BARRON, Wis. (NWN) — The Barron County Board of Supervisors met Monday to learn more about data centers.
Six data centers have been built in Wisconsin, more are likely to come, and local counties and municipalities should be ready for them with specific zoning ordinances tailored for these new developments. That’s according to Mark O’Connell, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Counties Association.
O’Connell and an attorney from the Attolles Law Firm said the county can’t enact a permanent ban, only a temporary one to develop a zoning ordinance. And O’Connel said zoning ordinances have limited scope and authority.
“The things that the county will need to look at will generally be public health, welfare and safety, transportation issues, the kinds of things that the county has control over in their everyday governance of the county,” O’Connel said. “The kinds of things that they will not be considering is the operation of the business itself, just like we would never consider how any particular business might be operating. So that’s what would be included in an ordinance to be considered in the future.”
The board will consider adopting a temporary moratorium on data centers and taking steps to draft a zoning ordinance. That meeting is October 19.