City council approves six-month moratorium on data centers, crypto mining facilities

by Dan Holland

June 22 city council meeting

Members of Broadview Heights City Council during a June 22 meeting approved a six-month moratorium on accepting for, filing and consideration, review and approval of all new applications for related uses on data centers, crypto mining facilities and substantially similar uses in the city.

“We’re following the protocol of most of the cities around us as far as looking into data centers, as this is something new to everyone,” Council President Robert Boldt said. “So, before someone comes forward with a plan, we want to make sure our attorneys look at our zoning to make sure we have all the safeguards in place for the public as far as utilities and anything like that. I don’t know if it will come into play based on the amount of property we have left available in our city, but we do not want a data center or sub center without the safeguards in place in our zoning.”

Councilmember-at-large Joe Price addressed the issue during a June 15 council work session.

“Although they could locate here, they usually try to locate behind the meter of public power entities so they could avoid the PUCO,” Price said during the June 15 meeting. “They are going to drive up utility costs in Ohio and everywhere throughout the country … they don’t employ a lot of people, and they do create a lot of conflict.”

“They will create infrastructure but ironically, in 2017, in my first dealing, they were looking for the lowest cost power,” he added. “They’re now in every community. I can list a lot of them out there. They’re knocking on doors and they don’t care how much they pay, they just want power. And when that happens in the open market – when we have to buy power to stay competitive – it drives prices up to all the consumers.”

In other business, councilmembers approved:

  • A motion appointing Candace Payette and Bharat Patel to the Human Services Advisory Board.
  • A resolution accepting the donation of installation of vehicle window tint to the police K-9 unit from Solar Solutions, Inc.
  • A memorandum of understanding by and between Broadview Heights and the municipalities of Brecksville, Bedford, Brooklyn Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, Independence, Newburgh Heights and Valley View to provide portable radios and related equipment for use by each respective fire department on a regional basis.
  • An agreement with Geauga Highway Company for parking lot improvements at The Fields.
  • An amendment of an agreement with Geauga Highway Company for the 2026 paving program that increases the contingency amount by $200,000.
  • A renewal agreement to enter into a contract in a consortium of cities with Cargill for road salt.

During a June 8 city council meeting, councilmembers approved:

  • An agreement with MagneGrip for an Airhawk air purification system for the fire department.
  • An agreement with Fire Force, Inc. for replacement of turnout gear for the fire department.