Putnam County Board adopts six-month moratorium on data-center applications

Putnam County Board Chairman Charlie Lenkaitis called a special meeting at 7:00 A.M. on May 26, 2026, in the Putnam County Court Room and the board approved Ordinance 2026-O-01, a six-month temporary moratorium on receiving, processing, or voting on applications to develop, construct, expand, or operate data centers within Putnam County. The motion passed on a board vote of 3 ayes, 0 nays, and 1 absent, and the Clerk was directed to process the ordinance.

The ordinance combined two agenda requests — a moratorium on accepting or acting on data-center applications and a moratorium on constructing or expanding new data centers — into a single document prepared by the State's Attorney. Board member Luke Holly asked whether the ordinance could be rescinded at any time with board approval; Chairman Lenkaitis said it could, calling it "a temporary Moratorium and can be revisited." Marlee Giacometti asked whether the board could extend the six-month period if it was not ready to lift the moratorium, and the chairman again said yes.

Board member Anthony Rue moved to approve Ordinance 2026-O-01; Marlee Giacometti seconded. The transcript records the result as "carried on a board vote of 3 ayes, 0 nays, and 1 absent." The record does not specify individual roll-call votes beyond the tally. The special meeting lasted about four minutes; at 7:04 A.M. Luke Holly moved to adjourn, and the motion carried.

The clerk's minutes state that the State's Attorney prepared the single ordinance document to address both agenda items and that the Clerk of the Board, Tina Dolder, was directed to process Ordinance 2026-O-01. The transcript does not list an effective date for the moratorium beyond its six-month term nor any immediate implementing regulations or staff assignments.