Brawley removes temporary moratorium language from new ordinance
The Brawley City Council voted to remove temporary moratorium language from a newly proposed city ordinance concerning large-scale data center construction. This decision was influenced by concerns from public speakers and council members about creating an anti-business climate and hindering economic development in the Imperial Valley. Staff will now prepare a revised ordinance with proper development guidelines but without the moratorium.
The Brawley City Council recently voted to remove language for a temporary moratorium from a proposed city ordinance regulating large-scale data center construction and related infrastructure. This decision, made at a regular meeting on June 2, came after the council had previously instructed staff to draft such an ordinance, which at that time included a temporary moratorium.
During the public comment session, Tom DuBose of DuBose Design Group Inc., representing clients interested in developing projects in the Imperial Valley, urged the council to withdraw the moratorium. He argued that the moratorium would not only slow but ultimately stop alternative development in the county, impacting the potential for job creation, property tax revenue, and the success of the Lithium Valley initiative which relies on large energy loads.
Councilmember John Grass voiced concerns that a moratorium would create an