Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Data Centers Moratorium topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Little Rock board rejects 18-month moratorium on hyperscale data centers
Summary
After more than three hours of public testimony and debate, the Little Rock City Board of Directors failed to pass an 18-month moratorium on permitting hyperscale data centers, falling short of the six votes required to adopt the ordinance.
The Little Rock City Board of Directors voted on Aug. 4 on an ordinance that would have established an 18-month moratorium on permitting and approving hyperscale data centers within city limits. The measure failed for lack of the six votes required to pass, with Clerk roll call showing four yes votes and four no votes and the body noting a six-vote threshold.
Supporters framed the pause as a necessary time for comprehensive municipal impact studies and public disclosures on water, wastewater, noise, emergency infrastructure and zoning. “We are being asked to adopt a moratorium for 18 months to allow Little Rock to look before we enact a comprehensive regulatory scheme,” said Wendell Griffin, a longtime resident, urging the board to approve the pause so the city could study impacts and craft enforceable regulations.
Directors who backed the ordinance said the moratorium included a petition and relief process for companies that claim the pause would constitute a compensable taking, and they described the action as legally defensible. Director Webb told the board the moratorium “gives us the time to get the information” and to require a public website with all project documents.
Opponents said the ordinance risked unintended consequences and could prompt litigation or hamper development tools the city already supports. Director Hines argued that data centers fit the industrial character of portions of the port and warned that a moratorium might be bad policy and legally vulnerable.
Clerk roll-call responses recorded Directors Miller, Webb, Director Lewis and Vice Mayor Weierich voting yes; several other directors voted no. Mayor Scott explained that a six-vote majority is required to adopt an ordinance and that the recorded four-yes result meant the measure failed. The board did not take further action on a revised text at the meeting.
The moratorium debate drew extensive public comment from residents, neighborhood leaders and technical professionals who urged stronger transparency, independent studies of water and air impacts, and protections for ancestral and environmentally sensitive lands. The Board adjourned after concluding votes and remaining business.
