Rush County commissioners set six-month moratorium on data-center applications

The Rush County Commissioners voted to impose a six-month moratorium on data-center applications, with the option to extend or lift that pause if a revised Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is adopted sooner.

Staff reported that the Area Plan Board met and recommended a 12-month moratorium after a public hearing that drew about 36 attendees and six speakers who said there was insufficient public information about proposed data centers. "So the area plan board unanimously recommended a 12 month moratorium on any data center applications, knowing that this could be removed sooner than 12 months," the staff member reported.

Commissioners discussed timing and scope before the Chair moved to approve a six-month moratorium. The motion passed on a voice vote; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the transcript. Staff told the commission that the UDO public hearing is scheduled for April 1, 2026, and that HWC will present the draft. Staff also said money has been set aside through Eli Lilly to address follow-up changes if needed after adoption.

The Area Plan Board also recommended moving permit fees out of the ordinance into a separate fee schedule and updating those fees by about 15 percent to better align with surrounding counties. Commissioners discussed advertising timeframes and agreed to the schedule presented by staff.

Next steps: the commission set a public hearing for the UDO for April 1, 2026, and scheduled a separate public hearing on an alley-vacation request for April 6. The moratorium will last six months unless the UDO is adopted sooner or the commission votes to amend the moratorium earlier.