The fight by data center Polaris Technology and the city of Muskogee over the city’s annexation of its industrial park where Polaris is located took another step this week.
The City Council in Muskogee voted to rescind its annexation ordinance and, in effect, start all over again. It is the city’s third attempt to annex the land where the Polaris data center is located outside the city limits. The original annexation led to Polaris filing suit in court.
A spokesman for Polaris contends the city was playing games. Dan Chepkaukas with Polaris Technology told News on 6 they believed the city was rescinding the annexation so it could negotiate a fair resolution to their differences. He thinks it was a bait-and-switch tactic on the part of the city.
“We were contacted by the city attorney and said they would make resolution to de-annex Polaris because they wanted to sit down and negotiate, and so we were very happy and hopeful,” said Chepkaukas. “Found out that yes, they did technically vote to de-annex and move that aside, but the very next agenda item on the list for the city was to reannex, and the reason they did that is because the fact that they had not done it properly.”
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