(SBA) Salix, IA - The Salix City Council voted 3-2 Thursday, Aug. 20, against adopting a one-year moratorium on data center development, allowing discussions surrounding a possible Google project to continue.
The proposed moratorium was intended to give city officials and residents additional time to study issues related to data center development, including water and electricity consumption, infrastructure needs and potential city regulations. Opponents of the moratorium argued that it could prevent the city from gathering information and receiving answers directly from Google and MidAmerican Energy.
Thursday’s meeting was held more than a week after the council’s previously scheduled meeting was postponed following threats reportedly made against city officials on social media. Additional Woodbury County Sheriff’s deputies attended the rescheduled meeting, and no disturbances were reported.
Residents filled the meeting to express sharply divided opinions about the potential project. Those supporting the moratorium said the city needed more time to understand the project’s possible effects before moving forward. Others said continued discussions could bring answers while preserving a possible economic development opportunity that could create jobs, increase tax revenue and benefit local schools.
Mayor Pro Tem Denise Burkhart said residents’ concerns about water and energy use should be addressed through continued communication with the companies. She argued that the proposed resolution would have restricted the city’s ability to hold those conversations.
Council member Gene Monk questioned whether the council had already approved a moratorium during its July meeting. At that meeting, council members voted 3-2 to direct attorneys to prepare language for a possible one-year moratorium.
Monk said he believed the July action represented approval of the moratorium, with Thursday’s consideration intended only to finalize its legal wording. He described the proposed action as a temporary pause that would allow the community to conduct research before making a decision with long-term consequences.
Mayor Kevin Nelson disagreed with that interpretation, saying the July vote authorized the preparation of proposed language but did not legally establish a moratorium. With Thursday’s 3-2 vote against the formal resolution, no data center moratorium is currently in effect.
Representatives of Google and MidAmerican Energy attended the meeting and emphasized that planning for the potential project remains in an early stage. A Google representative said the company still must evaluate the property, study the area’s hydrology, develop a site plan and determine what infrastructure improvements could be needed.
Google later issued a statement welcoming the council’s decision to continue the public discussion. The company said it intends to communicate directly with residents, answer questions and explain how the proposed development could affect local schools and the community’s economy.
“Google appreciates the City Council’s decision to allow the public dialogue to move forward. Google remains committed to engaging directly and transparently with the residents of Salix to listen, answer questions, and build this proposal together. We look forward to showing how this potential project can support local schools, strengthen the economy, and be a positive part of the Salix community.” -Google
It remains unclear whether another data center-related resolution will be placed on a future council agenda. Nelson said following the meeting that city officials would consult with their legal team about possible next steps.
The council’s vote came as Salix continues to face a legal challenge involving the city’s effort to annex approximately 900 acres that could become part of the proposed development site.
Three residents — George Nelson, James Yanak and Janet Yanek — filed a lawsuit seeking to have the annexation declared defective and void. The plaintiffs allege that four of the five properties included in the annexation applications did not adjoin the city, that Salix did not complete a required consultation with Woodbury County, that proper written notice was not provided to neighboring landowners and that the city did not file a map showing the full city boundary and proposed annexation territory.
Salix City Attorney Eric Updegraff filed a motion Thursday afternoon seeking dismissal of the lawsuit. The annexation dispute and the potential data center project remain unresolved.
