THE LAUNCH DOCK

What Public-Private Partnerships, Data Centers, and Overlapping Leadership Mean for Local Economies

The Deals You Don’t See

Most entrepreneurs learn early that the biggest decisions aren’t always announced loudly.

They happen upstream —
in planning meetings,
in feasibility conversations,
in advisory roles that never appear on a ballot.

By the time a project becomes public, many outcomes are already shaped.

That reality isn’t inherently unethical.
But when public institutions, private business, and civic leadership intersect, transparency becomes a market issue, not just a civic one.

How Influence Actually Travels in Small Communities

In many communities, influence does not flow through a single office or vote.
It flows through overlapping leadership roles.

A common and widely documented scenario looks like this:

One individual may simultaneously:

• serve on an economic development council,

• sit on a civic or nonprofit board,

• have prior experience in school or municipal governance,

• and operate a private business in an industry adjacent to public projects—such as consulting, insurance, construction, technology, utilities, or professional services.

None of these roles are improper on their own.

Together, they create early-stage influence.

Research from the Brookings Institution describes this as dense leadership networks — systems in which a relatively small group of actors repeatedly shapes priorities across multiple decision-making spaces (Brookings Institution, 2022).

Influence often occurs long before the public sees:

• a proposal,

• a bid,

• or a vote.

By the time formal approval happens, foundational decisions may already be set.

That is not corruption.
It is concentrated influence created by role overlap.

Why Public-Private Partnerships Raise the Stakes

Public-private partnerships (P3s) are increasingly used to finance and manage large infrastructure projects, including energy-intensive developments such as data centers.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (2023), P3 projects:

• rely heavily on early consultant-led planning,

• reduce transparency during pre-procurement phases,

• and concentrate decision-making among repeat advisors and stakeholders.

The OECD (2020) reports that more than 60% of large infrastructure projects involve repeat consultants or advisory firms across multiple phases, narrowing participation and visibility.

When leadership networks overlap across:

• economic development,

• infrastructure planning,

• utilities,

• consulting,

• and private enterprise,

The same voices can shape multiple stages of the process — legally, quietly, and often without a clear public record explaining how priorities were set.

Why Data Centers Amplify This Dynamic

Data centers are among the most aggressively pursued infrastructure investments in the Midwest.

They depend on:

• long-term energy commitments,

• land-use coordination,

• tax incentives,

• infrastructure guarantees,

• and utility partnerships.

According to the International Energy Agency (2023), global electricity demand from data centers is expected to more than double by 2030, increasing pressure on local infrastructure and public decision-making.

These projects are typically preceded by years of quiet planning — site certification, feasibility studies, and intergovernmental coordination — long before public announcements are made.

By design, opportunity concentrates upstream.

Why Small Businesses Often Feel Shut Out

Small and local businesses usually encounter public projects at the bidding stage — after:

• sites are selected,

• consultants are embedded,

• incentives are structured,

• and risks are allocated.

OECD research shows that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are significantly less likely to participate successfully in public procurement when early-stage planning is opaque or relationship-driven (OECD, 2019).

This imbalance does not require laws to be broken.

It happens when access is unequal.

As Harvard Business Review (2021) notes, transparency is not only a civic value — it is a competitive safeguard.

This Isn’t an Accusation — It’s a Reality Check

This article does not allege misconduct by any individual, business, or public body.

It documents how modern governance and economic development systems function — particularly in smaller communities where leadership pools overlap and expertise is reused.

The issue is not intent.
The issue is visibility.

Call to Action: What Transparency Looks Like

When major projects have already entered the approval or implementation phase, transparency does not end — it becomes more important.

Communities still have tools.

1. Use Missouri’s Sunshine Law

Missouri’s Sunshine Law guarantees public access to records related to governmental decision-making, including:

• contracts and agreements,

• consultant scopes of work,

• communications related to planning and feasibility,

• records of disclosures or recusals,

• meeting agendas, minutes, and votes.

Requests do not need to allege wrongdoing.
They only need to be specific and written.

2. Pay Attention to What Is Not Provided

Delayed responses, unexplained redactions, or inconsistent disclosures are themselves part of the public record.

Silence matters.

3. Document the Process

Track:

• what was requested,

• when it was requested,

• how the agency responded,

• whether statutory timelines were met.

Facts create accountability without accusation.

4. Escalate When Necessary

When Sunshine Law requests are not complied with, Missouri residents may notify the Missouri Attorney General’s Office of potential noncompliance.

This is not adversarial.
It is oversight.

5. Stay Engaged Through Implementation

Approval is not the finish line.
Final contracts, amendments, and long-term obligations often surface later.

Transparency must persist beyond momentum.

Closing Reflection

Strong economies are not built in secrecy.

They are built where:

• leadership roles are clear,

• influence pathways are visible,

• and transparency is treated as infrastructure — not an afterthought.

Trust is the most valuable currency any market has.

In solidarity,
Lyndsay LaBrier
Merchant Ship Collective

This article examines publicly available records and governance practices. Readers are encouraged to review source materials and form their own conclusions.

References

Brookings Institution. (2022). Local economic development and leadership networks. https://www.brookings.edu

Harvard Business Review. (2021). Why transparency is good for business. https://hbr.org

International Energy Agency. (2023). Electricity demand from data centres, AI, and crypto. https://www.iea.org

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2019). Public procurement and SMEs. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2020). Transparency, communication and trust. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2023). Public-private partnerships: Key issues in infrastructure development. https://www.gao.gov