Fairfax, IA — City Council Ordinance Permanently Prohibiting High-Impact Data Centers (First Reading 3-1, July 14, 2026)

The Fairfax, Iowa City Council voted 3-1 on July 14, 2026 to advance on first reading an ordinance that would permanently prohibit 'High-Impact Data Centers' within the city with no expiration date. Councilman Dan Wozniak introduced the measure. Councilman Michael Daly cast the sole no vote, arguing the action was premature and objecting to the permanent nature of the ban. A second reading was scheduled for July 28, 2026; the outcome of that meeting and whether the mayor has signed the ordinance is not yet confirmed. KCRG (Cedar Rapids ABC affiliate) characterized the vote as approving a 'ban' with 'no end date'; CBS2 Iowa characterized it as approving a 'moratorium on large AI data centers.' Fairfax is a small city in Linn County near Cedar Rapids and has been cited as only the second Iowa municipality to pursue a permanent outright data center ban, after Ida County. The ordinance as reported does not define 'High-Impact Data Center' numerically in available coverage.

Technical detail

City of Fairfax, IA Council action (3-1 first reading, July 14, 2026). Core provision: ordinance provides the city 'shall not accept, process, or consider any application that seeks approval of a High-Impact Data Center.' No end date / permanent prohibition (per KCRG: 'no end date'). Mechanism: future ordinances could modify or lift the ban if economic and environmental impact requirements are addressed. Sponsor: Councilman Dan Wozniak. Dissent: Councilman Michael Daly (sole no) — cited premature action and lack of expiration date. Procedural status: first reading only as of July 14, 2026; second reading scheduled July 28, 2026. Under Iowa Code ch. 380, ordinances require at least two readings, with unanimous consent required to waive readings; unanimous waiver was unavailable given Daly's dissent. Final adoption (second reading passage + mayoral signature) not confirmed as of 2026-08-07. Coverage context: only second Iowa municipality to pursue outright permanent ban, after Ida County (Ida County entry not yet in dataset — needs research).

Who is protected: Fairfax, IA residents from high-impact data center development (if ordinance fully adopted)

Who must comply: Data center developers seeking any approval from the City of Fairfax, IA

Key facts

Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere

• Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
• Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
• Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
• Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
• WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
• Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect