The Petersburg Borough Assembly will discuss a temporary moratorium on permits for data centers this afternoon. They’ll also discuss moving training materials for the fire department and vote on a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the borough employees’ union.
The proposed data center moratorium would last through September 2027. It would prevent the borough from issuing permits to new data centers, or expansions to data centers that would exceed Petersburg’s grid capacity, rely on generators, or use uncontained cooling systems.
While there are currently no data centers in Petersburg, they have been a topic of regular discussion at assembly meetings. A local developer has shown interest in building one in town. During the moratorium, the borough would study the impacts of data centers and look into regulation options.
Petersburg isn’t the only community looking into regulating data centers. Sitka’s Planning Commission has recommended banning data centers in their community.
This ordinance is in its first reading. If approved, it will need to be considered two more times to become law.
Also today, the borough assembly will discuss the steps and costs required to move fire department training materials to the fire hall. The department’s training materials used to be housed at Scow Bay, but upcoming site work for a major harbor project now requires their equipment to be removed and relocated.
Additionally, the assembly will decide whether or not to approve a tentative agreement between the borough and the employees’ union, the Petersburg Municipal Employees Association. The last agreement between the borough and the union expired at the end of June. The union has not yet voted on the proposal.
In addition to approving the tentative agreement, the assembly will take a final vote on budget changes to fund cost-of-living adjustments and longevity pay increases included in the proposal. At the previous assembly meeting, Molly Taiber, a negotiator for the union, requested the borough delay approving budget adjustments until the union could vote.
You can find the full Borough Assembly agenda here. The assembly meets at noon, and KFSK will broadcast that meeting live.
