Resident urges Reno County to pause and study data centers and battery storage; commission plans task force discussion

Susie Ratzliff, a Reno County resident, urged the Board of County Commissioners during public comment to “direct the planning commission to begin looking at regulations regarding BES and data centers, and … enact moratoriums to provide time to study these technologies.” She told the commission that neighboring counties and the city of Holstead have recently adopted moratoriums to study potential impacts and zoning changes before large projects arrive.

Ratzliff outlined her concern that Reno County is one of only a few counties in the central Kansas region without either a moratorium or a regulatory framework in place. She said moratoria are intended as a pause—“not a ban, it’s a pause”—to allow local officials time to examine effects on safety, property and future land use and to write zoning standards rather than respond reactively.

The comment prompted a broader discussion among commissioners and staff later in the meeting about forming a standing committee or task force to develop expectations for industry developments, including hyperscale data centers and battery energy storage systems. County Administrator Randy Pardington and members of the board described the proposed group as county commissioners, county staff (planning and legal), a chamber representative and, when appropriate, city officials from Hutchinson or South Hutchinson. The stated goal is to prepare guidance and expectations—short of immediate countywide zoning changes—that planning staff and planning commissions could apply during conditional-use permit reviews.

Commissioners emphasized they would continue to use the regular public hearing process for conditional-use permits but said the task force could help craft consistent expectations about infrastructure, water, setbacks and other technical requirements so neighboring jurisdictions that sit near one another are not caught off guard. Commissioners said local residents affected by proposed sites would still have opportunity for input during standard public hearings.

The county did not adopt a moratorium during the meeting. The discussion concluded with a plan for staff to pursue the task-force approach and to return with proposed membership and a work plan for the commission’s review.

What’s next: County staff and commissioners said they will organize the proposed task force, solicit input from impacted communities and return to the commission with recommended expectations and a timeline for further work or regulatory changes.