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Supervisors discuss whether Des Moines County can consider moratorium on data centers
Summary
A supervisor raised constituent concerns about data centers and whether the county could impose a moratorium; board members noted limits because the county lacks countywide zoning and directed staff to research how other unzoned counties have regulated data centers.
During public input, a supervisor asked the board to consider whether Des Moines County should study and possibly pursue a moratorium on data centers while the county evaluates regulatory options.
Supervisor (speaker 2) relayed constituent concerns and said, "you should get a moratorium until you know something about it," but acknowledged the difficulty because the county does not have countywide building zoning and data centers often do not require building permits in unzoned jurisdictions.
Board discussion: staff research requested
Supervisors asked staff (land-use) to look for examples of unzoned counties that have ordinances addressing data centers and to report back. One supervisor noted that AI/web search results can be misleading and urged staff to review original ordinance language rather than summaries.
No moratorium motion: the board did not adopt a moratorium at the meeting; supervisors requested follow-up research and the possibility of another meeting to review staff findings.
Quote from the meeting
"We don't have county wide building, so it doesn't require a permit to build or anything," a supervisor said, noting the practical challenge of imposing a moratorium on a use that does not currently require a permit in the county.
Next steps: staff will research examples of ordinances and report findings to the board for further consideration.
