July Quorum Court: Noise Ordinance Makes for Long Meeting
JPs at the July Quorum Court meeting, one of the longer ones this year, passed all the Ordinances on the agenda — as well as a Resolution approved just moments before at a five-minute Infrastructure Committee meeting. Items passed are:
Ordinance 23-17, Appropriations
Ordinance 23-18, Appropriations for Sheriff’s Department
Ordinance 23-19, Veterans Service Officer
Ordinance 23-20, Data Center Noise Ordinance
Ordinance 23-21, APR Funds: County Volunteer Fire Department Radios
Ordinance 23-22, ARP Funds: Criminal Justice Counseling for Sheriff’s Department
Resolution 23-06, STBG Grant
Data Center Noise
With nine JPs voting in favor, the Court passed an amended Ordinance 23-20 — the much anticipated cryptomining noise ordinance — after JP Kris Kendrick (R, Dist. 9) successfully stripped the cryptomining language, as well as the permitting and study portions of the Ordinance that was passed last week in the Courts & Public Safety Committee meeting.
Kendrick pointed out that the County is “not setup to handle permitting that this would require and it would be a burden on starting new businesses.”
Ordinance 23-20’s sponsor, JP Maree Coats (R, Dist. 12) objected, saying that Kendrick’s changes could cause the Ordinance to not stand up in court if challenged.
JP John Allison (R, Dist. 3) also successfully amended the Ordinance to change the times different noise limits take effect.
JP Jason Lyon (R, Dist. 8), who has a multi-year background in urban and regional planning, voted “no” on Allison’s amendment and “present” along with JP Tyler Pearson (D, Dist. 11) on Ordinance 23-20.
Lyon expressed concerns about “piece meal ordinances that focus on an industry, as I feel it is just a band-aid for a bigger issue.” He explained, “As for the Justice Allison amendment … I voted “no” as the County does not limit any other entities in the County and goes to my issue of singling out an industry.”
JP Justin Knight (R, Dist. 1) abstained from the Ordinance 23-20 votes, as he is employed by the data center company Acxiom.
The cryptomining noise ordinance issue attracted several outside visitors to the meeting, including Van Buren County Judge Dale James, whose Quorum Court approved its own data center noise ordinance at its July 20 meeting.
Also in the room were two Little Rock attorneys with Wright, Lindsey & Jennings who represent “several digital asset mining companies interested in bringing cutting-edge business ventures to Arkansas.”
Videos edited from original video on Faulkner County’s YouTube channel.)
Visit Faulkner County Reports on YouTube for more videos and video excerpts from this and other County meetings and events.
