cheyenne city council votes against data center moratorium

The Cheyenne City Council on Tuesday night voted 8-1 on a voice vote against a proposed 12-month moratorium on new data centers in the city.

Only the measure's sponsor, Councilman Mark Moody, voted yes. The vote against the proposal followed a decision by the council Public Services Committee last week not to make a recommendation on the issue.

The council heard hours of public comment on the moratorium.

State Lawmaker Speaks In Favor Of Moratorium

State Rep. Daniel Singh, testifying via Zoom, told the council he didn't see the issue as being simply between supporting data centers or not or adding new jobs or not.

''It's more complicated than that" Singh said. He went on to say he supports of moratorium because "it's not a free market operating in a vacuum. Local government is already involved. It defines zoning districts. It decides what uses are allowed in those districts.

"So when I talk to people in precinct 3-7, I know local government has the authority to protect those residential areas. That's not hostility to growth. It's the reason zoning exists in the first place."

Singh said people deserve answers about the impact of the centers. He pointed out that "moratorium" does not mean a band, but it would give time to answer some to the questions and write new regulations governing the centers.

''I see this as a local control issue" Singh said.

Other moratorium supporters expressed concerns about water usage, electricity, public health and possible environmental impacts.

But union members spoke against the moratorium. Marcie Kindred of the AFL-CIO said those working the centers are also residents, adding ''A moratorium does not protect our community. It protects the status quo that sent our workers away in the first place."

Long-time Cheyenne resident Corey Lewis told the council the moratorium "would do more harm then good for the development of Cheyenne....Cheyenne needs something to attract and keep families. As someone with teenage children, Cheyenne struggles to be a place where my kids will want to stay.

''If there isn't new growth and opportunities, Cheyenne will suffer overall,"

He went on to say that the "pearl clutching over data centers I find hypocritical." He said if it was a fracking project or a coal mine, people would not be raising concerns.

Council member Jeff White said 'I don't believe, just as a general practice, in moratoriums on one specific business." He went on to ask "What's next, a moratorium on distribution centers? States like Washington and Oregon have placed a moratorium on firearm manufacturers, to their detriment and hopefully to our gain."