Council adopts 18-month data center moratorium

City Council · Meeting of October 7, 2026

EASTHAMPTON — The Easthampton City Council adopted an 18-month moratorium on new data centers and approved a $9,540 transfer to fund auditor overtime. The zoning change, recommended unanimously by the Planning Board on September 15, passed a required two-thirds roll call with all six present members voting yes. Mayor Salem Derby said the transfer, covering up to 12 Saturdays of work by City Auditor Patel, should be "the last time" the city needs emergency funding to clear a reporting backlog tied to this year's override.

Vice President Felicia Jadzik supported the spending but said "I think we have a lot of organizational debt." Resident and School Committee member Sam Hunter said he was "really disappointed that we're doing this right now." The council also reported $5.8 million in recent grants, approved four mayoral appointments, and scheduled an October 21 hearing on Eversource and Verizon utility pole requests.

In the full story:

• Ferry Street Sinkhole and Dam Infrastructure
• Spectrum Presentation on Broadband Service
• Public Hearing: Interdepartmental Transfer for the Auditor's Office
• Public Hearing: Zoning Ordinance Amendment, Section 10.11 Data Center Moratorium
• Mayor's Communications: Grants and Energy Program
• Standing Committee Reports
• New Business
• 2026 State Election Warrant
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 3,045 words

Source: the City Council meeting of October 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.