, a lifetime Warrenton resident, commended the board for drafting rules and said ‘‘the ordinances before you tonight are not anti growth, they are pro responsibility.’’ Missy Bowman, a peer specialist who said she has researched cooling and monitoring options, urged the city to consider mitigations—closed‑loop cooling, immersion cooling, nonpotable sources and heat reuse—and proposed transparent telemetry so residents can verify water and energy draws: ‘‘If we have a data center, it’s like there’s a ways to actually verify that it’s not drawing more than it’s supposed to.’’

Alderman White announced he drafted an ordinance aimed at heavy industrial uses and invited colleagues to propose amendments. Council members agreed to schedule a joint workshop with Planning & Zoning to review the draft line‑by‑line and to invite outside experts. Mayor and staff said they will compile questions from the public and expected a representative from Ameren within two to three weeks; the mayor asked Brandy Walters (city administrator) to contact the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the board agreed to ask the Office of Public Counsel to brief the council on ratepayer impacts.

No formal code changes were adopted at the meeting; the board’s action was procedural: to convene a workshop, solicit expert testimony and collect community questions. The city repeatedly emphasized that outside agencies should speak in general terms until detailed plans are provided by developers.