Hank Sims / Monday, Sept. 14 @ 11:57 a.m. / Agendizer
Eureka City Council Kicks Off DATA CENTER WEEK With Discussion About the Possibilities of a Future Ordinance Regulating Them
Eureka City Hall | Photo: Andrew Goff
Here’s something I bet you never noticed.
The Eureka City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. The Arcata City Council meets on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.
That means that if the month starts on a Wednesday, like it did in April and July of this year, the cities will hold their meetings on alternating weeks. Every other kind of month, they hold them on the same week.
Interesting, right? It’s something to think about.
Anyway, this month is one of those months where they hold them on the same week, and this week both of them will be talking about the topic du jour, which is: Data centers! What do we do about data centers?
Here’s what Arcata is looking to do at its meeting Wednesday night.
Eureka is two weeks and one day ahead of its brethren to the north. If you remember, at its last meeting the Eureka City Council passed its own 45-day moratorium on the construction of new data centers in the city limits.
So at its regular meeting tomorrow night, the council will be looking to go a step further and think about long-range regulation of the industry. City staff will be asking the council what they’d like to see in a possible land use ordinance aimed at restricting their development.
A staff report — which was partially drafted and edited by AI, as a helpful disclaimer at the bottom notes — outlines the kind of questions that council might want to discuss tomorrow night:
1. Does Council wish to prohibit data centers as a primary use, allow only smaller data centers, or consider a tiered approach that would allow larger data centers only when specified standards and community-benefit requirements are satisfied?
2. If smaller data centers are allowed, what characteristics and quantitative thresholds should distinguish a smaller facility from a larger facility?
3. If data centers are allowed, in what zoning districts and/or specific locations should they potentially be allowed, and through what permitting processes? If larger data centers are limited to sites with a Special Considerations Overlay, should the City identify those sites in advance or consider an overlay in response to a specific development proposal?
4. Are there circumstances under which Council would consider a larger data center acceptable? If so, what outcomes would Council expect regarding electrical and water infrastructure, renewable energy, public safety, community character, decommissioning, workforce development, and other community benefits? Should staff explore the use of Development Agreements to secure long-term community benefit commitments for larger projects?
5. Does Council support exploring utility-capacity and cost-allocation standards applicable to all extraordinary utility users, rather than applying those requirements exclusively to data centers?
Staff report disclaimer.
The goal of the discussion will be to give staff a sense of what the council is thinking, so they can keep that in mind when drafting up a longer-term ordinance regulating the size and placement of any future data center that might want to put down roots in the city. Bound to be a lively conversation!
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Also on the agenda:
• Should the city develop a registry of vacant and foreclosed-upon properties? Such a registry would give the city an easy directory of who to contact in the event that problems arise at such properties, as well as provide the raw data that would allow staff to study why some properties remain vacant, and perhaps develop strategies for putting them back into productive use.
You might remember that just about two years ago, Eureka narrowly approved a program to register chronically vacant buildings, and to fine their owners. But that program has been in legal limbo since a lawsuit challenged a similar one in San Francisco, and so the present ordinance — which will only be introduced on Tuesday night, not definitively approved or denied — keeps the registration part without the legally problematic part about the fines.
• Also on tap: A presentation on possible new strategies for dealing with the city’s sewage. The current wastewater treatment plant, out on Hilfiker Lane near one end of the Hikshari’ Trail, is perpetually on the Regional Water Quality Control Board’s shit list (literally!), and every so often the city has to negotiate with that board to keep it running.
On Tuesday night, city engineer Jesse Willor will update the council on its work toward a new feasibility study that could, fingers crossed, put Eureka back in the board’s good graces. In the staff report, Willor writes:
The Feasibility Study includes analysis of pathways to reach compliance including analysis of new ocean outfall, analysis of using Redwood Marine Terminal ocean outfall, study of deep well injection, study of a new wastewater treatment plant, and analysis of enhancement projects consistent with the Enclosed Bays and Estuaries Policy.
The study will be released Oct. 1. This is sort of a preview.
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The Eureka City Council meets Tuesday night in Council Chambers on the second floor of Eureka City Hall (531 K Street, Eureka). Closed session — which seems to be empty this week — begins at 5 p.m., open session at 6 p.m. Full agenda, with remote participation instructions, at this link.
Eureka City Council
Sept. 15, 2026, 6 p.m.
A. MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Proclamation Honoring Michelle McKeegan, Keep Eureka Beautiful
2. Proclamation- National PACE Month
B. PRESENTATIONS
1. Operations Complex Project Update
2. Feasibility Study for the Elk River Wastewater Treatment Plant
DOCUMENTS:
C. BOARD/COMMISSION REPORTS
D. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
E. COUNCIL REPORTS / CITY-RELATED TRAVEL REPORTS
F. PUBLIC HEARINGS
G. CONSENT CALENDAR
DOCUMENTS:
2. State of California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Grant
The Eureka City Council is being asked to approve a $46,000 grant from the State of California Office of Traffic Safety for the Eureka Police Department. The grant would cover overtime costs for traffic safety and impaired driving enforcement operations, including DUI patrols and checkpoints. This funding would help reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities in the community.
— LoCOBot
… or, as a text thread between three teenage mean girls!
Kaylee: Ugh, like why are they even talking about this boring police grant stuff at city council
Brianna: Seriously, like who even cares about traffic safety and drunk driving, that’s not our problem
Madison: I know right, like let them deal with it and leave us out of it. We have way more important things to worry about, like what we’re wearing to the mall this weekend
Kaylee: Exactly, like as if we have time to deal with this nonsense. Let the cops handle it, they get paid for that crap
Brianna: And $46,000 is chump change anyway, like why are they even making a big deal about it?
Madison: I can’t even deal with how boring this is, can we just gossip about something more interesting instead? Like who Taylor is dating now
Kaylee: Yes please, let’s talk about something juicy and fun, not some stupid police grant crap. Can’t wait to spill some tea with you guys at lunch tomorrow
Brianna: Sounds good to me, let’s leave the boring stuff to the adults and focus on what really matters - us and our drama! Love you guys!
— LoCOBot
DOCUMENTS:
3. Award Bid No. 2027-01 Operations Complex Phase 3
DOCUMENTS:
H. LEGISLATIVE ACTION CORRESPONDENCE
I. ORDINANCES/RESOLUTIONS
1. Bill No. 1062-C.S. Foreclosed and Vacant Property Registration Ordinance
The City Council is considering a new ordinance that would require owners of foreclosed and vacant properties to register them with the city. This registry would provide information on the number and location of these properties in Eureka. The ordinance aims to address issues such as property maintenance and safety by identifying responsible parties and establishing contact information. The implementation of this ordinance would involve staff time and an annual registration fee. The City Council has determined that the ordinance does not require an environmental review based on the California Environmental Quality Act.
— LoCOBot
The City of Eureka had long been plagued by foreclosed and vacant properties, creating a sense of decay and unease throughout the community. But when the City Council decided to implement a Foreclosed and Vacant Property Registration Ordinance, little did they know the horror that would soon unfold.
As the ordinance was introduced and discussed, dark forces began to stir within the abandoned buildings that dotted the city streets. Shadows moved where there should have been none, whispers echoed through empty hallways, and a feeling of dread hung heavy in the air.
One by one, the properties that were registered under the new ordinance seemed to come alive with malevolent energy. Residents reported strange occurrences - doors slamming shut on their own, disembodied footsteps echoing in the dead of night, and figures moving in the windows of buildings that were supposed to be empty.
Cristin Kenyon, the Development Services Director who had prepared the ordinance, found herself at the center of the supernatural activity. As she worked late into the night reviewing registration forms, she became aware of a presence watching her from the shadows. Whispers filled her ears, urging her to abandon the ordinance and leave the properties to their dark fate.
But Cristin was determined to see the ordinance through, despite the growing terror that gripped the city. As she delved deeper into the registry, she uncovered a pattern - all of the properties had been the site of violent crimes, tragic accidents, and mysterious disappearances.
It became clear that the foreclosed and vacant properties were not simply abandoned - they were cursed. And by shining a light on them, Cristin had awakened something ancient and vengeful.
As the City Council moved to enforce the ordinance and bring the properties back into compliance, they unwittingly unleashed a wave of supernatural terror upon the city. Shadows danced in the streets, screams pierced the night, and the veil between the living and the dead grew dangerously thin.
The residents of Eureka found themselves trapped in a nightmare, pursued by malevolent spirits and haunted by the sins of the past. And as the city descended into chaos, one question remained - would they be able to escape the curse of the foreclosed and vacant properties, or would they become just another chapter in the city’s dark history?
— LoCOBot
DOCUMENTS:
J. REPORTS/ACTION ITEMS
1. Data Center Regulations Discussion
The City Council is discussing potential regulations for data centers, which are facilities that store and process digital information. They are considering three options: prohibiting data centers, allowing only smaller ones, or allowing larger ones under certain conditions. The discussion includes the potential impacts of data centers on the community, such as electricity and water usage, job creation, and economic benefits. The Council will decide on the direction for future regulations to be developed during a moratorium on data center establishment.
— LoCOBot
… or, as a conversation between Beavis and Butt-head!
Beavis: Uh, like what’s a data center, Butt-head?
Butt-head: I dunno, Beavis. Sounds like some kind of place where they keep data or something.
Beavis: Yeah, like where they keep all the videos of people falling off stuff and stuff.
Butt-head: Yeah, and probably where they keep all the music we steal online.
Beavis: Oh yeah, that’s cool. I wonder if they have any nachos at the data center.
Butt-head: Beavis, I don’t think they have nachos at the data center. It’s like, a serious place for, like, serious stuff.
Beavis: Oh, yeah, like serious nachos?
Butt-head: No, Beavis. Like, making sure the city has enough electricity and water for all the data centers.
Beavis: Oh, yeah. I guess that’s important or something. Hey, Butt-head, what’s a Development Agreement?
Butt-head: I don’t know, Beavis. But, like, I think it’s when the city and some dude agree on how to build something.
Beavis: Oh, cool. Maybe they’ll agree to build a kick-ass skate park or something.
Butt-head: Yeah, or like, a strip club. That would be cool.
Beavis: Yeah! We should go to this City Council meeting and tell them about the strip club idea.
Butt-head: Yeah, Beavis. Let’s do it. It’s like, our civic duty or something. Heh heh heh.
— LoCOBot
DOCUMENTS:
K. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
L. CITY MANAGER REPORTS
1. ADU/Housing Trust Fund Update
M. PUBLIC COMMENT CONTINUED
CLICK TO MANAGE