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Residents urge moratorium, question ERA boundaries as data center plans draw scrutiny
Summary
Public commenters asked the county to impose a 12-month moratorium on new data center permits to form a study group and draft ordinances; another resident asked the council to produce documentation supporting a recent ERA designation tied to a proposed data center project.
During the public-comment portion of the meeting, multiple residents urged the Jefferson County Council to slow approvals tied to large data-center projects and to provide clearer information about a recently approved Economic Revitalization Area (ERA) designation.
One speaker proposed a 12-month moratorium on permits for new data centers within county limits and recommended forming a study group of elected officials and citizens to draft ordinance language addressing definitions, setbacks, sound levels, backup generators, cooling systems, water rights, wastewater handling, decommissioning and lighting. The commenter said ordinances would help ensure companies meet county expectations and would create safeguards “so that we, the people, are not left holding the bag if those companies choose to leave our county.”
Rebecca Schafer later told the council she believes the record supporting an ERA designation tied to a proposed JPG project lacks sufficient documentation. Schafer said she reviewed parcel records and the applicant’s submission and found discrepancies in acreage calculations and in the share of undeveloped taxable land cited by the council. She referred the council to Indiana Administrative Code 50 IAC 10-2-2 and asked officials to provide the affirmative findings and supporting evidence required for an ERA designation, warning that the designation could be vulnerable to challenge if the factual basis is not documented.
Chair and staff said they received emails and would review and respond, and the chair asked for additional time to verify numbers and follow up with the commenter. The council did not take policy action on the moratorium or ERA questions at the meeting.
Why it matters: Data centers can trigger questions about community benefits, infrastructure impacts, water use and tax incentives; county residents asked for more transparency and for a formal study process before permitting large projects or granting tax-related designations.
