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Residents press Shawnee County commissioners on data centers, call for moratorium and clearer rules
Summary
Several residents urged the commission to require upfront rules and a moratorium for large data centers, raising concerns about noise, truck routes, water access and transparency; commenters also criticized MTAA finances and expressed conditional support for the sheriff's drone program.
Multiple residents used Tuesday’s public comment period to press Shawnee County commissioners for clearer rules and, in some cases, a temporary moratorium on large data-center development.
Carol Marple, who identified herself as a Southwest Shawnee County resident, criticized management of the MTAA (the authority’s acronym as used in her remarks), citing what she described as sloppy January financial statements and raising questions about salary and overtime figures she cited for 2025. She said MTAA’s policy of leasing rather than selling land means properties would remain off the tax rolls and repeated earlier complaints. Marple also said a drone would have helped locate a stolen tractor on her rural property and voiced support for the sheriff’s drone program.
Scott Hinson of Topeka asked why a meeting with data-center representatives had been canceled when media attended and asked what effect the city’s 12-month moratorium would have on a data center’s access to water.
Colin Campbell said many commenters misunderstand the purpose of large data centers, distinguishing small local data centers (for utilities or rail operations) from large facilities that he said are used for artificial intelligence and surveillance. Campbell, who said he is certified to fly drones on multiple continents, also urged the county to consider brand-specific surveillance capabilities when selecting vendors and noted that battery-based flight times can be managed by swapping batteries.
Amy Gillette, who said she attended a Kansas Municipal Utilities planning summit, relayed presenters’ advice that local governments should put standards in place ahead of developers (sound limits, truck routes, distance from schools and enforceable water and lighting limits). She said that precedent led Sedgwick County to adopt a moratorium while it developed regulations and argued Shawnee County should consider similar steps.
Why it matters: Residents and some commissioners said the county should not rely solely on conditional development agreements and urged land-use, noise, water and enforcement standards be codified so communities have enforceable protections should a major data center locate nearby.
What’s next: Commissioners said they are aware of outreach from several companies and that staff who attended the conference will provide advice and recommendations; no formal application or vote was reported in the session.
