A hastily called Morgan County board meeting yesterday morning resulted in a six month waiting period for data centers proposed in Morgan County.
The board was not supposed to meet until May 11th to talk about the moratorium. But, the meeting was re-set for yesterday, and a standing room only crowd watched on.
The group presented a petition that included more than 360 signatures that supported the review period.
Commissioner Michael Woods originally asked for a 12 month review period.
But, state’s attorney Gray Noll shortened the period to 6 months to make it more legally palatable.
Dr Woods says he wanted the county board to be pro-active, rather than reactive.
A proposed data center near Waverly on the western edge of Sangamon County and subsequent approval prompted Woods’ proposal.
Dr Woods says this is not zoning, because Morgan County doesn’t have a zoning ordinance.
Woods says this is about Morgan County being prepared and determining if a data center is a right fit here.
The Morgan County board is anxiously watching what happens in the Illinois general assembly this spring. Lawmakers have indicated they would like to regulate data centers.