Jefferson County committee hears Altoonas lessons from Meta data center, eyes binding community-benefit rules

Jefferson County's Economic Development Objectives Committee spent its meeting hearing advice from Altoona, Iowa, officials and a county consultant about how to write enforceable community benefit and development agreements for large data centers.

Mayor Mary O'Connor of Altoona and Chad Quick, Altoona's economic development director, told the committee that Meta's campus in Altoona has expanded over more than a decade and that the company has repeatedly upgraded servers and buildings as technology advanced. "They update it and keep it the highest level as they can," O'Connor said, describing continuous replacement of computing equipment and the construction of new halls.

The Altoona officials sought to balance concerns about utilities and land use with economic gains. Quick estimated the complex is currently assessed at about $1.3 billion; O'Connor said when pilot tax agreements expire the property could be taxed at full value, which she estimated could translate into roughly $43.5 million a year across taxing entities (figure cited by Altoona as an estimate). O'Connor also said Meta funded major local infrastructure, including a water tower and sewer mains, and that the company has provided annual grants to schools and libraries. "They've changed kind of the…