South Bend Mayor Bans City Staff From Signing Data Center NDAs After Amazon Wastewater Data Accord
South Bend, Indiana Mayor James Mueller issued an executive order banning city staff from signing non-disclosure agreements related to data centers, a move prompted by the discovery that city officials had previously signed such agreements with Amazon concerning wastewater data.
Louisville, KY, September 20, 2026 —
South Bend, Indiana – Mayor James Mueller has issued an executive order aimed at restricting the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by city staff concerning data centers. The directive, signed by Mayor Mueller, prohibits city employees from entering into such agreements in the future. The order was prompted by a recent discovery involving prior agreements made by city officials with Amazon.
According to the details available, city officials had previously executed non-disclosure agreements with Amazon. These agreements specifically pertained to sensitive wastewater data. The specifics of when these prior agreements were signed, the exact nature of the wastewater data involved, or the full scope of Amazon’s data center operations in relation to South Bend were not detailed in the executive order’s background information.
The executive order’s stated purpose is to ensure greater transparency and public access to information concerning data center development and operations within the city. By barring staff from signing NDAs related to data centers, the administration seeks to prevent situations where critical data could be shielded from public view or oversight.
Details regarding the specific terms of the previous agreements with Amazon, the duration for which they were in effect, or any specific projects they related to have not been publicly disclosed. Similarly, the exact content or implications of the wastewater data covered by those agreements were not elaborated upon. The order itself does not specify any current or pending data center projects that are the immediate subject of the new policy, nor does it mention any direct consequences or follow-up actions related to the past Amazon agreements beyond the issuance of the new directive.
Mayor Mueller’s office stated that the executive order is a proactive measure to safeguard public interest and maintain accountability in dealings with entities developing or operating data centers. The directive applies to all city staff across departments.
Story summarized from the original created by Jeff Parrott on www.lpm.org, see more information here.
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