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Council enacts one-year moratorium on data-center permit applications after disclosure of potential conflict
Summary
The Cortland City Council approved an emergency ordinance imposing up to a one-year moratorium on data-center permit applications to give planning staff and the zoning board time to study siting and infrastructure needs; one council member abstained, citing a potential conflict involving FirstEnergy.
Council President said the City of Cortland adopted an emergency ordinance (O-21-26) imposing a moratorium of up to one year on accepting or processing zoning, building or occupancy permit applications for data centers. "I just think that our planning and zoning code did not consider this when it was first developed," the Council President said, adding the pause will allow the planning and zoning board to determine where, if anywhere, data centers could work and what infrastructure (water, electricity, utilities) would be required.
The ordinance was sponsored by the Council President and introduced as an emergency to prevent an application from arriving before the city could study impacts. Patrick, the law director, said the moratorium will be legal and give the city time to research and reach a conclusion.
Before debate, one council member disclosed that attorneys for FirstEnergy had told them they could not comment on or vote on data-center matters because FirstEnergy could be a "potential high value customer." That council member excused themself from participation in discussions and was recorded as abstaining in the roll calls. The roll calls on the emergency and the ordinance show the motion passed with a majority of council members voting yes and one abstention (Council member Chris Battis). The council later completed the ordinance roll call with the same lone abstention and the ordinance adopted.
Council members framing the action said the moratorium is not an outright opposition to data centers but a step to ensure the city's regulations and infrastructure planning keep pace with proposals. "Just doing our due diligence," the Council President said.
The council did not set a specific timeline beyond the one-year cap in the ordinance; the planning and zoning review and any recommended code changes would follow in subsequent meetings.
