Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Susquehanna County commissioners close record on ordinances for data centers and battery storage after no public comment
Summary
At a brief April 8 public hearing, Susquehanna County commissioners received exhibits and closed the record on two proposed amendments to the county's subdivision and land development ordinance covering data centers and battery energy storage systems; no public comments or recommended changes were offered.
Susquehanna County commissioners held a public hearing April 8 on two proposed ordinances that would amend the county's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance to address the development, construction, operation and decommissioning of data centers and battery energy storage systems.
Commissioner Hall called the hearing to order at 9:00 a.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room. Solicitor Stephanie Fera delivered opening remarks and marked County Exhibits #1-11 for the record.
No members of the public offered comment on Ordinance 2026-03 (data centers) or Ordinance 2026-04 (battery energy storage systems), and the transcript records that there were no recommended changes to either ordinance during the hearing.
Procedural votes closed out the hearing. Commissioner Darrow moved to admit County Exhibits #1-11 into evidence; Commissioner McNamara seconded and the motion carried by unanimous vote. Commissioner McNamara then moved to close the record for both ordinances; Commissioner Darrow seconded and the motion again passed unanimously. The public hearing adjourned at 9:06 a.m.
What happened and why it matters: The hearing advanced two parallel ordinance amendments through a public record process with evidentiary exhibits admitted and no public testimony received. Closing the record preserves the administrative record for the next procedural steps in the county's ordinance adoption process. The transcript does not record any substantive debate, amendments, or votes on final adoption of the ordinances themselves; it documents only the evidentiary and procedural actions taken at this hearing.
Votes at a glance: - Motion to admit County Exhibits #1-11 into evidence: Mover — Commissioner Darrow; Second — Commissioner McNamara; Result — unanimous (Ayes: Commissioners Hall, Darrow, McNamara). - Motion to close the record for Ordinance 2026-03 and Ordinance 2026-04: Mover — Commissioner McNamara; Second — Commissioner Darrow; Result — unanimous (Ayes: Commissioners Hall, Darrow, McNamara).
Attendance: Commissioners Hall, Darrow and McNamara were present; Solicitor Stephanie Fera represented county legal staff. The transcript does not record additional staff presentations, technical testimony, or public comments during this hearing.
Next steps: The hearing record will be available as part of the county's administrative file for Ordinance 2026-03 and Ordinance 2026-04; the transcript does not state the timing of subsequent committee or board votes on final adoption.
