Woodbury County supervisors move to draft moratorium, review permitting after Salix annexation sparks public outcry

The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday directed staff to prepare a temporary moratorium and initiate a public zoning review after residents raised alarm over a 900‑acre voluntary annexation by the city of Salix and reports that the land may be intended for a large data center.

Dan Priestley, the county zoning coordinator, told the board the discussion is limited to permitting in unincorporated Woodbury County and described the county's existing review tool — a conditional use permit that examines neighborhood characteristics, utilities and public input. ‘‘We have a framework that allows review of these respective items, but we think looking at it a bit more closely is very merited in today’s world,’’ Priestley said.

Why it matters: Dozens of residents from Salix and surrounding rural areas told the board they were blindsided by a recent annexation and urged county action to protect water, roads, property values and community character. Several speakers said they had not received personal notice and that the voluntary annexation process left neighbors without an opportunity to be heard.

Public concerns and requests Residents described a range of environmental and quality‑of‑life concerns tied to what they called a potential ‘‘mega’’ data center. Maria Runquis said state trends toward outsourcing IT are already affecting local jobs and warned that ‘‘data centers are servers and they’re going to outsource the jobs’’ (public comment). Janet Nyamak, who said her property borders the annexed land, urged a moratorium and told the board, ‘‘No data center is worth the life and health of one person.’’ Steve Corey submitted signed petitions and said neighbors were alarmed that a 900‑acre site appeared suddenly in city council materials.

Technical questions raised included whether local energy capacity can support a large hyperscale facility, how much water such a center would use for cooling, and who would maintain roads used heavily during construction and operations. Christopher Prosch asked about local power capacity; Eunice Denise Jensen, citing aquifer vulnerability near Salix, urged the board to seek clarity on discharge permits and water usage.

Board response and next steps Board members agreed there is a need for a measured process. One supervisor noted that Plymouth County had enacted a one‑year revocable moratorium that morning and said Woodbury should consider the same. The board asked staff to draft moratorium language for consideration at next week’s meeting, directed the zoning commission to begin a public outreach and ordinance review process similar to the county’s prior solar ordinance work, and asked the county attorney to review whether the county was afforded the consultation and notice steps required under Iowa law in the Salix annexation.

The county’s engineer and secondary roads staff said they will analyze road‑maintenance implications and potential costs if the county is requested to perform work inside newly annexed areas. County staff said formal permitting, utility impact studies and any financial arrangements would be considered during the zoning process.

What’s next: Supervisors asked Dan Priestley and the county attorney (Joshua) to prepare backup materials and moratorium language for the board’s next meeting, and for the zoning commission to plan a multi‑community public input process. No formal moratorium vote was taken at Tuesday’s meeting.

Attribution notes: Quotations and specific statements in this story are taken from the public record of the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors meeting on June 23, 2026. Speakers cited by name spoke on the record during the public comment period or as staff presenters.