Jun 23, 2026 Pre-Commission Work Session

[00:00:02]

REDO ONE OF THEM. ONE OF THEM WAS YOURS. I THINK YOU WANT THAT. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. HOW'S EVERYONE ON THIS BEAUTIFUL TUESDAY MORNING? THAT'S GOOD. YOU KNOW, WE DODGE THE BAD WEATHER LAST NIGHT. IT'S A GREAT BLESSING. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TALK TO THESE WEATHER FOLKS AND TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE CRYING WOLF A LOT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T ALWAYS BE VIGILANT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND KEEP OUR FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITY SAFE, AND WE DEPEND ON THEM TO DO THAT. AND PERHAPS THEY HAVE GONE SOMETIMES A LITTLE OVERBOARD WITH THAT, BECAUSE I CUT GRASS YESTERDAY. SO YOU KNOW HOW THAT WORKS. OH. WE HAVE A PRETTY BENIGN AGENDA TODAY. WE'LL TRY TO GET THROUGH IT VERY, VERY QUICKLY. AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY STAFF AS WE MOVE FORWARD OR ANY COMMISSIONER, PLEASE LET US KNOW AND WE WILL WORK THROUGH IT. BUT MOST OF THIS IS JUST JUST GENERAL CONTRACT WORK. WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET TO IT PRETTY QUICKLY. APPRECIATE THE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS BEING HERE. COMMISSIONER TYSON, I THINK YOU'RE STILL IN DC AND YOU WON'T BE HERE, DO WE IN DC? OH, OKAY. AND SOME TYPE OF CONFERENCE. SO WE WILL PROCEED WITHOUT HER AND I'LL HANDLE HER AGENDA. OH LET'S GO TO THE BOARD. CORRECT. I'M MOST GRACIOUS. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK THEE FOR ALL THESE ASSEMBLED HERE TODAY, DEAR LORD, TO TO DO THE WORK OF JEFFERSON COUNTY. DEAR LORD, WE'RE ESPECIALLY THANKFUL FOR THE COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF AS WE PUT TOGETHER THIS AGENDA TO IMPROVE, IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR CITIZENS. DEAR LORD, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL BLESSINGS THAT YOU'VE BESTOWED ON US AND JEFFERSON COUNTY AND ITS CITIZENS. DEAR LORD, KEEP US, GUIDE US AND PROTECT US AND HELP US MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS FOR THE CITIZENS OF OUR COUNTY. WE ASK THIS IN JESUS NAME. AMEN. AMEN. COMMISSIONER SCALES, YOU WANT

[PUBLIC WORKS, COMMUNITY SERVICES & INTER - GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE]

TWO. THREE, SIR. ALL RIGHT. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING I. WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS UNDER HUMAN RESOURCES, AND THE FIRST IS SIENNA CONSULTING AND THE SECOND IS DIRECTOR OF YOUTH DETENTION. THEN WE ALSO HAVE JOSHUA JOHNSON WITH AN INCREASE IN HIS SALARY. ALSO WE HAVE VINCENT CURTIS WITH HR. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS IT RELATES TO ANY OF THOSE ITEMS? I DO OWN SIENNA. THEY WERE THEIR CONSULTING GROUP THAT HELPED US MOVE THROUGH OUR CONSENT DECREE. YES, SIR.

THAT'S IT. DECREE IS LONG GONE. CORRECT. AND WE HAVE. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE CURRENTLY HAVE 32.

WE HAVE 32. YES. CAN WE NOT DO THAT WORK WITH THAT 32 PEOPLE? ACTUALLY, WHAT THEY CONTINUE TO DO FOR US ARE OUR EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT CENTER, WHICH IS NON MERIT POSITIONS, AS WELL AS CONDUCT THE APPRENTICE TEST FOR THE ESD GROUP. SO THEY THEY PRIMARILY HANDLED THOSE TWO DUTIES FOR US INSTEAD. SO THEY DEVELOP, TEST AND ENSURE THAT WE REMAIN COMPLIANT WITH THE TERMS OF THE CONSENT DECREE RELEASE. OF COURSE WE'LL REMAIN COMPLIANT. THAT'S GREAT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS AS CAL AS YOU DEVELOP YOUR STAFF. THAT IS WHAT SIENNA IS DOING IT FOR.

FOR WHAT AMOUNT? THAT'S AN AS NEEDED AMOUNT. IT COULD BE NONE OR IT COULD DEPENDING ON YOU GOT $1 MILLION, 250, $253,000. THAT IS A THAT'S A COUNTY MANAGER. SO WE'RE GOING TO PAY SOMEONE. 250,000 $253,000 A YEAR TO RECRUIT OTHER PEOPLE. MIGHT BE A SMALL PRICE TO PAY TO KEEP US OUT OF ANYTHING. WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO AGAIN, WHO'S GOING TO HIRE THESE PEOPLE? THEY DON'T THEY DON'T RECRUIT. THEY DO THE TESTING. THIS IS OUR ASSESSMENT CENTER THAT WE USE. SO IT COULD BE ZERO. IT COULD BE. SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT REGULAR STAFF THAT WE

[00:05:01]

EVERYONE HERE ON THIS STAFF WAS ACTUALLY WE WERE Y'ALL ALL VETTED BY THEM. YOU WERE HIRED.

YOU MAY HAVE BEEN VETTED BY SIENNA, BUT YOU WERE HIRED BY THE COMMISSION. RIGHT. BUT ALL THE STAFF THAT WORK FOR THE COMMISSION ARE THEY. AND AGAIN, THAT'S IF NOBODY RETIRES OR LEAVES, WE SPEND NOTHING. SO THIS IS JUST A AS NEEDED AMOUNT PER JOB OPENING THAT WE HAVE. I, I DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE HALF THAT MUCH. OKAY. AND WE'RE DOWN FROM WHAT, 55 OR SO IN HR TO 32.

SO WOW. YEAH. SO I MOVE ONE, TWO, FOUR SECOND BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, LET IT BE KNOW BY SAYING I. ALL RIGHT PERSONNEL BOARD. WE HAVE A TOTAL OF THREE ITEMS. THE FIRST OKAY. SECOND IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING I. WE HAVE TWO ITEMS UNDER OTHER BUSINESS. THOSE ARE COMMUNITY GRANTS. ALL RIGHT. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING I THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. YEAH. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES YOU HAVE GREEN. YOU HAVE THE CARD. WE GOT A BASIC SERVICE DOING BUSINESS AS ATLANTA VENTILATOR WORKS, GRIME BUSTERS. IS THAT WHAT. THAT'S FOR THE HOOD. THAT'S JUST FOR A HOOD. IT'S MAINTENANCE. THAT'S SOMETHING. IS THAT COMING FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ONE. NO NO NO NO. FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. YEAH. THAT'S COMING FROM THE COUNTY, RIGHT.

YEAH. BUT OUT OF OUR BUDGET. RIGHT. WHAT DID THE WHAT DID THE HOOD WHAT DID THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, IF Y'ALL WHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HELP WITH IT? YOU MEAN FINANCIALLY? OH, OH, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. SORRY. I KNOW I WAS IN HEALTH DEPARTMENT MEETING AND THEY GAVE OUT SOME. RIGHT, RIGHT. OKAY. THAT'S A DIFFERENT MATTER. THEY HAVE GOTTEN THEY WORKED WITH THE CDC. THEY GOT ABOUT $400,000 TO BUY A NEW ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENT THAT WE CAN USE TO IMPROVE OUR TOXICOLOGY ANALYZES SO THAT WE CAN DETECT SOME OF THESE NEWER DRUGS THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF. NITAZENES OR FIENDS, THEIR LIKE THEIR OPIOID LIKE DRUGS, BUT THEY'RE HARDER TO DETECT, PARTICULARLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE INSTRUMENTS, THE NEW INSTRUMENTS. SO THEY DID THAT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S ON THIS AGENDA, BUT IT'S COMING THROUGH.

IT'S COMING. OKAY. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THOSE THINGS ARE HARDER TO DETECT AND MORE POTENT. BOTH OF THOSE THINGS. YEAH, BUT THEY'RE NOT ILLEGAL AT THE MOMENT. SO IT'S AN ATTEMPT BY THE DRUG CARTELS TO SKIRT THE LAW. YEAH. THAT'S THE THINGS THAT THAT THEY'RE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS PULLING OFF ALL ALL THE SHELVES, RIGHT. AND ALL THESE CONVENIENCE STORES, I MOVE THE FUME HOOD MAINTENANCE. OKAY. I'LL SECOND ANYBODY. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, AYE AYE.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY SALARY AGREEMENT. RICHARD FORD WESTERN DIVISION MOVED SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE AYE AYE. YOU YOU ATTENTION. YOU'VE GOT CORRECTIONAL SERVICE CONSULTING CONTRACT $125,000 A YEAR. THIS IS COMMISSIONER FOR EDUCATION COORDINATOR. SHE'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS ASSET DOWN THERE TO HELP US WITH OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM. WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT. THIS IS BY STATUTE TOO, ISN'T IT? IT'S NOT BY STATUTE, BUT NOT DIRECTLY WITH THIS COORDINATOR. BUT THE EDUCATION PROGRAM IS. I'LL MOVE IT. SECOND, I'LL POSE A DISTRICT TWO COMMUNITY GRANTS, ONE TO THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO AND ONE FOR THE. TO THE RECORD, JUST A RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF MARION STERLING FROM THE DAVENPORT AREA FUNERAL HOME.

ALL IN FAVOR? SAY AYE. I WAS ABOUT TO SAY YOU DIDN'T GET A MOVE. I GOT A NOD. AND JUST JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, ONE. ONE SAYS MR. STERLING AND THE OTHER STERLING IS PROBABLY STERLING, I WOULD THINK RIGHT NOW AS STERLING. STERLING. ALL RIGHT. DISTRICT THREE. WE HAVE

[ADMINISTRATIVE, & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE]

[00:10:02]

THESE ARE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS AND ENGINEERING AGREEMENTS AND VOLUME. YOU'VE GOT THREE PAY RESOLUTIONS FOR PURCHASE OF TRACKS, MR. PRESIDENT. YES, MA'AM. LET'S MOVE ITEMS ONE THROUGH 12 WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE. AND SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. COMMISSIONER. MAINTENANCE. I WENT OUT ON A NEW BUSINESS. WHENEVER YOU DO NEW BUSINESS AS WELL. YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO GET THOSE RIGHT AT THE END OF THIS. HOLD ON, MR. PRESIDENT. BUT I DO HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION. EVEN THOUGH I MOVED IT AND I'M FORWARD ON NUMBER FOUR, WILL WE TALK ABOUT EDGEWATER OAKS AND THAT SURPLUS? IS THAT US BASICALLY TAKING EQUIPMENT THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE A NEED FOR AND AUCTIONING IT? WHAT WHAT ARE WE DOING? IT'S ACTUALLY A PIECE OF PROPERTY. WORKING WITH DOC HAMILTON'S GROUP. THIS WAS, I THINK, AN OLD FIRE STATION COMMUNITY CENTER. CORRECT. AT COLSTON THAT'S VACATED NOW FOR THE COUNTY OWNED. SO WE'RE GOING TO SURPLUS IT. SO WE WILL THEN BE ABLE TO SELL IT, HOPEFULLY REVITALIZE THAT PORTION. SO YOU GOT PLANS FOR IT? WELL, WE DON'T HAVE PLANS.

SO THE FIRST STEP IS A SURPLUS. THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO PUT IT ON THE MARKET. SEMI PLANS OKAY.

AND SO CAN. I'D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING SO THAT COMMUNITY HAS SOME THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO DO. AND PERHAPS MAYBE THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TRYING TO ACQUIRE THAT PROPERTY. YES, MA'AM. ESPECIALLY IF IT COULD BE USED FOR COMMUNITY BASED PURPOSES. RIGHT? YES, SIR. OKAY.

OH THANK YOU JOSH. I WAS LIKE, WHO IS THAT TALKING? OH THAT'S YOU DOCTOR. OH, OKAY. I WAS LIKE, OKAY, SOMEBODY TALKING. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. ALL RIGHT. OH, WE HAVE A MOTION, SIR. I'LL PUT A. THAT'S DONE. I DO HAVE NEW BUSINESS THAT I'LL HANDLE AT THE END OF THIS. SOME OF IT PERTAINS TO ROADS AND TRANSMITTING CONTRACTS. THE OTHER IS SEPARATE COMING OUT OF THE LEGAL WHICH IS A PROPERTY CLAIM. SO NEXT IS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. WE HAVE THE MINUTES FIRE DISTRICT ANNEXATION, OPIOID SETTLEMENTS, PERSONAL INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. MOVE 1 TO 9 SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

SIR, I THANK YOU, COUNTY MANAGER. YOU WANT TO DO THIS OR YOU WANT ME TO DO. I'LL BE GLAD TO DO IT. THE FIRST ONE IS I KEEP IT CLEAN PROGRAM. HELEN WENT TO, I BELIEVE, NEW YORK AND RECEIVED THE NATIONAL AWARD FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DID. AND IF YOU ALL SO CHOOSE, WE COULD GIVE THEM A LITTLE RECOGNITION THURSDAY. THE NEXT ONE IS ANGELA, THE CFO AND HER TEAM AND THE WHOLE COUNTY RECEIVED THE GFO A TRIPLE CROWN STATUS, TRIPLE CROWN. SO THE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT P STANDS FOR, BUT I KNOW IT MEANS WE HAD AN EXCELLENT BUDGET AND WE'LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING FOR THAT, BUT WE'D LIKE TO FORMALLY RECOGNIZE ANGELA AND AND ALL THE FINANCE TEAM AND THE COUNTY FOR GOOD BUDGET AND GOOD AUDITS. WE HAVE EMPLOYEE SERVICE PIN PRESENTATION FOR 30 YEARS OF SERVICE. I GOT TO PULL ONE FROM THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT GIVING DARREN HIS. I'LL FREEZE IT. THEN. THE ABSENTEE ELECTION MANAGERS HAVE THEIR REQUEST TO HANDLE THE UPCOMING ABSENTEE ELECTIONS. THEN THERE'S A THIRD AMENDMENT FOR ARPA FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS DISTRICT PROGRAM. YOU ALL APPROVED. NO MONEY INCLUDED IN THE CHANGE, JUST A TIME EXTENSION. AND THEN NUMBER SEVEN RESOLUTION UPDATING, ADOPTING PROJECT ALLOCATIONS FOR THE OBLIGATED PROJECT. UNDERSPENDS. I'LL MOVE ONE THROUGH SEVEN SECOND ALL VOTES.

SAY HI. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAVE DISTRICT THREE COMMUNITY REPORTS. ARTS COUNCIL. THESE

[00:15:05]

THREE THREE. ITEM THREE. OUT OF BUSINESS. I GOT CAN I GET A SECOND? SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. THE MORE IMPORTANT THING. IS THERE ANY OPPOSED. NONE. BEING OPPOSED.

WE HAVE THREE ITEMS. YOU HAVE A RESOLUTION OF THE JEFFERSON COUNTY. THAT THE PROPERTY DAMAGE CLAIM OF JOHN GRAHAM BE DENIED CAME FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. WE HAVE A CONTRACT FOR MILLING SERVICES WITH TWO OAKS. YES, SIR. THAT'S CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. THE RESOLUTION ATTACHED. AND WE HAVE A RESOLUTION TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE UPCOMING SENIOR SERVICES EVENTS COORDINATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICER. FIFTH IS A VIRTUAL DEMENTIA TOUR. AUGUST 11TH IS EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE NETWORK. ONCE 21ST IS SENIOR TALENT SHOWCASE. ALSO THAT DAY IS NATIONAL SENIOR ADULT DAY. SEPTEMBER THE 8TH IS THE EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE NETWORK LUNCH AT THE MEDICARE ADVISORS OF ALABAMA'S. SEPTEMBER THE 18TH IS FALL INTO WELLNESS SENIOR RESOURCES. SEPTEMBER THE 24TH IS MASTERING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY. SENIORS. ALL THAT CAME FROM YOU, DOCTOR? YES. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. MOVE OBJECTS. MOVE ITEMS ONE, TWO AND THREE FOR NEW BUSINESS. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. THAT COMPLETES MY AGENDA, COMMISSIONER. NIGHT FINANCE, MISS DIXON, GOOD MORNING. COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE 12 ITEMS

[FINANCE, JUDICIAL, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT AND GENERAL SERVICES COMMITTEE]

PURCHASING AGENDA. I MOVE THOSE. THANK YOU. ONE THROUGH 12. I SECOND ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. WE ALSO HAVE OUR BUDGET MANAGEMENT AGENDA, INDIVIDUAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND MULTIPLE STAFF DEVELOPMENT. SO A MOTION MOVE THE ITEMS A MOTION. AND SECOND ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. AGAIN ANGELA CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR THAT. THAT'S RIGHT. DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

THANK YOU. OKAY. DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES ZONING REGULATIONS UPDATE STRATEGY PRESENTATION.

WE'LL DO THAT TODAY OR. OKAY. ALL GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. SO THIS IS JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU ALL A QUICK UPDATE ON WHERE MY DEPARTMENT AND REALLY SOME OF OUR COUNTERPARTS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTY ARE WITH DATA CENTERS AND OTHER POTENTIALLY HEAVY INDUSTRIAL, ENERGY INTENSIVE LAND USES. SO REAL QUICK, JUST TO DEFINE WHAT A DATA CENTER IS, ESSENTIALLY, IT IS A LAND USE THAT MANUFACTURES DATA. THEY ARE INSTRUMENTAL TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. EVERYTHING FROM YOUR STREAMING SERVICE, BANKING, AI, CHATGPT, ALL THESE THINGS RUN OFF OF DATA CENTERS. THEY'RE BASICALLY LARGE WAREHOUSES FULL OF SERVERS, AND THEY'RE CRITICAL FOR OUR DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THERE ARE VARIOUS TYPES OF DATA CENTERS.

THEY RANGE FROM EXTREMELY SMALL. THEY COULD BE AS SMALL AS THIS CORNER OF THIS ROOM. ON TERMS OF JUST BEING ONE SERVER IN A CLOSET, TO THESE MEGA HYPERSCALE BUILDINGS, SOME CITIES THAT GOT HIGH RISES THAT HAVE THAT ARE JUST DEDICATED TO DATA CENTERS, EVEN IN DOWNTOWN AREAS. SO BASICALLY THEY GET DISTINGUISHED BY THE NUMBER OF USERS ON THE ARRANGEMENT WITHIN THE FACILITY IN TERMS OF HOW THEY'RE CO-LOCATED OR NOT. AND TYPICALLY THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IS TO SEPARATE THEM FURTHER BASED OFF OF THE POWER USAGE, NUMBER OF SERVERS AND SQUARE FOOTAGE. SO REALLY IN THE COUNTY, WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO LOOK AT IN TERMS OF DATA CENTER PLACEMENT AND REALLY ANY TYPE OF INDUSTRIAL USE THAT HAS A HIGH ENERGY DRAW POTENTIAL FOR EMISSIONS OR OTHER EXTERNALITIES IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DONE IN THE RIGHT CONTEXT WITHIN THE COUNTY. THE COUNTY IS EXTREMELY DIVERSE IN TERMS OF LAND USE THAT WE HAVE.

IT RANGES FROM FAIRLY URBANIZED AREAS TO EXTREMELY RURAL AREAS. AND SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO JUST

[00:20:02]

ONE THING WE WANT TO BE COGNIZANT OF, I THINK WITH DATA CENTERS AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR COMP PLAN, IS WE HAVE A FINITE AVAILABLE LAND INVENTORY WHERE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CAN GO. AND THAT THAT GETS LESS AND LESS EVERY YEAR. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PUTTING THESE DATA CENTERS IN AREAS WHERE WE THOUGHT THEY'RE THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE. DATA CENTERS DO NOT EMPLOY PER SQUARE FOOT. A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY LOW EMPLOYMENT DENSITY, BUT THAT ALSO HAS A POSITIVE BENEFIT BECAUSE IT IS LESS TRAFFIC. SO IT CAN BE LESS IMPACTFUL. IF YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE A AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING FACILITY. BUT THE TRADE OFF FOR THAT IS THAT THERE'S VERY THERE'S NOT REALLY A LOT OF SUPPLIERS FOR DATA CENTERS, THEIR MANUFACTURING DATA. IT'S NOT LIKE AN AUTOMOBILE FACILITY WHERE THEY'RE REQUIRING SOMEONE TO COME IN AND ALSO SUPPLY TIRES, COMPUTER CHIPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO REALLY, THE ECONOMIC SIDE OF DATA CENTERS IS MORE OF A MACRO LEVEL BENEFIT TO THE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK LIKE, WE GET IN THIS FRAMEWORK OF THE COUNTY ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS OF THAT. SO LOOKING AT THINGS SUCH AS ENERGY USAGE. POTENTIAL FOR NOISE AND LIGHT AROUND THE SITE AND WHERE THAT COULD GO TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS.

THERE'S ALSO SOME RESEARCH THAT SAYS THAT DATA CENTERS CAN INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE AROUND ADJACENT PROPERTIES. AND THAT REALLY IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT PROPER CONTROLS FOR LANDSCAPING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, LOTS OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACE. AND THEN ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EVERY REALLY EVERY CONSIDERATION IN TERMS OF LANDFILLS, WE WANT TO REDUCE E-WASTE, MAKE SURE THAT THESE BATTERIES THAT THEY USE AREN'T JUST DESTROYED, YOU KNOW, SEND THEM TO A LANDFILL THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATE THE SOIL OR GROUNDWATER LATER. AND THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WE'RE VERY CLEAR WITH THE POLICY DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING WITH THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE LAND USES IN THE COUNTY NOW. AND THAT WOULD ALSO BE ALLOWABLE THAT THAT ACTUALLY HAVE A HIGHER UTILITY DRAW AND CAN HAVE POTENTIALLY HIGHER EMISSIONS AND OTHER OTHER IMPACTS. AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS SOME TYPE OF POLICY WITHIN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE. AND THAT WOULD BE A FRAMEWORK COUNTY WIDE THAT WOULD ADDRESS HEAVIER INDUSTRIAL USE AND REALLY APPLY THESE CONTROLS THAT WOULD FOR THESE POTENTIAL IMPACTS COUNTY WIDE FOR ALL THESE TYPE OF HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USES. NOT JUST THAT, JUST SINGLING OUT DATA CENTERS, WE RUN THE RISK OF BEING ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS. AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY MISSING THE INTENT OF THE ORDINANCE IF THAT'S WHAT WE GO FOR, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT HITTING ON THESE EXTERNALITIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE COULD BE SOME OF THESE OTHER LAND USES. SO AS I STATED EARLIER, WE'RE LOOKING AT A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THIS. HEATHER DID A GREAT JOB OF COMING UP WITH A DRAFT DOCUMENT THAT HAD VERY CLEAR, ACTIONABLE, QUANTIFIABLE MEASURES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT

[00:25:02]

IT COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR THIRD. YEAH. COMMISSIONERS, I'D LIKE TO SAY YOU'VE IDENTIFIED.

AN ISSUE AND HAD US CREATE A WHAT YOU CALL A JOSH ZONING TYPE. YES, SIR. YEAH. AND SO BASICALLY YOU HAVE A TOBACCO MORATORIUM NOW BECAUSE YOU SAID THERE'S A ZONING TYPE, WE NAME IT. BUT BEFORE WE CAN IMPLEMENT THAT, WE HAD TO RE UPDATE THE LAND USE PLAN. SO IF DATA CENTER WAS TO COME NOW, IT COULD NOT COME UNTIL WE FINISHED UPDATING THE LAND USE PLAN AND FINISH OUT THIS WORK. SO THERE IS A LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A DE FACTO MORATORIUM ON THIS TYPE, NOT JUST DATA CENTERS, BUT THAT LARGE SCALE. UNTIL Y'ALL APPROVED THIS ZONE.

YEAH. BUT WHEN YOU DO YOU THINK. I MEAN, YEAH, THIS THIS MAKES IT CLEAR TO YEAH, I WAS ABOUT TO SAY YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT DE FACTO WE WE UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT THE, THE CITIZENS THEMSELVES, THEY THEY ACTION BY THEIR COUNTY COMMISSION. THAT'S RIGHT. TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS.

AND THAT CLEARS IT UP, PLEASE. YEAH. AND WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON THIS AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT, 4 TO 6 MONTHS THAT WHAT I SAY. YES, SIR. WAIT A MONTH. THAT'S NOT GOING TO HARM ANYONE.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT TO THIS, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. I'VE ALREADY MOVED.

WELL, YOU MOVED IT AND I SECONDED. ALL RIGHT. IT'S COMING OUT OF COMMISSION. YEAH.

FIRST I'VE HEARD OF THE MORATORIUM. I I'LL PASS IT TO THE COMMITTEE. I MEAN FROM THE COMMITTEE. I MEAN, I'LL AGREE TO GO TO THE COMMITTEE, BUT CAN I GET A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH WHAT YOU JUST PRESENTED HERE. THIS IS THE FIRST I'VE SEEN IT. I KNOW THAT OTHER CITIES ARE PUTTING MORATORIUMS ON, AND I THINK IT'S A CAUSE BASICALLY LIKE, OKAY, BECAUSE WE HAVE WHAT, THREE, TWO BEING COMING INTO THE COUNTY PLUS THE ONE, THERE'S NONE IN THE COUNTY

[00:30:06]

SO, JOSH, JUST JUST FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION THURSDAY, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT CONSIDERING THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF WHAT YOU JUST PRESENTED, WHAT WE ARE, HOWEVER, PUTTING IN PLACE IS A MORATORIUM THAT UNTIL THIS IS DEVELOPED, THIS KIND OF BUSINESS WOULD BE ON HOLD.

ISN'T THAT WHAT WE JUST DID THAT. OKAY, SO I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR BECAUSE EVEN I WAS SITTING HERE A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE I THOUGHT I DIDN'T THINK WE WERE CONSIDERING THIS ON THURSDAY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT. AND YOU JUST GIVEN US A PRELIMINARY REPORT. YES, MA'AM. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING ON TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. OKAY. SO YEAH, SO FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION AND FOR THE RECORD, WE ARE NOT LOOKING TO CONSIDER THIS AS AN ITEM FOR THURSDAY. WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT A MORATORIUM TO ADDRESS THIS POTENTIAL. TYPE OF BUSINESS. YOU KNOW, LOCATING IN JEFFERSON COUNTY PROPER. RIGHT. AND SO, YEAH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SO EVERYBODY KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THURSDAY.

AND THEN I LOOK FORWARD TO US INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, YOU KNOW, HAVING A FURTHER DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF WHAT THIS NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE. AND EVERYBODY CAN FEEL AS PALATABLE.

[00:35:06]

[00:40:03]

SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT SINCE YOU HAVE A DE FACTO MORATORIUM ANYWAY, BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO CONSIDER IT THAT YOU NOT FORMALLY PUT IN PLACE. BUT AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT BE ILLEGAL.

BUT THAT IS THAT IS MY ADVICE. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO SAY.

SO IF IT'S IF IT'S NOT ILLEGAL, THEN WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT ESPECIALLY BEING THAT YOU HAVE MEDIA IN THE ROOM AND IT'S ALWAYS GOOD IF WE CAN CLARIFY, SINCE IT HAS BEEN SUCH A CONTENTIOUS. CONCERN IN IN JEFFERSON COUNTY AND IN OUR DISTRICTS, RIGHT, THAT WE KNOW INTERNALLY WHAT DE FACTO MEANS, RIGHT. BUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IF IT'S NOT THOROUGHLY EXPLAINED, IT WOULD SEEM AS THOUGH WE'RE TRYING TO SKIRT AWAY FROM ADDRESSING SOMETHING MORE HEAD ON. AND THAT'S WHY I SAID, IF IT'S NOT ILLEGAL, THEN WOULDN'T WHAT WE DO SUPPORT WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, BUT WE'RE JUST BRINGING MORE CLARITY FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION FOR OUR BOSSES. THIS IS THE POSITION OF THE COMMISSION, AND THEN CAL IS GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT HELEN PUTS IT OUT THERE IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE POSITION OF THE COMMISSION, AS IT RELATES TO ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT OF HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USAGE, IS PROHIBITED FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, WHILE A FRAMEWORK PLAN IS BEING FULLY DEVELOPED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSION OR THE JEFFERSON COUNTY. AND THEN WHAT ARE WE SAYING? WHEN WE SAY HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USES? IS THAT MORE THAN JUST IT'S MORE THAN JUST DATA CENTER, RIGHT? SO I, AND I CAN'T GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A, IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO COME TO JEFFERSON COUNTY AND IT'S A HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USE, GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. OTHER THAN WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO BE A NEW CONCRETE PLANT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, LARGE SCALE CONCRETE, CEMENT. PRODUCTION TYPE STUFF. BUT, BUT I, I THINK OUR INTENT HERE IS TO PUT A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS. THAT'S WHAT I'M READING THROUGH THE LINES. IS THAT RIGHT? YES. OKAY. SO. PLEASE. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I DO WANT US TO BE CAREFUL IN THE WORDING ON THIS. I MAY BE SAYING SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T NEED CARE. I WANT TO BE SURE THAT IT HAS CARE. AND THAT IS. NOT NOT DATA CENTERS, BUT THE INDUSTRIAL USE INDUSTRIAL VERSUS HEAVY INDUSTRIAL. I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE LINE GOES, BUT CAN WE BE CAREFUL ON THE MORATORIUM? THE ONES THAT ARE NOT DATA CENTERS, ESPECIALLY FOR JEFF MCCALL. RIGHT. BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE. HEAVY INDUSTRIAL ENTITIES DOWN THERE IN THE PROCESS. SO I DON'T WANT TO FOUL THAT UP. YES, SIR. THAT'S CORRECT. AND I WILL SAY THAT, JEFF, THAT THAT INDUSTRIAL PARK, EVEN IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE, IS DELIBERATELY CALLED LIGHT INDUSTRIAL USES IN. JEFF MET MOST OF THE NOISE IN LIGHT SOUND, THINGS LIKE THAT. THEY'RE FAIRLY INTERNALIZED. IT'S NOT A LOT OF OPEN AIR OUTSIDE STORAGE. I DON'T THINK WE CAN EVEN DO OUTSIDE. THAT. SO IT IT'S VERY IT'S MORE

[00:45:05]

OKAY. WELL, IF THAT BE THE CASE, IT FALLS IN LINE WITH WITH WHAT IS BEING ZONED FOR NOW, WHICH IS LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND NOT HEAVY. THAT'S CORRECT. SO THEN THIS WOULDN'T APPLY TO THAT.

BUT FOR THE POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT HE DOES HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT, WOULD THOSE BE CONSIDERED HEAVY INDUSTRIAL LIGHT INDUSTRIAL. NO, NOT IF THEY'RE GOING IN. JEFF. OKAY.

OKAY. WELL THAT BRINGS BUT THAT BRINGS UP ANOTHER ISSUE. WE ARE DEVELOPING A NEW INDUSTRIAL PARK IN THE EARLY PHASES OF IT TO DEVELOP THIS. SO LET'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WALL OURSELVES OFF FROM SOMEBODY THAT MAY WANT TO COME THERE. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO. I DON'T WANT IT TO BE IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER AS TO WHAT IT'S LIKE. AND WHEN THEY LOP OVER TO HEAVY. YEAH. I MEAN, WE JUST HAVE TO SAY ONE OR THE OTHER, BUT MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE THE WELL, THEN WHY DON'T YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THE MORATORIUM, WITH THE EXCLUSIONS THAT WILL ADDRESS WHAT YOU BOTH ARE TALKING ABOUT? COMMISSIONERS, I THINK THAT THERE'S A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, IF YOU WOULD, IF YOU WISH TO MOVE TO THE AGENDA, SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTER, AND LET US PREPARE SOMETHING AND LET US CIRCULATE IT TO YOU, AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION ON THURSDAY. SO THEN, WOULD THAT BE CONSIDERED A NIGHT OF OF NEW BUSINESS THAT YOU WANT TO JUST DO IT THAT WAY AS OPPOSED TO US CIRCUMVENTING IT HERE? IF YOU THAT YOU ALL DID, IF YOU WANTED TO MOVE AS AN ITEM OF NEW BUSINESS, A RESOLUTION ADDRESSING DATA CENTERS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, AND LET US TRY TO DRAFT SOMETHING AGAIN ON THAT PARTICULAR THING. BUT BUT AGAIN, IF SOMEBODY'S CONTEMPLATING PUTTING A NEW DATA CENTER IN JEFFERSON COUNTY AND IT WOULD GO TO OUR NEW INDUSTRIAL PARK, I DON'T WANT THEM TO JUST FOO FOO IT OUT OF THE WAY AND THEN WE'RE THEY DON'T EVEN CONSIDER US. I THAT'S WHERE I'M SAYING I GET THE I GET THE MORATORIUM ON THE DATA CENTERS, I GET IT. IF YOU'D LET US WORK WITH SOMETHING THAT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT POSSIBLY TOMORROW AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION IF YOU WANT TO PULL IT OR YOU DIDN'T LIKE IT ON THURSDAY, YOU KNOW THE INTENT. YEAH. THE INTENT IS, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, IS TO ASSURE THE CITIZENS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THEIR BEHALF AND NOT GOING TO PUT IT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND, AND THAT THAT'S, THAT'S THE MAIN THING. NOW, THIS MAY BE A LITTLE OVERREACH, WHAT I SEE HERE, BUT. IT'S IMPORTANT. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CITIZENS UNDERSTAND.

WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A A METHODICAL PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TO ENSURE THAT THEY WILL NOT HAVE THE SAME TYPE PROBLEM THAT THEY HAD IN BESSEMER OR OUT ON LAKESHORE.

THAT'S THE INTENT. IT'S NOT TO INHIBIT ANY OF OUR INDUSTRIAL PARKS, NOR ANY OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD OCCUR IN ANY OF OUR EXISTING LOCATIONS. THIS SOLELY CENTERS AROUND NEW.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE HAVE THE EXPANSION OF U.S. STEEL THAT THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO HARM. BUT WE DO WANT TO REASSURE OUR CITIZENS. IT'S OUR JOB AS COMMISSIONER TO REASSURE THEM THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING ON THEIR BEHALF. SO, THEO, YOU'RE CHARGED WITH MAKING THAT HAPPEN WITH THE WITH THE PROPER WORDING. CORRECT. AND IT'S OUR JOB WHETHER WE VOTED UP OR DOWN.

HAPPY TO DO IT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. UNANIMOUS CONSENT AND CONSIDERATION FOR NEW BUSINESS.

NO, NO, WE'RE GOING TO WE CAN DO THAT. WE CAN DO THAT THURSDAY. WE CAN DO IT. LET'S GET LET'S GET SOMETHING IN FRONT OF US BEFORE WE DO A UNANIMOUS CONSENT. SO WE'LL JUST MOVE ON FROM THIS. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT, JIM, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE CITIZENS. IT'S IT'S TOUGH FOR THEM. IT'S TOUGH ON WHAT WE'RE DOING ON LAKESHORE. SO LET'S LET'S SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE ON THAT THAT PROTECTS THE CITIZEN AT THE SAME TIME, DOESN'T WALL US OFF FROM EVERYTHING. SO THANK YOU. JOSH.

THAT'S GOOD. CAN I GET A COPY OF THAT? YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TALK WITH ALL THE COMMISSIONERS INDIVIDUALLY ANYWAY, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM. WE'VE GOT SOME SOME REALLY GOOD.

[00:50:02]

BECAUSE I KNOW ONE OF THE CITIES IN MY DISTRICT, THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT ONE IS SAYING, HEY, WE WANT TO DO THIS. OKAY, WELL, THERE'S NO NEED IN TALKING TO ME ABOUT IT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE COUNTY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. CITY PROPERTY. YES, MA'AM.

AND, AND, AND PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND JUST BECAUSE THE CITY IS POSITIONED IN A COUNTY IN OUR COUNTY DOESN'T MAKE THE COUNTY BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT HAPPENS WITHIN CITY LIMITS.

AND THERE ARE CITIES THAT ARE PUTTING MORATORIUMS ON. I JUST DID ONE RECENTLY AT HOMEWOOD, AND I THINK THERE'S OTHERS IN CONSIDERATION THAT I'M HEARING. OKAY, Y'ALL READY TO MOVE ON? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE OTHER BUSINESS, THREE ITEMS. HAVE A MOTION SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. MR. MR. BOWLING. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE

[INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE]

SO, COMMISSIONER, THE COUNTY, IT'S WE PARTNERED WITH GARDNER TECHNOLOGIES. THEY ARE THE IT LEADERS IN ADVISORY. THEY CAME ON SITE AND WORKED WITH US, WITH THE COUNTY, WITH OUR I.T.

LEADERSHIP, AND ALSO WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. AND I'M NOT GOING TO BORE YOU DOWN WITH 1015 SLIDES. I ONLY HAVE FOUR SLIDES TO PRESENT. SO THE ASK THAT WE DID WITH GARDNER IS FIRST TO TELL US HOW DOES IT PROVIDE SERVICES. AND WE DID A BUSINESS STAKEHOLDER SURVEY.

AND THIS IS WHAT GARDNER DID. AND THEY MET WITH THIS. THEY DID AN ANONYMOUS SURVEY ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL THE COUNTY. AND THIS IS YOU ALL AS THE BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS. THIS IS YOUR RESPONSE IN TERMS OF WHERE DOES CURRENTLY IT IS STACK UP AT THE COUNTY IN TERMS OF PROVIDING THE SERVICES. AND THEY CAME BACK AND SAID THAT WE ARE ALMOST CLOSE TO THE. IT AS A STRATEGIC PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY, WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS WORKING WITH YOU AND OVER 95% OF THE BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS REPORT VERY STRONG SATISFACTION AND TRUST IN IT TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING AND THAT WE ARE TRUSTWORTHY. AND I THANK ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE THERE AND PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN WE DO A STRATEGIC PLAN, IT'S FIRST AND FOREMOST IMPORTANT IS WE NEED TO KNOW HOW WE ARE DOING FIRST, AND THEN WE ASK THEM, WHAT ARE THE THINGS OR WHAT ARE THE AREAS WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE. AND THEY CAME BACK AND THEY SAID, HOW IS IT POSITIONED CURRENTLY TO TAKE THE COUNTY TO THE NEXT 3 TO 5 YEARS IN TERMS OF THE IT TECHNOLOGY? SO THEY SAID IT IS WELL POSITIONED TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF JEFFERSON COUNTY DRIVING IT, ACTIONS THAT ENABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES AND GOALS. AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS THEY CAME BACK IN TERMS OF THE IT DEPARTMENT MATURITY, NOT JUST FOR ITS DEPARTMENT, FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY, IN TERMS OF WHERE WE STACK UP. AND AS YOU KNOW, GARTNER IS THE INDUSTRY LEADER IN IT ADVISORY SERVICES.

THEY WORK WITH ALL MAJOR CORPORATIONS AND MAJOR AGENCIES. SO THEY DID THIS MATURITY SCORE

[00:55:05]

IT'S BECAUSE OF EVERYBODY'S HELP THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO THIS LEVEL. AND COMMISSIONERS, WHAT YOU HAVE IS OUR IT STRATEGY. THAT'S WE CALL IT AS A JEFFERSON COUNTY IT STRATEGY. IT IS NOT IT'S STRATEGY. EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE IN THAT DOCUMENT IS BASICALLY BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT'S BEEN COMING FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT GARTNER MET WITH FOR ALMOST THREE PLUS MONTHS. IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS NEEDED FOR EACH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS. AND BASED ON THAT, WE PREPARED THIS PLAN. SO THAT WE CALL IT AS ENTERPRISE IT STRATEGY 2.0. WE HAVE SIX STRATEGIC THEMES. THE FIRST ONE IS CONNECTED ENTERPRISE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A LOT OF BEST OF BREED SYSTEMS, ESPECIALLY APPLICATION SYSTEMS. BUT THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IS THE DATA IS IN SILOS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ONE CONNECTED ENTERPRISE SYSTEM ACROSS THE BOARD. IT MAKES IT EASY FOR THE DEPARTMENTS AND ALSO EASY FOR THE COUNTY MANAGERS OFFICE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A GOOD PULSE ON ALL THE SYSTEMS, HOW THEY ARE WORKING. THAT'S THE FIRST STRATEGIC THEME. AND THE SAME THING THAT FOLLOWS THAT IS THAT DATA DRIVEN DECISION MAKING. AS YOU ALL KNOW, DATA IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. IF YOU DON'T HAVE GOOD DATA, YOU CANNOT MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT THAT WORKS WITH THE COUNTY HAS THE RIGHT INFORMATION IN THEIR APPLICATION SYSTEMS. AND WE WANT TO HELP THEM IN MAKING DATA DRIVEN DECISION MAKING.

AND THE THIRD ASPECT IS DRIVE INNOVATION THROUGH AI. YOU'VE BEEN HEARING AI ACROSS THE BOARD. THERE'S AI, CHATGPT, OPEN, AI, COPILOT, YOU NAME IT. WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS THAT THE COUNTY IS WE'VE STARTED WITH MICROSOFT COPILOT AS AI, AND WE WANT TO SET UP SOME GUARDRAILS IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF AI SYSTEMS CAN COME TO IMPLEMENT AS AN ENTITY. AND THIS STRATEGIC TEAM IS GOING TO HELP US DIRECT AND ANALYZE WHAT KIND OF AI WE CAN GO THROUGH. AND THE NEXT ONE IS CULTIVATE A SKILLED AND AGILE WORKFORCE. WE'VE WORKED WITH OUR COUNTY HR DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIRE THE SKILLED LABOR FORCE FOR THE COUNTY. AND FOR THAT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD SYSTEMS IN PLACE. AND THE. AND THEN THE FIFTH ONE IS STRENGTHENED BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS PROVIDED IS HERE TO WORK WITH EACH AND EVERY DEPARTMENT, BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU NEED SOMETHING. LET US KNOW. WE WILL WORK AND COLLABORATE TO MAKE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN. AND THE NEXT ONE, THE LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS CYBER MINDSET.

YOU ALL SEE HOW IMPORTANT CYBER SECURITY IS HERE. EVERY ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE MADE THAT AS AN UTMOST PRIORITY HERE AT JEFFERSON COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROTECT OUR DATA AND INFORMATION ASSETS. THOSE ARE THE SIX STRATEGIC THEMES COMMISSIONERS. AND THAT'S THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE HAVE FOR THE IT FOR THE COUNTY FOR THE NEXT COMING 3 TO 5 YEARS. SO ANY QUESTIONS? MY TEAM IS HERE. WE ARE HERE AND WE ALWAYS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO IMPROVE OURSELVES. SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY. SO WHEN YOU SAY DRIVE INNOVATION THROUGH AI. YES, SIR. AND THAT IS WHAT WHAT LEVERAGING AI TECHNOLOGIES. I UNDERSTAND, BUT WHAT WHAT COMPANIES ARE WE USING? WHAT COMPANIES? THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPANIES, COMMISSIONERS LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, A FEW OF THE DEPARTMENTS REACHED OUT TO US SAYING THAT, HEY, WE NEED TO USE THIS PARTICULAR AI TOOLSET. AND WHAT WE DO IS WE FORMULATED AN AI STEERING COMMITTEE SO THAT NOT JUST FROM THE IT PERSPECTIVE, BUT FROM THE COMPLIANCE PERSPECTIVE, FROM SECURITY PERSPECTIVE, AND FROM THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION BECAUSE ONCE YOU PUT INFORMATION IN AI, IT'S OUT THERE, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF IT IS COUNTY INFORMATION, IT STAYS WITHIN THE COUNTY. AND WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS AS TO IF THAT PARTICULAR AI TOOLSET MEETS ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT IT MEETS THE SECURITY AND, AND THE ANY OF THE COMPLIANCE, AND THEN WE APPROVE THOSE SYSTEMS. THANK YOU. GOOD PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SIR. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE ONE OTHER. I MOVED SECOND ONE AND

[01:00:07]

TO MOVE. WE MOVED IT. WE MOVED. YOU'RE GOOD. OKAY, NOW CALL FOR THE VOTE. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU EVERYONE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.