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Clay County planning staff reviews 2025 activity, flags data centers and diversion updates; commission re-elects officers
Summary
County planning staff reported about $30 million in building permit valuation for 2025, roughly 35 new housing starts, steady permitting for gravel pits and a modest rise in gravel tax receipts. Commissioners also re-elected the existing chair and officers on Feb. 17.
Planning staff presented the department's 2025 annual report to the Clay County Planning & Zoning Commission on Feb. 17, summarizing permitting trends, revenue from gravel taxes, recent floodplain map revisions and likely 2026 topics.
"Up to 35 new housing starts this year compared to 20 last year," staff said, noting building permit valuation and construction activity led to roughly $30 million in new development valuation countywide for 2025. The office reported 13 interim use permits and 11 conditional use permits in 2025; mining (new and expanding gravel pits) remained a top permitted use, followed by industrial, commercial, and storage uses.
Staff said gravel tax revenues climbed by about $10,000 from the prior year. The transcript records the gravel tax rate as 21.5 cents per cubic yard and 15 cents per ton; staff said state law sets the maximum rate and the county collects and distributes receipts (42.5% to the county, 42.5% to townships where pits are located, and 15% to a reserve fund for reclamation and road projects).
The planning office also described completion of a FEMA "better data" Letter of Map Revision that removed roughly 20 properties from the 100-year floodplain in portions of the Buffalo River corridor; staff said they will work with the state floodplain manager to update local floodplain zoning to match FEMA's revised maps.
Looking ahead, staff told commissioners the department has begun seeing inquiries about data centers and is preparing potential performance standards, and that enforcement of zoning violations remains a continuing workload. Staff also said the diversion project is on track for forthcoming FEMA conditional map revisions that could substantially alter floodplain mapping in parts of western Clay County.
At the end of the meeting commissioners re-elected existing officers. Joel will remain chair, the current vice chair and Laura as secretary were retained after a unanimous voice vote on a motion by Sebastian, seconded by Ashley.
(Reporting note: figures, quotations and procedural descriptions are taken from the meeting transcript.)
