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Commission approves Steptoe & Johnson engagement but strips AI clause, sets review cadence
Summary
Harrison County commissioners approved an engagement letter with law firm Steptoe & Johnson to seek modification and extension of a TIF district for White Oaks Industrial Park, agreed to a six‑month review cadence and voted to remove an AI clause from the contract after discussing data and training safeguards.
Harrison County commissioners on July 1 authorized legal services from Steptoe & Johnson to pursue a modification and extension of the White Oaks Industrial Park TIF district, and they specifically removed a clause that would have allowed the firm to use artificial‑intelligence tools without further county oversight.
The motion, made by Commissioner Hinkle and carried by voice vote, approved an engagement for an initial six months with an automatic six‑month renewal if demonstrable progress is made. Tommy Eamon, joining by Zoom for the firm, said the engagement would terminate if the county or the development office rejected the modification and estimated the process typically takes about six months to complete.
Discussion focused on whether the agreement should remain open‑ended and how often the commission should receive updates. "We could, with any time frames that you guys want to, get updates and and revisit this," Eamon said, adding his firm can provide progress updates and that, in his experience, work like this usually takes roughly six months.
Commissioner Hinkle raised concerns about a clause referencing AI in the firm’s engagement. Hinkle proposed striking the AI language and adding a formal review schedule. The motion to approve the engagement with a six‑month check‑in and to remove the AI provision carried with no recorded opposition.
During discussion, Eamon described the firm’s AI practices as operating in a closed system with training for staff who access it and with output that the firm treats as confidential. "The AI software that we use is a closed system, and the information that we put in there and that comes out to us is confidential and is not available outside of our system," he said. Commissioners said they want clear policies about which AI tools, if any, county staff or contractors may use and recommended training and enterprise controls for county systems.
The commission’s action authorized the president of the commission to execute the engagement letter; the county clerk recorded the voice vote as unanimous. The commission also asked staff to provide periodic updates on progress toward the TIF modification at future meetings.
