Rich Merkouris

How they’d address those concerns

I was asked to provide a statement concerning my position on data centers. Here is my perspective.  In January, I did support a rezone for a parcel of land to Light Industrial with various additional conditions that would allow a Data Center. The Legislature has since passed some new things so I believe the appropriate pathway forward is to have a specific zoning ordinance for Data Centers that brings certainty to the community for protecting resources and clarity to the industry on rules in our community. The best pathway from my perspective would be for the Regulatory Oversight Committee to work a process to set up those zoning standards for the Council to consider. I supported the removal of Data Centers as qualifying for sales tax rebate in Sioux Falls which we passed in 2025. I don’t believe we should incentivize them and we have not done that in Sioux Falls. The community has expressed concerns regarding water and I sought to respond to those concerns by sponsoring an amendment for the current site that was rezoned Light Industrial to ensure that any water coming through the city meter is only used for domestic uses (non-cooling).