The Faribault Daily News reports...

About two months after the Faribault City Council extended Archer’s timeline to complete an updated environmental assessment worksheet to March 2027, the planning commission is now planning to bring its plan to the council by November.

“This helps put together things in a timely manner,” City Planning Manager Harry Davis said. “We’re not just sitting here spinning our wheels thinking what to do next.”

The meeting focused on laying out the different standards with one question hanging over the commissioners’ heads: How can the city avoid a lawsuit?

“The city attorney will be asking if this is something we can regulate. If he says no, that’s not likely going to be a staff recommendation,” Davis said. “We’re generally trying to make sure the city doesn’t get sued.”

The environmental commission is meeting in September…

The environmental commission will have a meeting on Sept. 28 to approve its contributions to send to the planning commission. During the meeting, Davis told the commissioners there may be some regulations the environmental commission puts forward that will not be legally viable to incorporate.

The working document’s purpose statement reads the commissioners are not there to discuss whether they agree or disagree with data centers nor if a project should be approved.

“The city can’t cross their arms and say, ‘no, thank you. We don’t want one,’” Commissioner Chuck Ackman said. “I think it’s incumbent on us that we do our job and have reasonable development standards in place in case they need to go down that path.”