Residents urge moratorium and new rules for data centers; commissioners cite pending litigation

Members of the public used the county's three-minute public-comment period July 9 to press the board for stricter oversight of proposed data-center development. A public commenter read a proposed 12-month moratorium on issuance of data-center permits and urged creation of a study group to draft ordinance language covering definitions, noise, setbacks, backup generators, water rights, decommissioning, and environmental and public-health impacts. The commenter framed the moratorium as a pause to allow the county to adopt clear development standards.

Several named speakers reinforced the request: Tanya Hess recounted other Indiana counties that have moved quickly to regulate data centers; Janice Clifford and Pamela Augustine urged written protections for residents (noise, lighting, traffic, and potential eminent-domain concerns); Frank Clark raised questions about local job numbers, water usage, and the use of tax incentives (ERAs) for companies that have not disclosed their identities. The chair noted an appeal and injunction involving a data-center matter and said the board was following counsel's instruction not to discuss pending litigation publicly.