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Mendocino supervisors seek study, ad hoc and fiscal analysis before a temporary data‑center moratorium
Summary
Supervisors Haschak and Williams asked staff to draft a temporary urgency ordinance to pause new data‑center approvals while the county studies environmental, public‑health and fiscal impacts; public comment was split between water/energy concerns and warnings about lost jobs, and the Board directed staff to form an ad hoc and return with additional analysis.
Supervisors John Haschak and Azer Williams brought forward a proposal asking county staff to prepare an urgency ordinance imposing a temporary moratorium on processing and approving new data centers in unincorporated Mendocino County so the county can study public‑health, environmental and fiscal impacts.
Haschak said concerns about water and energy impacts and local permitting capacity motivated the item; Williams said while some data centers support research he supports a pause so the county can develop permitting discretion that protects shared resources such as water.
Multiple members of the public spoke. Helen Sizemore and Bonnie Tillotson supported a moratorium citing water, energy and noise concerns. Janet Rosen and Matthew Delbar opposed a blanket ban, warning of lost economic opportunity and calling the moratorium a potential “virtue signal” that could cost the county jobs. Other commenters raised noise, air and long‑term property‑value concerns and said study was warranted.
Planning staff told the Board the county already was doing research on data‑center issues and that the planning department would assist drafting the ordinance. The Board agreed to form an ad hoc committee (the two sponsoring supervisors) to work with staff and said the analysis should include fiscal impacts — both costs and potential benefits — and research from other counties.
The Board did not adopt a moratorium at the meeting; supervisors directed staff to return with the draft urgency ordinance, a fiscal analysis and best practices from other jurisdictions so the Board and public can review the proposed language.
