Committee forwards interim moratorium on data center permits to Oneida County Board after public hearing

The Oneida County Planning & Development Committee on July 8, 2026 approved Ordinance Amendment #02-2026, which would add an interim moratorium on data center applications to Chapter 9, Article 5, Section 9.57 of the Oneida County Zoning and Shoreland Protection Ordinance, and forwarded the measure to the County Board for final action.

Planning staff, led by Director Karl Jennrich, described the department's background with recent data center inquiries and explained the intent of the proposed language. The committee opened a public hearing that drew a string of speakers from the community; attendees included Catherine Parker, Tom Neale, Alexa Megna and more. After the public testimony, the committee voted to approve the ordinance amendment and forward it to the County Board (motion by Dan Hess, second by Michael Tautges; all members present voted aye).

The action begins a county-level pause on accepting or processing new data center permit applications while officials refine ordinance language and policy guidance. The committee did not enact a final prohibition; it approved the amendment language and transmitted it to the County Board for a final determination. The notice of the public hearing was published in the Northwoods River News on June 23 and 30, 2026 and posted at the Oneida County Courthouse bulletin board on June 18, 2026.