America’s Central Port is administered by a local Board of Governors, mostly consisting of current and former elected officials. These Board Members recently met on June 8, 2026 to discuss port business. Board Members John Hamm III and Michael Nordstrom were absent. Union contracting and the use of grant funds featured prominently during official business.
Public commenters addressed the body first regarding the ongoing data center opposition in the region. Several commenters again reiterated their call for Mayor Mike Parkinson, of Granite City, to recuse himself from future votes at America’s Central Port regarding data centers. Dennis Wilmsmeyer, Port Director, after the public comment period noted that the Port Authority recently released a Frequently Asked Questions module on their website and passed out a statement by the Port Authority on the issue.
Alton Mayor Goins began the Board of Governors list of business items by thanking attendees for voicing their concerns about port operations. A vote followed to confirm the previous meeting minutes…