City Council - 10/26/26 5:30 pm

The Marshalltown City Council meeting on October 26, 2026, covered proposed data-center regulations and airport capital planning. No data-center contract or development award was made. The council passed a noise-study requirement amendment to the proposed zoning ordinance, then postponed the ordinance’s first reading to the November 9 meeting while Planning and Zoning considers a definition for “hyperscale.” The proposed amendment removing the northern portion of the data-center overlay failed, and the proposed extension of the data-center moratorium was withdrawn. The council also approved setting November 9 public hearings on the related data-center ordinances. Other proposed amendments to the data-center zoning rules failed, including one requiring closed-loop cooling only.

For the airport, council approved the master-plan direction and gave consensus to the five-year capital improvement plan and proposed funding approach. The plan calls for rehabilitating the primary runway, estimated at $10 million, rather than reconstructing it for an estimated $16.5 million; the city expects to seek $9 million in FAA funding (90%) and provide a $1 million local share, reduced from the previously committed $1.6 million. Design is planned for FY 2027 and construction for FY 2028. Council also supported proceeding with interim financing for design using airport septic-project funds, with a future resolution to formalize the capital plan. Following $6.5 million in airport storm damage, staff described plans to replace three damaged buildings with two, using insurance proceeds; no construction contract was awarded. A septic-system replacement and taxiway work are also included in the airport plan, with grant funding being pursued for the septic project.