McLean County, Kentucky Judge-Executive’s Office

08/25/2026

FYI 8/25/2026 Planning Meeting Clarifications

After numerous and constructive phone calls there seems to be some level of confusion regarding the McLean County Joint Planning Commission meeting tonight. So, I will try to highlight and address the agenda that was published. I’m also including the published agenda below to clear the air.

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend, the meeting will be on the second floor in the fiscal court room, but it is NOT what the rumor mill would have you believe regarding a approval of a data center.

1.) Finding of Facts regarding rezoning application- this is for property directly outside of the City of Sacramento city limits, 715 Main St, Sacramento, KY
42372. The parcel is changing to fit the legal requirement for a locally-owned non-ag exempt business, NOT a data center. These are requirements that are already part of the overall state and county process. Additionally, the site is definitely not large enough to accommodate a project of that nature.

2.) the second item is actually a proactive rather than reactive measure to place a hard freeze for 2 years on any “future data center projects” BEFORE a project starts rather than waiting until such a situation were to occur. If you want to prevent or restrain data centers, which most have expressed, this is the FIRST LEGAL STEP to develop such regulations!

At the moment our county does NOT have regulations that specifically address these projects. This process is exactly the same process that is currently underway regarding large solar and windmill regulations.

Again, there is NOT a pending data center project that is seeking approval based on lack of any official or unofficial correspondence with my office.

Hope to see you there tonight.

-Judge Dame-

08/24/2026

08/22/2026

Magistrate Bishop, Magistrate Troutman, County Treasurer Dana Mason and Judge/Executive Dame recently attended the 50th Annual Governor’s local issues conference in Louisville this week.

Sessions included topics ranging from housing developments, recycling grants, funding opportunities for new water/sewer projects, federal recreation funding and much more.

More importantly it also gave our local elected officials the opportunity to discuss ideas with other leaders from counties across the state.

(Photos courtesy of GRADD STAFF)

08/19/2026

ℹ️Understanding the Proposed Data Center Moratorium

A note from Judge/Executive Dame

I wanted to take a moment to help McLean County residents better understand the public notice regarding data centers that is scheduled to be discussed by the McLean County Joint Planning & Zoning Commission on August 25.

ℹ️What is this about?

The Planning Commission is considering proposed changes to the county’s zoning ordinance specifically addressing data centers. The proposal would establish definitions and, importantly, provide the county with a framework for determining how these types of facilities should be regulated if they are proposed in McLean County.

The proposal defines a data center broadly as a facility used for the storage, management, processing or transmission of data. It also addresses related infrastructure such as cooling systems, substations, backup generators, water and wastewater facilities, security infrastructure and other supporting systems.

ℹ️What does the proposed moratorium mean?

The proposed moratorium would temporarily pause the processing and approval of applications for data centers and related facilities while the county develops and considers comprehensive regulations.

The proposed moratorium would last for two years, or until the Fiscal Court adopts comprehensive data-center regulations, whichever occurs first, unless the moratorium is repealed or extended.

Most importantly: this proposal is NOT promoting or approving data centers.

The purpose is essentially the opposite: to give the county time to establish clear rules before any data center project is considered or approved.

Rather than allowing a new type of development to move forward under existing zoning regulations without specific standards, the proposal would allow the county to study the potential impacts and determine what requirements, safeguards and regulations may be appropriate.

Those considerations could include issues such as:

• Land use and zoning
• Water use and wastewater
• Electrical infrastructure and substations
• Backup generators and energy systems
• Noise and environmental impacts
• Traffic and construction impacts
• Stormwater management
• Setbacks and site design
• Public safety and emergency response
• Protection of neighboring properties and the surrounding community

The August 25 meeting is a public meeting and part of the process of considering these proposed changes. No data center is being approved by this notice.

✅The goal is to make sure that if a data center is ever proposed in McLean County, there are clear rules in place beforehand so the community, property owners and local government know exactly what standards must be met.

This is about establishing rules and giving the county time to study the issue—not promoting data center development.

08/13/2026

8/13/2026 Fiscal Court Meeting part 2

08/13/2026

8/13/2026 Fiscal Court Meeting

08/09/2026

The McLean County Farm Bureau annual meeting is, in many ways, our community’s annual Ag reunion. Always a joy to attend and support the board’s efforts. Glad to have such a strong showing from our national, state and local elected officials.