Special Committee of the Whole - Sep 28 2026

The City of Clinton, Iowa, Special Committee of the Whole met September 29, 2026 (the meeting title references September 28) to review proposed zoning ordinance provisions for data centers, with hyperscale facilities a central concern. The committee discussed data-center size classifications and definitions for site area, building area, and designed electrical load; development-plan requirements; setbacks and screening near residences; noise studies and mitigation; and water use and cooling standards. A motion to add the three definitions was approved. Members also agreed to remove a reference to special-use regulations and revise setback and landscape-buffer language. On cooling, the committee opted to remove the newly added, detailed heat-rejection provisions and return to the prior language, with further review possible.

The discussion addressed development agreements for infrastructure or site-specific requirements, but the council left the agreement requirement discretionary rather than making it mandatory for hyperscale projects. Members also discussed road use and construction timing, water monitoring, noise enforcement (including a stated city-code maximum of $1,000 per day), and concerns about impacts on nearby homes and livestock. The committee planned to have the edits reviewed before a future public hearing; no hearing date was set during this meeting. No contract awards, vendor selections, purchasing decisions, or budget allocations were identified.