THE CITY COUNCIL OF SALIX, IOWA HAS VOTED DOWN A ONE-YEAR MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS.
SALIX PREVIOUSLY ANNEXED 900 ACRES OF FARMLAND FOR A POTENTIAL PROJECT INVOLVING MIDAMERICAN ENERGY AND GOOGLE.
EVEN THOUGH SEVERAL PEOPLE AT THURSDAY NIGHT’S MEETING VOICED SUPPORT FOR A MORATORIUM, THE MEASURE FAILED ON A 3-2 VOTE.
COUNCIL MEMBER DENISE BURKHART SUPPORTED THE MORATORIUM LAST MONTH, BUT CHANGED HER VOTE AFTER GOOGLE WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE POTENTIAL CUSTOMER.
SALIXDATA1 OC……..ASK THE QUESTIONS. :16
COUNCIL MEMBER GENE MONK BELIEVED THE MORATORIUM WAS ALREADY APPROVED LAST MONTH AND THAT THE COUNCIL WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON ITS LANGUAGE:
SALIXDATA2 OC………FIVE PEOPLE. :15.
TENSIONS FLARED AFTER THE 3-2 VOTE AGAINST THE MORATORIUM AND MAYOR KEVIN NELSON CALLED FOR ORDER:
SALIXDATA3 OC……..THE MEETING. ;04
NOBODY WAS ARRESTED.
THURSDAY’S MEETING HAD BEEN DELAYED A WEEK AFTER CITY OFFICIALS RECEIVED DEATH AND TERRORISTIC THREATS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
SALIX IS FACING A LEGAL CHALLENGE FROM WOODBURY COUNTY OVER THE CITY’S ANNEXATION OF THE NEARLY 900 ACRES.
THE LAND WOULD STILL NEED TO BE REZONED BEFORE A DATA CENTER COULD MOVE FORWARD.
SHEILA BRUMMER IPR
