County group hears staff on GOED programs, utility capacity and data‑center constraints

The meeting included a broad economic-development update that covered state programs (GOED), grant opportunities, contractor-excise-tax mechanics and the county’s readiness for larger industrial projects such as data centers.

Speakers noted GOED has programs like SD Works that can support smaller projects and that the state’s distribution of production credits often leaves only a small share for counties; one participant said, "out of a dollar of revenue coming in for the county, we get six cents of that dollar," describing why some counties decline wind or solar projects. The group asked for a short session to have GOED explain how its tax and incentive programs work and what the county should expect when pursuing grant or incentive support.

City representatives described recent investments to expand wastewater treatment capacity and said municipal water agreements and bulk-water sales arrangements exist to support future development. Members raised water-source options for potential data centers (river intake vs. collector/deep wells) and discussed treatment and zebra‑mussel concerns; staff said data centers are adapting to reduce water needs, but municipal capacity and raw-water options are relevant factors for site selection.

Next steps: staff to prepare a utilities-capacity briefing and an overview of GOED programs and contractor-excise-tax implications for the county’s priority projects.