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Record of Proceedings

Winchester City Commission Meeting: Data Center Moratorium, Awards, and Ordinances (Sept 1, 2026)

Board of Commissioners Meetings — Tuesday, September 1, 2026
BodyWinchester, Kentucky
SessionBoard of Commissioners Meetings
DateTuesday, September 1, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 42:21

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Set me into place.

1:46

One that please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, which will be led by Rob Jeffries, our planning and zoning director.

1:53

Rob, if you'll come forward, and following that we'll have our invitation led by Mike Flynn, our interim city manager.

2:07

And so we're just nation under God.

2:17

Thank you.

2:19

Father, we come to you tonight.

2:21

Thank you for the good day that you've given us now as we look at the business of the city.

2:25

God direct us as we make decisions.

2:27

We pray for those who provide protection to our community, those that provide services, may you bless them, bless the members of our community, those that are sick this evening, uh be with the elderly and those that uh are dealing with the extreme heat.

2:41

May you watch over them and keep them safe during this time.

2:44

We love you and we thank you for all it's in Jesus' name.

2:47

I make my prayer.

2:48

Amen.

2:49

Please be seated.

2:53

We'll officially call the meeting to order.

2:56

I do want to excuse Commissioner Cox this evening.

2:59

He is out on a family matter, and he will not be with us.

3:04

Also, I would like to offer the city of Winchester's condolences to our grant writer, Alicia Martin, who just lost her father-in-law, um, Wayne Martin, and also to remember the family of Wes Harris.

3:19

He's 49 years old, and uh he was the uh chair of our industrial development authority and he passed away suddenly this week.

3:28

So uh just keep those folks in your prayers, please.

3:31

Okay, we've got all the order, and the first item will be a presentation from Palmer Engineering, and I'm assuming that presentation is to the commission.

3:40

Yes.

3:40

Okay, Josh, you're up.

3:43

Good evening.

3:44

Uh I wanted to be here today to uh sort of form and present a an award that the high side project received.

3:54

Um the American Society of Highway Engineers is an organization of professional engineers dealing with transportation specifically, and every year they have a project of the year uh award they do where you can apply into one of two categories, either ten million dollars in under construction costs or over ten million.

4:14

Um I'm a part of the bluegrass section, which is based outside of the Lexington region, and I submitted the high side project thinking you know, it's great project, it's beautiful, and I think that our section members thought so as well.

4:27

We had some competition.

4:28

Uh but after our section members voted, they really enjoyed seeing the uh improvements to the uh the ADA facilities, the display facilities, uh the beautification, uh the ideas with the retaining wall and everything that we did down there, and we ended up winning.

4:45

And we will now go on to compete at the Great Lakes region, which is for Ohio, Michigan, a lot of places where North here against other sections, and they're $10 million under winners.

5:00

So of course, we are very thankful for the mayor and commissioners for the dedication uh to the project and for giving us the opportunity to help design and help do the construction process.

5:13

Uh, but I wanted to bring a trophy that the section bestowed us uh down here to the city for you all to have.

5:20

Thank you.

5:22

Yeah, I didn't get a trophy in sports, so I'm gonna get a trophy in this map.

5:34

So thank you all so much, Palmer Engineering Stephen, the president of Palmer is here this evening with us as well.

5:40

And uh that means a whole lot.

5:42

Thank you all very much.

5:44

Now, before we go any further, I just want to say to you folks tonight, thanks for being here.

5:49

Um we thank you for having opinions for heavy things for helping this community for looking out for expressing yourself, and it really is.

5:57

You may not think it's appreciated, but it is, and I want you to know that before another word is said.

6:02

So at this time I will ask Rob Jeffries, who is our planning and zoning director to come forward and talk about data center zoning.

6:14

All right, okay.

6:16

So there is two letters that were presented to the city commission.

6:20

Uh the first letter was from the school council for the planning commissioner's name is Mr.

6:24

Bobby Golett.

6:26

And what that is in response of is at the September Planning Commission, I'm sorry, after the August planning commission meeting, um, it was briefly discussed that there's nothing in our zoning ordinance pertaining to data centers, and that has been on you know, numerous um you know it's it's been something that has been heard throughout the state of Kentucky and throughout the nation.

6:46

And so um, we wanted to make sure that if anybody were to call our office and pursue an application for data centers that we would know what to do, what to say.

6:55

Currently, our zoning ordinance is quiet.

6:57

And um, so that is what was presented to the city commission as uh to quote Mr.

7:04

Gold, he says in the letter.

7:06

Um the planning commission chair drops concerned that the lack of any zone for these facilities without there being a data center moratorium or band in place places any further applications and troubling legal wires, and so as I said earlier, there's nothing in the ordinance that prohibits, there's nothing in the ordinance that permits, and so want to make sure that we're prepared.

7:26

And so after that was sent to the city commission, and uh my office is some research to see what other surrounding and nearby communities have done.

7:34

Uh in the letter written to the city commission by staff by myself.

7:38

Um this shows that Lexington Pay County in June of 2026 passed them a moratorium in effect until October 31st, 2026.

7:46

Nicholasville slash Justin County in August passed the six-month moratorium.

7:51

Madison County in June of 2026 passed a six-month moratorium and increased it to increase it in July to a full year for sales in December, passed the moratorium uh in effect until December 31st, 2026.

8:07

Uh Georgetown uh in July passed the moratorium back until December 31st, 2026.

8:13

Nelson County has one for a year.

8:15

London, the city of London in August passed one for a two-year moratorium, and then we'll Jefferson County uh in August past the six-month moratorium.

8:23

And so we we see a lot of uh communities that are near having a moratorium in place, and right now we currently do not have one.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Technology and Innovation███████████████████████████████████████39%
Public Engagement█████████████████████████████29%
Procedural██████████████14%
Water And Wastewater Management███████7%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Personnel Matters████4%
Land Use Planning███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Winchester City Commission Meeting: Data Center Moratorium, Awards, and Ordinances (Sept 1, 2026)

The Winchester City Commission met on September 1, 2026, at an unspecified evening time. Commissioner Cox was excused for a family matter. The meeting included a presentation from Palmer Engineering regarding a project award, a discussion and vote on a one-year moratorium on data centers, several routine ordinances and orders, and public comments predominantly opposing data center development. All votes were unanimous.

Presentation: Palmer Engineering High Side Project Award

  • Joshua from Palmer Engineering announced that the High Side project received the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) Bluegrass Section "Project of the Year" award in the under $10 million category. The project will now compete in the Great Lakes region. A trophy was presented to the city. Mayor and commission expressed gratitude.

Data Center Moratorium Discussion and Vote

  • Rob Jeffries, Planning and Zoning Director, presented a letter from Planning Commission Chair Bobby Golett noting that the zoning ordinance is silent on data centers, which creates legal uncertainty. Staff researched surrounding communities and found that several (Lexington-Fayette, Nicholasville-Jessamine, Madison County, Georgetown, Nelson County, London, Jefferson County) have enacted moratoriums of six months to two years. Jeffries recommended a moratorium to allow time for public hearings, community input, and ordinance development, also noting the state legislature will address the topic in January 2027.
  • Mayor made a motion to enact a one-year moratorium on data centers, citing concerns about water rates, electric rates, environmental impacts, and other unknowns. Commissioner Strode seconded. The motion passed unanimously (4-0) via roll call (Commissioner Cox absent).
  • Mayor encouraged public to contact state Senator Greg Elkins regarding state-level action.

Consent Calendar (Routine Approvals Passed Unanimously)

  • Ordinance First Reading: Ad valorem tax on motor vehicles and watercraft for calendar year 2027. (Motion by Toole, second by Chenault; voice vote.)
  • Ordinance Second Reading (Roll Call): Annexation of 6.47 acres on Kentucky 627 (property being developed south of the golf course). (Motion by Strode, second by Chenault; roll call: Strode yes, Mayor yes, Toole yes, Chenault yes.)
  • Order 6A: Declaring certain city property obsolete and surplus. (Motion by Toole, second by Chenault; voice vote.)
  • Order 6B: Engineering services agreement amendment with Palmer Engineering for the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge replacement project. (Noted that the current bridge cannot support fire truck loads, requiring a longer response time for Strode Station/Baker area. Motion by Chenault, second by Strode; voice vote.)
  • Order 6C: Accepting property at 34 Melbourne Street. (Motion by Toole, second by Chenault; voice vote.)
  • Order 6D: Authorizing permanent closure of Westwood Circle. (Motion by Strode, second by Chenault; voice vote.)
  • Personnel 7A: Reclassifying Andrew Miller from part-time to full-time single-role paramedic. (Motion by Chenault, second by Strode; voice vote.)
  • Personnel 7B: Employing Juliet as a single-role paramedic. (Motion by Toole, second by Chenault; voice vote.)
  • Personnel 7C: Appointing Matthew Knox as city clerk. (Motion by Mayor, second by Toole; voice vote.)

Public Comments (General – Not on Agenda)

  • Misty Gay (1610 Kevin Creek Road): Supported a one-year moratorium but urged a two-year moratorium to study infrastructure. Cited Winchester Municipal Utilities' (WMU) 2022 water shortage advisory, current water production (avg. 4.18 million gallons/day, peak 5.3 MGD, treatment plant capacity 9 MGD), and annual production of 1.54 billion gallons. Noted ongoing sewer line investments. Argued data centers could place excessive demand on water and electricity. Called for ordinances addressing water, noise, heat, emergency response, and long-term costs before allowing data centers.
  • Douglas Hancock (2492 Mile Road): Opposed data centers due to rising energy costs, noise, air/light pollution, excessive water consumption, and lack of economic benefit. Expressed concern about private deals being made without public knowledge and called for a public vote.
  • Minda Connor Kugel: Ditto to previous comments; opposed data centers.
  • Tammy Jane Gillum: Demanded citizen voice and transparency, stating residents deserve a meaningful seat at the table before decisions. Warned elected officials against ignoring the will of the people.
  • Pete Lynch (Lexington, University of Kentucky politics professor, candidate for U.S. Congress – 6th District): Supported a two-year moratorium. Proposed five policies to effectively ban data centers: (1) require developers to pre-pay for infrastructure upgrades, (2) cap data centers at 10,000 sq ft or 10 MW from grid, (3) require 1,500-foot buffer from homes/schools/farms, (4) ban water for cooling (use fans only), (5) impose strict nighttime noise limit of 35 decibels and ban continuous generators/gas turbines. Invited commissioners to a candidate forum on AI and Flock cameras at Hannah McClure Community Center on September 16, 2026, 6–8 PM.
  • Jesse M. (unclear surname): Supported extending moratorium to two years. Expressed opposition to data centers in Winchester.
  • Robin Kunkel: Supported two-year moratorium, citing Lexington's experience. Raised concerns about water use, air/noise pollution, loss of farmland, and short-lived construction jobs. Questioned Flock cameras' potential link to data storage expansion.
  • JC Wilmouth (148 Million Drive): Spoke in favor of data centers, noting they are similar to distribution centers but with fewer trucks. Mentioned closed-loop cooling systems that do not use water, and that former power plant sites could be repurposed to supply electricity. Acknowledged data centers require significant power but argued they can be regulated. Advised the commission to visit existing data centers in Columbus, Atlanta, etc., and set a clear study agenda during the moratorium.
  • Chris Campbell (third-party candidate for Kentucky): Recommended a two- or three-year moratorium to accumulate and analyze data. Referenced his experience in steelworking and union mill work, arguing data centers degrade the environment, overconsume utilities, and lower property values. Opposed economic development at the expense of residents.

Key Outcomes

  • Data Center Moratorium: A one-year moratorium on data centers was enacted (unanimous 4-0). The planning commission will study zoning regulations and hold public hearings.
  • Annexation Approved: 6.47 acres on KY 627 annexed into the city (unanimous roll call).
  • MLK Bridge Replacement: Engineering services amendment approved to address fire truck weight limitations.
  • Personnel Actions: Andrew Miller reclassified, Juliet hired as paramedic, Matthew Knox appointed city clerk.
  • All other consent items passed unanimously.
  • Next Steps: Planning staff will develop data center regulations; public hearings to be held during the moratorium; candidate forum on AI data centers scheduled for September 16, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Set me into place. One that please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, which will be led by Rob Jeffries, our planning and zoning director. Rob, if you'll come forward, and following that we'll have our invitation led by Mike Flynn, our interim city manager. And so we're just nation under God. Thank you. Father, we come to you tonight. Thank you for the good day that you've given us now as we look at the business of the city. God direct us as we make decisions. We pray for those who provide protection to our community, those that provide services, may you bless them, bless the members of our community, those that are sick this evening, uh be with the elderly and those that uh are dealing with the extreme heat. May you watch over them and keep them safe during this time. We love you and we thank you for all it's in Jesus' name. I make my prayer. Amen. Please be seated. We'll officially call the meeting to order. I do want to excuse Commissioner Cox this evening. He is out on a family matter, and he will not be with us. Also, I would like to offer the city of Winchester's condolences to our grant writer, Alicia Martin, who just lost her father-in-law, um, Wayne Martin, and also to remember the family of Wes Harris. He's 49 years old, and uh he was the uh chair of our industrial development authority and he passed away suddenly this week. So uh just keep those folks in your prayers, please. Okay, we've got all the order, and the first item will be a presentation from Palmer Engineering, and I'm assuming that presentation is to the commission. Yes. Okay, Josh, you're up. Good evening. Uh I wanted to be here today to uh sort of form and present a an award that the high side project received. Um the American Society of Highway Engineers is an organization of professional engineers dealing with transportation specifically, and every year they have a project of the year uh award they do where you can apply into one of two categories, either ten million dollars in under construction costs or over ten million. Um I'm a part of the bluegrass section, which is based outside of the Lexington region, and I submitted the high side project thinking you know, it's great project, it's beautiful, and I think that our section members thought so as well. We had some competition. Uh but after our section members voted, they really enjoyed seeing the uh improvements to the uh the ADA facilities, the display facilities, uh the beautification, uh the ideas with the retaining wall and everything that we did down there, and we ended up winning. And we will now go on to compete at the Great Lakes region, which is for Ohio, Michigan, a lot of places where North here against other sections, and they're $10 million under winners. So of course, we are very thankful for the mayor and commissioners for the dedication uh to the project and for giving us the opportunity to help design and help do the construction process. Uh, but I wanted to bring a trophy that the section bestowed us uh down here to the city for you all to have. Thank you. Yeah, I didn't get a trophy in sports, so I'm gonna get a trophy in this map. So thank you all so much, Palmer Engineering Stephen, the president of Palmer is here this evening with us as well. And uh that means a whole lot. Thank you all very much. Now, before we go any further, I just want to say to you folks tonight, thanks for being here. Um we thank you for having opinions for heavy things for helping this community for looking out for expressing yourself, and it really is. You may not think it's appreciated, but it is, and I want you to know that before another word is said. So at this time I will ask Rob Jeffries, who is our planning and zoning director to come forward and talk about data center zoning. All right, okay. So there is two letters that were presented to the city commission. Uh the first letter was from the school council for the planning commissioner's name is Mr. Bobby Golett. And what that is in response of is at the September Planning Commission, I'm sorry, after the August planning commission meeting, um, it was briefly discussed that there's nothing in our zoning ordinance pertaining to data centers, and that has been on you know, numerous um you know it's it's been something that has been heard throughout the state of Kentucky and throughout the nation. And so um, we wanted to make sure that if anybody were to call our office and pursue an application for data centers that we would know what to do, what to say. Currently, our zoning ordinance is quiet. And um, so that is what was presented to the city commission as uh to quote Mr. Gold, he says in the letter.

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