This week at the Tulare County Board of Supervisors the board will take up a proposed 45-day moratorium on development of a data center in any unincorporated part of the county. Also this week the Visalia City Council will hear a plan to approve a moratorium within the city limits as well. Meanwhile,Tulare City decided not to discuss the issue at their last meeting.
The County agenda item calls for an urgency designation adding that there is “current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, and welfare…” The interim moratorium will require a four- fifths vote to go into effect and would be in place until the board might put in place a permanent regulation.
Meanwhile a Visalia staff report on the agenda says Council member “Brian Poochigian seeks Council consideration of directing staff to return at a future regular meeting with an item regarding a moratorium on data centers and similar high-intensity uses that may require substantial water that results in a net loss and electrical resources that could impact the development of other, more beneficial, economic generators in the community.
The requested future agenda item would provide the City Council with an opportunity to discuss whether staff should evaluate the City’s existing regulations, review actions being considered or implemented by other California jurisdictions, and present potential policy options.”
The Council will meet the evening of August 17 and the County board meets Tuesday August 18 at 9 AM.
The only proposal in Tulare County is at the Tulare County Fairgrounds for a “small” data center proposed by Global Stack that may not be affected by any jurisdiction other than the Tulare County Fair board. A public meeting a few weeks ago brought out a crowd opposed to the idea. A similar proposal is on the table at the Kings County Fairgrounds. Water and power are key concerns.
The next Tulare County Fair board meeting is Aug. 18 but the data center is not on the agenda.
City of Tulare nixes discussion
Deciding not to get involved for now is the City of Tulare who recently voted not to discuss the Global Stack proposal that could happen in the city limits with the council voting down a proposal to put it on the agenda. The motion was brought by council member Jose Sigala to discuss at the August 18 meeting, but the council nixed the idea by a 4 to 1 vote.