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Leavenworth County commissioners debate data center moratorium, agree to work session
Summary
Commissioners discussed placing a moratorium on data center approvals until county regulations are drafted but instead agreed to gather experts and schedule a work session to review model regulations and impacts before considering a moratorium.
Commissioners on the Leavenworth County Commission opened a discussion about whether to pause consideration of data center applications until county rules are in place. The chair framed a moratorium as a tool to ensure consistent treatment of applicants; he said the goal was not to pre-judge whether data centers should be located in the county but to adopt uniform regulations first.
Several commissioners said they wanted more information before imposing a moratorium. Commissioner Dove and other members urged staff to identify experts and model ordinances from other jurisdictions and to bring those materials to a dedicated work session. One commissioner noted that larger, more-populated jurisdictions had different regulatory needs and recommended tailoring any policy to Leavenworth County’s context.
The board did not place a moratorium at the meeting. Instead, commissioners agreed to schedule a work session to collect data, hear experts, and review model regulations and zoning implications before deciding on any temporary halt to new applications. The chair also noted that county zoning and site-approval processes remain in place and that developers cannot build without going through those processes.
Next steps: staff will compile comparative regulations and arrange a work session for the commission to review options and expert testimony.
