LORDSTOWN — Village council is planning to extend the moratorium on applications for data centers for an additional 180 days beyond the current 180-day moratorium.

Councilwoman Jessica Blank requested at Monday’s meeting that the village advertise for a public hearing in June to get public input on extending the moratorium established earlier this year.

The exact date for the public hearing will be determined, but it has to be at least 30 days from Monday. Council would act on the extension after the public hearing.

Village council passed as an emergency an ordinance in early January that places a 180-day moratorium on the granting of any new permits for future data centers in the community.

Officials have said the moratorium prevents the village from accepting or processing data center applications and permits for up to 180 days, which is about six months. Councilman Mark McGrail has said there are more than 200 data centers in Ohio, which is ranked fourth in the nation for the most data centers.

He said many townships and cities have taken up this issue and passed moratoriums, and others are working on them.

Officials said the moratorium will allow village council and the administration to take the time and do research to get answers to questions about data centers.

Bristolville 25 Developer LLC is the company trying to build a data center in Lordstown.

Attorney Cary Snyder, an attorney representing Bristolville 25 Developer LLC, has attended previous council meetings and has said Bristolville LLC should be excluded from the moratorium since the company initiated the site plan process in October and the moratorium was passed in January. The company has filed a lawsuit that is pending at the Ohio Supreme Court.

In related business at Monday’s meeting, council approved a consulting agreement with Brian Frantz to assist the village with zoning matters and issues related to data centers. Council’s finance committee recommended that council have an agreement with Frantz, who is an expert on data centers.

The agreement is for a cost not to exceed $7,625, along with direct reimbursable costs not to exceed $260. If approved, additional services can be completed for a fee not to exceed $1,875.

Frantz has attended council committee meetings in recent months where he has discussed data centers and related zoning guidelines that would need to be in place to set regulations and requirements for a data center. Frantz works as director of planning, zoning and economic development for Richfield Village, which is a suburb of Cleveland.