The Mitchell County Commissioners met on Monday, Aug. 23, 2026 with all of the three commissioners, Tom Claussen (District 1), Mike Riemann (District 2), Cole Eberle (District 3), and County Clerk Heather Weston present.
– The Consent Agenda of Commission Meeting Agenda, August 17, 2026 Commission Meeting Minutes approved.
– Michelle Langham was present to have Resolution 26-22 (paying property taxes off of a tax sale) approved. Commissioners approved the resolution.
– Alan Eilert spoke on behalf of the MC Rural Fire #3 Revenue Neutral Rate Hearing which was approved to exceed.
– The MC Rural Fire #3 Budget Hearing was motioned to approve for the fiscal year.
– Doug Palen was present to talk about the Hayes Township Revenue Neutral Rate Hearing. Palen said, “I am happy with Marty Hernandez in doing a great job for the townships.” This was approved to exceed.
– The Hayes Township Budget Hearing for $30,00 was also approved.
– The County Planning Commission members came forward to state their concerns about data centers.
Appeals Board member, Carl Eilert, said the state of Kansas has a 20 year tax break on data centers that cost $250 million or more. The data centers take 40-100 acres of land for companies like Microsoft, Google or Amazon as one of the largest. Some centers are 1,000 acres or more.
Concerns around these data centers are that there is not enough information on them. They are said to use large amounts of water and electricity that the county could probably not keep up with and what would the cost to the people become?
Pure water evaporates while minerals stay behind, concentrating with each cycle. Purged "blowdown" water carries far higher TDS than the source water. Chemicals such as isothiazolinones and glutaraldehyde control bacteria in warm cooling towers, then enter the wastewater stream on discharge. Used as fluorinated gases, immersion cooling fluids, or leachate from components. Leaks, spills, or routine operations can send them into local water systems. Discharge is often much warmer than the receiving waterway, lowering dissolved oxygen and degrading source-water quality downstream.
Data centers use billions of gallons of water a year and large banks of ion lithium batteries are used and if a melt down occurs it could cause fires and damage to the ground. They are a hazmat issue?
Locations and what residents saw – according to USWatersystems.com
Newton County, GA
A single facility uses about 10% of the county's daily water. A deficit is projected by 2030, and rates are set to rise 33% within two years, well above the usual 2% annual increase.
The Dalles, OR
A major tech company's data center now uses roughly a third of the city's total water supply, a figure that only became public after a lawsuit forced disclosure.
Eastern Oregon
Groundwater already high in agricultural nitrates was concentrated by cooling to up to eight times Oregon's safety limit, then applied to nearby farm fields.
Cheyenne, WY
A rare bacterium and cooling chemicals (including propylene glycol) entered wastewater, forcing two reclamation plants offline for months. Independent testing confirmed potable water stayed clean.
Northern Virginia
Over 300 data centers collectively used close to 2 billion gallons in 2023, a 63% increase from 2019 (EESI).
Ohio
A proposed general permit could streamline data-center discharge into surface waters that also serve as drinking-water and agricultural sources.
None of these stories mean data centers are inherently harmful to water supplies. Many facilities operate responsibly and within their permits. But they show that both the volume of water used and the chemistry of water discharged can create challenges for communities that share the same water systems.
How both sides connect to your tap:
On the consumption side: When a single industrial user takes 10% to 30% of a municipal system's daily output, the system operates with less margin. That pressure can disturb sediment in aging pipes, reduce disinfection effectiveness, and increase the risk of contaminant intrusion. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives U.S. drinking water infrastructure a C-minus grade, meaning many systems were already stretched before any new industrial demand. And rate increases to fund upgrades are typically shared across all ratepayers.
On the discharge side: Data center wastewater can reach residential supplies through several pathways: direct discharge to rivers and lakes used as source water, discharge to municipal systems not equipped for the chemical profile, groundwater contamination where wastewater is applied to land, and reuse programs that return treated water to reservoirs or aquifers. The common thread: this chemistry is one most existing infrastructure wasn't built to process.
Both sides compound during heat. Cooling demand rises in hot weather, exactly when municipal systems are already at peak strain and source water is most vulnerable to algal blooms and seasonal contamination. Not every homeowner will feel these effects directly; impact varies by location, utility capacity, and proximity to large industrial users. But the trend of rising demand and new categories of discharge is documented and accelerating.
The building of these centers comes in Phase one at site preparations. In phase two the core and shell are placed with around 500 to 1,000 workers. This could contain a 1500 man camp with a lot of excess services unknown to the community.
“There is very unlimited information about these data centers and what benefits come to the community,” said Eilert. “We are asking you commissioners to place a 3 year hold on data centers in our county for these reasons.
Other counties such as Saline, Harvey, Sedgwick, Kingman, McPherson, Jackson, etc. have placed these types of mormartoriam’s to their counties and we are asking to do the same.
“We are asking for this to protect our communities until further knowledge is received.”
“We appreciate your approach on this issue with all the unknowns and in which direction it would take us,” said Commissioner Eberle. “I am in the same boat as you are. We need more available research.”
One of the County Planning commission members stated that the one common denominator to those receiving data centers is inability to fight back on them with the low populated areas that are in need for revenue.
The county has no zoning plans put in place which could allow data centers to come in.
“Who pays, who receives the benefits, who receives the burdens.”
The county will not be protected until a moratorium is put in place.
The commissioners agreed to talk with KCAMP and to make a resolution for a mormartoriam to go to the attorney for approval in a quick matter.
“We feel three years is a happy medium to see what these data centers are all about,” Eilert said.
The commissioners will review this issue through looking at what other counties are doing in years and otherwise. This issue will also be discussed at the four county meeting being held in Beloit on Sept. 14, 2026.
– Missy McGinnis, EMS, reported that they have hired Chelsi Annett to work part time on bookkeeping for them. McGinnis ended up balancing for the month of July after a recoupment issue during the last meeting. There are still some errors but it takes time and will be fixed.
The EMS has received a new ambulance and is waiting for an inspection and it will stay in Beloit.
A Lift Assistance issue discussed the abuse of being called to some residences several times that are not transported.
A protocol is being looked at, that other counties use, that states if you go three times or more and they refuse transport, they will be billed.
EMS received another contractor bid for $101,00 on the building cleanup.
– David Dohe, Emergency Management, spoke about starting a Safety Committee with the appointing a Claims Administrator (an HR person) who will be selected by the commissioners. The department heads will then select six individuals (can’t be elected officials) and one to two At Large personal(s).
Dohe spoke about the MC Emergency Operations Plan which will be a base plan on how the county responds to incident.s This affects health driven incidents. Approval on this plan is being asked for approval.
– Cortney Murrow, County Health, announced they have switched their medical officer to Dr. You. The new EMS officer is Dr. Banker.
