Henry County commissioners voted on Nov. 25 to hold a public hearing the week of Jan. 19, 2026, on a proposed planned-unit development (PUD) for a data center, and to hold two preparatory work sessions for the commission to review the project with legal counsel.

The board acted after Speaker 5 said the planning commission’s approval on Nov. 20 started a 90-day clock that would make the planning commission’s vote effective on Feb. 18 unless the county acted. "I would make a motion that we hold the public hearing the week of January 19 with 2 work sessions prior," Speaker 5 said, pressing for public access and time for commissioner review. Legal counsel (Speaker 3) confirmed the 90-day window begins on the planning commission’s decision date.

Commissioners discussed venue and access. Several members and staff flagged concerns that the courthouse meeting room lacks sufficient capacity and that prior meetings limited public participation because of room size and fire-code restrictions. Speaker 5 said multiple residents requested a larger location and asked that the hearing be hosted in Knightstown’s gymnasium or auditorium, "which leaves plenty of room and I’m assuming is handicap accessible." IT staff (Speaker 11) cautioned that streaming quality cannot be guaranteed outside the courthouse’s installed audiovisual equipment but said a remote streaming setup is feasible.

The board resolved to advertise the hearing for an evening start (approximately 6:00 p.m.), contingent on Knightstown High School scheduling and technical feasibility. To keep the meeting manageable, commissioners approved advertising a two-hour time limit for the public hearing. Speaker 6 moved to limit the meeting to two hours and the motion carried 3-0.

Commissioners also agreed that substantive PUD deliberations should be confined to the two public work sessions (open for viewing but not public comment) and the scheduled public hearing, rather than discussed at each regular business meeting. Staff were assigned to coordinate dates, venue arrangements and livestream testing.

Next steps: staff will contact Knightstown High School on availability, schedule two work sessions before the public hearing, issue public notices, and prepare meeting logistics and livestream testing. The statutory 90-day deadline to act is Feb. 18, 2026, based on the planning commission’s Nov. 20 decision.