Salix City Council votes no for data center moratorium

The Salix City Council voted against implementing a proposed one-year moratorium on data center construction at its recent meeting in the Salix Community Center. The moratorium, if passed, would have halted communication with Google regarding its interest in building a data center on land in Salix.

During the meeting, tensions were high among community members and council members. City Council Member Gene Monk advocated for a pause, stating it would allow the community to research and make an educated decision, suggesting a public vote. However, confusion arose as Monk believed a one-year moratorium had already been passed at a July council meeting, with the current vote being only on the official language. Mayor Kevin Nelson clarified that no moratorium had been in place after the previous month's meeting, and no moratorium was passed at the current meeting either.

Representatives from MidAmerican Energy and Google were present and stated that discussions are still very early in the process and they wish to continue conversations with the city. The council's decision means these discussions can proceed without a temporary halt, despite some community calls for a cooling-off period.