Local News

County sets guidelines for data centers

Commissioners adopt ordinance governing future development

LEWISTOWN -- Data centers dominated discussion at Thursday's Mifflin County Commissioners meeting at the Mifflin County Courthouse in Lewistown, a topic Commissioner Rob Postal said has been gaining attention statewide.

Postal spent the early part of the week meeting with commissioners from across Pennsylvania. He said the conversations made it clear that counties are scrambling to understand how large-scale data facilities fit into local land use rules. In contrast, he noted that Mifflin County has already done the heavy lifting.

Postal commended the county planning commission and its staff for their work on a detailed amendment to the Mifflin County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. The amendment, which has been under review since March, establishes requirements for the construction and development of data centers in municipalities governed by the ordinance.

"I want to commend our planning commission and (Mifflin County Planning Director) Jim Lettiere for putting this together," Postal said. "I'd bet not many counties have taken the initiative to get something like this on the record."

Officials in Mifflin County have spent five months analyzing similar measures from other counties, comparing approaches, and refining language to ensure the amendment is both practical and defensible.

Postal said he believes the final product reflects a strong understanding of the issues surrounding data center development, including infrastructure demands, land use impacts and long-term planning considerations.

Thursday's meeting included a public hearing on the proposed amendment. Commissioners recessed the public meeting briefly before voting to amend the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance to formally set forth requirements for data centers. After reconvening, they introduced Ordinance 2 of 2026, which establishes guidelines for the use and development of data centers in municipalities covered under the ordinance.

The ordinance outlines expectations for site planning, construction standards, and operational considerations. County officials said the goal is to ensure that any future data center development aligns with local priorities and does not outpace infrastructure capacity.

Postal said the amendment positions Mifflin County ahead of many counties now beginning to confront the same questions.

"This is something we've been working on for months," Lettiere said. "We believe we have a very defensible amendment."

Blood Donation Awareness Proclamation

Commissioners issued a Blood Donation Awareness Proclamation as the American Red Cross faces what it calls "only the second national blood supply crisis in its history," noting that "blood donations have fallen to a four-year summer low and the nation’s blood supply faces an unprecedented shortage."

The proclamation also states that the Red Cross currently has "less than a one-day national supply of Type O positive blood," the most commonly transfused type, and warns that some patients are already being "forced to wait for the blood they desperately need."

Postal and Commissioners Kevin Kodish and Noah Wise urged eligible residents to donate as soon as possible, saying "every blood donation has the potential to save lives." The proclamation encourages individuals, families, businesses, churches and community groups to help spread awareness of the shortage.

Donors can schedule appointments through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, at redcrossblood.org or by calling (800) RED CROSS.

Other business

In other business, the commissioners approved:

Budget Modification No. 1 Certification for the FFY 2025 Community Development Block Grant totaling $182,553.00, presented by Grants Liaison Madison Price;

Designated the Mifflin County Historical Society as the official historical society for Mifflin County;

Agreement of sale for the property at 27 W. Third St., Lewistown, in the amount of $66,000;

Personnel actions of the hiring of: Paige Wilson as full-time telecommunicator in the 911 Center, effective Aug. 9, and Tyler Markley as full-time telecommunicator in the 911 Center, effective Aug. 23; John Chester as tipstaff in the courts, effective Sept. 14, and James Garrett as tipstaff in the courts, effective Oct. 1.

Next meeting

The commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Mifflin County Courthouse in Lewistown.