LV COUNTY KS 2026-09-30

Leavenworth County Board of County Commissioners meeting (September 30, 2026; meeting metadata is dated October 1 UTC) focused primarily on proposed zoning standards for large and “hyper” data centers associated with Project Blue Stem. Commissioners and staff discussed development-agreement controls for water use and wastewater treatment, publicly reported energy, water, and noise data, backup-generator use, renewable-energy sourcing within the Southwest Power Pool, enforcement penalties, and how the public could comment on development agreements. The discussion referenced a previously authorized, qualifications-based engagement of the law firm transcribed as “Cout Rock” for data-center legal services and a developer’s $450,000 contribution toward third-party consultant and legal-review costs; no new contract award or spending approval was made at this meeting.

A motion to return the proposed standards to the Planning Commission for further consideration passed 4–1. The requested review included additional public-hearing consideration and reconsideration of nuclear-generation provisions, data-center categories, averaging of noise limits, and reclamation requirements. Commissioners also discussed strengthening development-agreement language and safeguards; staff and counsel explained that agreements would come to the Board for public discussion and approval, while contract negotiations themselves would not be conducted in a public hearing. The Board separately considered appointments to the building code appeals board, but a motion for an additional appointment failed for lack of a second, leaving the board short of a functional membership.