Tag Archives: datacenter moratorium

Local governments must decide permits within 45 days –GA SB 447 2026-07-01

Leave a reply

It’s GA SB 447 that sets a short time limit for approving permit applications, according to Lowndes County Clerk Belinda Lovern, in response to a LAKE open records request.

The actual limit appears to be 45 days, not 30 days, but still pretty brief, and it’s not just for datacenters. Exactly which permits is not clear, but at least anything that requires an erosion and sedimentation control plan.

A good part is that SB 447 requires local governments to maintain a website with current permit status. However, it also says, “A local government may satisfy the requirements of this Code section by providing a direct public link to a third-party permitting or records management system. provided such system displays the information required by subsection (c) of this Code section.” So chances are somebody one of the legislators knows is expecting to get about a hundred county and city customers this summer.

[Local governments must decide permits within 45 days --GA SB 447 2026-07-01, LCC 60-day datacenter moratorium]
Local governments must decide permits within 45 days –GA SB 447 2026-07-01, LCC 60-day datacenter moratorium

At the August 8, 2026, Work Session, Lowndes County Manager Paige Dukes said state law changed this year, to require permit approval within 30 days. Continue reading →

Videos: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC Regular 2026-08-25

1 Reply

The 60-day moratorium on datacenter applications passed unanimously with no discussion.

Six citizens were heard against datacenters, and one about conduct unbecoming by the Commissioners.

The Lowndes County Commission also passed everything else unanimously in their Regular Session of August 25, 2026.

Including the four millage rate items. There was a millage presentation, with a promise that it would be on the county website. I don’t see it there yet. If it’s still not there this afternoon, I will post screenshots from the LAKE video.

[Collage @ LCC Regular 25 August 2026 --LAKE]
Collage @ LCC Regular 25 August 2026 –LAKE

Below are links to videos of each agenda item, with some notes by John S. Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC Work 2026-08-24

3 Replies

Update 2026-08-26: Videos: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC Regular 2026-08-25.

At the Work Session yesterday morning, Gretchen Quarterman noted, “Not a Data Center Moratorium, just an application moratorium. State Law changed this year, because of pressures from big money, to require that permitting of Data Centers be processed in 30 days. Should the county get an application, they would not have time to make an ordinance. Seems like reaction, rather than proaction to me and while lip service was given to community involvement, 60 days isn’t very long for that to happen.”

There was also no promise to show the draft datacenter ordinance to the people, instead of the usual Lowndes County Commission practice that until it shows up in an agenda on a Friday to be voted on the next Tuesday, as is the usual practice with Lowndes County ordinances.

[Collage @ LCC 24 August 2026]
Collage @ LCC 24 August 2026

Finance Director Stephanie Black said millage rates for the two Authorities and Fire would remain the same, while there would be a rollback on the main millage rate.

The presentations on each of the millage rates will be this evening at the Regular Session.

Commissioners had questions on almost every item at the Work Session.

The CDBG-DR grant application is supposed to be for Community Development Disaster Recovery, but seems to be exclusively to help developers who want to develop in the Riverside Road area without taking responsibility to pave the road. Why not use those funds for actual disaster recovery?

The Land Application System (LAS) Holding Pond Sludge Removal is complicated; thus the wildly varying bid amounts.

Below are links to videos of each agenda item, with some notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC 2026-08-24

Update 2026-08-25: Videos: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC Work 2026-08-24.

Something we’d been told for many weeks would never happen may happen Tuesday: the Lowndes County Commission will vote on a Data Center Moratorium, as promised by a county announcement Friday.

Does this mean no datacenters? Of course not. It’s just a delay of 60 days, while the county works on its datacenter ordinance.

But it’s some small sign that maybe the county is listening to the many people who have proposed a moratorium. As recently as July 28 we were told Lowndes County will not be doing a moratorium. Now it’s on the agenda.

We still see no indication of any planned Public Hearings for the draft datacenter ordinance, and nobody outside the county government has seen any draft, so far as I know.

They will also be setting the milage rates, with a rollback for the county-wide millage, and the same as usual for VLPRA, VLCIA, and Fire Services.

They will vote on two TIA items, one for Twin Lakes Road, and three items about a CDBG-DR funding application.

And, finally, a complicated bid solution for Land Application System (LAS) Holding Pond Sludge Removal.

[Packet: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR applic., LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC 2026-08-24]
Packet: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR applic., LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC 2026-08-24

Here is the agenda.

See also the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website, with images of each page below. Why the county does not put that packet on its own website continues to be mysterious.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026, 5:30 p.m
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Data Center Moratorium vote Tuesday @ LCC 2026-08-21

Update 2026-08-21: Packet: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC 2026-08-24.

We have no further confirmation of this, since the county has not yet posted its agenda for next week in their Agenda Center, and they have not yet responded to LAKE’s open records request for the board packet.

But they sent this press release out to subscribers to lowndescounty.com and it’s on that web page under Lowndes County News.

Actually, at least one County Commissioner confirms this moratorium should be on the agenda for Tuesday. And probably also the animal ordinance.

Maybe Lowndes County is finally going to catch up to Brooks and Cook Counties and the City of Adel and many more Georgia counties, as well as Madison and Citrus and many other Florida counties, which have already passed datacenter moratoriums.

For much more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

[Datacenter Moratorium vote Tuesday, 2026-08-21 --Lowndes County Board of Commissioners]
Datacenter Moratorium vote Tuesday, 2026-08-21 –Lowndes County Board of Commissioners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, August 21, 2026

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners to Consider Data Center Moratorium

Lowndes County, Georgia: The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will consider a proposed moratorium on data centers in unincorporated Lowndes County during its Regular Session Meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

If approved, the moratorium would be in place on an interim basis while the County develops a comprehensive data center ordinance for consideration and approval by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners.

Meeting Information

Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: Commission Chambers

Address: 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia 31601

The Board recognizes the importance of carefully evaluating the potential impacts and considerations associated with data center development and will continue to review the matter through the appropriate public process.

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Videos: R-21 to E-A rezoning, Jail door lock and skylight, Subdivision Infrastructure, LMIG Resurfacing Bids @ LCC Regular 2026-08-11

The Lowndes County Commission passed everything unanimously. Plus they had a proclamation about 811, two citizens spoke about datacenters, one about an alleged sinkhole, one invitation to a fair, and one talked about Southern Georgia Black Chambers.

Vice-Chair Mark Wisenbaker again presided, this time over the Regular Session.

Here are the LAKE videos of this Regular Session, with a few notes by John S. Quarterman.

See also Continue reading →