Data center ordinance

The lone strongly supportive voice, arguing waste heat could be reused for energy, cutting water use, and offering to share a 45-point mitigation plan.

Acknowledged economic benefits but questioned long-term value, environmental and health impacts, and asked why residents can't vote on whether they want a data center.

Urged careful examination of health, land, wildlife, crops, and food impacts.

Asked council members directly where they stand on data centers and warned against a decision the city would regret.

Recommended no direct grid connections, city-paid-for independent noise/vibration studies, no tax breaks or TIF, water protections, a 5-megawatt cap, no foreign ownership, and a six-month moratorium extension with a citizen task force.

Small brewery owner warned of utility cost increases — his electric bill is up 34% this year — and urged prohibiting data centers.

Former public health professional urged a holistic approach covering water, health, and noise, and no permits within city limits.

Urged a vote against data centers, citing water use, wildlife, agriculture, housing, and hunting tourism economics.

The ADC CEO presented as a business interest rather than during open forum, urging the council to adopt a data center ordinance with guardrails so the city can say yes to good projects and no to bad ones.

Urged the council to require strong guardrails — noise limits, water restrictions, vegetated buffers, disclosure, and protection of the grid — and asked that any data center decision go to a public vote. Cited problems in Ellendale.