The Irwin County Commissioners approved almost everything unanimously, including the Special Exception for a datacenter.

Videos: Datacenter Special Exception Approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20

The only exception was 6. ACCEPT PHASE II OF THE COURTHOUSE ROOF BID PROJECT, which they tabled.

On the datacenter special exception, several Commissioners did express specific concerns. But they seemed to be relying largely on hearsay, such as by the Commissioners who had visited some datacenters, which “wasn’t really rushed,” yet “We were rushing to see everything we could see. And we didn’t get all the questions like that answered.”

Irwin County BOCC: Paul McIntyre (1), Chris Paulk (4), Vince Thompson (Chair), Aldene Tyson (3), Don Hickey (2 on the phone), 2026-05-20 –jsq for WWALS

After the meeting I told the various datacenter people I wasn’t asking who was the end customer, I just wanted to know did they have one. Answer: no, they were talking to two or three candidates.

Datacenter Applicants, 2026-05-20 –jsq for WWALS

Now of course that is hearsay to you, because you weren’t in earshot, and I wasn’t recording. But it’s worth remembering whenever anybody says they know who the end customer is for Irwin County. And it’s worth considering that this project, like so many others, is speculation trying to attract an end customer.

For much more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

First the Agenda, then the videos.

Agenda

On May 20 at 4:02 PM, I sent a Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) request for the agenda, noting that it was short notice, but I had scoured the county’s website and the web pages of the Ocilla Star and had not found it.

County Attorney James Banter replied at 4:32 PM:

Mr. Quarterman:

Although we have three business days in which to respond, please accept this as a prompt good faith response concerning your request.

Please see attached the agenda for tonight’s Special Called Meeting. This agenda was published at the Board of Commissioners’ Office doors as well as the door to the Irwin County Courthouse. There is an ad in today’s paper concerning notice for the meeting (page 2). Furthermore, tonight’s Special Called Meeting was orally announced and set at the May 4th Regular Meeting.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

James

I thanked him and posted that and the below agenda on facebook and headed out to the meeting.

At the Courthouse before the meeting, he came up to me to introduce himself. I thanked him again. And I noted that while they had met the letter of the law, maybe they could consider putting the agenda on the county’s website. He said he would talk to the appropriate people. We shall see.

Here is the agenda:

IRWIN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
COURTHOUSE
MAY 20, 2026 6:00 P.M.
CALLED MEETING AGENDA

ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

1. TO DISCUSS DRI RESULTS FOR DATA CENTER CONSTRUCTION
2. TO CONSIDER SPECIAL EXCEPTION TO ZONING FOR THE DATA CENTER
3. TO APPROVE WATERLOO-REBECCA HWY RECONSTRUCTION
4. TO APPROVE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FORM
5. TO APPROVE OPENING A CITY SPLOST ACCOUNT AT PLANTERS FIRST BANK
6. ACCEPT PHASE II OF THE COURTHOUSE ROOF BID PROJECT

“Persons with special needs relation to handicapped accessibility or foreign language should contact County Clerk Patricia Battle at 229- 468-9441 before 5:00 p.m. before the day of the meeting. This person is located at the Irwin County Commission, 225 E 4″ Street, Ocilla, GA 31774, and is available between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays, or you may call 229-468-9441. Persons with hearing disabilities may consider using the Georgia Relay Service, at (TDD) 1-800-255-0056 or (Voice) 1-800-255-0135.”

Agenda, 2026-05-20 –Irwin County BOCC
PDF

Videos

Below are links to each WWALS video of each agenda item, with a few notes by John S. Quarterman, followed by a WWALS video playlist.

• Order, Invocation, Pledge
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/DLbLU8JIhD8

  Datacenter Special Exception approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20
  Videos by John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS)
  https://wwals.net/2026/05/21/videos-datacenter-special-exception-approved-at-special-called-meeting-of-irwin-county-bocc-2026-05-20/

• Relax the agenda
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/V8Y-hE5blVg

  
  

• 1. TO DISCUSS DRI RESULTS FOR DATA CENTER CONSTRUCTION
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/dYoSnFAuvo4

  County Attorney James Banner said the comments on the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) request were divided into those from public or quasi-public agencies (presumably including the comments from WWALS), and public comments.

  He said there were mostly two types of comments, about water and power. Apparently there is an SGRC summary, which he said noted that the application did not fit the county’s existing zoning, but that’s why they have the special exception application. He said water is addressed by the county’s datacenter ordinance requiring closed loop.

  There was some discussion about water treatment and the on-site water treatment facility. The attorney thought this was addressed by the county’s datacenter ordinance.

  Commissioner Chris Paulk said the water studies aren’t really due until, I think he was saying until occupancy. He wanted to know what enforcement actions the county could take other than the $1,000 a day fine.

  The attorney said they can build, but they can’t get their certificate of occupancy until they county agrees they have met all requirements. The $1,000 a day per violation is the maximum fine the county can apply. But there might be injunctive relief. And there are business licenses.

  He noted that the DRI indicated some factors the county needs to add to its zoning ordinances for large developments in general.

  Commissioner Chris Paulk wanted to know if anything could be written into the special exception to require the hydraulic study on the front end.

  The attorney said he wasn’t sure it could go in the special exception. He noted that it was not originally in the datacenter ordinance, but had been added due to public comment.

  County Chairman Vince Thompson said he thought the hydrology study would be from the state side, as in the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR). He gave no reason for why he thought that.

  Commissioner Paulk asked if there were any assurances.

  Chairman Thompson said that certain regulatory activities addressed in the DRI the county had no control over and he expected the state would address those. He gave no examples.

  Commissioner Paulk said, “OK.”

  Commissioner Paul McIntyre said he “was not able to the site that y’all did.” He wanted to know if they said anything about water use. He said he understood it would be 50,000 gallons a day.

  The Chairman said the DRI totals it at 50,000 gallons a day.

  Commissioner McIntyre asked again, “So did they say more about water use up there?”

  The Chairman responded, “We did not get any information. They were on a different system. They were on a public [water] system up there. We didn’t have time to get that information from them. We were kind of moving from one site to the other pretty quick.”

  Commissioner Paulk asked for more information.

  The Chairman said, “…It wasn’t really rushed, but we did have a short time limit for everything we wanted to look at. We were rushing to see everything we could see. And we didn’t get all the questions like that answered.”

  He added, “I have said on facebook several times. To go from what that site has been used for for the past twenty years,” he thought this project would improve groundwater levels. He did not detail his reasoning or his arithmetic.

  There was more discussion.

  Commissioner Paulk wondered what would be next steps if the Special Exception was approved?

  The Chairman said they [presumably the applicant] would have to work with Georgia Power for a power allocation, then construction permits.

• 2. TO CONSIDER SPECIAL EXCEPTION TO ZONING FOR THE DATA CENTER
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/gW2RIh-4euo

  Once the Chairman called for item 2, there was a very long pause.

  Eventually, County Attorney James Banner reiterated what they had to decide.

  Finally, on the phone, Commissioner Don Hickey moved to approve the Special Exception to zoning for the datacenter. Commissioner Aldene Tyson seconded.

  They all voted aye.

  As near as I can tell, before that, Commissioners Hickey and Tyson had not said one word in either the discussion item nor this voting item.

• 3. TO APPROVE WATERLOO-REBECCA HWY RECONSTRUCTION
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/9IJ_X7CMAEM

  
  

• 4. TO APPROVE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FORM
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/GFKbB38GZE4

  
  

• 5. TO APPROVE OPENING A CITY SPLOST ACCOUNT AT PLANTERS FIRST BANK
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/KPYs2yPvcAc

  
  

• 6. ACCEPT PHASE II OF THE COURTHOUSE ROOF BID PROJECT
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/LbN-72yXNk4

  On a motion by Commissioner Paul, seconded by Commissioner McIntyre, they tabled PHASE II OF THE COURTHOUSE ROOF BID PROJECT.

• Additional: SB 494 for unelected County Manager; Executive Session
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/U9zLKYEZ-PE

  Additional item: SB 494 separates out a paid non-elected County Manager position.

  County Attorney James Banter hoped that at the June meeting they could make some progress. Naturally they have to interview first.

  On a motion by Commissioner Tyson, seconded by Commissioner McIntyre, they went into Executive Session to discussion attorney-client privilege.

Here is the WWALS video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-Qw50zDkZI9Kb9F4zb-6cU_x&si=p2pAt9qk5GwETmrE

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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