Commission expected to pass data center moratorium next week
GEOFFREY WOEHLK/THE FORUM
Nodaway County Administration Center building
MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Nodaway County Commission is set to approve next week a moratorium that would put a data center project on hold for up to six months with options to extend.
During the commission’s regular public comment period on Tuesday morning, Presiding Commissioner Bill Walker said the commission will meet again with attorney Travis Elliott Tuesday afternoon to finalize the language, and then release the moratorium to the public on Thursday. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the commission expects to pass the moratorium on Tuesday of next week, July 21.
The aim of the moratorium, the commissioners have said, is to get all the information needed to make an informed decision about whether and how to move forward with a development agreement with Scale Microgrids, the developer of the White Cloud Acres data center project. That includes, but is not limited to, specifics on how much water, natural gas and electricity the facility will use.
“Ultimately that’s what the moratorium is about, is getting answers to those questions,” South District Commissioner Scott Walk said Tuesday. “And holding their feet to the fire a little bit because … even though we’ve requested them, we haven’t gotten those answers.”
Once the moratorium is in place, Scale would not legally be able to start construction on the project before providing answers outlined in the moratorium. Although Walker said the moratorium would last for up to six months with the ability to extend if necessary, it could end earlier if all answers are provided. If the company does provide the answers, then the commission would potentially move forward with a development agreement.
A development agreement would outline the conditions for any tax abatements. The commissioners said they have not received the first draft of a proposed agreement sent by Scale to Elliott. But without answers to the questions to be posed in the moratorium, the commissioners said any proposal would be a nonstarter anyway. Once those answers are provided, then negotiations over the terms of an agreement could begin if the commission decides that’s in the best interests of the county.
