Marathon County WI 12-month data center moratorium (2026)

Zoning code amendment adopted 2026-08-25 (committee recommendation reported 2026-08-06 by The Wausonian). Scope: towns under county zoning — Brighton, Easton, Eau Pleine, Elderon, Frankfort, Green Valley, Guenther, Hewitt, Holton, Hull, Knowlton, Marathon, McMillan, Reid, Rib Falls, Plover, Spencer, Wien. Covers facilities where data center operation is a primary use or cumulative data-center floor area exceeds 5,000 sq ft. Prohibited actions: accepting/processing/approving land use or zoning permits for new development or change in use, CUPs, text amendments submitted primarily to allow data centers, and any other approval authorizing new data center development or expansion. Authority cited: Wis. Stat. 59.02 and 59.69 (59.69(4) limits map-amendment moratoria). Definitions of 'data center' and 'data center expansion' adopted. Exemptions: previously issued lawful approvals, ordinary maintenance/repair, emergency actions. 'At least 12-month' pause — no fixed expiry stated, so expires_date null. Follow-up: The Wausonian (Oct. 1, 2026) reports that after passing the year-long moratorium in August, county leaders that week began developing a permanent data center ordinance. NOT ESTABLISHED: ordinance number; vote tally.