Lamar residents urge council to keep data-center moratorium
Residents called for keeping the pause or banning data centers as council members discussed shortening it while the city develops regulations.
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Lamar residents urged the City Council on Oct. 12 to keep its 24-month data-center moratorium or ban the facilities, as council members discussed shortening the pause while the city develops regulations, the meeting recording shows.
The city administrator said the city attorney recommended limiting the moratorium to six to 12 months if the city writes rules itself, or potentially 18 months if it hires a consultant. The administrator said the attorney was concerned that a longer pause without active work on regulations could expose the city to claims that it had unreasonably restricted property use.
An amended motion proposed an 18-month moratorium and named a council member to lead a committee developing regulations. The motion was seconded, and the mayor called for a verbal vote. The recording does not make clear whether the council approved it.
Mayor Kirk Crespin said no development deal or nondisclosure agreement had been signed with the prospective company. He said he contacted the company after an earlier meeting and explained that the community wanted a moratorium and regulations before further talks. The company declined to sign an agreement, Crespin said, and discussions stopped.
Crespin said the pause was intended to give the city time to develop rules, not to decide whether a specific data-center project would proceed. The city administrator said the council approved the 24-month moratorium on Aug. 24.