The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors voted Monday, July 27th to set a public hearing on its proposed data center ordinance for 6:00 p.m. on Monday, August 10th in the third floor courtroom of the Jefferson County Courthouse — a location chosen in response to community requests for a larger, more accessible venue for the public to participate.
The ordinance has undergone significant changes in recent weeks in response to community feedback. Two notable revisions include the addition of cryptocurrency mining to the list of activities covered by the ordinance and a lowering of the threshold from 20 megawatts to 5 megawatts of continuous power draw — a change that dramatically expands the ordinance’s reach and addresses one of the most persistent concerns raised by residents over the past several weeks.
Despite those changes, several residents who attended Monday’s meeting felt the supervisors could and should go further — specifically by implementing a moratorium before the ordinance is finalized rather than waiting for the full public hearing process to conclude.
County resident Doug Bricker challenged the board on the moratorium question, saying he does not believe Iowa law prohibits a standalone moratorium before a detailed ordinance is in place. Supervisor Lee Dimmitt maintained that because Jefferson County does not have county zoning, it lacks the legal authority to impose a moratorium before passing an ordinance first. Bricker pushed back, saying he challenges any county attorney to show in Iowa law where it explicitly states that an ordinance must precede a moratorium. Bricker also raised concerns that the Economic Development Agreement framework in the ordinance could give the public the impression that the county is encouraging or partnering with data centers rather than simply regulating them, potentially creating a bias in the county’s judgment when evaluating any future applications. He also noted that a data center drawing just under the 5 megawatt threshold — say, 4.9 megawatts — would still be equivalent to the power consumption of roughly 4,000 homes, more than half the homes in Jefferson County, and could still produce significant noise and other problems for nearby residents.
Resident Laurie Reminick echoed Bricker’s call for a moratorium, noting that the issue is playing out across communities throughout the United States and urging supervisors to act proactively to protect Jefferson County residents. She also noted that elected officials around the country who were not seen as sufficiently protective of their communities on this issue have faced political consequences.
Resident Sylvia Richards said she appreciated some of the recent changes to the ordinance but raised a concern about a portion of the draft that places responsibility on developers to commission their own studies regarding water impacts, wetland locations, noise, and other environmental factors. She questioned whether those studies could be biased or inadequate in protecting the county’s interests since they would be funded and directed by the very entities seeking to build.
The public hearing is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Monday, August 10th in the third floor courtroom of the Jefferson County Courthouse. Community members are encouraged to attend and participate.
