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Johnson City OKs contract with JPM Acoustics for noise and vibration study tied to I‑2 moratorium
Summary
The commission unanimously approved a contract with JPM Acoustics to study noise and vibration associated with heavy industrial uses in I‑2 zones and to assist with ordinance and zoning updates; staff aims to start fieldwork in March and complete work by June, in time for moratorium review.
Johnson City commissioners voted unanimously to approve a contract with JPM Acoustics to perform a noise and vibration study and provide ordinance drafting assistance tied to the city’s existing moratorium on certain heavy-industrial uses.
City staff said the two-part contract will fund a technical study, expected to begin in March, and consultant support to craft proposed changes to the code of ordinances and the zoning ordinance. The contract includes a “not to exceed” cost and a deliverable schedule; staff said they hope to finish the project by June to align with the moratorium timeline.
The study is intended to inform regulations for potentially incompatible uses — staff and commissioners repeatedly pointed to data centers and crypto mining as examples — and to produce site-specific monitoring. Staff said they will aim to select about 10 representative monitoring sites at an initial kickoff meeting and that the consultant will provide regular deliverables and public-facing updates.
Members of the public and a community impact-study committee member urged the commission to approve the contract and asked that the moratorium be extended if the study timeline slips, that commissioners attend at least one public engagement event (a March 17 meeting at the Langston Center was cited), and that the city add regular, actionable agenda updates so residents can track milestones. Staff said they will convene a kickoff promptly, hold public outreach, and consider ways to provide frequent updates, including a web presence for the effort.
Several commissioners noted the risk that state or federal changes could limit what the city is able to regulate, but they said the study and ordinance effort remain worthwhile. The motion to approve the contract passed by roll call: Commissioners Fowler, Goetz, Wise; Vice Mayor Brock; and Mayor Cox all voted yes.
The contract’s next steps are a consultant kickoff, public engagement meetings, and staff-led ordinance workshops with the planning commission ahead of any formal adoption process.
