City Council - Special Meeting

You want me to say something now? Something something right now? Can you hear me? Something something something. Marty said something. Some something something. But you can hear me.

You can hear me? You can do I'm doing good. How are you doing?

You can hear me quite well, I'm sure. [laughter] Okay. I'm not sure. Thank you.

All right. It's already What to do with the baby?

Sherry Cheney. did handsome as he wanted to be. Wait a minute. Hello.

Sherry Shane. Sherry Cheney. Testing. Testing. You got it.

A minute. Good evening and welcome to the City of Hampton May and City Council special call meeting for January the 15th, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. held held here in the council chamber at 17 East Main Street, South Hampton, Georgia. At this time, I'm going to call the meeting to order and we will move directly into new business, which is agenda item two. Go into agenda item 2. A council discussion on a 120day moratorum on data centers within the city of Hampton city limits.

Discussion.

Hi. Good evening. How are you? I'm well, thank you. [laughter] I had a question. Yes, ma'am. How many are we willing to accept? No other falling under.

So, um to answer the question, I believe that you're you're um stating the city community development department doesn't designate restrictions on how many um businesses come in. Currently the city has um Equinex that is permitted off a site Parkway. Um we have a project off for Lower Woolsley that's um currently permitted as a shell building. There is um I don't have any information that a data center is going to be built in there or who's coming, but it's a shell building that's permitted with the land disturbance permit. they have communicated to us that they believe it's going to be a data center, but I'm not privy to information like I have with Equinex and then the conditional use permit that was approved by BA mayor and council for Henderson Farms. So those three sites so we don't have or we don't do our own um deep dive as to say well we can only handle x amount of data centers based on water electrical utilities to say we can't data center. So with any use with the city, we evaluate infrastructure availability and how that impacts the city's infrastructure related to transportation, a lot of items. So to your point as far as data centers go, data centers now have a provision at the Atlanta Regional Commission if they exceed a certain threshold in those requirements, they have to go for development of regional impact reviews. So, I haven't gotten in

all the weeds on what the new regulations are, but if somebody came in tomorrow with a data system and permit, I would certainly make sure that the city manager knew that we received something that staff is evaluating it related to ARC's requirements for DRRI reviews, and we would do a summary email, which we have correspondence that's in the past with city manager on what's going on and what's being developed.

That's so how the the organization of the city set up the community development department reports to the city manager. So in regard to sharing what projects we have going on, we have begun and have in the past during public hearings and regular council meetings presented projects that are ongoing. But other than us communicating with the city manager on what's going on, we don't have consistent dialogue with mayor and counsel. So on the um do you have their application because we never saw their application

just like you you haven't seen many development applications because it's not part of our ordinance for you to review. So we need to look at changing our Yep. If that's what you guys want to do. Yes, ma'am.

Okay. And so you had the application. the applicance [clears throat] that they adopted recently. So for the Henry County Water Authority and the city of Hampton, we have a comprehensive plan agreement that addresses that mega user on the water and and it has even more requirements than just a letter from the county saying you have availability. That's not part of our comprehensive plan. So what they recently adopted whether or not mayor and council wants to try to amend our current comprehensive plan for the that to be included it's not included. So if the city has a project, just like today I re received an email from Henry County Water Authority and their engineer had deferred somebody to me because they were trying to do a project in the city and so they relayed email to them that they need to talk to us because we are the provider. They're not a mega user and they don't have to have a letter from the Henry County Water Authority or anything like that. Anytime the 100,000 is a requirement, we are engaged with our comp plan and we have to engage with the and we do and have with the Henry County Water Authority and they require a modeling study. They require many things that is part of our agreement.

Did they come in? Absolutely they did.

Yes, we did. I understand that's what was shared. No one knew about the city that should have been handled by the development target and we still don't Like I said, that's not signing 300 million.

I'm sure didn't forever. So, I'm pretty nec They're only come up.

Um um what I wanted to share with you is Equinex is here tonight and you can ask them direct questions. And just to clarify, the city manager doesn't report to me. He he's you're his boss. Manager was not here on Tuesday, right? And I understand that. And that's

not the plan to they came to um my so any development plan in the city any development plan comes through community development community development has steps outlined in the ordinance. The first step is that every development has to be reviewed as a concept plan to ensure it meets our zoning requirements.

And then and then it goes through our city engineer for review if it has no ma'am pond and company and then it goes to EPD if it needs to if it's disturbed more than 50 acres. Georgia Sor water if Henry County water authorities providing water they review it. So there's the only thing that planning and zoning reviews is planning and zoning setbacks and such. So I just want to qualify the process for the council when we receive development plans. It is a multi-layered review and then once everybody's approved it then it's scheduled for a pre-construction meeting. Okay. I totally understand.

Yes ma'am. My understand hey what's going So can Mr.

Well, let me clarify for one minute. When you say I have a seat at the table in our comprehensive plan, it clearly says that those discussions they want to have with our engineer. So our engineer was there. I did not add or speak at the meeting at all. Let me finish to the point that the last meeting that I was part of, I actually stood up and said I or not stood up but shared as a woman in the meeting, the only woman, I felt like I wasn't heard or engaged to the point that I just want you to understand when you say I have a seat at the table, I'm there to listen because I do take my job seriously as far as upholding and course and the ordinance that you guys have adopted and when I'm at those meetings in addition to the comp plan with the water authority I was very engaged in that draft of that document. So they wanted me there when we discussed these things with Henry County Water Authority.

Okay. So you may not with the exception of the mayus. So, can you come up?

Well, I'm going to say this one last thing before you ask Mr. Cornell. Again, I was in the room. I didn't call the meeting. I didn't take notes. And I'm not at liberty to invite you all to come. That was the city manager. and you guys could have come as well. So to infer that I in the expectations what I'm hearing from you is that you believe I should reported to you what was said at that meeting.

I don't believe that it's fair without written minutes of the meeting for you to value someone's opinion other than your staff as well. I'm not saying that we should pertinent.

I I followed my role and reported to the city manager. He did not ask me. You guys If you want that dynamic to change, you need to update the ordinance. So, let let's let's ask the city manager. You asked the city manager. He's your employee, not that's enough. That's enough. Just Wanda. Let's Let's have a seat. Let's have a seat, please. Have a seat. Have a seat, Wanda. Um I'm gonna I'm gonna ask um Mr. Carnell, if you would come to the to the podium at this time. Good evening, mayor, members of the council.

Hey, good evening, uh, Mr. Carell. So, um, there seems to be some confusions about different conversations that have gone on throughout this past year with the Henry County Water Authority. I know I was at one of the meetings uh when we were negotiating our comprehensive plan um and then staff went with your staff and kind of nailed out all of the information according to the comprehensive plan. Am I correct? Yes. Okay. So, and during those conversations, what I'm hearing uh Council Member White Williams asking is that she's trying to find out what was the details of that comprehensive plan um which was approved by the council.

That's not what I'm asking. What I'm asking is did we know that we could not equally Okay. the city of Britain to help fill in that.

Okay. So, let let me let me I'm I'm gonna get started and you can jump in. So, Henry County is always our first source of water. We are always going to look at them first when it comes down to consumption of water or if we want to purchase water. Henry County and this is something that came out of our comprehensive plan. It was something that I was adamant about. Henry County since we have began this relationship. We purchase water. The city of Hampton purchases water from Henry County Water Authority. Then Hampton sells resales water to our customers. So we buy from them and then we sell to everyone else within our boundaries. During this comprehensive plan negotiation, a term came up of mega user because they understood that we there has been conversations throughout the county about data centers or about a mega user period and therefore they wanted to have some language put in it about a mega user. Mega user is anyone over a 100,000 gallons of water at at that is when they start using more than a 100,000 gallons they become a mega user. So, when we spoke with the Henry County Water Authority about water, they gave us some parameters in regards to things that were needed in order to give us a cost estimate on what it would cost to bring their system up to um capacity to be able to deliver. the the study shows a $400 uh I mean $400,000 gallon um

per day

per day um scenario and then the 1.5 million gallon per day scenario. That water model study told Henry County what it is that they needed and what what the upgrades for their system was going to have to be. That number came back at almost 90,000 million dollars. That is what that study produced out of it. The city of Hampton when negotiating or when looking at um this when this data center approached us to actually come within the city limits of Hampton and after speaking with Mr. Carnell. Actually, me and Tony took a trip my first year on the as the mayor. He rode me up to the tower up on 81. We had a discussion about the development that's going on at Talmage Farms and all of the upgrades and things that they were going to have to do and if that was going to even materialize because of the necessary upgrades to the Henry County system that was needed. Am I telling the truth? Did I get anything wrong?

You're correct. But we had no knowledge of a data center at that point.

No, we had no knowledge of a of a data center when you was taking it. But we were talking about this 600 uh home community and how Henry County was struggling or was going to have to put a significant investment into their water system in order to bring water to the far west side on the north side. Now that is that that's my first year in office in office. Me and Mr. Carell took that ride and that is what he explained to me. So with us already knowing that the Henry County Water Authority with this project going on or trying to go on at the Talmage location, the suggestion was made, can we secure water from any other source? It was at that time that we realized that Griffin is a regional provider of water for this area. They they don't just provide it for Griffin or Spalding. They go to all different types of different municipalities and counties. We reached out to them and we started to speak with them about a purchasing of water at that time. It was at that time we got an agreement with Griffin to purchase water to come to Hampton for and what the goal is is for it to activate our entire west side of our cities. We went from four square miles to 10 square miles and the the additional square mileage has no water and sewer pretty much on it. All of that land is on a septic tank. Um we had a mentor road project. That project is on septic and no investment had been made to the far west side of the county pretty much. They the investments just started to happening because we have

decided we wanted to grow in a smart way. Totally correct. Okay. Well well help me. Come on. Desperate I got you up here. Okay. I'm going to fill in the blanks. When we when we took that tour, I I'm not sure if I was privy. We had heard about the town development, but it wasn't really on the table. No, no, no, no. That's not what you told me now. That's not what you told me in our conversation. In our conversation, I said the west side of Henry County, the Hampton area is growing faster than any of the other areas. There is a development that I've heard about this Talmage development. They're going to need water. Mhm.

In order to get water, they're going to have to do just what Equinext did, a feasibility study to determine what improvements are needed to support that development. Right? Then at that time, we did not have the improvements to go over there for Talage. However, in our 30-year CIP plan, I told you we had a lot of projects planned to go over in the Hampton because of a lot of new development that

we had already started that waterline project from Chambers Road up to the tanks. We were getting ready to install that or maybe we had installed it. I don't recall. But anyway, we got uh in that plan, the 2020 plan, we already had improvements. This 2025 plan, we got even more improvements based off of population. So whenever a development comes in that is not planned for such as the Tail farm or any other large scale development, they have to do a feasibility study, see what those improvements are. We did one for Tail Farms. It was $300 million worth of sewer improvements for that development and $82 million worth of improvements for the water improvements. They were sticker shop. So that's why they're in conversation now county water authority to see if it's a cheaper option for them.

Okay. But coming back to Hampton. Okay. Wait, but wait a minute.

Almage Farm is currently in negotiations with Clayton County to get water from Clayton County, even though it's going to be a Henry County development. Yes. Because the sticker shop, the the amount of infrastructure that is going to be needed to bring water to them to that development is astronomical. And so they feel like that they could probably negotiate a better deal with Clayton County. That is where that is where and that is exactly where we're at in Hampton. So in Hampton, what we did was when the Yes, it is. It's exactly where we're at. We're we're exactly that. We got you Griffin because the pricing of the Henry County Water Authority and the unavailability and I'm going to say unavailability based on your study. The 1.5 is what you told me was your max that you could give me willing to give.

That you were willing to give. That's right. That you were willing to give. And I said to you, we need five million gallons. How much of it can you give me? That's that was our conversation. How much can you give me? This was before to determine that and we had not done us. That's right. So that's how we got to the 1.5. And I said, "Well, Henry County cannot give us all of the water that we need in order to activate or they are unwilling to give us all of the water that we need to activate. So we need a new partner." And that new partner was Griffin. Did they give you the price or how much it's going to take to get it from Griffin to

So So let let's let's let's go. Let's all the way go. Let's go. Let's go get it. Okay. So, let me explain to you guys. So, we went and got a water purchase agreement from Griffin. This water purchase agreement gave us a lower rate than what we It was not lower rate. No ma'am. By the time this 5 million gallons start pumping to us, we will be paying a lower rate to Griffin on this agreement that we have. How do you know what our agreement is? I I I have How do you know just gave me a copy of it?

The rate is going to rate for Henry County Water Authority was then and now cheaper than the rate that Griffin told you. Now Griffin got projected rates in there. The more you use, the cheaper it it'll go. Now, that's the cost of using the water, but to get the water from Griffin,

okay, we we haven't gotten there. We ain't got there yet. We we are in we got our water purchase agreement from Griffin because Griffin said we are a regional provider and we can give you the 5 million gallons that you need for the west side of your entire city. Not one project but the entire west side because we're trying to activate it. We want it to be an economic engine and hub for our community. We don't want to put all of the growth or all of the things we want to see as far as parks, art, uh, infrastructure. We don't want to put it on the back of our citizens. So therefore, we needed to get a new partner to supply us with water. So we got one, got Griffin. So Griffin has an intergovernmental agreement with Spalding County because and and thank you Jesus. I had a meeting today with Spalding County Water Authority myself. Ain't nobody gotta tell me about it. I had the meeting myself. This is not coming from the former city manager. This is my first time speaking with Mo Mr. Johnson, but I had the meeting along with staff today myself. So, let me give you the report in which I received. So Griffin has an intergovernmental agreement with Spalding County automatic. No matter who they sell it to, the transmitt lines belong to Spalding County and water is produced by Griffin Spalding County. That agreement says that they will allow whoever Griffin sells water to to use those lines with and as and but they are responsible for any upgrades that may that if it impacts their system. So I'm

at Spalding County and I say to Spalding County, I need to know if you're going to supply us with water. They said to me today, "We need a report on volume, on timeline. What is the ask?" Because I haven't received the ask as of yet. I needed to take it to my board in order for them to know what it is that's going on. But we don't have a problem with giving you guys the water that you need. We don't have a problem with as long as you're going to pay for the upgrades to our system, which is not going to be $90 million. and the citizens are not going to pay for this upgrade. I have Equinex in the building with me today because I wanted you guys to be fully aware that Equinex is the one that's going to fit the bill for your infrastructure. So, it's not placed on the back of our citizens. They are going to fit the bill to activate your entire west side of your city and make it better and have a less impact on your bottom line. So I do have them in the building as well. So really, Mr. Carell, his part in this is is null and void at this point in time because because we're not getting water from Henry County for the 5 million gallons. So this was

hold on hold on. See y'all done read emails that don't know what what what you're reading. I spoke to Spalding County General Manager Joseph Johnson today as well and I I speak to him on a fairly regular basis and again I've been having conversations and from what I've learned from him is there's challenges in being able to give the 100 gallons per minute to the equinet site connecting over near the sunnyside tank because it compromises their fireflow system to get the full 3.3 actually it was 5 million gallons a day of water city Griffin needs he told me that there was a study that has not yet been paid for by the city of Hampton that a 24 or 30 inch line will have to go from their water treatment plant that's down by the Southern Crescent Technical College along 1941. He didn't have the cost estimate he said but off the top of my head it's going to be $60 million plus.

Okay. I have a question Mr. Cardell. Can you tell this council why is it that you are so concerned about the city of Hampton's water? I'm concerned in regards to speaking with Griffin and Spalding County about what our deal is because we have interconnections with the Spalding County. They ask us for an emergency connection. The part of the water line we're putting in. What does that have to do with our you said you spoke directly to Joseph today about our deal. You all came to us and requested water availability from us. So when y'all when when that property was reszoned, there was never asked of Henry County Water Authority for for water and and we talked about it, but it's like there has to be a study done, feasibility study,

and it was it was it was done after but it was done after the res of the property. We didn't even know initially that it was a data center. So later when the property did come in, don't do that. Don't do that. Don't do that. Don't don't do that because and the reason I'm saying don't do that is because you and Josh Finn and he and and his board is the one that brought the data center over here to Hampton. It was in the county. Don't sit up there and act like it was that don't have anything to do with me.

It does have something to do with you. If you go back to our municipal meeting that Alex Cohilas offended Mr. Carell at many times. It was then many times that the that was already on the when he offended me. They were there at that time Josh Finn and and Tony Carell was talking about the data center then and let me I'm going help let me go and help everybody. It was outside the county, but then the property owners decided to annex England. Well, I thought Miss Wanda said that property was annexing on Tuesday in 2001.

That's what Miss Wanda said on Tuesday. That that property

or 22 Madam Mayor,

so wait a minute. Uhuh. Because I want everybody here to get a clear understanding of where we're at and what what's going on. Because the truth of the matter, guys, is that the Henry County Water Authority sent Equinex, who is our customer, the city of Hampton's customer, because they're in our territory and in our boundaries, sent them a letter, and I have a copy of it that anybody can get that they are not that the Equinex is going to be their customer. They're just going to make them. That was the option that we gave them. If they want water from us, they're going to be

But they that they not asking from y'all for water. We're asking we're asking I keep telling you that the answer is no. We're not going to sell water directly to the city of Hampton, turn around and sell it to a customer. That's even though that's what we do every day all day long. That's what the water authority does. We do we do that every day. There are exceptions in that. We do that every day. We have for generations. We since the water authority has How many other mega users do you have in in the city?

And and it it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. The whole point is that you I am your customer. The city of Hampton is your customer. And you insist on trying to steal our customer. I have a care if we serve the data center or not.

I No, I got the floor. I got the floor. And on point of order, I'm the one that decide on the point of order. All right. So, what I am saying to you and what I'm saying to the entire city and citizenry that the city of Hampton has a wonderful opportunity to prosper, thrive, and be well taken care of. And when I say and when I say that, I mean by activating the west side of your city so that you can become sustainable like the city of Covetan whose mayor just asked that they relieve property taxes. How they've taken their revenue streams and created opportunities for growth and economic development. So there is a lot of things that can take place and it's not just the data center. is anything that we get on the west side of our community.

That's why we're here. I would be okay. So, wait a minute. You want You want to get 15 targets like Mcdana has? No. Wait a minute. What What do we What are we saying?

Let me finish. I don't have a problem with maybe two, but what I have a problem with is that when things are coming before us for us to vote on and like I said before even if this was before you may no data center that we just found out where I voted to change the zoning I made the motion and I voted twice on the first read and second and Marty, thank you for telling me how I vote. It would have been nice to tell the citizens. That's why we're here.

Okay. Hold on. The reason why we're here is because we don't know. You said you may, but we don't. You You're asking something that we don't know. Hold on. Wait a minute. the disclosure of what it is. You just said you went to a meeting with you on today. That's right. This issue going on today. So now I find it funny that we're here to discuss and we've been asking for answers.

You have not asked me damn time about an answer. You have not. You have when when have you asked me about anything? Wait a minute. No. When have you guys asked me anything? You have not asked me anything about a data center. No, you have not. So, how ironic.

The whole point. Listen, I cannot listen. I cannot read your book and your material for you. I listen to me. I cannot I listen to me. I need I need everybody to understand whenever a zoning matter comes before us. We have a whole book that with information that is provided by staff will be it just tells you the zoning.

Okay. So that is all zoning. So if you I'm going give a good example. I think I got one down on Main Street here going toward Griffin right before Main Street Cumins. I believe there is a M1 um lot on Main Street near Main Street at this time and for as long as I've been here, you can put a sanitation business on M1. All they had would have to do is walk in and say, "I want a sanitation business on this lot because it's already zone M1." It doesn't make a You don't know that council zone way back in the day. We don't know that unless you look at the flume, which is the future land use map, or you look at your comprehensive plan. Those are the things that we have to go by. So that tells you what kind of business or what's being promoted in the city. So if you got commercial zoning, if you got industrial zoning, wherever those are located, you are looking to bring industrial things in those location. Now everybody will tell you

data center has to come back to us. That's the way zoning works, guys. For me, that go back to what I said about a courtesy to the council regardless of what okay just to say, hey guys, we got an application in for a data center. We know there's nothing you can do about it, but we're just telling you, but it doesn't come in like that. That's what Miss Wonder was telling you. It doesn't come it doesn't come in as when

they don't the end user. So if I if I come in and give an application for something, I don't have to tell you what it is. Not not on the first when you first come in, you got to bring the concept and then the concept drawing is what is the place at the point in where you learn what it could possibly be. And most of the time it doesn't tell you this is going to be a data center. It shows you the specs of a building and and what that is and that is what she is evaluating. And so then when do we put these conditions?

So so let me let me say this to everybody too. You usually find out about large industry um because I'm use target for example. you find out what it's going to be when they start talking about the bonds. That's when you really you you you find out this is not just going to be a big warehouse, but this is actually going to be a flow center and it's going to have this equipment in it because now you have to evaluate not just the shell that they tell you about originally and this is why everything is so hush hush. It's just a shell. But now they have to evaluate the inside of the building. All of the equipment that goes in it, every piece that's there, that is usually when that comes to us. You guys are asking for information that we um project Archer was Project Archer for a thousand years. It was forever because let me let me This I know because it changed about four different times on what it was going to be. One time a Hershey and Mars people were going to come. Another time a battery company was going to come. They finally the land owners the developers landed on what was going to be there. So that is the reason we don't have that information.

So then when is the supposed to get updated for us to know what is happening?

Okay. So I think Miss Wanda was trying to explain to everybody about the process. This process every every uh regional impact requires if it it and it has a threshold it has criterias and when it hits it it automatically has to go to the state. Everybody I'm I'm gonna bring somebody up here in a few minutes. Okay. uh once it hits that three threshold that says this project has to go to the state department to be evaluated on the impact is going to have on a region at that time they send it to to Dr. I mean to the state. The state weighs in on it. They make the determination. Oh, and they don't they're not telling you that you can't, but what they Let me make sure I'm saying it right, Miss Wanda. They don't tell you that you can't. What they what they do is make a recommendation on what kind of impact is going to have on your community and what would be some outfalls if you were to accept such a project. So, I know everybody don't understand the these processes that you guys might that we might be going through, but the city of Hampton has been doing this. Miss Wanda got 30 years underneath her belt, and for some reason now her word means absolutely nothing. I do have

Okay, one second.

Was that the November meeting? Mm-m. No, that was back in it had to be at the beginning closer to the beginning of the year because [music] our comprehensive plan of of 25. Our comprehensive plan expired in 2024, I believe, and we were without one for many months with the with the Henry County Water Authority. Now, we could ask Mr. Carell, how many other cities have a comp plan with the water authority? How how many how many other cities have you had this type of negotiations with? Um I'm gonna have a mayor's meeting, but I ain't had one yet. I'll be glad to ask. Let me finish my question.

See you asking me something now. ask. Uh well, yeah. Um um guys, I think let my whole do why don't you say as the mayor to your council, hey, even though you don't know, but I've got that happening or that is happening. That application had to come in years ago.

Okay. So, let me let me tell everybody in the in the whole building this too. Let me tell you what I don't do. I am the mayor of the city of Hampton. Okay? As the mayor of the city of Hampton, it is my job to make sure that we are effective and efficient when being ran. We have a former government that says we have a city manager that runs daytoday operations. We are a policy board. Okay. So when when we get our agenda book, my thought is that everybody done read the material got I I have had an open door policy from day one. I told every exception of I might have did tell all of them that I met with if they wanted to come and talk with me about anything, ask me any question, they were more than willing to come and do that. I don't I don't recall ever meeting with council member White Williams or council member Desane. Not one time in the two years and this is the third year that they have been on the board. Now it may have been one time that I have I'm saying in regards to the agenda book on the agenda

as councilwoman White Williams said that agenda book doesn't give you any details to say to come and ask a question about

Hold on. That's not the truth because all of my other council members, council member Bryant who is currently sitting in the audience, Council Member Meeks who's still on the council, and Council Member Turner every single month met with me about questions that they had about their agenda. A whole list of questions that some of the time. So they were proactive in finding out the information that they needed to find out to answer the question to you for a meeting. We didn't do our homework. That's not it. We had a city manager that was not transparent.

That's not true. You're not going to put that on Alex. You're not going to put that on Alex. What do you mean not transparent? Everything that everything that Alex has done has been transparent. What are you talking about? Transparent about what? Everything. What? Be be explicit. What? Um, can I can I Uh-uh. Uh-uh. Have a seat. Have a seat. Have a seat. He has not been transparent. You You keep saying that, but you you guys are making accusations, but you you don't have any examples. You don't have any proof. You have not. What is it?

So, Alex told us that, oh, we are going to supply Equinex with water, sell them water, and we're going to make what he said of money. selling all this water to Equinex when he didn't even know he was if he could get the water. Hold on. I I'm going to at this time I'm going to ask Equinex that if if Mr. Matt Sultan, Mr. Scott Green, both of you come forward. Hello. Good evening. Thank you.

Matt, can you introduce yourself? Your company Matt is an is a property owner here in the city of Hampton. And so I wanted him to uh come and introduce himself um and tell us about the project that is actually going on on his on his property.

Okay. Um my name is Matt Sulttus. I'm a senior director with Equinex. Um I am in charge of this project in Hampton. I'm here to answer any questions and I I've heard the questions we were. So when we identified this property. We gave a p, you know, a basic layout of what we were looking to do. There was water. We knew that with water, we're going to need about Scott, I'm sorry, where'd you go? 3.3 million gallons per day at full load. This isn't per building. This is at all four buildings. We were notified on August 13th or 15th of 2024 that um that the city of Hampton could provide us water. The city of Hampton is our water provider. It's not our business on where they get the water from. This is the water we needed. If we couldn't get the water, there could have been a redesign of, you know, water, but we were identified that we could have the water. And

yes, we had a well serve letter. With the city of Hampton, it's the city manager. It was, like I said, the initial one was on August uh 13 of 2024. 2024 and then we got an updated one in 2025. at the beginning.

But I I keep telling y'all that's what you guys want to get back to the Henry County Water Authority. But the Henry County the Henry County Water Authority you guys went there and met with them and asked them well actually we asked them for 99,000 gallons of water and they told us they wait they asked us for 90 we asked for 99,000 gallons of water underneath the mega user. We were told that they could provide us that water immediately but they wanted $3 million. hit the city of no

Henry County almost 100,000 of it because we still couldn't provide No, that's not that's not it. The well served letter stated that you could provide us the 3 million. Actually, you were getting 5 million gallons worth of water from the city of G.

And the reason for the 100,000 gallons was because Equinet is in the middle of building these buildings. they flush their lines and need so much pressure or whatever it is. That's a that's a Matt and somebody else. But so they were going to need and not on a consistent basis the 100,000 gallons a day for those testings of those lines. And so because they wanted it kind of more rapid than what it was going to be brought up from Griffin, that's the reason we went to Henry County. Well, can you at least give us the 99,999 gallons that will keep us up underneath the mega use? And we got the we got the same answer of no, we will not be giving you any water without that $3 million commitment.

Yeah. And it's enough of it. Correct. Yeah.

Yes. Come on. The initial ask from the city of Hampton and Equinex was what can can you provide us the 1.5 million gallons a day of water. So basically you showed us your overall plan. This is what you're asking for from us. So we do the study, we come back with the study and basically say this is what it's going to take to give you 400,000. This is what it's going to take to give you 1.5 million gallons a day. So then the question was, okay, we just want enough to get through construction. We want to come below that threshold of 100,000 gallons per day because that's the language that's in our agreement. And we said no. The reason we said no, just like we would any other development once you show us your overall plan, this is what you're going to do, then okay, this is how much we're going to prepare to serve you. So,

but my comp plan says anything up to 100,000 gallons, you are supposed to provide it to me. That's what my comp plan said. See, you're trying to get them to a mega user and they're not a mega user at 99,999 and they can't. No, you had a study for 1.5. So, if y'all don't want water from Henry County water, I I can go and y'all can figure it out with Equinex. If we got

But we don't we don't That's what I'm I'm telling my council. I'm telling my council this. We have already salt water in another location that we Griffin has already committed to selling us 5 million gallons of water per day. We are currently in the process of getting the agreement with Spalding County Water to get delivery of it. So, and that is for a rush delivery. I need to say that this building is under construction right now and they're starting to go vertical. How are they getting the water now? Had it not been for Henry County Water, they wouldn't be as far as they are now.

I didn't I didn't say that. I didn't I didn't say that because I don't want any I don't want anybody to think that I'm slacking on on Henry County Water. I actually went to Tony and said, "Okay, let let's see."

First of all, I always said to Tony, "How much you can sell me?" That that's been my first thing. But I cannot continue to keep us on hold when my county continues to say no. We can't or we won't. We are unwilling. I needed 5 million gallons a day to activate our city so that we can become sustainable here in the city of Hampton. That five million gallons of water has been solidified with Griffin through the Spalding County line through the Spalding County line.

They they I see that's another thing. I didn't I didn't ask you to come here just like I didn't ask you to come here Tuesday. Yeah. The council some of the council members asked you. You didn't reach out to me and you didn't say that's right. You didn't reach out to me and say, "Hey, your counselor done invited you me to the meeting." I made the I made the I listen to me. I'm I'm getting there. And had it not been for the email, that's how I knew about it. But me and you have had a relationship. Yes.

That's what I'm saying to you. We've had a relationship that you when cuz counsel is not on your level. See, Alex should have been the one reaching out to you. That's the proper way of doing things. And you know that you would never want your board to go over your head. My board is aware of that. The point is is the professionalism that was not taking place. Professional. That's all. That's all I'm saying. You don't want to talk about professionalism.

No. No. If you ask a question because Miss Ch Miss Cheney done asked me a thousand question and I that is not the truth. I have some answers. I was going to say it ain't nothing that Miss Cheney done come to me and ask me that I have not provided an answer for. Everything that she asks me I tell her.

When I ask questions um few nights ago all the time before I ask a question I already know answer. I try to give you the benefit of the doubt to be transparent. That's what we need here in Hampton. And we need to govern together. We got We have to work as a team. We got to work together. This is my first time in this seat. I'm learning a lot, but I'm not going to drive my car to the gas run out. I'm gonna stop some place and get some gas. I'm gonna knock on somebody door and say, "Hey, I don't understand this or I don't understand that. I'm not going to into the wall. I'm going to make sure that that I'm safe. I'm here for the citizens and I'm here to make sure that we don't get stuck with a bad trying to understand what's going on. So, that's why I call. That's why I knock on somebody door.

I ask questions. I ask questions. And I do have a question. Uh, one moment. I do have a question for Miss Wanda Moore. If I could ask her a question. Mayor Ter, she come back. Miss Moore. Huh?

Oh, come on. Come on. Come on, Marty. So, we we f to go there. We going there. Okay. So he's talking about something that his son TJ Meeks posted on Facebook. Okay. Okay. I don't Well, he called the Heision

Oh, yes ma'am. Oh, I got the email. Yes, YOU DO. I GOT IT. YOU GOT IT. THAT'S WHY WE WANTED A paper trail. We wanted a paper trail without Did you guys not That's not That's right. Did you not go get Mr. Co? You and Mr. Turner. Uh, you and Mr. Turner did not go get Alex.

Alice Co. Alice Cohelis went through the entire process. Let me let me explain. Um, Mr. Who's the gentleman that they were going to introduce tomorrow? uh city manager former us. Don't don't play with me because I will produce I will produce the receipts. He was going to be appointed as city manager tonight without going through the process. Me and Marty just found out about it. That's not why we're here. Oh, I know that ain't why we here today. We we we not we're not here for but but the word teammate is what brought it up. That that that that brought it up. Okay, Miss Cheney. Miss Cheney.

Okay. U may I ask Miss Wonder um a question? We've been talking about updated DRRI reviews. Do you all and updated VRI review is a study of the infrastructure, the businesses, the schools in the area, uh traffic so forth and so on. That's just a short version of it because some people may not be aware what a DRRI review consists of. I wanted to ask you who's responsible for the DRRI for filing the DRRI reviews with ARC. Who's responsible for that? The city staff. The city staff. So, who is the city staff? Will you name the city staff? Me.

Okay. So, you're I'm the director. Yes. Okay. So, you're responsible for filing the DRRi reviews that exceed the thresholds. Yes. Okay. With Arc. So with E equinet has an updated DRRI review been done? No has none has been requested by ARC. Okay.

We staff not myself, the city attorney, the city manager at the time. Um and recently um Tiffany was involved in the discussions. ARC reached out to us with regarding Henderson Farms DRRI because it was one that was adopted a long time ago. And so we had discussions with Henderson Farms because um Atlanta Regional Commission had gotten inquiries, had seen um the approval that the mayor and council had for conditional use and um were not aware that the DRRI, we probably weren't aware that it had been annexed because when you do annexations, they report to or we submit those to DCA and the whole process. Um, and so long story short, ARC reached out. They were inquiring about Henderson Farms. We met with them and basically said, "We had these projects already underway."

And they said, "That's fine. However, we want you to go through a DRRI re-review for the new data center and the remaining of Henderson Farms which you didn't have vested or projects underway. Okay. So, that one is going and we're meeting on February 2nd. So part of that discussion, we had that discussion and then they later reached out to us for Equinex because at the time we met with him at Henderson Farms. Equinex was already underway at and it it was zoned in that pot as industrial. So in I didn't have anything to trigger me in my mind to talk to ARC about Equinex at that time because it was part of that approved DRRi. Then Equinex reached out and or uh ARC reached out and said what is Equinex? Is it part of you know that DRRI?

When did Arc reach out to you? because I asked the question December the 9th and yeah, Councilwoman uh Councilwoman Duchain, she sent in for open record request and a 2020 DRR report was sent to her. Yep. Not a updated DR.

And we don't have an updated one for DRRi 3216, which is Speedway Commerce Center, which is where Target is. So, target zoned industrial. It it didn't like cause any kind of interest because it I guess was a use that people were accustom or thought was going to be in there. Staff evaluated um data center use with various ordinances across the state, even emailed Henry County because at the time the DRRI at Rocky Creek was going through and they had advertised it as O and office use. Locust Grove has um data centers designated for office use, commercial, and industrial. And then there's some other jurisdictions that don't indicate it. Our code is a form-based code, just so you're aware. So there are provisions like even um one we had recently for business for dog grooming. It doesn't specifically identify dog grooming under commercial use, but it is um a um responsibility of the zoning administrator to evaluate those uses and to classify them in the zoning district if they're not outright in there. That's what the code says currently. Now, you guys can update that and change it and make it more of a not a form-based code, but that's what it's done now. And so, that's where Equinex as industrial was put. Um, Atlanta Regional Commission, I think, reached out to on the same day as December 10th or 9th, sent me an email and said, "What's going on with Equinex?" I told them just pretty much what we're talking about now. They said um I don't know if they sent in the same email because they were they were

concerned that activity was happening on Henderson Farms in the areas that they said needed to be re-reed and at that time they had indicated that if we were moving forward in Henderson Farms without the re-review that the city could lose its qualified local government status. I sent an email back back and said, "This sounds threatening because you've never picked up the phone and called us to ask us questions. How did you determine that you thought we were doing something outside of what we agreed to on Henderson Farms?" And he said, "Because of people calling him, Facebook, that kind of thing." I said, "Well, that wasn't legitimate information because nothing has happened. The city has not and will not according to what's required for the reere for Henderson." Then we got on the subject with Equinex.

Then we were talking about Equinex. We explained to him that you guys as a mayor and council. So in the interim of all this stuff had adopted a new comprehensive plan that had green infrastructure requirements and different things and staff had brought before you guys to take those ideals of the comprehensive plan and put them as real tactical uh applyable provisions within our code. they were, you know, excited about that. We talked a lot about Equinex and Andrew Smith who is I don't know if his position is over, but he used to do the DRRi, which Don Donald Shocki is still over right now. Andrew Smith weighed in in this meeting. Like I said, Len was a part of, Tiffany, myself, the city manager, Andrew Smith with ARC, and Donald Shaki. They said, "Well, these DRIs, Equinex, because at the time they just knew about Equinex and they were going on it." He goes, "Well, it sounds like it's underway." I said, "Well, wait a minute." I said, "If you guys are concerned about Equinex being on this DPRI and we've had this long conversation, you need to know about Lower Woolsley, which is the other data center." I said, "There's one there, too. That property is zoned industrial and it came in to the city as far as a planning development um as part of the DRRI that was approved in the county in 2018 before we annexed it. In 2018 it was reszoned by the county as industrial. It was actually 800 and something acres that was industrially zoned. that developer came in and he

wanted to do something that was inconsistent with the approved DRRI site plan. I said, "You will have to go to ARC for a DRRI re-review if you refuse to provide the interparial connection, which is a right-of-way dedication that you guys adopted in December because it's inconsistent with the plan." As the mayor shared, ARC provides a findings report to all the studies. Greta is the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. They're the ones that put conditions on the DRRi. The conditions are transportation related and it's usually on attachment A. It's called Greta NOD, notice of decision. Attachment A. Every jurisdiction that submits a DRRI had better adhere to those and agree to implement them or they will lose their qualified local government status. We did in everyone. And even though you guys did not approve the DRRI on Laura Woolsley or on Henderson Farms because that was done a long time ago, staff always make sure and insist that those conditions because it's tied to the DRRi are implemented which specifically address connectivity of that spine road that connects Lower Woolsley to Wilkins Road. They push back so hard and and you can ask them. I said, "I don't care what you do. If you do not do this road, you have to do a

DRRI." They finally they provided me with a additional traffic study supplement. The guys that did the traffic study, the transportation engineers were telling me that they didn't need to do the road. And I and we said as staff, it doesn't matter if you don't have this road. it doesn't meet the same site plan parameters which require that connectivity and access from lower wools to be minimized because of the traffic. Additionally, the building that is being built is 7 and 30,000 7 I'm sorry 730,000 square feet. the approved master plan had a larger building of a million square feet. And again, as I shared, they submitted the land disturbance permit, right? We as staff haven't done this to anybody else, but they say they're going to have a data center there. We are not 100% sure. They have provided water and sewer by Henry County Water Authority. We would not and did not issue that LDP without their approval. Once the LDP is issued, they're moving dirt, but the city required a $650,000 tree bond that we haven't done before. It's a provision in our ordinance because we weren't sure and still aren't sure if they don't move all this dirt and nothing gets built. They're going to have to replant the trees. So, at this point, they have a permit to clear the land to bring the infrastructure and do all the site improvements, but a building permit has

not been issued. It has not been approved. It is under review by the process in the department. And I will tell you, we won't issue a permit for a building until Henry County Water Authority approves it. Henry, they're providing the water and the sewer. Okay. Uh question in reference to the site, the plans. Yes.

For the site, if they're revised, do you send in a request for a new DR? So, like Equinex, the site plan that was approved, again, like the mayor said, ARC doesn't approve a site plan, but the uses, the square footage because they're tied to how the DRRi traffic is evaluated by Greta. So, the DRRi went in and it had 5.2 2 million square ft of industrial for the target DRRi, 330 multifamily units for that DRRi and 75,000 square feet of commercial space. We had a back and forth and Scott actually is the engineer Thomas and Hutton for Equinex on the project. We went back and forth many times about our code has a concurrency requirement for mixed use. Their attorneys wanted us to qualify that and wanted to get a variance from that. And we said you do not need a variance because you have a concurrency requirement based on the DRRi. you the concurrency requirement is you got to have you know the residential the um industrial different uses right then they wanted to know about the a project just in general conforming with the site plan I said yeah you can't move forward until you show the city that the site plan is developed with the same criteria or in the same you know parameters that the original DRRI and that's what they did. You can ask Scott. I was very like it

has to be 546 acres because we had flood planes and creeks and when they got out there to do the survey things kept shifting. It has to have the square footage of for commercial and residential units and show where you're going to do the industrial and then meet the requirements for Greta on the how that parkway is designed was set up by Greta saying what they wanted that parkway entrance was reviewed and permitted by G DOT Georgia Department of Transportation. And so anyway, yes, the site plan didn't have to go back to ARC because the staff's opinion that the uses were the same as was provided to ARC and the original. And now ARC asked staff to send them all of the development data summary for both Equinex and the Lower Woolsley project and they are looking at that to tell me whether or not they think any additional information is needed and I have not heard back from ARC on that information that I sent. Now I'm not data centers. Um, and I know one data center is equivalent per se to 5,000 houses

um, of water use or you just the top, you know, the square footage, not Yeah. Well, the square foot. Yeah. So, it's equivalent to give or take 5,000 um houses. Um, my concern is the school environmental. You know, what what are you You know, I know a lot of these centers are new. Give me some feedback on the schools, the businesses. There's that's a concern.

Well, I certainly appreciate that ask and and so does the state, which is why ARC has adopted new regulations and requirements to see that. Um, I certainly as staff don't want you guys to feel like you're not getting information that is necessary for you to serve the citizenry like you want to. I wanted to share earlier. If you go to our website, I added this recently, the annexation information, you know, how to annex, the types of annexation, that's always been there. If you go to our website, you'll see under planning and zoning, the applications talks about first our formbbased code and what that means and how that's different. And then it has the annexation as far as those applications 100% method. which doesn't require public hearing unless you're reszoning something. 60 um% method, which is what we've experienced recently where you don't have all of the property applicants, you know, filing at the same time. And then it also includes a document from the Georgia Municipal Association. If you click on that, it you will really like it because it has what the Georgia law is like in Georgia code, which is sometimes challenging to, but on the other side, it has in layman's term what that means.

So, it's really cool because when I first started here, we annexed, like I said, the 1900, and that was the first annexation application of that magnitude that I worked on. And Then there's been a lot more. And lastly, and I'll be quiet and I have okay

on the in the code and we share this when new folks come in when we have staff retreats and things like that. In the code in appendix 12, you have zoning, zoning, reszoning, conditional use, tax amendment, that kind of thing. explains it, but it also identifies like for reasonzoning reasonzoning applications need to have these criteria. Our staff report is directly representative of those criteria that y'all have adopted in your code. So, if you go to our website, just where I was saying with applications, go to where it says resoning application, there's a PDF there. I made it That's what I added last week. You just click on it. Instead of having to go to MUN code, it'll pop up that section of code requirement for reszoning. And so those are the criteria that staff provide y'all. It's detailed because it talks about transportation, all of the elements that you guys talking about. So in the staff reports, it's a lot. You guys get a lot of information in short amount of time. I get it. That's why we do those legislative summaries to kind of try to recap and give you a little reader digest in the staff report on every item we bring to you those when you go through the staff report and you see criteria one that comes right from the code. It'll state the code section and then below it it states staff's review and assessment directly related to that. What that does, and attorney can confirm that if you had a situation

where there was an applicant that felt like they did not have their property rights um adequately assessed. You guys have the law and you have your ordinance where you say we have this criteria, these are what it is and you didn't meet them. And that's why the mayor, every time that we have a reasoning, if it has conditions, she has to ask them because it's also in there because you also can add conditions based on the code that's in there. She always says, "Do you agree to these conditions?" That's why she asks it because the minute they say, "Yes, I do." If they come back afterwards and try to sue us because they feel like the conditions are more burdensome, you can say from the minutes from the clerk, "No, that's what you said. You agreed." That's the attorney's win.

Just want to ask one question. Henderson farm. Um, did it require a updated conditional use permit? No, it's review.

No, ma'am. The conditional use that was approved in March in 2025. They have fully they've done um they've com um submitted their $75,000 that was part of the condition for us to do an evaluation on the architectural stylings. They've already invested the monies for surveying. They're proceeding the law. I want you to know and remind you, you weren't here, but part of that conditional use approval, unlike any others, we added in there for y'all because it's a data center, they have to bring the site plan back to y'all for approval.

So, that's a hearing. If they bring the site plan,

it's not a hearing. It's not a hearing. It will be open form and you guys can facilitate that how you wish, but the site plan needs to be back before you. We'll get it first, do a report to say where we believe it meets code, if there's any issues with it, and then we'll bring it to y'all for whatever comments you have. But you'll see it. It was purposeful because we knew that you would want to see it because Miss White Williams, I think Mr. Duchaine and others traveled and visited different data centers. So, we want to make sure what you had in your mind is what you got because that's what you approved and staff wants to make sure just just like every zoning condition. If y'all approve a zoning condition, we never change those. If somebody wants to change them, it has to come back to council for modification of a zoning condition because we uphold what you guys want.

Miss Melissa had a question. I I do um notes as we um started out the conversation and city of Hampton is a council manager form of government and I know Miss Wanda got really into the weeds about her job role and function. I don't think I I can't speak for members of council, but I don't want to get into the weeds of what you do. That's your profession. That's what you do. But I think as a governing member of city council, a simple update will suffice. Just kind of let us know, well, we think this is coming. This is coming. It doesn't have to be indepth staff report. Um it was stated that we don't Well, we're not supposed to understand. We pay staff to do a good job, a professional job for us. They keep us updated. If if you're like me, I work every day. So, I'm going to rely on professional. Keep me updated. That's the requirement of being a professional. you update and we may not ask the question because as it was stated, we don't understand, but the professionals that's paid to be a city administrator that's entrusted with uh impacting our property taxes and things of that nature, our water, our rates, they should be charged to keep the council updated. And it doesn't have to be a very very long staff report. It could just be a simple weekly update, a update on a Tuesday night city council meeting night to say this is what we signed off on. This is what

that's my take. One second, Mr. Mitchell. Get your thing.

Hi. Hi,

I appreciate your service. Continue doing a good job. Um, I sit here and I listen and I understand I understand what each council is talking about and you talking about and for me right now if it's possible in the future in the He had something his photo stated um what coming there what possible coming there I remember in the past each committees have um various areas and the department head would have um notify the council what's going on and the council brought to the council to to the um session and appear that doesn't happen no more so I hope we can go back to that and I want to say thank you for your sir you doing a good job continue and I lost you.

No one is perfect. Don't want to diminish any of your concerns. I just hope that you will identify exactly what it is that you wish and I think the way set up right process. A lot of things you guys ask the best decision. I will say that I feel like I did not provide you information that I hear you

in my mind's eye that I staff report, but one that I felt like those things. understood.

Okay. All right. One second. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You got a followup. Okay. Just make sure um going forward we had information there so so the council can be aware of the situation. It appeared to me that um they don't know and ask question or if they ask question they don't know you know so it became

well I will share I have meetings with ARC and I get emails and things like that we you know had a communication at that point in time it's my assumption and that those things to the as their relationship outperose But we identified the basic things that are going on, permits and things like that. And we have added over the last year um the page with our projects, residential projects and non-residential project. And it has the unit at the bottom total individual for the res. NDA requirements. So

that we had one.

I I do have a question. I know we have secret project names for development. Um this the governing body out of all people should have known every step of the way because they govern it be just like somebody building something in your basement and you don't know about it you know I just think and that's water under the bridge we can't do anything about that something that has happened um we drop the ball for the citizens because they too we work for them and what we know they should know and if we don't know it we can't what we don't know. Um, and we we dropped the ball. I mean, we dropped the ball. I wasn't here, but this this is something that

Yeah, we entrusted an administration to do a job that was failed. Yeah, absolutely agree. Because we don't know. Um, all the information was given. They asking some some great question. They they don't know because they in the dark. Once trust is broken, they're going to pepper you with questions because now they've lost trust because you know they they got a big project coming and I know you were very thorough with your reports. By the way, I created that report. But

yes, so um I'm pretty sure if you go back it's probably there. But you know if you went to a doctor and he put something in that loan report, you would probably to just come out and tell you the diagnosis rather than making you go home and read it. So going forward, please make sure you have any idea in the report. Can I read the report? Project Archer. Project Archer and you know that see these are the the mom and the daddies of the archer. You can tell them what

and I think that's that's part of the reason why we're here to bring trust has been broken.

That's correct. So this meeting about data centers and grant I don't want this I don't want us to have data control but you're saying you are we are bound by We're bound by executive session and any data center whe that's why we reached out to Mr. That's why we reached out to Mr. Johnson, I think that's his name because we don't know. So when you don't tell me what's going on, you leave it open for me to think. So whatever I think is in that box, I'm gonna put it even

Wait a minute. Wait. I think it's if you would direct if you're going to move forward with this in the future that during that time that we address our ordinance specifically for those uses and have certain criteras if you have certain uses it doesn't just have to be data centers. you guys you guys enacted the mortorium on gas stations because it seemed like and you and to that point I I'll validate what y'all saying now staff brought that too y'all or to the attorney saying we're getting a lot I think that it's too much so with the same use for the data centers we staff we didn't know that data center lower woolsley was coming in until they came in and submitted development plans But I I equate what you're saying now and when I make an analogy to the gas station moratorum the same provisions and the same focus for a moratorum to create something that you guys feel that are um controlled and to what you guys want for this city.

So with the gas station that was brought before brought to the council concerning it may have been a discussion with that staff had to your point that with the attorney as manager I don't care how you slice it that's what it were So, there's a re-review meeting for Henderson Farms DRRI that contains the the data center site as well as the adjacent property on the south side. That is scheduled for February 2nd. Um, a virtual meeting and if anybody wants to attend, welcome with the Atlanta Regional Commission, Donald Shocki. That's Henderson Farms. Henderson Farms. Yes. So

yeah. So this DRRi was done looking at now the proposed related to traffic improvements and whatever else that um development right now no um activity related to the actual development of projects and things like that. Donald Shockley. I talked to him specifically because I just wanted to make sure I told him that in addition to the projects that were permitted the um the city's lift station starting construction and storm water facility and or not storm water facility just a lift station. and um he said that that was fine that the the lift station that if you see dirt moving on it's not any building it's the lift station. The lift station is going to run a pipe to our wastewater treatment plant down state route 20 to serve the whole area including the area that's already vested in Henderson Farms because that development is on hold which we've communicated and worked with the water authority for water and where we're requesting the master meter. Are those pipes? anything that Colonial Pipeline would

require um the city to do for permitting any type of utility that crosses it or comes within a certain distance like Equinex. We have a a roadway and the pipeline has an additional 15 foot buffer that we found out after the fact. And so, you know, that was something that we're like, "Oh, okay." But I just share that to say Colonial Pipeline is is requires what they require and and you can't get around that. Like you you you have to permit it prior and even if afterwards they're out there inspecting what you're doing and they see something different, they'll make you update it. So there's no um issues with the pipeline at how it has been permitted

from us design. for the installation. Yeah. All of that would be considered when the the design the design hasn't been approved by Georgia DOT which is where by Spawning County which is going to review it and then any utilities Colonial any other um utility that's crossing we have to get approval from that utility to cross it and if they want to have a study or they want some other additional provision to Then you have to do it.

All right. public hearing in a quest. So what is

that's on Henderson Farms. There's no conditional use permit on Equinex or Lower Woolsley, just Henderson Farms. I think it's I think there's an awesome suggestion and I look forward to meeting with ARC to learn more about data centers and what they are evaluating and what they think. Equinex is as far as developers like premier the buildings that are already um the way they permit them and process them um aside from us, they're going to be lead which is a silver um certification for the building which is which is amazing and that's not something that we require in our code right now.

I don't have a problem with that.

I don't have a problem. and myself probably got the most intimate tour. There's nothing about all I'm saying. We cannot control the counties, our neighboring counties. So, but it's that we can control. I would like for us to be able to control my convenient for the only reason why we're concerned about because we don't want to get sick. Yes, ma'am.

So, I'm not saying I'm not here to beat you guys up. That's not why I'm here. We just want to make sure when we walk out our door that we're not looking at data centers towering over our homes. And I think that is fair to be concerned about it. And we have for the city of Hampton. I think you know we should be able to express that our constituents should be able to just

All right. All right, ladies. Mayor just a couple questions about the cooling system. Yeah, they'll be back. So, we we've had the discussion and what I've heard is that moving forward, we're going to have our community development uh department uh bring forth legislation to put into our zoning requirements to limit the amount of data centers that we can have in our cities and put the conditions and everything that we want. Is that what I'm hearing? But I think I also heard her say they have a special zoning.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Special zoning special just for them. So, Miss Wanda, that is you. And I also heard that you guys would like a report at least once a week in regards to any information that is coming in. Uh, I will take on that responsibility as mayor once the staff, city manager, whoever that is going, city manager, uh, Chief Turner, um, gives me an update on it compiled, whatever it is to share that with you guys in a writing that way everybody has it. Is that is that acceptable? I I was going to say I'm just gonna give it to you like I get it.

Is it that okay? I said that. Yeah, that's what I said. Yeah. Yeah. All right.

Okay. I do have one question. So, what is the purpose of giving updates at the council meeting where the public can hear it? you know, like when you come and you and we got these developments coming in and they can kind of see it on the screen what's coming. Will that be possible? So, so currently we do all of our directors currently give an update each month like Miss Wanda just shared on her update. She provides us with a list of how many permits was issued, who they were issued to.

No land disturbance permits or nothing like that. just I mean I think the public counties know what's getting ready to hit their city and and so that that I is that not what what is being provided that that list of all of the different permits uh business license permits um because I I'm thinking that somewhere down the road when papers were being signed it should have been on some type of report so So, so it that but that didn't make the report. We did. We got the report. It was given to y'all at the meeting.

Okay. But but did the did the data center information ever make it? So, it doesn't say whether it's a commercial, residential, or Okay. But what?

Y'all need to look at the and we can share pictures too.

All right, I'm going to close the discussion for agenda item 2A and move on to agenda item 2B. Discussion council discussion on a more 120day moratorum on annexation into the city of Hampton city limits. Do you know how many residential industrial you guys table that's on Laura Woolsley and that's property that is owned um and has the two parcels have to we send them an email but you have to notify them. We also overnight just to make sure they have it time. So we received an application and right after you guys were appointed applications to Car and that is for twoacre track that's adjacent to has requested

even though it's 100% they're asking to res some discussions other states which is that we We also it from act 81 included have to go to ARC for a data center. staff said we don't care what your state is. You exceed the threshold for industrial which is 500,000 square feet. They have approximately 1.2 million square feet between the five buildings.

It is so portion of it is at camp Calvin which a bus recall we had that 30 acres that we annexed in Clayton, its and then it goes across the road into some land of a development of, you know, some subdivision that wasn't realized. So, it has infrastructure and they're showing these buildings. My question to them is they indicated that a 100 acres that Camp Calvin has of they were given to the Clayton County Board of Educ ask 100 I have a question. Another county wanting to come into our city.

Are they telling you why they want to annex in or are they coming over because you know we're friendly to developers? So they had

question but my question was the same. data center what their thoughts are until I get all the information which will absolutely consider No one knows. Push aside. annex at the same do and some ask for you can if you're annexing 100% that all the property owners want to come in and they don't want to change zoning now the zoning has to be comparable to what you are annexing out of right M1 to M1 C2C2 that kind of thing um this particular applicant all of the property out there is rural it's zoned agricultural

they're asking asking to reszone it to M1, which would require all kinds of stuff, and y'all would be all over that. Yeah. Y'all don't have to let them in.

Well, whatever code they come in under. So, if it's not the new code that we're talking about developing, listen. Listen. So, you got to get a CO. That's what I'm saying. So you have to get a CO in able in order to be able to use your facility. And so at that point where you want to get the use for your facility, we going to know by that time if you a data center and not u target, we going to know that and we're going to say, well, you don't get no power. You don't get no you don't get to use it.

Same way with target building and then they'll come back and pull for the guts. That's what Target did. And and so for they had fitting out that building. And so um I have a question. So that would be attorney question. But as far if somebody's coming in and they're annexing from I would have completely in your purview to wanted to annex them. Felt like it was a good ad to the city staff was under what we're trying to encourage is annexations if they bound. So it helps to define the city and there's no extreme cost for new roads. You're not going to add, you know, miles and miles and miles of road, miles and miles of houses. That's why we annex, you know, undeveloped property that all of a sudden you go from not having to manage 200 customers or 200 people calling y'all and managing the roads. So, the annexations, we vet those out

and we try to um do them according to good rules of annexation, but at the end of the day, the annexation request is the applicant. They're coming to ask you guys and y'all can always say thank you.

And that's that's what I believe that the mayor council at the time that these big tracks of land they were already zoned, right? But they were right next to the city. Henderson Farms is right there and y'all didn't have any control over it because it was in the in the county. They came and approached y'all, which y'all had talked about in the staff report that that was kind of one of your goals when we first met was to annex Henderson Farms. It wasn't developed. It was right next to us and it was already zoned. You wanted to have a say in how that was developed in those partners. The same thing with Lower Woolsley that was zoned and it still is all industrial. So, it's super important what you guys are wanting us to do on the code and the more tour possibility and that kind of thing for new projects going forward again. I'm lost. I must retired.

It came in as industrial. Yes. Yep. When it came when it changed to it didn't change the the zoning. So zoning allows the land owner so if a property is zoned industrial that land owner is paying industrial taxes right they are vested and they want to develop that to the highest and best yield as the industrial use that they're zoned already zoned

right so what is under our industrial zoning what could be put under an industrial zoning There's lots of things as as the mayor shar you have light industrial and you have heavy industrial. There's different uses according as well as there's just you know there's there's some things that you look at industrial and you you and you might and we can have this kind of discussion later that are allowed and you might go oh my gosh that's that's I don't want that at all. What can we do? what you guys did with your code and I'll share this and shut up with churches. Churches are amazing. They're protected at the state level. Roba. So, we can't say church, you can't locate in our commercial district by law. Prove that. But you can, what you did say if you locate there, you got to have a minimum 5,000 square feet. What that does is prevent churches that are can't meet that capacity and we don't have churches that are stuck in retail strip centers at a,000 ft. Whereas when you get that, then what are you going to do about alcohol? it just messes up sometimes potential uses. So there's ways to craft your ordinance that affords the use legally but also minimizes if you're going to do that then you got to have X.

Yes. Uh attorney Demar Certain change. All right. Thank you. All right. So, um

question.

So, there's a land perman construction with D because we based our permit fees on it. Like Lower Woolsley, their building permit fee, they haven't got it approved yet, but it is a million almost a million dollars based on square footage. Same thing with Equinex. It's pretty substantial. So once the city allows folks to pull a building shell permit because it follows all the building codes and reviews all those plans and make sure we're up to date and all that good stuff. So once they have the end user to that building, then we also, you know, reassess and they have to pull new permits, electrical, HVAC.

All right. Yes.

I would love to No, not tonight. Um I what I what I will say is that we are going to um when we get Miss Wanda to bring us back with the uh updated zoning, they're going to have an opportunity to talk about the um data centers and the annexation at those time. Okay. Um, I I need a motion to move into executive session for the purposes of legal, personnel, real estate, and cyber security. I have a motion by Council Member White Williams and a second by Council Member Duchaine to move into executive session. All in favor? All oppose. 6. We are journ executive session.

Okay. Yep. Week Tuesday. Yeah, I think I

need a motion to come out of executive session. I have a motion by council member Duchaine and a second by council member Cheney to come out of executive session. All in favor? I have a 6. Uh we will be having a special call meeting on Tuesday at 6 o'clock and for the purposes of hiring a new city manager. Yes. I need a motion to adjurnn. I have motion by coun white um mayor proim white williams and a second by council member. All in favor? I'm sleepy. 6