Bayfield County reviews $1 million EMS plan, data center moratorium
Bayfield County officials are considering an 18-month moratorium on large-scale data centers, a proposal put forth by the county's Planning and Zoning Committee. This consideration comes even though no data center projects have yet been proposed in the county. The proposed ordinance will undergo review by the county's corporation counsel before returning to the board for potential action.
Bayfield County Board members reviewed a proposed 18-month moratorium on large-scale data centers during their August 25 meeting. This proposal, recommended by the county's Planning and Zoning Committee, is being considered despite the absence of any current data center development requests within the county.
According to Deputy County Administrator Kelly Westlund, the proposed moratorium ordinance is modeled after similar documents enacted in Sawyer County and Manitowoc County. County Administrator Mark Abeles-Allison described the presented proposal as a "good draft ordinance" aimed at large-scale facilities. The ordinance will now be sent to the county's corporation counsel for review before it is brought back to the county board for potential action.
The board also addressed an unrelated $1 million plan for new emergency medical services (EMS) funding, outlined by Emergency Management Director Meagan Quaderer. Half of the funding would go to towns based on population for EMS providers, while the other half would be performance-incentivized. Additionally, the board voted to reinstate the county's ad hoc EMS advisory committee to improve system coordination and strategic planning.