The Minnetrista City Council approved several new ordinances at its Aug. 3 meeting, including one that authorizes a study of and a one-year moratorium on data centers.
David Abel, community development director, explained that the city has not received any data center applications but wants to get ahead of the issue as new projects emerge elsewhere in the metro area. Mayor Lisa Whalen said the moratorium will give the city time to establish rules and regulations for data centers, as Minnetrista currently has no ordinances governing them.
Council member Brian Govern took a different view, supporting the study but opposing the moratorium. He said data centers could present an opportunity for Minnetrista and a moratorium could take the city out of the running. Govern also said data centers do not pose unique risks compared with other heavy industrial uses and noted that, because Minnetrista has few industrial-zoned areas, a proposed data center would likely require rezoning, giving the council an opportunity to review it.
The council approved the moratorium 3-1, with council member Cathleen Reffkin absent.
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