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Residents press LaPorte County to adopt data-center ordinance; commissioners schedule public forum
Summary
Public commenters urged the county to adopt a data-center ordinance—citing Lake County as a model—and voiced concerns about non-disclosure agreements and annexation; Commissioner Holifield announced an upcoming public forum and a Saturday data-center meeting for public input.
Several residents urged LaPorte County commissioners on Feb. 18 to move quickly to adopt a county ordinance to regulate data centers and to prevent projects from being sited without adequate public review.
Gautama Logwood said the county has waited six months for an ordinance and urged commissioners to adopt Lake County’s ordinance as a template and tailor it to LaPorte. “We’ve been waiting six months for an ordinance to regulate Data Centers, no better time than now,” Logwood said, urging the board to start the process and hold public hearings on any amendments.
Gary Metcalf raised two concerns: he said county officials should scrutinize non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) tied to development deals and be cautious about annexation near city boundaries that can shift projects out of county control. “Once anybody signs an NDA agreement, they no longer work for the tax payer, they work for the company they signed the NDA with,” Metcalf said, urging the county to protect its interests.
President Steve Holifield announced a public forum with the League of Women Voters and Council President Adam Koronka (scheduled for the next evening) and a data-center meeting Saturday at Scipio Volunteer Township Fire Department. Holifield said he had spoken with officials in Loudoun County, Virginia — a jurisdiction with extensive data-center development — and that their materials would inform the county’s ordinance work.
Commissioners did not adopt an ordinance at this meeting; the discussion and the scheduled public events were presented as opportunities for residents to contribute to drafting and review. The board encouraged public participation at those upcoming sessions.
Next steps: Holifield will host the two public meetings and the county will collect input to inform the ordinance-drafting process; no formal ordinance text was adopted at the Feb. 18 meeting.
