Madison County waives bond requirement for Amazon utility work in public right-of-way
MADISON - The Madison County Board of Supervisors approved an indemnification agreement allowing Amazon Data Services to place private utility lines beneath a public right-of-way instead of posting a bond normally required under county ordinance.
The decision came during the board's regular meeting on August 4, 2026, when County Engineer Tim Bryant told supervisors that Amazon Data Services had asked for the alternative arrangement. "Amazon Data Services has requested a utility permit from us to put some of their private utilities under the public right-of-way. In a normal situation, a bond is required under for them to put that under there because of our ordinance. They have asked to do an indemnification agreement in lieu of that," Bryant said.
According to the wire summary of the meeting, the agreement covers fiber, reclaimed water, industrial water and a medium-voltage duct bank to be placed beneath the right-of-way. Bryant said the arrangement had been worked out with the county attorney, and the board approved both the indemnification and restoration agreement and a related permit for the additional utility lines.
The move marks a departure from the county's standard practice of requiring a bond for private utility work in public rights-of-way, according to the meeting record. The change comes as data-center development continues to expand across Mississippi, raising questions about how counties handle infrastructure requests from large private operators and what safeguards replace conventional bonding requirements in such agreements.