Ottawa voters will settle a citizen-proposed data center ordinance on November 3. A yes vote would cap any data center in the city at 25 megawatts of power, and a no vote would allow larger ones. The measure came from a petition by the group Ottawa United.

In September the City Commission canceled its sale of Proximity Park to data center developer Lightfield Energy, which never signed a development agreement. Lightfield's $50,000 deposit on the 300 acres won't be refunded.

Commissioner Mike Skidmore plans to vote no. He told KOFO his main goal is lower property taxes, and that a data center needs few employees, while a plant needing several hundred workers might not find them here. Ottawa United disputes that, saying residents are pushing back against political action committees spending heavily on the no side.

For details, see KOFO's reports on Skidmore's view, Ottawa United's reply, the campaign, the canceled sale and the deposit.