Sioux County to review data center ordinance Sept. 29
Sioux County officials are preparing to vote on a drafted data center ordinance on September 29. The ordinance, which was recommended by the planning and zoning board, aims to establish regulations for data centers and would lift a one-year moratorium enacted in June. The county plans to hold three readings to allow ample public input.
Sioux County officials, including zoning director Shane Walter, are advancing a drafted data center ordinance for a vote by the Board of Supervisors on September 29. The proposed ordinance, which was recommended by the planning and zoning board, aims to provide a regulatory framework for data center applications within the county.
The county previously enacted a one-year moratorium on data center and industrial battery storage facility construction on June 16, explicitly to allow time for the development of such an ordinance. If the new ordinance is formally approved by the supervisors, the existing moratorium would be lifted.
Officials, including County Attorney Tom Kunstle, have recommended holding three separate readings of the ordinance to ensure maximum public participation and transparency. Supervisors, such as Craig Hoftyzer, emphasized the importance of public access to the full ordinance text, leading to a decision to post it on the county's website prior to the scheduled meetings.