IOWA CITY

A moratorium on the construction of data centers in Johnson County may be headed for an extension into 2027.

The Board of Supervisors will vote next week on a nine-month extension of a moratorium that expires in November.

No supervisors have expressed support for the construction of a data center in Johnson County, and the Board held a combined session in July with the county’s Planning & Zoning Commission to discuss and determine requirements that would be in place when a data center application surfaces.

Approaching November’s election, the building of data centers has become a hot topic. While data centers house large banks of computers for companies using AI, or artificial intelligence, and the centers are backed by the Trump Administration, the data centers have drawn protests and large-scale opposition in many parts of the country.

Linn County began an 18-month moratorium on data centers July 1, while at the same time a large data center is being constructed just six miles north of Johnson County, in Cedar Rapids near the Eastern Iowa Airport. The Quality Technology Services (QTS) data center project will cover more than 600 acres with projected investments of $10 billion.

Johnson County’s current moratorium expires November 8.

Pipeline Project

The Iowa Utilities Commission temporarily shut down a MidAmerican Energy pipeline project that would extend a natural gas line from near Hills to Iowa City, but MidAmerican hopes to soon resume work on the project.

The project was shut down due to the absence of required topsoil surveys.

The Board of Supervisors, during its October 8 formal session, approved granting authority to Josh Busard, Johnson County Director of Planning, Development and Sustainability, to work on a corrective action plan with MidAmerican.

Busard told the Board that MidAmerican wants to get going on the project as soon as possible.

The pipeline extension will go from a substation west of Hills, near the junction of Johnson and Washington counties, to southern Iowa City.

Frytown Trailers

The Board approved preliminary and final plats for the Frytown Trailers subdivision on 500th Street SW.

The property consists of 7.6 acres and is located east of Frytown. It was rezoned from agricultural to commercial agricultural in 2025.

The property, owned by Mark Slabaugh, is home to Frytown Trailers, a business that sells vehicle trailers.

Early voting

Early voting begins Wednesday in Johnson County for a number of county elected positions, Statehouse seats and Federal mid-term seats. Also on the ballot is a $94.5 bond referendum for a new Johnson County jail.

Early voting is held in a number of places, including the Johnson County Administration Building on South Dubuque Street in Iowa City, the Iowa City Public Library beginning Saturday, the UIHC River Landing Clinic on Monday and the Iowa Memorial Union.

Early voting ends Nov. 2 with regular precinct in-person voting Nov. 3, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Polling places include the Sharon Center United Methodist Church, Lone Tree American Legion and Hills Community Center.

Board Action

The Board approved a Fiscal Year 2027 interfund transfer from the county’s general basic fund to the Conservation Trust fund.

The Board issued a proclamation in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Oct. 12).

Next Meeting

The Board’s next formal session is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 15.