The Assembly will consider two separate data center items and final adjustments to the borough budget during its noon meeting today. But, before they gavel in, the Assembly will first consider an appeal for a controversial subdivision request.
The subdivision request from the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska will go before the Borough Assembly, acting as the Board of Adjustment, for a second time.
Tlingit & Haida’s broadband company, Tidal Network, wants to subdivide a piece of land near Petersburg’s fire hall in order to build a communications tower. Petersburg’s Planning Commission failed to consider the request in July with no discussion. When an appeal for it went before the Assembly in August, the Board of Adjustment returned the request to the Planning Commission and asked the commission to take formal action.
The Planning Commission denied the request again in September, and Tidal Network again appealed it to the Board of Adjustment, which will weigh the matter this morning.
On the regular Assembly agenda today are two items regarding data centers.
One proposes a temporary data center moratorium, recommended by Vice Mayor Jeigh Stanton Gregor. The moratorium is different from the one that failed in a tie vote at the last assembly meeting.
Stanton Gregor is proposing a shorter, nine-month pause on permitting for data centers that either cannot operate within the capacity of Petersburg’s electrical grid, or that don’t use a closed-loop cooling system. That system is meant to minimize water consumption by repeatedly recycling the same water.
The proposal asks to have Borough staff prepare an ordinance for a borough-wide moratorium that would restrict data centers from using on-site power generation, while giving the Borough time to consider potential impacts and additional regulatory measures.
Assembly member Jeff Meucci is also bringing forward a request regarding data centers. It asks the borough manager to prepare an ordinance regulating data centers in Petersburg’s zoning code. Petersburg’s laws currently have no language about data centers.
The Assembly will also vote whether to adopt changes to the Borough’s budget. Those changes include adding grants for South Harbor’s C float replacement project and the Aquatic Center’s sewer line repairs. It also includes additional expenses, such as repairs to the municipal building and a $150,000 sewer line replacement project on Gjoa Street.
There’s a lot more on today’s agenda — including a request for more tsunami sirens, and a letter supporting management of invasive European Green Crabs.
The Board of Adjustment meets today at 11:30 a.m., and the Assembly meets immediately after at noon in the assembly chambers. KFSK will broadcast the assembly meeting live.
