Commissioners debate county‑funded data‑center study; motion to contract EcoNorthwest fails
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Summary
A proposal to commission EcoNorthwest for a county data‑center impacts study split the board over scope, county role and cost; the motion to hire the firm failed and commissioners opted instead to consider a planning-focused work session and other, less-costly approaches.
Board discussion about whether to commission a county‑level study of data‑center impacts ended without approval of the proposed EcoNorthwest contract.
Commissioner Wenholtz framed the study as a way to develop the county’s own dataset to inform land‑use decisions, water‑resource comparisons and negotiation leverage for mitigation or tax incentives. Planning Director Tamara Mabbit and other staff described the study’s potential to compare data‑center water use to agricultural uses and to provide a consistent reference document for project review.
Opponents cautioned that the county may be stepping outside its planning role if it seeks to direct economic development, that a study could be perceived as pre‑judging outcomes, and that a $100,000+ contract (estimate in packet) is a substantial county expenditure. One commissioner suggested convening a public work session with industry, state and port engineers (several were willing to participate) rather than commissioning an outside study.
A motion to approve contracting with EcoNorthwest was made but lacked an approving second and did not pass; commissioners agreed to pursue a planning‑focused work session and additional stakeholder outreach instead.
Next steps: Staff will schedule a planning work session with industry and state engineers to collect information and discuss issues rather than immediately contracting for a county study.
