DeKalb resident slams commission for not condeming ICE

The DeKalb County Commission recently deferred several significant resolutions concerning proposed data center regulations. Among these was an amendment aimed at modifying the county's definition of a "data center campus," which would effectively cap data centers at 500,000 square feet. This amendment also sought to mandate Special Land Use Permits (SLUPs) for all data center applications and incentivize new operations to utilize 100 percent renewable energy. Additionally, the commission postponed a resolution that would require a baseline assessment of the county's health, socio-economic, and environmental status, along with a third-party analysis of the proposed data center regulations, before any land disturbance permits could be issued. A resolution proposing the establishment of a DeKalb "For The People AI Tech Dividend Fund" and Fiscal Stability Policy, which would allocate 50 percent of tax revenue generated by high-technology data centers to support resident equity and environmental restorations, was also deferred. The deferrals indicate ongoing discussions and a lack of immediate decision on the future framework for data center development within the county.