PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The city of Portage has now enacted a temporary moratorium on high tech battery storage systems and data centers, to give them time to come up with new ordinances to regulate the operations, should one of the firms want to locate in the city.
The council also set a March 24th hearing on possible changes to city ordinances to make sure if such a request comes in, they will be prepared.
Last night, citizens stepped forward to express their reservations about the new technology, and the possible downside and dangers the facilities present.
City attorney Catherine Kaufman says a moratorium is only legally enforceable if the community uses that time to legislate safeguards.
The council also asked staff to provide information on what other communities are doing and a copy of a report prepared for Comstock Township on the technology.
Mayor Patricia Randall asked that it be made available before the March 24th hearing.
The moratorium is set to be in effect through the end of the year, or until new ordinance amendments are approved, whichever comes first.
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