Residents urge Greene County commissioners to consider data center moratorium
SNOW HILL - Greene County commissioners heard concerns Monday from residents who urged the board to consider a moratorium on data centers, citing questions about farmland, water, power use and a possible project near Burnett Road.
The comments came during the Aug. 17 meeting at the Greene County Operations Center. No data center item was listed for board action, and commissioners did not vote on a moratorium.
One resident asked commissioners to consider a 12- to 24-month pause on data centers or artificial intelligence data centers. Speakers said they wanted more public information before any project moves forward, including details about land use, utility capacity, cooling water needs and potential noise or air pollution from backup generators.
Residents also referenced Farmville’s recent discussion of a data center moratorium and said Greene County should take time to study possible impacts. Commissioners did not take action on the request, set a date for future discussion or direct staff to prepare a moratorium.
After returning from closed session, commissioners voted to accept an $890,000 offer from First Light Development of Pitt County to purchase the Wastenburg Industrial Park. The motion said the developer plans to build approximately 74 lots, with 12,000-square-foot minimum lots and 1,600-square-foot minimum homes with attached garages.
Commissioners also voted after closed session to approve a contract with Davenport & Lawrence for financing related to the new school.
In other business, commissioners proclaimed August 2026 as Child Support Awareness Month in Greene County. Amanda Smith, director of the Greene County Department of Social Services, presented the proclamation and recognized the county’s child support staff. The proclamation noted that North Carolina collected nearly $649 million in state fiscal year 2025-26, providing support for more than 288,000 children.
Commissioners also approved a request from the Greene County ABC Board related to its profit distribution. ABC Board Chairman Bobby Taylor said the board ended the fiscal year with a net profit of about $47,700 and requested to retain half of that amount, about $23,866, to apply toward the loan for its new building. The county would receive the remaining half.
The board approved a request from the Mooring family to place a stone sign at the Greene County Animal Shelter. County Manager Kyle DeHaven said the sign would replace the current shelter sign and could be moved if the shelter relocates in the future. The agenda packet said the request was made in recognition of Debbie Mooring, a longtime supporter and contributor to the shelter.
Commissioners received the July financial report for information only. The report showed the general fund with $627,067 in year-to-date revenue and $2.7 million in year-to-date expenses through July. The utility fund showed $463,134 in revenue and $249,001 in expenses for the same period.
The board also approved consent agenda items, including late present-use value and property tax relief applications and releases or refunds. Minutes from the Aug. 3 meeting were pulled from the consent agenda for clarification before being approved.
