Topeka Staff Held Unauthorized Data Center Meeting
Two city employees met with a water district over Compass Datacenters without notifying city leadership, Mayor Spencer Duncan said.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Data Centers
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Topeka Mayor Spencer Duncan said two city staff members attended an October 30 meeting with Rural Water District 3 concerning Compass Datacenters, a hyperscale data center company seeking to develop just outside city limits. The staff attended without notifying the city manager's office, the mayor's office, city legal counsel, or city council members.
Why it matters
Topeka has a moratorium on data center development, and any such matter must go through the city manager's office, the mayor's office, and the City Council with legal counsel involved. The mayor said he would have directed the issues through the established process had he been informed.
Two Topeka staff members attended the October 30 meeting without authorization, despite the city's moratorium and protocol requiring such matters to go through the city manager, mayor, and City Council. Details of what was discussed and any resulting commitments have not yet been publicly disclosed.
The players
Spencer Duncan
Spencer Duncan is the Mayor of Topeka, Kansas, who publicly disclosed the unauthorized meeting and apologized for falling short of promised transparency.
Michael Webb
Michael Webb serves as interim city manager of Topeka, responsible for addressing the protocol violation with the employees involved.
Compass Datacenters
Compass Datacenters is a hyperscale data center company seeking to develop a facility just outside Topeka city limits.
The details
Two city staff members met with a legal representative and several board members of Rural Water District 3 about Compass Datacenters. Interim City Manager Michael Webb is addressing the protocol violation directly with the employees involved, and staff cannot independently negotiate or advance data center requests.
Timeline
October 30, 2025: Two staff members attended the unauthorized meeting with Rural Water District 3.
November 3, 2026: Mayor Spencer Duncan publicly disclosed the unauthorized staff meeting.
Big Picture
Topeka's moratorium on data center development sets a formal review channel through the city manager, mayor, and City Council. The unauthorized meeting shows the strain that proposals from hyperscale firms place on that process.
Residents near Topeka should know that any data center proposal must go through the city manager, mayor, and City Council, not individual staff. Additional information about the Compass Datacenters proposal will be provided by the mayor as it becomes shareable.
The takeaway
Residents interested in Topeka's data center plans should follow official city channels, since staff are not authorized to negotiate or commit on these projects independently. Watch for further updates from the mayor's office as information becomes shareable.
Further reading
Explore more on Data Centers coverage in Topeka.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Topeka Capital-Journal.
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