During a Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, Moffat County commissioners openly discussed potentially placing a moratorium on data center development while also clarifying their individual roles as Commission Chair Melody Villard continued to defend how county officials handled previously undisclosed conversations with companies interested in the Trapper area.

The discussion came less than a week after a standing-room-only Aug. 5 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting where residents repeatedly questioned why the county was reviewing data center regulations and whether outside interests had already approached local officials.

Commissioner Tony Bohrer said Tuesday he would support a moratorium while the county gathers information, develops regulations and seeks broader public input.

“Put a moratorium on it until we have all the facts and details and all those things, and we have community buy-in,” Bohrer said.

He said the pause could last two years, five years or whatever period is necessary for Moffat County to “get our ducks in a row.”

Commissioner Donald Broom also said a moratorium could be appropriate and might make residents feel more comfortable while commissioners continue studying the issue.

During the discussion, Commissioner Villard nodded as Bohrer and Broom spoke about a potential moratorium.

No moratorium was formally introduced or voted on Tuesday.

On Aug. 18, a data center moratorium workshop with County Attorney Max Salazar, Natural Resources Director Jeff Comstock and Planning and Zoning Coordinator Candace Miller will be held at 10:15 a.m. in the commissioners’ conference room.

The discussion marks the latest development in questions about what county officials knew about potential data center development before the Aug. 5 meeting and how they described that interest to the public.

Villard defended the county Tuesday, saying that after reviewing the Aug. 5 recording, she did not believe officials had said there had been no contact with interested parties.

Villard’s comments, however, came after Moffat County confirmed that she had met with representatives of Pure-Green and Toto Labs before the Planning and Zoning meeting.

Natural Resources Director Jeff Comstock also participated in those meetings, while Planning and Zoning Director Candace Miller held separate conversations with company representatives.

County documents further show that Villard signed an April 29 letter to Pure-Green Colorado that referenced the company’s letter of intent to acquire the Trapper Mine property for redevelopment involving geothermal energy, advanced computing and an industrial campus.

The county’s letter does not identify the other party in the letter of intent.

The letter from Villard encouraged Pure-Green to initiate a formal project review with the county Planning Department.

A second letter bearing Villard’s name, dated July 8, concerned Toto Labs.

Neither letter specifically used the term “data center,” but both existed before residents were told Aug. 5 that the county was preparing regulations in case data center development “were to come our way.”

The county has emphasized that neither company has submitted a formal land-use application, zoning request, building permit application or development proposal.

Villard returned to that distinction Tuesday.

She said county officials must remain open to economic development inquiries as the closures of Craig Station and Trapper Mine approach, threatening jobs and property tax revenue while leaving behind valuable energy infrastructure.

“It’s our job to be open to hearing from developers as they investigate our area and allow them to do their due diligence as we do ours,” Villard said.

She said many companies make preliminary inquiries that never advance into actual projects and argued that releasing every early discussion could create unnecessary alarm around proposals that may never materialize.

“If we share every flashy slide deck or big idea discussed, we’d become the commission that cried wolves,” Villard said.

Residents continued to raise concerns Tuesday, arguing that the issue was not whether a formal application existed but whether officials clearly answered questions about previous conversations.

Moffat County resident Michael Lawson accused the county of failing to be transparent.

Allison Anthony, also a resident of the county, told commissioners residents specifically asked Aug. 5 whether talks or approaches had occurred.

“The difference in what you’ve said and what happened was, it was a direct question,” Anthony said Tuesday. “The people were asking, have there been talks? Have there been somebody approaching? And nothing was transparent, that’s the problem.”

Bohrer acknowledged the county could have handled the matter differently.

“We have not been clear enough,” he said.

Bohrer said he had never personally emailed, met with or corresponded with Pure-Green or Toto Labs, but explained that preliminary economic development conversations typically involve one commissioner and a staff member before reaching the full board.

He described a long list of previous companie he had met with, and projects that explored opportunities in Moffat County but never advanced.

“Looking is not buying, interest is not approval, and conversation is not decision,” Bohrer said.

At the same time, Bohrer apologized for the county’s communication.

“I do agree that we should have handled some things a little differently,” he said.

Broom said he has never attended a data center meeting or had a conversation with anyone regarding a data center.

He said he remains neither for nor against the industry because he does not yet understand the issue well enough to take a position.

The controversy escalated Thursday when Club 20 Executive Director Wade Haerle told the Craig Daily Press that Moffat County had been approached regarding potential data center development.

Hours later, the county confirmed that two entities had made preliminary contact.

Haerle also initially said governments in Moffat County were operating under nondisclosure agreements and referenced notices or letters of intent.

He later withdrew portions of his statement, saying he had confused Moffat County with another government.

“That’s 100% on me,” Haerle later told the Craig Press.

The county has consistently denied that officials signed nondisclosure agreements related to data center development.

The county subsequently identified the two companies as Pure-Green and Toto and confirmed their meetings with Villard and Comstock, as well as separate conversations with Miller.

As of Tuesday afternoon, emails sent to Pure-Green seeking comment had not been returned.

A text message seeking comment from Toto Labs Vice President of Operations Matt Solomon has also not been answered.

Questions about the county’s response continued after Tuesday’s meeting officially adjourned.

Following Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, Comstock clarified to the Craig Press why he had not responded to several questions as the controversy developed.

Comstock said he had been on vacation and had largely unplugged from work and email while spending time with his family at the Moffat County Fair. He said he wished the Craig Press had been able to speak with him directly before the issue escalated and indicated he would have provided additional context.

During the post-meeting conversation with the Craig Press, county officials also acknowledged a public perception that residents had directly asked about prior communications and had not received a clear answer.

Bohrer again said officials should have handled the situation differently and said county procedures and communication practices would need to change.

Earlier in the meeting, commissioners had already made one change to how an agenda item was handled.

Item G was removed from the consent agenda for separate discussion. Bohrer later called for commissioners to reconsider how certain items are placed on the consent agenda.

Residents also raised concerns that the most recent Planning and Zoning Commission meeting minutes posted online were from April.

Tuesday’s discussion showed commissioners are now considering a step that would go beyond simply rewriting regulations.

Bohrer said a moratorium could prevent any project from moving forward while commissioners gather information and seek additional public input.

“It’s not like we’re trying to push something through,” Bohrer said. “I have zero problem with putting a moratorium on it.”

Following the meeting, Broom told the Craig Press that “the people have to know it’s right” when discussing the processes and discussions surrounding data centers.

“We need to be as transparent as possible,” Broom said.