Eugene bans city employees from signing non-disclosure agreements for data centers
The City of Eugene, Oregon, has banned its employees from signing non-disclosure agreements regarding data center developments. This administrative order was signed by City Manager Jenny Haruyama following strong public opposition from residents to potential data center projects. The city's land use code currently does not permit large, modern data centers in any zone.
The City of Eugene, Oregon, has enacted an administrative order prohibiting city employees from signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) concerning data center projects. Eugene City Manager Jenny Haruyama signed the order on September 16, responding to significant public outcry at a September 14 City Council meeting where numerous residents voiced opposition to potential data center developments.
The city stated that such NDAs would contradict its commitment to transparency with citizens, although city spokesperson Elle O'Casey confirmed that staff had not previously signed any data center-related NDAs. Currently, Eugene's Land Use Code explicitly disallows large, modern data centers in all zoning areas, and they do not align with any other permitted uses. This stance was reinforced by a recent decision against allowing data centers at the former Hyundai/Hynix site in West Eugene.
The City Council is scheduled to further discuss data centers and review the land use code during a work session on December 14.