People removed from Salix City Council meeting; council points to creating data center regulations ordinance
During a contentious Salix, Iowa City Council meeting, disruptive attendees were removed as the council discussed the possibility of a Google data center. The council ultimately voted against implementing a moratorium on data center construction but announced plans to develop a new ordinance for data center regulations. This follows Google's early August announcement of evaluating a site north of Salix.
At a recent Salix, Iowa City Council meeting, community members were removed for disruptive behavior during discussions regarding a potential data center. Mayor Kevin Nelson and council members stated their intention to draft a new ordinance specifically outlining regulations for data centers, which would later be presented for public input.
This decision follows the council's vote on August 20 not to enact a moratorium on data center construction within the town. The discussions are set against the backdrop of Google's announcement in early August that it is in the preliminary stages of evaluating a site on the north side of Salix for a new data center facility. The ongoing public engagement has led to previous contentious meetings, prompting the council to adopt new rules for meeting decorum. Mayor Nelson emphasized his goal of fostering broad discussions on data center issues within council meetings.