CARLTON — The Carlton County Board will vote on whether to move forward with a yearlong data center moratorium at its meeting Tuesday, July 14.
Commissioner Susan Zymslony introduced a motion to put the moratorium in place at the Carlton County Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, July 7.
The Board will consider whether to pass an interim ordinance — commonly known as a moratorium — while the county conducts a study that will evaluate whether additional data center regulations are needed in the county.
Multiple members of the grassroots Carlton County Land Stewards spoke at the meeting. They first requested a moratorium at the county planning commission meeting on June 3.
“We request a moratorium on the new type of data center development," member Sandy Sterling said, "so Carlton County and its citizens have the opportunity to learn, discuss, understand, the full impact of both positive and negative and long-term consequences posed to them in the county."
Zmyslony, who represents southeastern Carlton County and is running for reelection, said an interim ordinance is in the county's best interest.
“The interim use ordinance [sic] will help ensure that data centers do not interfere with other land uses or have substantial negative impacts on the environment, public health, safety and welfare,” she said.
If approved by the Board, the formal process of adopting the moratorium will be started by scheduling a public hearing. The hearing will likely be held at the next Committee of the Whole meeting on Aug. 4.
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