Position purpose

The City of Lamar seeks qualified volunteers to help research, evaluate, and draft development standards for data centers. Working with City staff, utilities, technical professionals, and legal counsel, the volunteer will help develop practical recommendations that protect residents, public resources, utility customers, and the City’s financial interests while fairly evaluating potential economic benefits.

The role supports the study and regulatory work described in Sections 5 and 6 of the City’s proposed eighteen-month data-center moratorium. The proposed moratorium provides a maximum study period and allows earlier termination; work should proceed diligently toward useful recommendations. This position is advisory. City staff will coordinate the work, and recommendations will be considered through the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council process.

Primary responsibilities

Review the moratorium, existing City regulations, relevant technical information, and data-center standards used by other communities. Identify gaps and recommend approaches suited to Lamar.

Help evaluate zoning and site suitability; lot size, setbacks, height, scale, buffering, landscaping, screening, lighting, and compatibility with surrounding uses.

Assist with evaluating electricity capacity and reliability, substations and transmission, water demand and cooling methods, conservation and reuse, wastewater, and telecommunications infrastructure. Consider cost allocation and protection of existing utility customers.

Research noise, backup generators, fuel storage, air emissions, heat, fire protection, hazardous materials, emergency response, and transportation and construction impacts. Consider energy efficiency and sustainability where appropriate.

Help assess infrastructure funding, connection charges, cost recovery, financial assurances, fiscal and service costs, employment, tax-base benefits, and opportunities for complementary businesses.

Help draft clear, measurable standards, application requirements, review procedures, monitoring provisions, and decommissioning requirements for staff and legal review. Identify questions requiring specialized analysis or review of state and federal requirements.

Participate in scheduled discussions, evaluate stakeholder information, document sources and assumptions, and prepare written recommendations and progress summaries. Explain tradeoffs and identify unresolved issues.

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate professional experience relevant to at least one major area of the work. Relevant fields include land-use planning, zoning, civil or electrical engineering, utility operations, water resources, environmental science, acoustics, fire protection, infrastructure finance, economic development, data-center design or operations, or comparable technical work.

Ability to analyze technical information, assess source credibility, distinguish documented impacts from assumptions, and translate findings into clear written recommendations.

Ability to collaborate respectfully with people holding different perspectives, meet agreed deadlines, and contribute professional expertise within the limits of their qualifications.

Direct data-center experience is preferred but is not required when an applicant demonstrates substantial transferable professional experience. Familiarity with municipal development review, infrastructure planning, or drafting standards is also helpful.

Commitment to an objective process

The volunteer must approach the assignment with an open mind and evaluate both potential benefits and adverse impacts using credible information. The purpose is to help develop workable standards for responsible evaluation of data-center development. Participation requires a willingness to consider alternatives and revise recommendations when the evidence supports doing so.

A desire to promote or oppose data centers, by itself, does not qualify an applicant.

Personal views do not replace professional qualifications.

Applicants must be willing to undertake this assignment without using the position to advance a predetermined outcome, including either a blanket prohibition or approval regardless of impacts.

Recommendations may identify unsuitable locations, unacceptable impacts, or necessary safeguards when supported by the analysis.

Cover letter and application requirements

Submit a résumé or professional qualifications summary and a cover letter addressed to the City Administrator. The cover letter must address each of the following:

Any direct experience with data centers, including the type of facility or project, your role, and the work you performed. If you have no direct data-center experience, state that clearly.

The specific professional experience that qualifies you to help develop standards. Provide concrete examples of relevant projects, technical analysis, utility or infrastructure work, development review, or regulations you helped prepare. Identify applicable credentials or licenses.

The subjects to which you can contribute most effectively and how your experience would help the City evaluate impacts and develop practical requirements.

Your interest in serving and your willingness to evaluate evidence fairly, consider different perspectives, and develop recommendations without a predetermined outcome.

Your availability for meetings, research, and drafting, and any financial, employment, consulting, property, organizational, or other interests that could create an actual or perceived conflict related to this work.

Service expectations and selection

Selection will consider demonstrated expertise, quality of relevant work, ability to collaborate, availability, and disclosed conflicts.

Service does not confer authority to approve projects, commit City resources, direct employees, or speak for the City without authorization.

The volunteer will follow applicable City requirements concerning conduct, records, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest.

Duties, meeting frequency, and milestones will be established with the City Administrator or designee; participation is unpaid and creates no promise of employment.