Committee approves ordinance amendment to impose interim moratorium on data center applications; lengthy public comment

The Oneida County Planning & Development Committee voted July 8 to approve Ordinance Amendment #02-2026 (Chapter 9, Article 5, Section 9.57) as presented and forward the amendment to the County Board for final action. The amendment, as discussed by staff, would create an interim moratorium on data center applications while the county evaluates zoning language and potential impacts.

Planning & Zoning Director Karl Jennrich provided background on the department's handling of recent data-center inquiries and on the intent of the proposed language in the ordinance amendment. The public hearing generated extended comment: the transcript lists more than a dozen speakers who addressed the ordinance, including Catherine Parker, Tom Neale, Alexa Megna, Niina Baum, Kathleen Cooper, Nate Gaedtke, Erica Rempala, Carol Warden, Nathan Nuszkiewicz, Gerald Anderson, Richard Martin, Joni Davison, Liane Ware, Marca Donahue and Merlin Van Buren. The transcript does not record verbatim content for each speaker in the meeting file provided here, but the presence of that many commenters indicates substantial community interest.

Following public input, Dan Hess moved and Michael Tautges seconded approval of Ordinance Amendment #02-2026 as presented and to forward the amendment to the County Board for final approval; the motion carried unanimously. The committee record notes the Notice of Public Hearing was posted in the Northwoods River News on June 23 and 30, 2026 and on the courthouse bulletin board on June 18, 2026, and that correspondence from the Towns and from DOT and DNR are included in the file.

The amendment will now be considered by the full County Board. Planning staff will process materials and the record for board consideration; the committee did not adopt additional amendments at this meeting.