KTTC reports after yesterday’s Joint Planning Session Meeting..

A Fillmore County community is moving closer to finalizing local regulations for a potential data center.

Residents in Harmony got a look at the sixth draft of a proposed data center ordinance during a meeting Wednesday night. The review comes after city leaders examined resident feedback at their previous meeting and sent the language back to the city attorney for revisions.

Several key amendments were presented in the updated draft, including a mandate for a closed-loop cooling system and a requirement for an annual noise study to ensure facilities comply with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency standards.

The revised proposal would also cap water usage at 60,000 gallons per month for cooling systems unless granted special approval by the city. Additionally, the draft outright bans the use of non-disclosure agreements to ensure project details remain open to the public.

No formal council action was taken Wednesday as officials gathered further feedback from community members.

Next steps…

The draft ordinance will now head to the city’s planning and zoning committee during its meeting on Oct. 14 at 7 p.m., where a public hearing will be held.

If the committee approves the draft, the ordinance will go before the Harmony City Council for final consideration.