[1:59] Mhm.

[3:54] » Mhm.

[11:19] » Just so everyone knows, there is a sheet

[11:21] at the podium when you go to speak for

[11:23] public comment, you may sign your name

[11:25] then. Thank you.

[16:03] » There's extra seats down the hall in the

[16:05] overflow room if you

[16:08] need a chair.

[19:14] » Mhm.

[20:03] » [music]

[20:12] [music]

[20:20] » Mics are going live.

[20:24] » [music]

[20:31] [music]

[21:15] » Good afternoon everyone. I'd like to

[21:17] welcome you to the May 20th Planning

[21:18] Commission meeting.

[21:20] Madam City Clerk, roll call, please.

[21:25] Thank you. The agenda was posted in

[21:26] accordance with Nevada Open Meeting Law

[21:28] and all members are present. Thank you.

[21:31] If you could please stand and join me in

[21:32] the pledge.

[21:55] Our first item is public comment. As a

[21:57] reminder, this first public comment is

[22:00] for matters on the agenda tonight.

[22:02] There's a 3-minute time limit. I also

[22:04] want to remind the public that both of

[22:06] the items on the agenda tonight are

[22:07] public hearings, so we are required to

[22:10] open public comment under both of those

[22:12] items as well. So, um just due to time

[22:16] and um the number of people, we want

[22:18] everybody to have the opportunity to

[22:20] speak. So, there would um if you speak

[22:23] in the first open public comment and

[22:26] unless you have new points to make, we

[22:28] ask that you keep that be you do one or

[22:30] the other.

[22:34] The first item on the agenda,

[22:36] so I will open public comment. Please

[22:38] come to the

[22:40] um stand and state your name for the

[22:42] record.

[22:46] I'll go first.

[22:52] And I write my name here, right?

[23:07] » Good evening, commissioners. Thank you

[23:09] for your time.

[23:11] My name is Amanda Knuckles and I have

[23:13] been a resident of Clark County the vast

[23:15] majority of my life.

[23:17] I am here tonight to urge the Planning

[23:19] Commission to reject the proposal for

[23:21] the 88.5 acre town site solar 2 AI data

[23:26] center.

[23:27] Boulder City has been a clean green

[23:30] oasis in the in the desert all of my

[23:33] life. A place I have fond memories of

[23:35] attending art festivals, car shows, gem

[23:38] and mineral shows, enjoying lunch,

[23:40] antique shopping, and the friendly quiet

[23:43] sanctuary of a town with clean air a

[23:45] short drive from my home in Henderson.

[23:48] Just the other side of the Mojave Valley

[23:50] where this project is being proposed.

[23:53] Boulder City has always protected the

[23:55] town's history, small town charm, and

[23:58] natural resources through measured

[24:00] deliberate growth.

[24:02] This proposal represents a massive

[24:04] irreversible shift in how Clark County

[24:07] uses our public land,

[24:09] bringing industrial scale strains that

[24:11] simply do not align with the values

[24:13] necessary in a desert environment.

[24:16] Looking at the sheer scale of what is

[24:17] being asked, this 170 megawatt facility

[24:22] would demand massive amounts of energy

[24:24] covering 88 and 1/2 acres of space. Even

[24:27] if the developer buys power from the

[24:29] Oakman market via the Mead substation,

[24:32] injecting this level of continuous high

[24:34] density demand into our regional

[24:36] ecosystem

[24:37] places an immense burden on an already

[24:40] strained power grid. All at a time when

[24:42] Southern Nevada is facing record summer

[24:45] heat and skyrocketing utility costs. My

[24:48] key point here is that we do not have

[24:51] the water for this, period.

[24:53] Finally, thousands of residents have

[24:55] already signed a petition against this

[24:57] project because it is agreed that this

[25:00] process is proverbial proverbially

[25:03] putting the cart before the horse.

[25:05] This coming November, the voters of the

[25:07] Boulder City will cast their ballots on

[25:09] question one to decide whether data

[25:11] centers should even be an approved land

[25:14] use in the valley.

[25:15] Forcing this specific 88 and 1/2 acre

[25:18] project through the land management

[25:20] process before the community has had the

[25:23] chance to democratically voice its

[25:25] stance on data centers is entirely wrong

[25:28] and undemocratic.

[25:30] Please, let's protect our resources,

[25:33] respect the upcoming public vote, and

[25:36] keep Boulder City true to its heritage.

[25:38] Please vote no on advancing this

[25:40] project. Thank you.

[25:52] Good evening, members of the Planning

[25:53] Commission. My name is Julie and I live

[25:55] right down the road next door in

[25:57] Henderson. I heard a statistic that for

[25:59] every constituent phone call that a

[26:01] representative receives, that call is

[26:02] counted as five calls. How much greater

[26:05] is the multiplier for constituents

[26:06] showing up in person to meetings or for

[26:08] those giving public comment? I would to

[26:10] look around and acknowledge that public,

[26:12] your constituents in this room today,

[26:14] represent a fraction of the number of

[26:15] people who feel the exact same way but

[26:18] were unable, unaware, or too afraid to

[26:20] speak up. I also recently heard a

[26:22] political candidate speaking about their

[26:24] role as a representative of us and their

[26:26] responsibility is to us to listen to our

[26:28] needs, learn what's important to us, and

[26:30] what we need from them. And then they

[26:32] must support policies which support the

[26:33] things for which we have asked. With all

[26:35] that in mind, I find it perplexing that

[26:37] the same conversation about data centers

[26:39] is on repeat, not just here in Boulder

[26:41] City, but across the state and this

[26:42] nation because in all conversations I've

[26:44] heard between friends, family, and

[26:45] neighbors, and the community members at

[26:47] town halls and candidate events,

[26:49] documentaries I've watched, I have not

[26:51] heard one regular person say they

[26:53] supported data center development not in

[26:55] our town, our state, or our country. So

[26:58] again, we the people are coming to all

[27:00] of you, our elected officials, to plead

[27:02] our case for not allowing this data

[27:04] center to be developed. You are being

[27:05] pressured by corporations who want to

[27:07] come in and build these data centers for

[27:08] their own greed. They don't care about

[27:10] creating jobs for the people or the

[27:12] damage they're doing to the environment.

[27:14] They are coming to you to take advantage

[27:15] of the nationwide environmental

[27:16] deregulation climate that has been the

[27:19] hallmark of the current regime in

[27:21] Washington.

[27:22] There isn't one scientific organization

[27:24] which says the AI data centers are good

[27:25] for the environment, the air we breathe,

[27:28] our water supplies, the health of our

[27:29] bodies, or our minds. AI technology has

[27:32] been pushed on all of us, not just

[27:33] locally but nationally and around the

[27:35] world, and there aren't studies or

[27:37] evidence that AI has a positive benefit

[27:39] to us as individuals or as society. On

[27:41] the contrary,

[27:43] it causes job loss, less educated human

[27:46] population, mental health crises, and

[27:48] let's not forget the push for mass

[27:49] surveillance. All these struggles we are

[27:51] facing today are taking us down the path

[27:53] towards being controlled by the few

[27:54] billionaires at the top. Data centers

[27:56] are a central piece of the groundwork

[27:58] being laid for real life dystopia

[27:59] similar to what exists in books like

[28:01] 1984, The Hunger Games, and The

[28:03] Handmaid's Tale. There is no reason to

[28:05] put a data center in the middle of a

[28:07] desert during a multi-decade drought

[28:09] intentionally adding to the strain on

[28:11] our energy infrastructure. Towns that

[28:13] are solar should stick with their

[28:14] original plan to develop solar and

[28:16] battery energy storage systems which are

[28:18] in line with the current zoning for

[28:20] clean energy-related uses. When we take

[28:23] back our government from the billionaire

[28:24] dictators, let's not regret decisions we

[28:26] made during the most devastating time in

[28:28] American history with regard to the

[28:30] rolling back of environmental standards

[28:32] and goals. Just because we don't have

[28:34] responsible humans in Washington doesn't

[28:36] mean that we shouldn't show

[28:37] responsibility ourselves at the state

[28:39] and local level. What do you want to be

[28:42] remembered for during your tenure at the

[28:43] planning commission? Thank you so much

[28:45] for your time.

[29:10] Greetings, Planning Commission. My name

[29:12] is Adam Schultheis and I'm running for

[29:14] City Council.

[29:15] In fact, I'm the only candidate

[29:17] that is 100% anti-data center.

[29:20] I respectfully urge that you that you,

[29:23] the Commission, carefully reconsider

[29:26] approval of this closed-loop data center

[29:28] proposal due to its long-term impacts on

[29:32] infrastructure, sustainability,

[29:34] community character, and public

[29:36] accountability.

[29:38] While developers often describe

[29:40] closed-loop data centers as efficient or

[29:44] self-contained, the reality is that all

[29:46] these facilities can still place

[29:48] enormous burdens on local resources

[29:51] while providing limited benefits to the

[29:53] residents.

[29:55] These projects are designed primarily to

[29:57] serve private corporate interests, not

[29:59] the long-term needs of the surrounding

[30:01] community, that is Boulder City. First,

[30:05] data centers consume extraordinary

[30:08] amounts of electricity.

[30:11] Even so-called closed-loop systems

[30:13] require constant cooling,

[30:15] backup power for infrastructure, and

[30:18] large-scale energy distribution.

[30:22] These constrain regional power grids

[30:26] and increase energy cost.

[30:28] Second, closed-loop systems are often

[30:31] presented as environmentally friendly

[30:33] because they recycle water.

[30:36] However, these systems require

[30:38] significant water input and chemical

[30:40] treatment.

[30:42] In our drought-prone region, approving

[30:44] water-intensive

[30:46] industrial data centers sends the wrong

[30:48] message about responsible resource

[30:52] stewardship.

[30:54] Third, these facilities frequently

[30:56] generate less economic value than

[31:00] promised. This is really important.

[31:01] According to Harvard University,

[31:04] building a data center takes about 12 to

[31:06] 18 months, but construction laborers are

[31:09] usually unionized and not from Boulder

[31:12] City. Let's be honest. Come on. I mean,

[31:14] really.

[31:15] Once up and running, often only 20

[31:18] people are needed to run a medium-sized

[31:20] data center, like the one that is being

[31:22] proposed.

[31:24] So, in conclusion, a project that

[31:26] consumes enormous energy and

[31:29] infrastructure capacity while producing

[31:31] limited local benefits should not be

[31:34] approved.

[31:35] >> [clears throat]

[31:37] » [clears throat]

[31:37] >> What's it going to be, Planning

[31:38] » What's it going to be, Planning

[31:38] Commission?

[31:39] Are you going to sell your souls to the

[31:41] devil

[31:43] by approving this data center?

[31:46] Or are you going to do the right thing

[31:49] by shouting from the rooftops of Boulder

[31:51] City and for the people of Boulder City

[31:53] and say no to data centers?

[32:04] Hello. My name's Doug Smith. I thought

[32:06] I'd put some numbers on things. So,

[32:09] Hoover Dam normally puts out 2,005 MW,

[32:13] but because the water level's low, we're

[32:14] doing about a third less than that now.

[32:17] Um this summer, the water level's likely

[32:20] to get low enough they'll have to shut

[32:21] down

[32:22] shut 11 [snorts] generators, leaving

[32:23] seven. Then we're down to 300 MW.

[32:27] That's enough for Boulder City. We get

[32:28] 20 MW from them. Um

[32:31] however, another problem is going to

[32:33] happen. The piping in

[32:36] in the dam does not have expansion

[32:38] joints like many do.

[32:40] When the water level reaches 76.8 the

[32:43] pipes will start to expand so much they

[32:44] might buckle they got to stop shut it

[32:45] down. That could happen this summer if

[32:47] we have a warmer than normal summer

[32:50] which I think we are. So that that's a

[32:52] problem. Uh

[32:54] At that point we get our electricity

[32:56] from the dam at low market rates.

[32:59] And if the dam shuts down

[33:02] then we have to buy it on the open

[33:03] market the same market as the data

[33:05] center. So

[33:06] I just estimate not including data

[33:08] centers that our rates will go up about

[33:10] about double here in Boulder City if

[33:12] that happens. Um water won't be a

[33:14] problem we're upstream of the dam and

[33:16] our withdrawal is way below the dead

[33:18] pool so water won't be a problem for us

[33:20] but electricity will.

[33:22] So I just thought I'd bring that. By the

[33:23] way I'm electrical engineer I got my

[33:25] first engineering license at age 16 back

[33:28] in 1963.

[33:29] And I've been engineer ever since then

[33:31] but I just thought I'd put some numbers

[33:33] on it but

[33:35] we're going to be short of electricity

[33:36] around here and it could happen as early

[33:37] as this summer.

[33:39] Thank you.

[33:41] Thank you Mr. Smith. Before

[33:43] anybody else approaches the

[33:45] stand Madam City Clerk do we have a

[33:47] caller on the line? Yes we do. Okay.

[33:51] Thank you for holding go ahead.

[33:54] Yeah I'm ready. Now the data center they

[33:57] could have solar panels as well.

[34:08] Yes they could have solar panels

[34:09] >> record sir?

[34:12] » record sir?

[34:12] David D A V I D Pitterman is spelled P

[34:16] as in penguin I T T E R M A N.

[34:21] Thank you.

[34:22] It's for the data center and they could

[34:26] have solar panels that look at to the

[34:29] factory Luz L U Z that makes solar

[34:32] panels as well.

[34:46] Mr. Peterman, this is public comment and

[34:48] we don't um have conversations or answer

[34:51] questions at this time.

[34:55] Yes, they could even have mirrors direct

[34:57] you sunlight to the solar panels as

[34:58] well, even windmills for during

[35:00] electricity.

[35:02] And the purpose of a data center is to

[35:03] make sure people behave themselves on

[35:05] the internet.

[35:14] Um

[35:16] Thank you for your comments, Mr.

[35:17] Peterman.

[35:20] I'll continue public comment. Is there

[35:22] anybody in the audience that wants to

[35:23] come forward?

[35:33] Okay, my comment's a little bit

[35:35] different. My name is Joanna Malloy. I

[35:37] have been a resident for 11 years.

[35:39] Um I'm giving you an analogy. So, and

[35:42] this is for item three.

[35:44] Um I worked in a pharmacy for a small

[35:46] town in two in the 2000s for almost 11

[35:48] years. It was a known fact that drug

[35:50] companies paid their reps well to not

[35:52] ask or share information uh with doctors

[35:54] that might affect their choice to

[35:56] prescribe a drug. Their job was to tout

[35:58] the virtues of the drug. It was also

[36:00] their job to sometimes incentivize the

[36:02] doctors to prescribe a drug.

[36:04] Fentanyl and Oxycontin were introduced

[36:06] this way. Reports have shown the drug

[36:08] companies were well aware these drugs

[36:09] were highly addictive, but they chose to

[36:11] push them anyway. Sometimes drug reps

[36:13] would take pharmacists out for dinners

[36:15] and gave them gifts um and they they

[36:17] used it as an opportunity to teach us

[36:20] about why we should um allow that we

[36:23] should accept these prescriptions and

[36:24] not question them. This later became

[36:26] against the law.

[36:28] Um doctors wrote the prescriptions,

[36:30] pharmacists filled them, and all seemed

[36:32] well until many people became addicted.

[36:34] They had been assured by the doctors the

[36:35] drugs were safe, so they used them. By

[36:37] the time they were addicted, it was too

[36:38] difficult to turn around. It was costly

[36:41] to get treatment, and in some cases it

[36:43] was just too difficult, and some of the

[36:44] people that I knew killed themselves

[36:46] because of it. Um this is what we see if

[36:48] it is recommended to the city council,

[36:50] not that we're going to kill ourselves.

[36:51] Um if it is recommended to the city

[36:53] council to accept the change to the land

[36:55] use to allow data centers. We are being

[36:58] told it may never be used this way, but

[37:00] the wooing is strong, and we do know

[37:02] that it is being pushed, and that there,

[37:06] you know, we have a we don't have a

[37:07] line. We have a a company that wants to

[37:10] build these

[37:12] build a data center, and we are in very

[37:14] much against it because of the um

[37:17] effects it'll have on the environment,

[37:19] and by the time it gets built, and it is

[37:21] pushed through, um

[37:24] there's not going to be anywhere we can

[37:25] do anything about it, and that's that's

[37:27] not okay. So, anyway, there you go.

[37:45] Good afternoon. I'm Carol Shultice. I've

[37:48] been a resident here for 35 years.

[37:51] I love Boulder City.

[37:54] And everybody's told me about the

[37:55] concerns so far that

[37:57] that they have regarding these data

[37:59] centers, and it it's not just about

[38:03] whether they're in the transfer zone, or

[38:05] they're right there on our border. We

[38:07] don't want them in all.

[38:10] And since I've been studying these data

[38:12] centers, I've also been studying the

[38:15] movements of what's going on behind the

[38:16] counters

[38:18] about about behind the scenes. I'm

[38:20] sorry, I'm nervous. I'm not good at

[38:21] speaking. That's why I try to call in.

[38:23] And that doesn't work for me.

[38:26] I just have a picture I want to show you

[38:27] guys and can you please maybe at the end

[38:30] of this address this because

[38:33] you have a ballot question for data

[38:35] centers.

[38:36] And this is a different data center.

[38:38] And then we see the land being groomed

[38:40] already for one up in Henderson on the

[38:42] border.

[38:43] And then I found this.

[38:49] On the internet.

[38:58] I don't know if it's a surprise to you,

[38:59] but it says it's zoned for the

[39:01] industrial.

[39:03] And it's in Henderson.

[39:04] But isn't that the Boulder City property

[39:06] that was annexed that you guys

[39:08] determined the use for?

[39:11] So are we fighting one, two, three, or

[39:14] four?

[39:15] It's just very upsetting because I love

[39:18] this town.

[39:20] I'd do anything to help this town.

[39:23] Please don't do this to Boulder City.

[39:36] We'll take the caller. Oh, I'm sorry,

[39:38] ma'am. You can come up after this

[39:39] caller.

[39:41] Public comment, go ahead.

[39:45] Hello.

[39:50] Public comment, may help you?

[39:59] Hello.

[40:01] Hi. Hi, can you mute the

[40:03] background, please?

[40:07] Your computer, we can hear it. Hi, if

[40:09] you can state your name and

[40:11] speak your comments.

[40:12] >> Yes.

[40:13] » Yes.

[40:13] This is Jasmine Lazaro.

[40:16] I'm a family nurse practitioner.

[40:18] I treat patients in this community.

[40:21] And I'm

[40:27] I'm sorry. Hold on.

[40:30] Hi, is this Bella?

[40:31] Yes. My name is Jasmine Lazarro. I'm a

[40:37] family nurse practitioner.

[40:39] I treat patients in this community.

[40:41] And I'm calling in today because I am

[40:44] sick, but I wanted to make my voice

[40:47] heard because I know so many people who

[40:50] share the same sentiment.

[40:52] What is being proposed in Boulder City

[40:55] is not just a land use decision. It is a

[40:58] public health decision and the wrong

[41:01] one.

[41:02] Southern Nevada is already under Tier 1

[41:06] Colorado River water shortage

[41:08] restrictions.

[41:10] Lake Mead has dropped 160 ft since 2000.

[41:16] We are already rationing.

[41:19] We are already cutting.

[41:21] And projections indicate conditions will

[41:24] worsen.

[41:26] Data centers consume water at a scale

[41:30] that is difficult to comprehend.

[41:33] Facilities across Southern Nevada used

[41:36] more than 716

[41:38] million gallons in 2024 alone.

[41:42] One Google building in Henderson used

[41:46] 352

[41:48] million gallons from the Colorado River

[41:52] from the same shrinking supply every

[41:54] household, every clinic, and every child

[41:58] in this valley depends on.

[42:00] And we have already seen what corporate

[42:03] self-regulation looks like here.

[42:06] Tesla was fined in Nevada for illegally

[42:10] discharging groundwater into storm

[42:13] drains, violating state water pollution

[42:17] law.

[42:18] These are not hypothetical risks.

[42:22] They are documented violations

[42:25] in our state.

[42:27] As a healthcare provider,

[42:29] I am trained to identify threats before

[42:33] they become crises.

[42:36] Dehydration,

[42:38] heat illness, sanitation failure

[42:41] in a desert city already under shortage

[42:44] restrictions,

[42:46] these are not distant outcomes. They are

[42:49] logical ones.

[42:51] Our water, our land, and our public

[42:54] investment belong to the people who live

[42:58] here,

[42:59] not to corporations storing data while

[43:02] our reservoir reservoir drains.

[43:06] No to data centers and yes to healthcare

[43:10] centers.

[43:11] No to data centers

[43:14] and yes to more educational centers.

[43:17] My name is Jasmine, and I'm asking you

[43:20] to choose people over data centers.

[43:23] Thank you.

[43:28] You can come forward. Thank you.

[43:34] Just

[43:35] write my name.

[43:46] Hello, Planning Commission.

[43:48] My name is Kathleen McGarrity.

[43:51] The McGarrity family have been residents

[43:53] in Boulder City for over 30 years, and I

[43:56] have personally permanently resided here

[43:58] for over 12.

[44:02] » [clears throat]

[44:04] » Where to start in this, but I realize

[44:06] time is short

[44:08] and it's a privilege to follow

[44:10] Carol and Jocelyn.

[44:13] There is

[44:14] lengthy discourse online and this

[44:17] doesn't include the petition that has

[44:20] close to 6,000 verified signatures

[44:24] that are against building a data center

[44:27] in Boulder City.

[44:30] However,

[44:31] several of the line of the threads

[44:34] online have comments that are very

[44:37] insightful. Residents coming forward in

[44:40] in large numbers and in in solid

[44:44] expression

[44:46] 98% of it in opposition of data centers.

[44:49] For example, a day ago someone wrote

[44:53] about the removal of all elected Boulder

[44:56] City politicians who in any way support

[44:59] the development of data centers in the

[45:01] drought-stricken Boulder City Lake Mead

[45:03] area.

[45:04] This is a message that must be sent loud

[45:07] and clear. Exclamation point.

[45:10] There is no case to be made for this

[45:12] effort

[45:13] except perhaps corporate greed.

[45:16] We must protect the future of Boulder

[45:18] City and families. There is no water to

[45:21] be squandered on data center efforts.

[45:23] Greedy politicians spouting a bunch of

[45:25] corporate sponsored talking points must

[45:28] be stopped before they are even started.

[45:31] So what I want to ask the commission and

[45:34] I realize you're not answering questions

[45:36] right now is

[45:38] given the tremendous quantity of water

[45:40] usage and the established knowledge,

[45:43] public knowledge, that we are in a

[45:45] drought crisis of which Secretary of

[45:48] Interior Doug Burgum flew and had a

[45:50] meeting with the various governors of

[45:53] the southwestern states and incidentally

[45:56] has has that information been made

[45:58] available to the public?

[46:00] Given all of this

[46:03] and the thought that the public is

[46:04] thinking

[46:06] Now, again, this is just this is just

[46:08] what the public is thinking. They're

[46:10] thinking that this is moving forward

[46:12] anyway, and this meeting these meetings

[46:15] are perfunctory.

[46:16] They're thinking that it's a legal

[46:18] requirement to have these meetings, but

[46:20] that it's a set and done deal, and that

[46:22] their voices don't matter.

[46:25] I was hesitant to come here and speak

[46:28] up.

[46:29] But a woman spoke with me today, and

[46:31] while I am not putting myself by any

[46:34] means in the category of the great

[46:35] Martin Luther King,

[46:37] she pointed out to me that at the time

[46:39] he did not realize necessarily the

[46:41] impact he might have

[46:43] regarding freedoms and the protections

[46:45] that he fought for.

[46:47] So, your constituents,

[46:49] citizens who pay to elect the elected

[46:53] officials in Boulder City and Henderson,

[46:55] are speaking to you

[46:57] by the thousands.

[46:58] >> Ms. Garrity, if you could wrap it up in

[47:00] » Ms. Garrity, if you could wrap it up in

[47:00] your own time.

[47:00] >> good. Very good. All that I would like

[47:02] » good. Very good. All that I would like

[47:03] to ask is in 3 to 6 months or 1 to 3

[47:06] months, will it be announced that

[47:08] there's a state of emergency regarding

[47:10] water here?

[47:11] And is this data center really going

[47:14] forward? Because I don't know how that's

[47:16] justifiable. I don't know how you

[47:18] juxtapose those elements together. Thank

[47:20] you very much.

[47:23] >> [applause]

[47:25] » We have a caller, so if if people in the

[47:27] audience could just wait, please. Thank

[47:29] you. Go ahead.

[47:31] Public comment, go ahead.

[47:35] Good evening. For [clears throat] the

[47:36] verbatim record, Fred Voltz.

[47:38] Item number two represents a

[47:39] constructive addition to the community.

[47:42] Limiting irrigation to drip systems

[47:44] would be a worthwhile insertion to the

[47:46] proposed wording.

[47:48] Regarding item number three, the

[47:50] planning commission needs to reject

[47:52] adding the proposed data center to the

[47:54] land management process.

[47:56] Despite changes to versions of the

[47:58] sketchy proposal, Boulder City has no

[48:00] factory-type installations of this size

[48:02] and scope.

[48:04] This project was sprung on residents as

[48:06] a done deal beginning in late March

[48:09] after 8 months of private discussions

[48:11] between the city and the project

[48:13] promoters.

[48:14] The promoters spent some 5 and 1/2

[48:16] million dollars by February 2026 to

[48:19] arrange for a power connection to their

[48:21] project when nothing had been approved

[48:23] by the city.

[48:24] The promoters have no experience running

[48:26] data centers anywhere.

[48:29] The two public meetings did not allow

[48:31] those present to hear from the promoters

[48:33] in a question and answer format before

[48:35] all present, but carved up the public

[48:38] into small groups who heard different

[48:40] things from different people at

[48:42] dispersed easel displays.

[48:44] As drought continues to impact water and

[48:47] electric supplies throughout the West

[48:48] and Midwest, the power needs of this

[48:51] data center will be competing with the

[48:53] existing residents and businesses in

[48:55] Boulder City for purchased power on the

[48:57] spot market.

[48:59] Hoover and Glen Canyon Dams can no

[49:01] longer be relied on for most of our

[49:03] low-cost power. Higher rates loom large.

[49:07] Disposal of spent coolant from the

[49:09] proposed closed-loop cooling system

[49:12] presents more challenges.

[49:14] For a 400,000-gallon

[49:16] cooling system to allegedly need only

[49:18] 2,000 gallons a year of blowdown does

[49:21] not reflect chemical compounds that

[49:23] naturally build up than the regular

[49:26] addition of antifreeze blends, biocides,

[49:29] scale inhibitors, acidity-alkalinity

[49:32] adjusters, oxygen scavengers, metal

[49:36] inhibitors, stabilizers, and

[49:38] surfactants.

[49:39] How will this toxic liquid be remediated

[49:42] before being dumped into our dated city

[49:44] sewer system?

[49:46] No plan has been presented.

[49:49] Other localities with ample power and

[49:51] water plus a welcoming community, can

[49:54] house such data centers. It is an

[49:56] inappropriate land use in Boulder City

[49:59] few people want. Thank you.

[50:17] My name is Fred Dexter. I've been a

[50:19] Boulder City as a resident property

[50:20] owner for 25 years.

[50:23] I'd like to um

[50:26] approach this data center from a

[50:27] slightly different angle than the other

[50:29] people who have spoken.

[50:31] I was very happy to hear the caller's

[50:35] remarks just now, very well educated.

[50:38] Why are we even considering it?

[50:40] Money.

[50:43] Eldorado Valley is our bank.

[50:47] We can put other things there, more

[50:49] solar panels,

[50:51] that are not so controversial or

[50:52] damaging.

[50:54] We could save it a little bit for the

[50:55] future.

[50:57] We don't have to use it up all right

[50:58] away.

[51:00] But, getting a data center just so

[51:03] Boulder City can have more money

[51:05] is a really bad idea, and nobody wants

[51:07] it. Thank you.

[51:15] Hello, thank you for letting me speak.

[51:17] My name is Autumn McGrath. I moved here

[51:19] 5 years ago from Henderson. I lived in

[51:21] Summerlin for 12 years, in Henderson for

[51:23] 12 years, and now 5 years in Boulder

[51:25] City. And unlike some of the other

[51:27] commenters, I'm not really crazy about

[51:29] it, to be honest. I've been talking to a

[51:31] lot of locals. I own a small business

[51:33] here, and I know a lot of people.

[51:35] The number one remark is how painful and

[51:38] heartbreaking it is to be from here and

[51:40] grow up here and watch it change and

[51:41] watch all the people come from

[51:43] California and ruin everything and

[51:46] putting in, you know, needle exchanges

[51:48] and

[51:49] just they're losing the town that they

[51:51] grew up in, but it's almost an equal

[51:53] punishment to move here.

[51:55] Um

[51:56] because of things like this. Um

[52:00] the average resident is busy, exhausted,

[52:03] and understandably disengaged from local

[52:06] politics. It is not laziness, it is not

[52:08] a fault. It is a survival. People are

[52:11] consumed with their immediate families

[52:14] and needs. No one is interested in

[52:16] combing through the minutes of a city

[52:17] council meeting.

[52:19] And the people that do come to these,

[52:22] and the people that are involved in

[52:23] local politics,

[52:25] like most of the people in this room,

[52:27] they really do exist inside of their own

[52:29] echo chambers. All of their friends

[52:31] think the same. The news doesn't spread

[52:35] to the outside community. Um I was

[52:37] watching a documentary about Abilene,

[52:39] Texas, and the largest data center place

[52:42] in our country, nobody knew when it

[52:44] started. That's what every small town in

[52:47] all of these documentaries, all of the

[52:50] residents say the same thing. They

[52:52] didn't know when it was starting. Nobody

[52:54] knows.

[52:55] It's always like behind your back.

[52:58] Um

[52:59] Boulder City residents were not properly

[53:01] informed about this massive project, and

[53:04] the council failed its duty of due

[53:06] diligence.

[53:08] The social media post on Instagram

[53:11] announcing that this process is

[53:13] transparent after several protests and a

[53:16] massive petition

[53:18] uh started and had already gained over

[53:20] 5,000 signatures, that was pretty

[53:22] cringeworthy.

[53:24] You have been sold into an intoxicating

[53:27] expert-level corporate sales pitch, and

[53:29] as a MAGA America first person, I'm very

[53:31] familiar with the sales pitch about

[53:34] national security,

[53:35] um the race

[53:37] in AI against China, unleashing American

[53:40] energy, removing restrictions, being

[53:42] number one.

[53:43] Um

[53:45] the AI race with China, mass national

[53:47] security, that stuff sells really well.

[53:50] Uh

[53:50] especially

[53:52] Well, the grim reality will hit later.

[53:54] Across the country, these data center

[53:56] salesmen are taking advantage of easy to

[53:58] roll over gullible small towns.

[54:01] There will never be an end. They will

[54:02] always want more.

[54:04] This first project is just a foot in the

[54:06] door door to turn Nevada into the next

[54:09] Virginia. They build in clusters. They

[54:12] will never build just one.

[54:14] And then back the resources have been

[54:16] touched on enough. So,

[54:18] um water is more vola- more important

[54:20] than a volatile AI industry.

[54:23] We already suffer from summer rolling

[54:25] blackouts and high utility rates.

[54:27] >> up. If you could just wrap it up in the

[54:28] » up. If you could just wrap it up in the

[54:28] next couple seconds, please.

[54:29] >> managed by inept office. This deal

[54:31] » managed by inept office. This deal

[54:31] grants long-term tax abatements to a

[54:33] mega corporation while forcing residents

[54:35] to foot the bill through increased

[54:36] rates.

[54:37] The promised 25 to 40 jobs will not go

[54:39] to locals. They will bring in their own

[54:40] people.

[54:42] And then the rest of my comments

[54:43] >> Your time's up. Thank you.

[54:44] » Your time's up. Thank you.

[54:44] >> about the wildlife.

[54:46] » about the wildlife.

[54:46] Thank you.

[54:49] We have somebody on the phone if uh

[54:51] please

[54:53] Public comment, go ahead.

[54:57] Hello there. My name is Tommy Love.

[55:00] I'm a registered nurse and a community

[55:02] healthcare worker

[55:04] who loves Boulder City deeply.

[55:08] I am calling because this affects every

[55:10] person in the valley.

[55:12] And I'm using my voice to ask you not to

[55:14] approve the data centers in Boulder

[55:17] City.

[55:20] The community is already living under a

[55:22] tier one Colorado River water shortage

[55:24] restriction,

[55:26] which means that it reduces Nevada's

[55:28] water consumption every year by 20,000

[55:32] acres per year.

[55:34] That's not sustainable already.

[55:37] Our neighbors are being asked to pull

[55:39] their grass,

[55:41] shorten their showers,

[55:43] and stretch every drop.

[55:46] And now we're being asked to approve an

[55:48] 88-acre data center campus right next to

[55:52] the res- reservoir that supplies almost

[55:55] all of our drinking water.

[55:58] This infrastructure is not here to help

[56:01] people.

[56:03] It is here to monitor them.

[56:06] It exists to collect and store data on

[56:09] the very communities being asked to

[56:12] sacrifice their water for it.

[56:16] We should be putting this land towards

[56:18] resources that actually serve the people

[56:20] who live here.

[56:22] Affordable housing, community health,

[56:24] local jobs, and real accountability.

[56:29] These data centers are not for the

[56:31] community.

[56:32] They're for the corporations and the

[56:34] billionaires behind them who will never

[56:37] have to live with what they leave

[56:39] behind.

[56:41] They take the water, they use the land,

[56:44] and we have to pay and live with these

[56:45] consequences.

[56:48] Think of what we could build with this

[56:49] community land of 88 acres.

[56:53] Think of how many people we could help

[56:55] and the things we could accomplish.

[56:57] Boulder City and the Valley deserves

[56:59] better.

[57:01] Thank you so much for your time.

[57:07] Madam City Clerk, is there another

[57:08] caller?

[57:10] Go come forward, please.

[57:21] Hi, my name is Brenda Delarmie, and I am

[57:24] respectfully asking you to reject the

[57:26] proposal for Town Site 2 in agenda item

[57:28] 3. Um frankly, most of us are here

[57:30] because nobody wants us.

[57:32] We've heard from numerous politicians

[57:35] who have come here to Boulder City to

[57:37] show their support for their hopeful

[57:38] future constituents. And I know you are

[57:41] not the council, but we are all

[57:43] frustrated and curious as to why our own

[57:46] council who we elected are not listening

[57:49] to so many of their own constituents.

[57:52] Um the change.org petition I started not

[57:54] even 2 months ago has 5,911

[57:57] signatures as of this moment. And the

[58:00] city on their website and in talking to

[58:03] them and talking to the applicant,

[58:05] they've said things such as, "Well,

[58:07] they'll just go next door to Henderson."

[58:09] And well, I

[58:12] don't think data centers belong anywhere

[58:13] in Southern Nevada, in the Mojave

[58:16] Desert, in the second fastest warming

[58:18] region in the United States, and in the

[58:21] drought-stricken Colorado River Basin.

[58:24] Um well, to them I'd ask if everyone

[58:27] else is jumping off a bridge, would you

[58:29] do it? And Boulder City has never

[58:32] accepted that mantra and as one example,

[58:35] we're historic town at our heart and

[58:37] soul.

[58:38] And

[58:39] um one example of that is with respect

[58:42] to gambling. We've all said we just

[58:45] don't want it in this town, even though

[58:47] it's lucrative, it would bring a ton of

[58:49] money.

[58:50] And you can do it just right up the

[58:52] street at Railroad Pass, a 5-minute

[58:54] drive away. We've said we don't care, we

[58:55] don't want it, bring it there. So, that

[58:58] would be my response to them on just

[59:00] that one issue. And

[59:02] I'll come back to speak at

[59:05] the actual public hearing. So, thank you

[59:07] all.

[59:22] Hi, my name is Cherabel Law.

[59:29] » So,

[59:30] I wanted to start by saying something a

[59:33] little bit different. We're going to

[59:34] hear a lot of negativity tonight, and of

[59:36] course we are. This is a very rough

[59:38] subject.

[59:39] But, I want to start by saying just how

[59:41] proud I am of Boulder City and all of

[59:43] its citizens. I have never seen people

[59:46] come together on a bipartisan issue in

[59:48] this way. We have thousands of people,

[59:50] no matter their political positions,

[59:52] coming together. People who I have seen

[59:54] literally threaten each other stand side

[59:57] by side on this issue saying no to data

[59:59] centers. So, I'm so proud of our people.

[1:00:02] I wish I could say I was proud of our

[1:00:03] council, but I am very disappointed in

[1:00:05] them.

[1:00:06] Please don't let me be disappointed in

[1:00:07] you guys.

[1:00:09] Um

[1:00:10] and sorry for my voice shaking. This is,

[1:00:13] of course, a very emotional thing. This

[1:00:14] is my home,

[1:00:15] and it is heartbreaking what is

[1:00:17] happening.

[1:00:19] And I've heard so many people from all

[1:00:22] around Boulder City say that they're not

[1:00:24] going to come speak up and they're not

[1:00:25] going to sign everything because they

[1:00:27] feel like it doesn't matter because it's

[1:00:29] a {quote} done deal because City Council

[1:00:32] is brushing us off.

[1:00:34] So, what I want everyone to hear is your

[1:00:38] voice does still matter. It's not a done

[1:00:40] deal, and complacency is where the real

[1:00:43] issue lies on this. Come up here. Stand

[1:00:46] up. Speak. Even if you only come up and

[1:00:48] say your name and say say no to data

[1:00:51] centers, that can be your entire speech,

[1:00:53] and then you can go sit down.

[1:00:55] Whether it's AC or water,

[1:00:58] either one it's going to be damaging. It

[1:01:00] is so much cheaper for these types of

[1:01:02] industries to just dump it back into the

[1:01:05] environment and pay a fee than it is to

[1:01:08] properly get rid of it. It doesn't

[1:01:10] matter whether it's Freon or water or

[1:01:15] literally it could be root beer, and

[1:01:17] they're going to figure out a way to

[1:01:18] damage the environment with it. It's how

[1:01:20] it always goes.

[1:01:21] And it's going to damage tourism. I have

[1:01:23] heard so many tourists come through our

[1:01:25] town and talk about the beautiful views.

[1:01:28] And we want to just wreck them with a

[1:01:30] stupid center?

[1:01:32] Why?

[1:01:33] We're going to damage our long-term

[1:01:35] money from tourism. We're a highway

[1:01:38] town.

[1:01:39] If we keep up with this, we're just

[1:01:41] going to be a highway because there

[1:01:42] won't be a Boulder City left because

[1:01:44] everyone's going to leave because it's

[1:01:45] going to be too expensive, it's going to

[1:01:47] be too hot, and it will be a hellhole to

[1:01:49] live in. It is a beautiful town and I

[1:01:51] love this place.

[1:01:53] And I don't want it to see I don't want

[1:01:54] to see it go down this route, but we're

[1:01:56] going to. Our people should not be sold

[1:01:58] for pocket change, our land shouldn't be

[1:02:00] sold for pocket change, our health, our

[1:02:02] water, our electricity. All of it

[1:02:04] shouldn't be sold for what is not going

[1:02:07] to be worth it.

[1:02:08] And

[1:02:10] it doesn't matter if Henderson tries to

[1:02:12] build something. We can go over there

[1:02:14] and try to argue against Henderson, but

[1:02:16] like Brin said,

[1:02:17] we're not going to jump off a bridge

[1:02:19] just because someone else is going to,

[1:02:21] and we definitely shouldn't jump off

[1:02:22] first.

[1:02:23] So,

[1:02:24] if Henderson tries to put something

[1:02:26] that's out here, then they do, and we're

[1:02:29] going to fight it just as we're fighting

[1:02:30] this, and I hope we can be listened to.

[1:02:32] Thank you.

[1:02:35] >> [applause]

[1:02:49] » Hello, my name is Vincent and I've been

[1:02:50] a resident of Boulder City for 6 months.

[1:02:52] A few months back, my mother came to me

[1:02:54] with a song that she liked, and uh

[1:02:56] having just done some research, I

[1:02:57] immediately spotted it as a product of

[1:02:58] AI.

[1:03:00] Knowing buying that song would support

[1:03:01] data centers like the one being proposed

[1:03:03] now,

[1:03:04] I explained and pleaded as much as a

[1:03:05] 17-year-old could that we should cease

[1:03:08] all utilization of AI.

[1:03:11] This includes ChatGPT, Siri, Apple

[1:03:13] Intelligence, or any generative AI.

[1:03:15] This data center is primarily for it.

[1:03:17] Despite years ago AI being heralded as

[1:03:20] the future,

[1:03:22] it has done a net negative on society,

[1:03:24] and you can trust me on this as my

[1:03:25] generation has abused it for social

[1:03:27] media clicks, cheating on assignments,

[1:03:29] and everything that is designed

[1:03:31] to better society and increase our

[1:03:34] intelligence, and it has done the

[1:03:35] opposite.

[1:03:37] Between AI art commissions for my

[1:03:39] friends and music for my family,

[1:03:42] AI takes human creativity out of its

[1:03:44] algorithm and produces slop as most

[1:03:46] people call it.

[1:03:47] At the height of AI use, a single AI

[1:03:49] prompt could use up to 50 times the

[1:03:51] energy for a Google search.

[1:03:54] This data center will continue to

[1:03:55] perpetuate this problem. This should

[1:03:56] bring even more pause to the residents

[1:03:58] of the city.

[1:03:59] We are blessed to have the Hoover Dam, a

[1:04:01] true testament of human creativity and

[1:04:04] ingenuity, and a true marvel.

[1:04:06] And it is ironic that this data center

[1:04:08] will leech off of it to make more videos

[1:04:10] and photos spreading misinformation and

[1:04:12] collecting and collating data for our AI

[1:04:14] overlords.

[1:04:15] Now for the physical problems of this

[1:04:17] modern brick eyesore.

[1:04:19] I walk to work on Boulder Parkway, and

[1:04:21] on my lunch breaks it's cathartic to

[1:04:22] look upon the view and the vastness to

[1:04:24] the west and see the mountains. With the

[1:04:26] solar panel field already a blemish in

[1:04:28] that view, the city doesn't need another

[1:04:29] contemporary installation that's just a

[1:04:31] glorified cinder block of energy and

[1:04:33] water-sucking wastefulness.

[1:04:35] How do you think tourists would feel

[1:04:37] driving into Boulder City, historic

[1:04:39] Boulder City, and seeing that?

[1:04:41] Plain and simple, it subtracts from what

[1:04:42] Boulder City is known and is praised

[1:04:44] for.

[1:04:45] Third and the simplest of my points,

[1:04:46] what does this center actually provide

[1:04:48] for its citizens? I have not heard a

[1:04:49] single single argument for why it should

[1:04:52] be here for the

[1:04:54] betterment of all 15,000 residents.

[1:04:57] The only thing I've heard is that it

[1:04:58] will generate 1.5 million for the city's

[1:05:00] budget every year in addition to the 2.6

[1:05:02] million for the lease in its first year.

[1:05:04] Boulder City gets 35% of its revenue

[1:05:06] from land leases, but I don't think it's

[1:05:08] worth it.

[1:05:09] History repeats itself. The last time we

[1:05:11] let outside big interests into Boulder

[1:05:13] City, it was the school board and it

[1:05:15] tanked the performance of our school

[1:05:16] which were the best in the state at the

[1:05:17] time.

[1:05:19] Why do we want this power creep to come

[1:05:20] up here? I can speak for a number of

[1:05:23] people not even including those here at

[1:05:24] the protest that we don't want this. The

[1:05:26] consensus is no.

[1:05:28] Finally, in the 1930s, there was a

[1:05:29] checkpoint to get into Boulder City

[1:05:31] instituted by the government to keep

[1:05:32] outside elements out, certain

[1:05:34] undesirable ones.

[1:05:35] Now we don't have an official

[1:05:36] checkpoint. We are the checkpoint.

[1:05:40] We don't want this data center.

[1:05:43] The consensus is clear. Please vote no

[1:05:46] and please do not let this Boulder this

[1:05:48] disgusting data center be built in this

[1:05:50] city.

[1:05:51] Thank you.

[1:05:53] >> [applause]

[1:06:01] » Rosanne Raviola Milly

[1:06:04] and

[1:06:05] the question is very the issue

[1:06:09] is very simple.

[1:06:12] The issue is

[1:06:16] the many

[1:06:18] versus

[1:06:20] the money.

[1:06:22] Now,

[1:06:24] >> [clears throat]

[1:06:25] » [clears throat]

[1:06:25] >> if Boulder City's budget

[1:06:28] » if Boulder City's budget

[1:06:28] is in such bad shape,

[1:06:34] I can show them a bunch of places,

[1:06:37] but nobody's interested

[1:06:40] in hearing what I have to say

[1:06:43] and that's why

[1:06:45] I lost a job as public information

[1:06:50] officer.

[1:06:52] The truth

[1:06:54] has not

[1:06:57] been coming out.

[1:07:00] If I can talk

[1:07:03] to three people

[1:07:05] who are representing

[1:07:09] town city number 217,

[1:07:13] what you call it, I don't care.

[1:07:17] And they all give me different answers.

[1:07:22] Is this storage?

[1:07:25] Are we

[1:07:26] having

[1:07:28] a lease for storage,

[1:07:30] energy storage,

[1:07:33] or are we building data centers?

[1:07:41] All I have to say is

[1:07:43] no matter what you recommend tonight,

[1:07:47] you know darn well

[1:07:50] yes or no,

[1:07:52] it's going to the council.

[1:07:55] And what has to happen,

[1:07:58] they have to understand.

[1:08:01] Is it the money? And I think they're

[1:08:04] getting really shortchanged,

[1:08:06] big time. Or is it the many?

[1:08:11] » [applause]

[1:08:22] » Public comment, go ahead.

[1:08:27] Hello.

[1:08:30] Public comment.

[1:08:35] Hello. My name is Jennifer Levin, and I

[1:08:38] have been a resident here in Boulder

[1:08:40] City for for about 10 or 11 years. Um

[1:08:45] And of course, I'm going to be speaking

[1:08:47] on the data center like so many. Um I'd

[1:08:49] like to say to that young man who spoke,

[1:08:51] well done.

[1:08:53] Absolutely well done. That was

[1:08:54] outstanding. Um

[1:08:57] You know, and just like so many of our

[1:08:59] other constituents here, I'm obviously

[1:09:01] absolutely against this data center.

[1:09:04] You've heard and will continue to hear.

[1:09:06] Of course, there's the common sense that

[1:09:09] we already have limited water resources

[1:09:11] and the consideration of taxing them is

[1:09:14] absolutely, you know, taxing them even

[1:09:16] further is absolutely absurd.

[1:09:19] The damage by the forever chemicals.

[1:09:22] I've spoken at the city council meetings

[1:09:24] because I was an assistant project

[1:09:26] manager for a different company that

[1:09:28] used a closed loop system and I can say

[1:09:31] unequivocally, it's not as simple as

[1:09:33] they're saying that it is. Those systems

[1:09:36] go down, they need maintenance, it's a

[1:09:38] regular part of it otherwise they

[1:09:40] wouldn't need a maintenance team on site

[1:09:43] like all of them need. And those

[1:09:45] systems, they they leech the chemicals

[1:09:48] into the environment around us. We've

[1:09:51] heard about the destruction of children

[1:09:52] of wildlife. The poor people who live in

[1:09:55] Nelson don't and they live so close.

[1:09:57] They don't even have a voice in this but

[1:09:59] none of that's being considered.

[1:10:01] You know, when I think about this, it's

[1:10:02] an issue

[1:10:04] that, you know, just just like it's been

[1:10:06] said, the majority of constituents are

[1:10:08] coming out and they're saying absolutely

[1:10:10] not.

[1:10:11] Yet we're being ignored and told that

[1:10:13] our voices don't matter, that there

[1:10:15] aren't enough of us speaking up and as

[1:10:16] the numbers grow,

[1:10:18] I'm, you know, I wonder if about 6,000

[1:10:21] people are enough voices yet. When these

[1:10:23] conversations are just being thrown by

[1:10:26] the wayside, when conversations quietly

[1:10:30] amongst citizens here, you know, it's

[1:10:32] it's under the consideration. It's been

[1:10:35] researched and what the next step?

[1:10:38] Under the consideration of having the

[1:10:40] entire city council removed, which is

[1:10:42] our right and it may be the option that

[1:10:45] we as the constituents step into.

[1:10:47] Um, it doesn't need to be this

[1:10:50] ridiculous.

[1:10:51] I'm I'm grateful our public servants do,

[1:10:55] like you guys do what you do. But the

[1:10:57] reality is and it is absolutely

[1:10:58] undeniable that the majority of the

[1:11:01] citizens and constituents in Boulder

[1:11:03] City are absolutely and vehemently

[1:11:05] against this.

[1:11:07] Um

[1:11:09] you know, we're not not one single

[1:11:11] community as so many of us has

[1:11:14] researched this. Not one community

[1:11:17] across the entire country has said,

[1:11:19] "This has made our community better.

[1:11:21] This has made our environment better.

[1:11:23] This has made the people healthier."

[1:11:26] We all know when it's undeniable that

[1:11:29] the exact opposite is true. And it

[1:11:32] doesn't matter if it's these {quote}

[1:11:34] {unquote} newer types, the situation is

[1:11:36] still the same and and I'm just

[1:11:39] absolutely aghast at the fact that

[1:11:42] anyone would sit down on this council

[1:11:45] elected or paid, right? Everybody in

[1:11:49] this audience on the phone and out in

[1:11:51] the air the one

[1:11:53] >> Lovett, your time's up.

[1:11:55] » Lovett, your time's up.

[1:11:55] I'm sorry? Your time's up.

[1:11:58] Thank you.

[1:11:58] >> Okay. Thank you for your Thank you for

[1:12:00] » Okay. Thank you for your Thank you for

[1:12:00] your comments.

[1:12:02] Okay, I just I hope that this

[1:12:04] destruction isn't the destiny you guys

[1:12:06] want cuz it's not the one we want. Thank

[1:12:08] you.

[1:12:08] >> Thank you.

[1:12:15] Hi, my name is Kendra and I'm a Boulder

[1:12:16] City resident. I went to the two open

[1:12:18] houses and I heard one thing, trust us.

[1:12:21] Trust us that we'll handle the

[1:12:23] wastewater appropriately. Trust us it's

[1:12:25] not going to make the environment that

[1:12:27] much hotter. Trust us it won't hurt your

[1:12:30] power resources.

[1:12:32] You know, there are three kinds of

[1:12:33] people who say trust me, con men, cult

[1:12:35] leaders and I guess corporations that

[1:12:37] build data centers. And in the past I've

[1:12:39] learned that anybody who says trust me

[1:12:41] should not be trusted.

[1:12:43] I grew up over the hill in Henderson and

[1:12:46] throughout my childhood the corporations

[1:12:48] on Lake Mead were telling us, "No, we're

[1:12:50] not releasing chemicals into the air

[1:12:52] every night.

[1:12:53] You're just coughing constantly and

[1:12:55] being kept up for hours as a child

[1:12:58] because of not our fault. It wasn't us.

[1:13:01] Today we know that in fact they were

[1:13:02] releasing chemicals over that valley.

[1:13:04] People in Cadence can't plant fruits and

[1:13:06] vegetables in their backyards because of

[1:13:09] what happened over 20 years ago.

[1:13:11] I don't want Boulder City to become like

[1:13:14] that. I have a 10-year-old daughter.

[1:13:17] I don't want to have to sit up at night

[1:13:18] like my mother had to with me at 8 years

[1:13:21] old and watch me struggle to breathe

[1:13:23] because of what they were doing to our

[1:13:25] city.

[1:13:26] I don't want that to happen here and I

[1:13:28] don't think that the people of Boulder

[1:13:29] City do either.

[1:13:31] We've been dismissed. We've been told

[1:13:33] that we don't understand. We've been

[1:13:35] told that we just need to read the

[1:13:36] research. And yet we continue to say,

[1:13:39] "We don't want this." And I would remind

[1:13:43] the City Council, who I hope is

[1:13:44] listening to this, that we are your

[1:13:46] employers. We, the people sitting in

[1:13:48] this chair, the 15,000 souls who call

[1:13:51] this place home, are your bosses and

[1:13:54] we're telling you no.

[1:13:56] We don't want this.

[1:13:58] It's not worth the cost of our beautiful

[1:14:01] city. It's not worth the cost of our

[1:14:03] health.

[1:14:04] We all grew up here in Vegas or many of

[1:14:06] us have and we know what gambling looks

[1:14:09] like and we're not willing to gamble

[1:14:10] with the health of our community

[1:14:12] and with our loved ones. So, we ask you

[1:14:14] to say no. We ask you to decide not to

[1:14:17] do this because we don't trust them. We

[1:14:19] do trust though that they will always

[1:14:22] put profit over people every single time

[1:14:25] and that's not something we want. Thank

[1:14:27] you.

[1:14:29] >> [applause]

[1:14:35] » Hello. My name is Amanda Farrar. I've

[1:14:38] lived in Southern Nevada for 26 years

[1:14:42] and I've been a resident of Boulder City

[1:14:44] for 5 years now. Um I left Las Vegas and

[1:14:48] moved to Boulder City uh seeking a

[1:14:50] different type of place uh seeking a

[1:14:52] smaller community where people make

[1:14:54] different types of decisions as a group

[1:14:56] for the betterment of the community. Um,

[1:15:00] I moved here to live in a place uh where

[1:15:04] the people running our town are

[1:15:06] concerned about uh keeping the small

[1:15:09] town character and charm and uh the the

[1:15:13] history uh of our place.

[1:15:16] And uh I think that's why the majority

[1:15:18] of residents of Boulder City who have

[1:15:20] moved here from other places uh came

[1:15:23] here in the first place.

[1:15:25] And uh when I see that uh we have a city

[1:15:29] council, I understand that is not you

[1:15:31] guys, but that we have a city council

[1:15:33] that seems to be disregarding um

[1:15:35] blatantly disregarding uh

[1:15:37] what from all I see is uh the severe um

[1:15:43] the extreme majority will of of the

[1:15:45] people of the residents of the town.

[1:15:48] Um, I I can't believe it. I'm I'm I'm

[1:15:51] really really surprised that this is

[1:15:53] happening in this place. I know that

[1:15:56] corruption exists everywhere, and I know

[1:16:00] that uh

[1:16:02] uh you know, there's a stereotype of

[1:16:04] politicians uh being bought off uh being

[1:16:07] bought out or uh you know, selling out

[1:16:09] communities um for

[1:16:11] uh for cash or whatever it is. And I do

[1:16:15] have concerns that that is what's going

[1:16:17] on here.

[1:16:18] Um, but another of the worst things

[1:16:21] that's happening is that none of us uh

[1:16:24] completely understand uh

[1:16:26] what the total ramifications of the

[1:16:29] building of uh a data center here uh can

[1:16:32] do over time, and I don't believe that

[1:16:35] it takes much time at all uh for our

[1:16:37] environment to be impacted uh severely

[1:16:41] by the construction of something that is

[1:16:43] this large of a scale. Um, I haven't

[1:16:46] done it yet, but I've been wanting to

[1:16:48] put together a map that shows the scale

[1:16:50] of the proposed data center overlaid

[1:16:53] over our historic district and our

[1:16:55] downtown area.

[1:16:56] Uh, I think it's, uh, from what I've

[1:16:59] read, it's, uh, very shocking, uh, the

[1:17:01] scale.

[1:17:03] And that it can, uh, dwarf areas of town

[1:17:06] that we think of as being large.

[1:17:09] Uh, I think that this decision is, uh,

[1:17:12] something that is, uh, best made with

[1:17:15] all of the information that is, uh, that

[1:17:18] is possible.

[1:17:19] Uh, if, uh, anybody were to do that,

[1:17:22] they would never make a decision. But,

[1:17:24] making a decision without information

[1:17:27] such as impact of, uh,

[1:17:30] impact on wildlife,

[1:17:32] uh, and

[1:17:34] actual impact of light pollution,

[1:17:37] and what it's going to do to our low,

[1:17:42] uh, quantity of drinking water, which is

[1:17:44] already at dangerously low levels. Ms.

[1:17:47] Ferrari, your time is up.

[1:17:48] >> Yes. Thank you.

[1:17:50] » Yes. Thank you.

[1:17:50] >> you. Thank you for your comments.

[1:17:51] » you. Thank you for your comments.

[1:17:51] >> you listening. Thank you.

[1:17:54] » you listening. Thank you.

[1:17:54] Anybody else?

[1:17:56] Okay. Let this gentleman go first and

[1:17:57] then we'll do the phone. Come on up,

[1:17:59] please.

[1:18:10] Hey, good evening, commission. And good

[1:18:13] good evening res- residents of Boulder

[1:18:14] City. My Sir, you might you you only

[1:18:16] address the planning commission. Thank

[1:18:18] you.

[1:18:18] >> I appreciate it all the time. My name is

[1:18:20] » I appreciate it all the time. My name is

[1:18:20] Gabriel Cornejo. I'm running for

[1:18:21] Congress here in this district. And I

[1:18:24] wanted to present this idea because it's

[1:18:25] something that I learned long ago, that

[1:18:27] if you're not at the table, you're on

[1:18:28] the menu. And I got this idea reaffirmed

[1:18:33] having lived in 11 cities across two

[1:18:34] countries, including some very tal-

[1:18:36] small towns just like this where I saw

[1:18:39] the Walton family come in and decimate

[1:18:42] the local population, the small

[1:18:44] businesses, the towns because they were

[1:18:45] able to extrapolate their will on that

[1:18:48] community.

[1:18:49] And at this time

[1:18:51] this data center seems very emblematic

[1:18:53] of that moment. In fact, I built a

[1:18:55] company to take on Amazon because I saw

[1:18:57] that same trajectory of that same

[1:18:59] dynamic being able to take place.

[1:19:02] And so at this moment when a lot of

[1:19:04] people are feeling like they're on the

[1:19:05] menu and this data center is not of the

[1:19:09] will of the people

[1:19:11] but of the will of the wealthy.

[1:19:14] What are we doing at this very moment to

[1:19:17] listen to these people? What are we

[1:19:19] doing to not put these people on the

[1:19:21] menu? Because that's exactly what

[1:19:23] they're expressing having been out in

[1:19:25] these

[1:19:26] cities, in these towns, at these

[1:19:27] doorsteps, at these gatherings. A lot of

[1:19:30] people feel like

[1:19:31] if we do not make a course correction

[1:19:34] that we are not going to have the

[1:19:36] community that I know that you all want

[1:19:37] to be a part of.

[1:19:39] But it's very important at this time

[1:19:41] that we really consider what is the

[1:19:43] dynamic at play.

[1:19:45] Because we are putting our water, we're

[1:19:49] putting our energy, we're putting our

[1:19:51] well-being

[1:19:52] all up for sale. Seemingly, that's

[1:19:55] seems to be the sentiment because you

[1:19:56] guys are very popular today.

[1:19:58] I can't see an empty seat in the house,

[1:20:02] which is astounding.

[1:20:04] That tells you exactly what the young

[1:20:06] man iterated earlier that

[1:20:09] things are that dire here and people do

[1:20:12] not feel like they're being heard.

[1:20:15] And so I wanted to have you really

[1:20:17] consider

[1:20:18] your part in having

[1:20:20] compelled these people to feel like they

[1:20:22] are on the menu

[1:20:23] when you're supposed to be at the table

[1:20:25] for them.

[1:20:27] So, that's it.

[1:20:34] » Caller.

[1:20:36] Public comment, go ahead.

[1:20:40] Hello.

[1:20:43] Hi, my name is Thomas Remy.

[1:20:45] I'm 92 years old.

[1:20:47] I want to ask you not to approve data

[1:20:50] centers.

[1:20:51] We don't want them.

[1:20:53] Thank you.

[1:20:56] >> [applause]

[1:21:12] » Hi, good evening. Thank you for having

[1:21:13] us today and allowing us to be able to

[1:21:15] speak. My name is Basia Torres.

[1:21:18] I'm with the Handmaids of Las Vegas. I'm

[1:21:21] here on supportive behalf all the

[1:21:23] constituents and citizens of Boulder

[1:21:24] City here

[1:21:26] um regarding the data center. You've sat

[1:21:29] and you've listened to everything that

[1:21:31] everyone has shown concern of. There's

[1:21:33] not really much I can repeat um that

[1:21:36] hasn't been said already. So, in the

[1:21:39] sake of repetitiveness, I just have one

[1:21:41] thing that I would like to address to

[1:21:43] you guys.

[1:21:44] And that would be Michael,

[1:21:47] Nakisha,

[1:21:48] Tammy,

[1:21:49] Steve, Steve, Tony, Maureen, Matt,

[1:21:55] Beth, and Kevin,

[1:21:58] shame on you.

[1:22:00] Shame on you for not listening to your

[1:22:02] citizens, for not listening to the

[1:22:04] people of Boulder

[1:22:06] who are concerned about their health and

[1:22:08] their well-being and the land

[1:22:11] and the community here.

[1:22:13] I came here over 20 years ago and

[1:22:16] Boulder City has been a a refuge for me

[1:22:18] cuz it reminded me of where I lived

[1:22:20] previously where my grandkids enjoy

[1:22:24] coming to the 4th of July water parades

[1:22:27] and to the Christmas electric light

[1:22:29] parades, and St. You know, all the

[1:22:32] different jubilees and things that you

[1:22:33] guys do here for the community. These

[1:22:36] things will be affected in addition to

[1:22:38] that, not only for the citizens of

[1:22:39] Boulder City, but also for the rest of

[1:22:42] Vegas and those that come here and are a

[1:22:44] part and bring revenue and bring

[1:22:48] our [clears throat] bodies here to come

[1:22:49] and help celebrate with you guys. So,

[1:22:51] I'm asking today

[1:22:54] vote no on data centers in Boulder City

[1:22:56] and in Nevada across the board.

[1:23:01] » [applause]

[1:23:12] » Hello.

[1:23:13] My name's Terri Adamik and I came here

[1:23:15] to listen, but now I feel like I need to

[1:23:17] speak.

[1:23:19] Um I picked up the packet at the back of

[1:23:21] the room and I've been kind of glancing

[1:23:23] through it while you guys have been

[1:23:25] listening to all the statements and I

[1:23:28] have as well.

[1:23:30] But I noticed that there's three

[1:23:33] possibilities.

[1:23:34] Recommend approval, recommend amended

[1:23:37] approval, recommend denial.

[1:23:40] And I hope you choose recommend denial,

[1:23:42] but I also noticed that on the back of

[1:23:45] this page

[1:23:46] there's only one resolution and it's for

[1:23:49] approval. And I'm wondering why there's

[1:23:51] nothing here for denial.

[1:23:54] Another thing that I noticed when I was

[1:23:56] flipping through there is that there's a

[1:24:00] a plan to put in a water pipe that's

[1:24:04] carries, I think it was a thousand

[1:24:05] gallons per minute.

[1:24:07] They say that it's for extinguishing

[1:24:10] fires, but they also say that they're

[1:24:13] they're going to use fire retardants and

[1:24:15] foams and whatnot. So, why do they need

[1:24:17] such a large water

[1:24:20] pipe to go there if that's the case.

[1:24:23] And that's that's pretty much all I have

[1:24:25] to say. Just two things I noticed. Thank

[1:24:28] you.

[1:24:30] >> [applause]

[1:24:38] » Hello everybody.

[1:24:40] God bless you guys. You are here

[1:24:41] listening.

[1:24:43] That's what you're doing, right?

[1:24:45] Okay. I'm My name is Nick Iriyadi.

[1:24:47] I'm a 38-year resident. I'm probably the

[1:24:49] first citizen to find out about the data

[1:24:51] center since I drew most of the

[1:24:53] conceptuals.

[1:24:54] I want to speak on behalf

[1:24:56] in favor of Mr. Lammers and Skylar

[1:24:59] Technologies being

[1:25:00] absolutely truthful. I've been working

[1:25:02] with them for better part of a decade,

[1:25:04] probably over a decade.

[1:25:05] Um

[1:25:07] They're The first thing Rick said to me

[1:25:09] is when this came came up about a year

[1:25:11] and a half ago or more was

[1:25:13] "Give it to me straight. Tell me

[1:25:16] anything you think that could be

[1:25:17] negative. Tell Tell me what's going to

[1:25:19] be negative.

[1:25:20] I want to make sure this the community's

[1:25:22] protected and this thing goes in without

[1:25:25] a hitch and everybody is happy. We want

[1:25:28] to make sure that the

[1:25:29] first off, safety. That's the most

[1:25:31] important thing." So, I told him, "Well,

[1:25:33] look, I am not going to support this if

[1:25:35] it uses water potable water. I flat out

[1:25:38] I do not want to use the potable potable

[1:25:39] water. We can't in the desert use

[1:25:41] potable water for that."

[1:25:44] There's a alternatives, which they

[1:25:45] That's what they did. They got a

[1:25:46] closed-loop system.

[1:25:48] I'm sure there's going to be a

[1:25:48] containment barrier so that if it has a

[1:25:51] spill, it's not going to get drained

[1:25:53] down to the lake. It's far from the

[1:25:55] city.

[1:25:56] We need to stay up with with with the

[1:25:59] technology. We got to keep pushing

[1:26:00] forward like we have been. Back when I

[1:26:02] was a young kid, they wanted to build a

[1:26:04] gas-fired power plant out there, right?

[1:26:06] Was it There People at the credit union,

[1:26:08] "Oh, it's going to pollute. It's going

[1:26:09] to do this. It's going to do that."

[1:26:11] It got built and I haven't seen a bit of

[1:26:13] pollution, right? It's a great It turned

[1:26:16] out to be a great thing for the city.

[1:26:17] All the solar fields I was involved in

[1:26:19] every single solar field

[1:26:21] on the construction and all the leases

[1:26:23] from the very first one up into the

[1:26:26] latest ones. So, I just want to say that

[1:26:29] we have to be open-minded to this and

[1:26:33] you know, there Rick Lammers and Skyler

[1:26:35] opportunities is going to do everything

[1:26:37] they can to protect it. They're He He's

[1:26:39] trying to do it as if it was in his own

[1:26:41] backyard, which is not in our backyard.

[1:26:43] It's out in El Dorado Valley. It's miles

[1:26:45] away.

[1:26:48] Uh you know, I'm sworn to protect the

[1:26:50] public as a professional land surveyor

[1:26:53] with boundary lines.

[1:26:55] It's black and white, right? I'm not

[1:26:57] going to come up here and just lie for

[1:26:58] money. There's no amount of money that

[1:27:00] can get me to change the boundary lines

[1:27:01] of somebody's property. I You just can't

[1:27:03] pay me enough. I I've been offered,

[1:27:05] trust me. There's a certain Disneyland

[1:27:07] house in in town that

[1:27:08] I was offered, but I didn't take it, you

[1:27:10] know, it's like

[1:27:11] it's black and white. I can't do that.

[1:27:13] That's

[1:27:13] it's against my oath, okay?

[1:27:16] I just want I I know I actually I'm

[1:27:18] really uh

[1:27:20] I I really

[1:27:21] the the community here coming together

[1:27:24] and and their their conviction is is

[1:27:27] actually

[1:27:28] I commend them for that, you know,

[1:27:29] there's but there's a lot of false and

[1:27:31] misinformation out there. You know, this

[1:27:33] this isn't about a company trying to get

[1:27:36] rich.

[1:27:37] This is This is

[1:27:39] >> [laughter]

[1:27:39] » [laughter]

[1:27:39] >> Hey, okay.

[1:27:41] » Hey, okay.

[1:27:41] Okay.

[1:27:42] Audience, please. Is any business

[1:27:45] Is any business

[1:27:46] going to be profitable? If it's not

[1:27:47] profitable, it fails, right?

[1:27:50] So, let's just

[1:27:52] give it give it a chance to

[1:27:53] >> Thank you, Mr. Iriart. We appreciate

[1:27:55] » Thank you, Mr. Iriart. We appreciate

[1:27:55] your comments.

[1:27:58] If we could please be respectful of all

[1:27:59] speakers, um we'd appreciate it.

[1:28:02] Everybody should have the equal

[1:28:03] opportunity to speak.

[1:28:10] Okay. So, hi. My name is Jim Swan. I

[1:28:13] moved here last year, pretty early in

[1:28:16] the year.

[1:28:17] And I'd like to talk about how, you

[1:28:20] know, there's going to be serious

[1:28:21] economic and

[1:28:23] environmental repercussions from the

[1:28:24] building of this data center, especially

[1:28:26] in that, you know, what, 176 metric tons

[1:28:30] of e-waste that's going to happen.

[1:28:32] But what I'm actually going to talk

[1:28:33] mostly about is I moved here from the

[1:28:36] Gulf Coast. I've seen

[1:28:38] a lot of natural disasters. I've seen a

[1:28:39] lot of hurricanes. I was there in

[1:28:41] Galveston when it froze.

[1:28:43] A lot of that is from our failing grid.

[1:28:46] It's not keeping up with technology.

[1:28:49] And I was at a lecture just a few years

[1:28:52] ago where they were talking about how

[1:28:54] the grid's not keeping up with electric

[1:28:56] cars. It's

[1:28:58] just not. The grid keeps going down. We

[1:29:00] keep seeing rolling blackouts in more

[1:29:02] places that never happened before.

[1:29:05] A data center is only going to add to

[1:29:06] this.

[1:29:08] I've seen people die. I've seen people

[1:29:10] lose their lives. I've lost neighbors

[1:29:12] because of blackouts.

[1:29:14] Don't let that happen here. That's it.

[1:29:18] » [applause]

[1:29:22] » How are y'all doing today?

[1:29:24] My name is Todd Sanford. Um Rick Lammers

[1:29:27] and Nick Gerardi are my partners.

[1:29:30] Um they asked me to speak today. I

[1:29:32] worked uh for US Robotics, 3Com,

[1:29:36] Megahertz for 15 years. Uh I was a

[1:29:38] developer of 3G wireless,

[1:29:41] 4G wireless, 5G wireless.

[1:29:44] Been to 130 uh countries doing

[1:29:46] homologations.

[1:29:48] And the thing that I wanted

[1:29:50] to say is that

[1:29:53] technology is not invented anymore.

[1:29:56] It's It's It evolves.

[1:29:59] Um US Robotics,

[1:30:02] um Ericsson, Motorola, Intel, all the

[1:30:06] giants,

[1:30:07] we already know the technology. We

[1:30:10] already know where it's going, and it's

[1:30:12] a race to who gets the standard, who

[1:30:15] homologates it.

[1:30:17] And if you're not on the technology

[1:30:20] wave, you're off it.

[1:30:22] And I do understand there's pros and

[1:30:24] cons to being technology is has its doom

[1:30:27] scroll.

[1:30:28] Hopefully, God will forgive me for that.

[1:30:31] But, um

[1:30:34] when things are developed, it's

[1:30:37] uh this is something that could be $2

[1:30:39] million a year for the our city, and

[1:30:42] it's safely located away. Um

[1:30:45] Rick Lemmers

[1:30:47] uh polished Nick and I quite a bit and

[1:30:50] taught us about how things work, and

[1:30:53] they go through such a thorough process.

[1:30:55] They check for ground, frackie, I mean,

[1:30:58] uh fractures, there's a a whole slew of

[1:31:01] things to protect the environment. When

[1:31:04] we're out surveying,

[1:31:06] we sometimes we can't even bring

[1:31:07] vehicles because of the turtles. And we

[1:31:10] have to follow all of those rules, and

[1:31:12] they will be. It's it's something that's

[1:31:15] neatly tucked away that will put us

[1:31:18] in the evolution and on the wave of

[1:31:21] technology. It's just something that

[1:31:24] it's it's uh when the men built America,

[1:31:27] Carnegie, J.P. Morgan,

[1:31:30] Rockefellers, they weren't bad people.

[1:31:32] They were competing against each other.

[1:31:34] The Pony Express got replaced by the

[1:31:37] railroad, and it's been just evolving,

[1:31:39] then steel, then AC

[1:31:43] was taken out, you know, oil, gas

[1:31:45] invented, all these things. This is an

[1:31:47] inevitable pass uh path that we need I

[1:31:51] think we need to be on. And I I I very

[1:31:53] much support this. And, um if you guys

[1:31:56] have any questions in the future uh

[1:31:59] about technology and how this process

[1:32:01] can work, we would love to meet and talk

[1:32:04] about that. Thank you for your time

[1:32:06] today.

[1:32:10] » [applause]

[1:32:19] » Hello, my name is Josh Woods. I'm a here

[1:32:21] on as a representative IBW Local 357.

[1:32:24] That is the International Brotherhood of

[1:32:25] Electrical Workers.

[1:32:27] We represent 4,200 members in Southern

[1:32:30] Nevada. Um

[1:32:32] 35 which of those families live right

[1:32:34] here in Boulder City.

[1:32:36] Um IBW jobs mean livable wages, wages

[1:32:40] you can raise a family on. It gives your

[1:32:42] family

[1:32:43] and yourself health and welfare, and it

[1:32:45] gives you respectable pension plans

[1:32:48] so that you can retire in dignity.

[1:32:50] Um

[1:32:52] for all these reasons, we support the

[1:32:54] data center here in Boulder City.

[1:32:56] Thank you for your time.

[1:33:00] » [applause]

[1:33:02] » Anybody else wishing to speak in the

[1:33:04] initial public comment? Remember there

[1:33:06] is a public hearing

[1:33:08] where we will open um for public comment

[1:33:10] as well.

[1:33:22] Is this on? Yes. All right. Um good

[1:33:25] evening.

[1:33:31] All righty. Uh well, my name is Mary

[1:33:33] Vanable. I live in Boulder City and I

[1:33:35] have since

[1:33:37] um 1982.

[1:33:40] Uh I have a few points that uh I have

[1:33:42] questions about. Uh and generally at

[1:33:45] this point, I'm against the data center,

[1:33:47] and my questions will

[1:33:49] demonstrate why.

[1:33:51] Um I know jobs is one thing that

[1:33:54] everybody is in favor of, but uh I I

[1:33:57] don't believe a whole lot of those

[1:33:59] uh temporary construction jobs or the uh

[1:34:03] how many, let's see, 25 to 40

[1:34:05] technicians might actually be Boulder

[1:34:08] City residents.

[1:34:10] Um I have some comments about the closed

[1:34:12] or questions, I should say, about the

[1:34:13] closed-loop system.

[1:34:15] Uh city's website says the heat

[1:34:17] generated by the servers is contained

[1:34:20] and managed inside the buildings.

[1:34:23] Um those buildings are going to be

[1:34:24] 1,000° F pretty soon.

[1:34:27] I'm being facetious.

[1:34:29] Um but of course they're talking about a

[1:34:30] closed-loop system. Um

[1:34:33] a closed-loop system still rejects heat

[1:34:35] somewhere. Uh they're talking about the

[1:34:38] um

[1:34:39] air-cooled chillers that are typically

[1:34:41] used in large buildings. Um they do

[1:34:43] reject the heat to the outdoors. Um they

[1:34:45] just use an air system. The refrigerant

[1:34:47] goes

[1:34:48] uh is run over fans and the heat is

[1:34:50] rejected to the outside. So, the heat is

[1:34:52] not contained within the buildings. Um

[1:34:55] that's

[1:34:56] uh a misstatement that shouldn't be on

[1:34:58] the city's website.

[1:35:01] Let's see. Um

[1:35:03] it's those systems still use some kind

[1:35:05] of refrigerant and there are many

[1:35:06] different kinds of refrigerant, but uh

[1:35:09] uh they all have global warming

[1:35:10] potential. They all leak, as a previous

[1:35:13] speaker mentioned, they take

[1:35:14] maintenance. They all leak to some

[1:35:16] extent. And uh some refrigerants are

[1:35:19] poisonous, some are uh

[1:35:23] you know, they're toxic, they're

[1:35:24] flammable sometimes.

[1:35:26] Uh you know, we all use refrigerants, we

[1:35:27] have them all in our homes, but uh still

[1:35:29] there there is an environmental downside

[1:35:32] right there.

[1:35:34] Uh the fossil fuel uh backup generators

[1:35:37] also are supposed to use fossil fuels,

[1:35:39] which is detrimental to the atmosphere.

[1:35:43] And the environment.

[1:35:45] Uh the idea that

[1:35:48] the data center will not use our city

[1:35:51] electrical system also is is a little to

[1:35:55] me is misleading. They say they will buy

[1:35:57] their power on the open market. Um

[1:36:01] the city also buys its electricity on

[1:36:03] the open market for peaking power.

[1:36:06] And uh

[1:36:07] they will be competing with us big time,

[1:36:10] I believe. Rates will go up.

[1:36:17] Let's see. And uh I think that was all

[1:36:19] the points I wanted to make. So, thank

[1:36:21] you very much. Um I I think this is this

[1:36:24] data center is

[1:36:26] a big thing that will change our clean

[1:36:28] green town forever. We have uh dodged

[1:36:31] that bullet in the past, but I I think

[1:36:34] this is another one of those bullets.

[1:36:35] Thank you.

[1:36:38] » [applause]

[1:37:04] » Good evening, Madam Chair, commission,

[1:37:07] staff, ladies and gentlemen.

[1:37:09] Um

[1:37:10] I'm going to try and make this as brief

[1:37:12] and as to the point as possible. My name

[1:37:14] is Brandon Smith for the record. Thank

[1:37:16] you. Um

[1:37:17] tonight you've heard from

[1:37:19] probably our

[1:37:21] future mayor at some point from 17

[1:37:24] um up to a 92-year-old gentleman

[1:37:26] tonight.

[1:37:27] Um

[1:37:29] represents

[1:37:30] like best case scenario four generations

[1:37:33] of

[1:37:34] Boulder City people.

[1:37:35] Um

[1:37:36] which is what's at what's at stake here.

[1:37:39] We're not talking about

[1:37:42] something that's going to affect us

[1:37:43] today, tomorrow, next week, next year.

[1:37:46] We're talking about a 90-year lease

[1:37:49] here.

[1:37:50] Um it's pretty clear what the uh

[1:37:54] consensus is as far as the country is

[1:37:56] concerned. Small towns right across

[1:37:59] America are being blindsided, decimated,

[1:38:04] and screwed up um

[1:38:07] over the

[1:38:09] uh effects of data centers that weren't

[1:38:12] readily revealed um before or during

[1:38:16] construction. Um tonight you've heard

[1:38:18] from a roomful of people who

[1:38:21] uh outwardly reject this proposal. Um

[1:38:25] and unfortunately, we are here tonight

[1:38:27] because our council did not have the

[1:38:29] foresight to stop it

[1:38:31] in its first iteration. Um you've heard

[1:38:34] from a couple of gentlemen, three

[1:38:36] actually, who support this.

[1:38:39] Um all of whom um

[1:38:41] directly benefit from uh it going

[1:38:45] forward. So, I would ask you to keep

[1:38:48] that in mind.

[1:38:49] Um

[1:38:52] The problem is here is I think this is

[1:38:55] being rushed through.

[1:38:57] Um

[1:38:58] » [clears throat]

[1:38:58] >> you know, we would have been here a

[1:38:59] » you know, we would have been here a

[1:38:59] month ago if uh TS2 had have had its

[1:39:02] way. Uh unfortunately, they were asked a

[1:39:05] bunch of questions that they couldn't

[1:39:06] give straight answers to, and I believe

[1:39:09] that to still be the case. Um I attended

[1:39:12] both open

[1:39:13] um

[1:39:14] open forums, um and I've asked the same

[1:39:17] question of a number of people um

[1:39:20] of the representatives, and I was never

[1:39:22] given the same answer twice. Um I think

[1:39:26] in their packets uh again, very

[1:39:29] um confusing, conflicting

[1:39:32] information.

[1:39:34] Um and I I asked um

[1:39:38] I asked you guys to really consider uh

[1:39:41] your motivation for moving forward here.

[1:39:44] You are our now second line of defense

[1:39:47] um for this matter. Um I think if we hit

[1:39:50] the pause button and um take this out to

[1:39:54] the constituents of of Boulder City and

[1:39:57] let them speak and let their voices be

[1:39:59] heard, whereas they have not been thus

[1:40:01] far, um I think it would serve all

[1:40:06] to really listen. Thank you so much.

[1:40:10] Thank you, Brandon.

[1:40:12] >> [applause]

[1:40:13] » [applause]

[1:40:13] >> Anybody else wishing to speak in the

[1:40:15] » Anybody else wishing to speak in the

[1:40:15] initial public comment period?

[1:40:19] Madam City Clerk, is there any Oh, come

[1:40:21] on up, ma'am.

[1:40:27] Hi.

[1:40:29] Barbie O'Quinn here. Good evening and

[1:40:31] thank you. I'm here to speak on the

[1:40:34] long-term well-being of Southern Nev-

[1:40:36] Nev- Southern Nevada, our shared water

[1:40:39] supply, our electric grid, and the

[1:40:42] sustainability of our region as a whole.

[1:40:46] The decisions made in Boulder City don't

[1:40:48] just affect one community, the entire

[1:40:51] state, uh the entire valley will be

[1:40:54] affected, and everyone who depends on

[1:40:57] the same very limited resources.

[1:41:00] I truly believe that thoughtful

[1:41:02] leadership can shape a future where

[1:41:05] innovation and responsibility work hand

[1:41:09] in hand.

[1:41:10] We have an opportunity right now to make

[1:41:13] decisions that protect our resources,

[1:41:16] strengthen our communities, and set a

[1:41:19] positive example for the entire state.

[1:41:23] My concern is simple and hopeful.

[1:41:26] We should prioritize sustainability

[1:41:29] first. For that reason, I believe the

[1:41:32] proposed data centers should not be

[1:41:34] built here in the Boulder City area.

[1:41:38] Not because I'm against progress, but I

[1:41:41] want the right kind of progress and

[1:41:45] growth.

[1:41:47] The kind that strengthens our region for

[1:41:50] the long term instead of stretching it

[1:41:52] further.

[1:41:54] However, if you are determined to move

[1:41:57] forward, I

[1:41:58] am encouraged by the fact that there are

[1:42:01] strong responsible safeguards available.

[1:42:05] I respectfully ask that you ensure

[1:42:08] uh firstly, data centers pay the full

[1:42:11] cost of the energy they consume,

[1:42:13] including grid upgrades. Secondly, their

[1:42:18] demand does not raise power rates for

[1:42:21] Nevada families or businesses.

[1:42:25] Thirdly, they meet strict water

[1:42:27] conservation standards. This is

[1:42:30] appropriate for a desert region.

[1:42:33] And finally, that environmental and

[1:42:36] infrastructure impacts are carried by

[1:42:39] the companies, not the public.

[1:42:43] These protections are opportunities to

[1:42:45] show that Boulder City leads with

[1:42:48] wisdom, balance, and care for the

[1:42:51] future.

[1:42:53] Thank you for your commitment to keeping

[1:42:55] Southern Nevada strong,

[1:42:57] sustainable, and full of possibility.

[1:43:01] And thank you for your time.

[1:43:04] Thank you, Ms. O'Connell. Is there a

[1:43:06] caller? I will take the caller, please.

[1:43:10] Public comment, go ahead.

[1:43:13] Hello, can you hear me? Yes.

[1:43:15] Oh, good.

[1:43:17] Uh my name is Neil Sedaka, and I wanted

[1:43:20] to say that I strongly oppose this going

[1:43:23] forward. I feel that the crux of the

[1:43:26] Planning Commission's decision is in the

[1:43:29] resolution itself,

[1:43:31] where it's based upon

[1:43:34] the data center being similar

[1:43:38] to the adjacent uses of the solar uses,

[1:43:41] I don't feel that's the same at all, and

[1:43:44] I feel that's an appealable item to the

[1:43:47] planning commit to the city council or

[1:43:50] to the court. I don't feel that the city

[1:43:53] planning commission has enough direct

[1:43:55] information and is relying on what Mr.

[1:43:59] Gambers and what the applicant wants to

[1:44:02] occur.

[1:44:03] There's the possibility that this

[1:44:06] changes and it helps open the doorway to

[1:44:09] other people once this starts. The

[1:44:12] overall intent and the overall wording

[1:44:15] deals with adding data centers, not just

[1:44:19] Mr. Gambers data center. I don't feel it

[1:44:23] addresses the tortoises adequately.

[1:44:26] Um the planning commission is required

[1:44:28] to weigh things in terms of the master

[1:44:31] plan, and I don't feel this is at all

[1:44:34] compatible with the master plan.

[1:44:36] The planning commission is required to

[1:44:38] listen to the public, which the planning

[1:44:41] commission is now doing, but the public

[1:44:43] is speaking so loudly, I can't see how

[1:44:46] the planning commission could ignore

[1:44:48] this. But the crux of this, per your own

[1:44:51] resolution,

[1:44:53] is that the data center is not similar

[1:44:57] to the solar fields, and that's an

[1:45:00] appealable and a court should be looked

[1:45:03] at matter.

[1:45:04] I oppose this, and I hope the planning

[1:45:06] commission realizes that they don't have

[1:45:09] the expertise to make a full decision on

[1:45:12] this.

[1:45:13] Thank you very much.

[1:45:19] Any other public comment from members of

[1:45:20] the audience?

[1:45:22] I have a public comment.

[1:45:28] Hi. Thank you for your time. My name is

[1:45:30] Karen Newcomer

[1:45:32] and I'm sorry that we were late. We got

[1:45:34] off work and came directly here, but

[1:45:37] I don't have a I didn't have a prepared

[1:45:38] speech. I just want to say I'm sure

[1:45:41] people have already covered the concerns

[1:45:43] about electricity and water and

[1:45:46] I just want I'm not above begging.

[1:45:47] Please don't do this. It will hurt

[1:45:50] it will hurt so many people and help so

[1:45:52] few.

[1:45:53] This These kind of data centers don't

[1:45:56] increase employment a great deal

[1:45:58] compared to what they cost the

[1:45:59] communities.

[1:46:02] I hope that you take this into account

[1:46:04] that it's going to there will be jobs

[1:46:06] for while it's getting built. A lot of

[1:46:08] those will come from out of state or

[1:46:10] someplace else and after that it's going

[1:46:12] to help very few people and it's going

[1:46:14] to hurt many many people who will lose

[1:46:16] their jobs.

[1:46:18] So, I just hope that you take all those

[1:46:20] things into account and please don't do

[1:46:22] this. Thank you.

[1:46:24] Thank you, Karen. Is there a caller,

[1:46:25] Madam City Clerk? I'll take the caller.

[1:46:27] I'm going to take the caller.

[1:46:36] The caller must have hung up. Is there

[1:46:37] anybody else that wants to speak an

[1:46:38] initial Oh.

[1:46:41] Did Put her on Tammy, put her on hold.

[1:46:43] Oh, sorry. Hello, my name is Savannah

[1:46:45] Beck. I'm a resident of Henderson, but I

[1:46:48] care about all of Nevada. I'm currently

[1:46:50] a medic and but I previously worked in

[1:46:52] the technology industry for 18 years

[1:46:55] before being laid off due to AI. Data

[1:46:57] centers are detrimental to our

[1:46:59] ecosystem, public health, and our

[1:47:01] already extremely limited water supplies

[1:47:04] from Lake Mead. We have had to go from

[1:47:06] cutting back on watering grass to

[1:47:08] removing grass completely to being told

[1:47:10] locals need to cut back and save water

[1:47:12] even more, but yet you want to allow a

[1:47:14] data center to be built that will no

[1:47:16] doubt cause us to run out of water for

[1:47:18] the people of Nevada to use. Also, data

[1:47:21] centers in other areas of the country

[1:47:23] are making it citizens sick. It is

[1:47:25] literally poisoning poisoning them.

[1:47:28] Just like so many other companies

[1:47:30] poisoning innocent people like DuPont,

[1:47:32] PG&E, Flint, Michigan. Their list goes

[1:47:36] on and on. I don't want to have anything

[1:47:38] built close to me, my loved ones, the

[1:47:40] elderly, children, strangers, or animals

[1:47:42] that will poison them. If you want the

[1:47:45] the data center so bad, go to move to a

[1:47:48] rural area that already has some and buy

[1:47:51] someone's house that lives right next to

[1:47:52] it. Would you drink the brown water that

[1:47:55] is now coming out of their taps? Would

[1:47:57] you like to have the bright lights

[1:47:58] shining through your windows constantly

[1:48:01] and constant buzzing sounds from the

[1:48:03] data center 24/7? There are tons of

[1:48:05] videos from people that live next to

[1:48:07] data centers that show what it's really

[1:48:09] like and how detrimental it is. Reno

[1:48:11] fought back against the data center and

[1:48:13] so are we. We are signing or you are

[1:48:16] signing a death sentence for all of us

[1:48:18] if you vote to allow the data center to

[1:48:20] be built here. Please say no to data

[1:48:22] centers in Boulder City, the surrounding

[1:48:24] areas, and the rest of the country.

[1:48:25] Please stop letting corporations and

[1:48:27] billionaires ruin our beautiful country

[1:48:30] and poisoning us. Thank you.

[1:48:32] Thank you, Savannah. It's Shoshana, come

[1:48:34] on up.

[1:48:38] Hello, my name is Shana and first of all

[1:48:41] I want to thank you guys for all

[1:48:43] patiently listening to everybody's

[1:48:45] comments. I am not in favor of this for

[1:48:47] many reasons that have been spoken.

[1:48:49] But I kind of want to apologize for the

[1:48:51] comment that was shame on you because we

[1:48:53] haven't even given you guys a chance to

[1:48:55] to voice your opinion. So, just thank

[1:48:58] you for listening. Um I know each one of

[1:49:00] you are residents here. We're all here

[1:49:02] for a reason and um again, thank you for

[1:49:06] your patience and your time and we want

[1:49:08] to give you guys the opportunity to

[1:49:10] speak before anybody says shame on you.

[1:49:12] Thank you.

[1:49:13] Thank you, Shana.

[1:49:15] Anybody else wishing to speak in the

[1:49:17] initial public comment period?

[1:49:20] I'm going to hold for 30 seconds because

[1:49:22] we do have a delay for those watching at

[1:49:24] home. So, we'll give the people watching

[1:49:27] at home this last 30 seconds to be able

[1:49:30] to call in on the initial public comment

[1:49:32] period.

[1:49:33] Please keep in mind if you're listening

[1:49:35] at home, once the public comment period

[1:49:37] is closed, we cannot reopen it. You will

[1:49:39] not have the opportunity to speak until

[1:49:41] the next public comment period is open.

[1:49:44] Thank you.

[1:50:03] Okay, I will close the first public

[1:50:05] comment period and move to item number

[1:50:07] one for possible action, approval of the

[1:50:10] minutes for the April 15th, 2026 regular

[1:50:14] meeting. Do I have a motion?

[1:50:18] I'll second. I have a motion and a a

[1:50:19] second. All in favor say

[1:50:21] I. I. Any opposed?

[1:50:24] Motion carries.

[1:50:26] Item number two is for possible action,

[1:50:29] matters pertaining to a proposed zoning

[1:50:31] ordinance text amendment. This will

[1:50:33] include a public hearing. Staff.

[1:50:37] Good evening, Chairman Crown, members of

[1:50:38] the commission. Nakisha Lyon, planning

[1:50:40] manager with the community development

[1:50:42] department. Uh this item is for

[1:50:44] consideration of a request to amend

[1:50:46] title 11, chapter 13 of the city code.

[1:50:49] This is to authorize the growing and

[1:50:51] wholesaling of crops and other related

[1:50:53] agricultural and horticultural

[1:50:55] activities if such crops are grown and

[1:50:57] harvested within an enclosed

[1:50:59] environmentally controlled structure and

[1:51:01] are grown without the use of any

[1:51:02] pesticides, herbicides, or other

[1:51:04] chemicals sprayed or applied to the

[1:51:06] crops other than natural nutrients. And

[1:51:09] this is to add it as a permitted use in

[1:51:11] the CM commercial manufacturing zoning

[1:51:14] district. Uh earlier this year, the

[1:51:16] applicant uh Boulder City Botanicals

[1:51:18] Company LLC, with consent from the

[1:51:21] property owner of a CM zoned lot,

[1:51:23] applied for this zoning text amendment

[1:51:26] to enable uh their property, if approved

[1:51:28] by the City Council, to be used to

[1:51:30] develop an indoor plant propagation and

[1:51:32] cultivation operation within an existing

[1:51:35] commercial building along Wells Road.

[1:51:38] The text amendment, if approved by the

[1:51:39] City Council, would apply to all CM

[1:51:42] zoned properties in Boulder City, and

[1:51:44] this is shown on the screen um on the

[1:51:46] map. The area is indicated in red.

[1:51:49] Currently, the CM commercial

[1:51:50] manufacturing zone does not allow for

[1:51:52] agricultural uses. The A1 special

[1:51:55] agricultural zone does permit uh for

[1:51:57] this uh use by right.

[1:52:00] Uh starting on page 24 of the agenda

[1:52:02] packet, staff has provided um some

[1:52:05] additional context regarding how other

[1:52:07] uh Southern Nevada jurisdictions uh

[1:52:09] permit similar types of agricultural

[1:52:11] uses within jurisdictions. Just to

[1:52:13] summarize, indoor agriculture, crop

[1:52:15] production, market gardens, nurseries,

[1:52:17] and other urban agricultural uses are

[1:52:20] permitted across a broad range of zoning

[1:52:22] districts, particularly within

[1:52:23] commercial, industrial, agricultural,

[1:52:26] and certain uh mixed-use uh zoning

[1:52:28] districts.

[1:52:29] Commercial districts frequently allow

[1:52:31] these uses either by right, a special

[1:52:34] use permit, or a conditional use permit.

[1:52:36] And then, industrial zoning districts

[1:52:38] like the CM zone within Boulder City are

[1:52:40] among the most permissive areas for

[1:52:42] these activities with indoor

[1:52:44] agricultural, uh hydroponics, uh plant

[1:52:47] nurseries, and agricultural processing

[1:52:49] often permitted by right in these types

[1:52:51] of zoning districts.

[1:52:52] Uh most jurisdictions emphasize that

[1:52:55] indoor agricultural operations occur

[1:52:57] within an enclosed building and include

[1:52:59] certain operational standards related to

[1:53:01] lighting, screening, parking,

[1:53:03] irrigation, wholesale and retail sales,

[1:53:06] and then uh compatibility with the

[1:53:08] surrounding uses.

[1:53:09] So, based on the applicant's request,

[1:53:11] the proposed amendment adds the use, and

[1:53:14] that's subject to several conditions

[1:53:17] within the proposed text amendment.

[1:53:20] There's clarification that the amendment

[1:53:23] does not permit the cultivation,

[1:53:24] processing, distribution, and use of

[1:53:26] marijuana, or sorry, sale of marijuana,

[1:53:29] which is already prohibited by our code.

[1:53:32] Outdoor growing areas would only be

[1:53:35] allowed when they're incidental and

[1:53:37] subordinate to the principal indoor use,

[1:53:40] and would need to be screened from

[1:53:42] public rights-of-way.

[1:53:44] And then retail sales would only be

[1:53:46] allowed when incidental and subordinate

[1:53:47] to the primary operation, as well.

[1:53:50] And then there are standards for

[1:53:51] lighting associated with the crop

[1:53:53] production indoors, which would be

[1:53:54] required to be fully shield, downward

[1:53:57] directed, and designed to prevent glare

[1:53:59] or light spillover onto adjacent

[1:54:01] properties or rights-of-way.

[1:54:05] Chapter 33 of Title 11 provides for the

[1:54:07] applicable standards and findings that

[1:54:09] must be made for a text amendment, and

[1:54:11] staff finds that the proposed zoning

[1:54:13] amendment does not require amendment to

[1:54:15] the city's adopted master plan, and does

[1:54:18] not conflict with the goals and

[1:54:20] objectives of this particular plan.

[1:54:23] Impacts in regards to existing land use,

[1:54:25] adjacent uses,

[1:54:27] adjacent areas, utilities, noise,

[1:54:29] drainage, and character of the existing

[1:54:31] neighborhoods will be evaluated upon the

[1:54:33] applicable permitting process related to

[1:54:36] this type of use on a specific property,

[1:54:38] and they're not applicable to this

[1:54:39] general zoning text amendment at this

[1:54:41] time.

[1:54:42] During that applicable permitting

[1:54:44] process, compliance with building code,

[1:54:46] fire code, public works requirements and

[1:54:48] standards, and then other applicable

[1:54:49] provisions within Title 11 and the city

[1:54:52] code will be evaluated. The proposed

[1:54:54] ordinance language is subject to um

[1:54:57] change pending legal review, and then

[1:54:59] additional recommendations made by the

[1:55:01] planning commission if any tonight.

[1:55:04] The item was noticed in conformance with

[1:55:06] city code. We haven't received any

[1:55:08] written public comments. So, the request

[1:55:10] before the commission tonight is to hold

[1:55:12] the public hearing, deliberate, and make

[1:55:14] a motion to either recommend approval or

[1:55:15] denial of the request using the draft

[1:55:18] motion language that is on page 33 of

[1:55:20] the agenda packet. Staff is available

[1:55:22] for any questions that the commission

[1:55:24] may have. We also have

[1:55:27] representatives, the owners of the

[1:55:29] Boulder City Botanical Pools company,

[1:55:31] Avi and Richard. They're here and they

[1:55:32] can answer any specific questions that

[1:55:34] you have. Thank you.

[1:55:36] Thank you, Nakisha. Does

[1:55:39] any of the commissioners have any

[1:55:40] questions for staff or the applicant?

[1:55:45] Go ahead.

[1:55:46] Is there any plan to limit square

[1:55:48] footage of these facilities so we don't

[1:55:50] have like a 100,000 square foot

[1:55:53] facility using a ton of electricity for

[1:55:55] the Uh no, not at this time.

[1:56:00] Any other questions for staff or the

[1:56:02] applicant?

[1:56:04] Go ahead, Matt.

[1:56:07] Um this is, I believe, a question for

[1:56:08] the applicant.

[1:56:10] Um

[1:56:11] is there any estimate of the amount of

[1:56:13] water that and power that

[1:56:15] this facility will use?

[1:56:19] » [clears throat]

[1:56:26] » Uh my name is Ri- Richard Galvin.

[1:56:29] And I'm the

[1:56:30] co-owner of Boulder City Botanical

[1:56:32] Company. This is my business partner,

[1:56:34] Avi Muwas.

[1:56:36] Um

[1:56:37] the amount of water we we did a

[1:56:39] calculation is probably about 300

[1:56:40] gallons a day

[1:56:42] that we would use, but that's not

[1:56:45] counting cuz we're going to have

[1:56:47] air conditioning units that are going to

[1:56:49] take the humidity out of the air. So,

[1:56:51] it's we're going to contain a lot of

[1:56:53] that water back into the system. And

[1:56:56] then any waste water we have is going to

[1:56:59] We're still going to like we wash a

[1:57:01] tray, we're going to use that water to

[1:57:02] water plants because the whole idea is

[1:57:05] to

[1:57:06] the plants are small. It's all that is

[1:57:08] is vegetable plants. Fruit and vegetable

[1:57:11] plants for people to buy um for their

[1:57:14] gardens. So, everything that we grow is

[1:57:17] going to be small and it's going to be

[1:57:18] sold um

[1:57:20] to

[1:57:21] the to the community to to have more

[1:57:23] people growing food.

[1:57:26] Thank you, Mr. Galvin. Does anybody else

[1:57:28] have any questions for the applicant?

[1:57:31] Thank you very much.

[1:57:33] This is a public hearing. I'll now open

[1:57:35] the public hearing on item number two

[1:57:37] for this proposed zoning ordinance.

[1:57:41] Any members of the audience wishing to

[1:57:44] speak?

[1:57:48] Is there anybody on the line?

[1:57:51] We'll wait for 30 seconds for the delay.

[1:58:15] Seeing and hearing none, I'll now close

[1:58:17] the public hearing and bring it back to

[1:58:19] the commission.

[1:58:20] Do I have a motion?

[1:58:27] I'll move to approve resolution number

[1:58:29] 1283

[1:58:31] in conformance with findings.

[1:58:33] I'll second that.

[1:58:34] >> Second. I have a motion and a second.

[1:58:36] » Second. I have a motion and a second.

[1:58:36] All those in favor say I. I. I. Any

[1:58:39] opposed?

[1:58:41] Motion carries.

[1:58:43] Item number three it for possible action

[1:58:46] matters pertaining to the 2026 land

[1:58:48] management process.

[1:58:51] Mr. Mayes.

[1:58:54] Good evening, Planning Commission

[1:58:55] members. I'm Michael Maze, the Deputy

[1:58:58] City Manager.

[1:59:00] Boulder City is unique.

[1:59:02] A vast

[1:59:03] uh significant majority of the vacant

[1:59:05] land within our community is owned by

[1:59:08] the city.

[1:59:10] 25 years ago, residents requested a

[1:59:12] transparent, informative process that

[1:59:16] would allow the public to know very

[1:59:18] early on uh

[1:59:21] about the potential sale and or lease of

[1:59:24] city-owned land.

[1:59:25] In 2001,

[1:59:27] the City Council amended the city code

[1:59:30] to respond to residents' concerns.

[1:59:32] This process is called the Land

[1:59:34] Management Process. I'll refer to it as

[1:59:36] the LMP for short.

[1:59:39] To start the LMP process, the applicant

[1:59:42] submits an application to the city.

[1:59:44] This is presented to the City Council at

[1:59:47] a regular meeting. If the Council votes

[1:59:50] to advance the application,

[1:59:52] it goes to the Planning Commission for a

[1:59:55] public hearing and their recommendation.

[1:59:58] Then the application returns back to the

[2:00:00] City Council to decide whether they want

[2:00:03] to add the application and use to the

[2:00:07] LMP list.

[2:00:09] Currently, there are 17 parcels, which

[2:00:12] is approximately 1,731 acres on the LMP

[2:00:15] list. You can see that on the screen

[2:00:17] here.

[2:00:19] The properties on the list uh are uh

[2:00:23] located throughout the community.

[2:00:26] Uh some of the properties are located in

[2:00:28] the uh Townsite Center,

[2:00:31] while others are located in the Eldorado

[2:00:33] Valley.

[2:00:35] It's important to note that just because

[2:00:37] a parcel is added to the LMP list, does

[2:00:41] not mean the property will ever be

[2:00:42] developed.

[2:00:44] In fact, city code says that if a parcel

[2:00:48] has not been sold or leased within 3

[2:00:51] years, it goes back to the city council

[2:00:54] for them to determine whether to keep it

[2:00:56] on the list or remove it from the list.

[2:01:00] Another misconception regarding the LMP

[2:01:02] process is it provides property rights.

[2:01:06] Adding a parcel to the LMP list does not

[2:01:08] confer any land use property rights or

[2:01:12] authorize any action for city property.

[2:01:16] It simply is the first step in a long

[2:01:18] process of city consideration.

[2:01:21] Another way to put it,

[2:01:23] the city is not opening the gate to

[2:01:25] allow a use, rather the city is peering

[2:01:28] over the fence to see what is behind the

[2:01:31] gate before we'd even consider opening

[2:01:33] the gate for that use.

[2:01:36] The property in question for tonight's

[2:01:38] PC consideration is located at the

[2:01:40] southwest corner of I-11 and US 95

[2:01:43] interchange.

[2:01:46] You can see it to highlight in blue on

[2:01:48] the screen.

[2:01:50] The site is 88.5 acres in size.

[2:01:53] Townsite Solar 2 LLC, which I will refer

[2:01:57] to as TS2,

[2:01:59] currently has an option agreement to

[2:02:02] develop this site for solar and battery

[2:02:05] storage.

[2:02:07] Earlier this year, uh TS2 submitted an

[2:02:10] LMP application to the city to consider

[2:02:13] data centers on this site.

[2:02:16] In the community, there have been

[2:02:18] questions regarding the ballot question

[2:02:21] regarding possible data center uses in

[2:02:23] the Eldorado Valley transfer area and

[2:02:26] the rest of the community.

[2:02:27] City charter requires that for a use to

[2:02:31] be permitted

[2:02:33] in the transfer area, it must first be

[2:02:36] approved by the voters of Boulder City.

[2:02:40] As you can see with the attachment here,

[2:02:43] Ollie, I don't know if you can zoom out.

[2:02:48] You'll see the original town site in

[2:02:51] blue and the

[2:02:54] what I'll call a rose colored

[2:02:57] shaded area, that is the transfer area.

[2:03:00] So, just to be clear, this application

[2:03:03] is outside

[2:03:06] the El Dorado Valley transfer area,

[2:03:08] which will be subject to voter approval.

[2:03:12] Town site solar 2 has a presentation

[2:03:16] for the planning commission.

[2:03:18] In closing, it's important to note that

[2:03:21] even if this property is added to the

[2:03:24] LMP list for data center uses, there are

[2:03:26] many more steps involved in the process.

[2:03:31] City Council will decide if the city

[2:03:33] should seek request for

[2:03:36] proposals, RFPs, to solicit other data

[2:03:39] center use proposals

[2:03:41] or consider

[2:03:43] an economic exception to directly

[2:03:45] negotiate for a lease with town site 2.

[2:03:50] Currently, the city does not have a

[2:03:52] zoning district that would even allow

[2:03:54] data centers.

[2:03:56] Either a new zoning district would have

[2:03:59] to be

[2:04:00] proposed or

[2:04:03] a contemplated amendment, a text

[2:04:05] amendment to the existing energy

[2:04:11] energy storage

[2:04:13] zoning would be required. This process

[2:04:17] would require consideration by the

[2:04:19] planning commission and the city

[2:04:20] council.

[2:04:22] The city also would be required to

[2:04:23] obtain appraisals per state law

[2:04:27] and a new lease agreement would need to

[2:04:30] be negotiated with a developer and

[2:04:33] approved by the city council.

[2:04:34] We are in step one of this process

[2:04:37] which is why the city has not entered

[2:04:40] into any lease negotiations

[2:04:42] for a data center use with the

[2:04:44] applicant.

[2:04:46] TS2 represents in their presentation,

[2:04:48] which you will see in a moment,

[2:04:50] that this item will be considered by the

[2:04:52] city council on June 23rd.

[2:04:54] To be clear, the date of city council

[2:04:57] consideration will be determined by the

[2:04:59] city

[2:05:00] and will be shared with the public once

[2:05:03] that's determined.

[2:05:04] And with that, I can answer any

[2:05:06] questions.

[2:05:10] Does any of the commission members have

[2:05:11] questions for staff?

[2:05:15] Go ahead.

[2:05:16] So, is it possible if we don't

[2:05:19] if if this if we don't get the data

[2:05:22] center, it could actually still be in

[2:05:23] the valley?

[2:05:27] The potential for data centers could

[2:05:30] occur in Henderson.

[2:05:33] Um Henderson has annexed 1,000 acres in

[2:05:35] the Eldorado Valley and that is zoned

[2:05:37] industrial. And so, it is our

[2:05:39] understanding that there has been

[2:05:41] proposed preliminary

[2:05:44] data centers for that area. That's my

[2:05:46] question. Thank you.

[2:05:49] Any other questions for staff?

[2:05:53] Thank you, Michael. Uh does the

[2:05:55] applicant want to come up and

[2:05:57] give their presentation?

[2:06:12] So,

[2:06:14] good evening, commissioners. Uh my name

[2:06:16] is Linda Bullen. Um I am an energy and

[2:06:19] environmental attorney from Las Vegas.

[2:06:21] Um I have had the honor of appearing

[2:06:24] before many of you before in this

[2:06:27] capacity,

[2:06:28] but perhaps not ever before in such a

[2:06:31] controversial and sensitive matter. Um

[2:06:34] So, we thank you in advance for your

[2:06:36] time and your consideration of the

[2:06:39] issues here before you tonight. And I

[2:06:42] frankly don't envy you.

[2:06:45] Um we're here today to talk about the

[2:06:47] proposed project and in particular to

[2:06:50] tell you about we we have been out in

[2:06:52] the community. We have heard the

[2:06:54] concerns of the community and we have

[2:06:57] responded to them. So, we're here to

[2:06:59] tell you about the modifications that

[2:07:01] we've made to the project uh

[2:07:03] particularly in the area of water.

[2:07:06] Recognizing as a resident of Southern

[2:07:09] Nevada the importance of that issue.

[2:07:12] Um we want to also significantly clarify

[2:07:16] some misconceptions

[2:07:17] that are in the community about the

[2:07:19] project, perhaps data centers in

[2:07:21] general, but also this project in

[2:07:23] particular. And of course, we're here to

[2:07:25] answer your questions.

[2:07:27] In the end, of course, we will be

[2:07:29] hopeful and asking for your

[2:07:31] recommendation for approval uh to send

[2:07:34] this to the uh to the commissioner that

[2:07:36] city council with with the

[2:07:38] recommendation for approval.

[2:07:40] So, again, thank you in advance for

[2:07:42] listening. I'm here tonight with two

[2:07:44] gentlemen from um Skylar Capital, which

[2:07:47] is the lead developer for the Townsite

[2:07:49] Solar 2 data center project. So, at this

[2:07:52] point I'll let them introduce

[2:07:53] themselves, but I'm going to turn it

[2:07:55] over to Gerald Balboa.

[2:07:59] Thank you, Linda.

[2:08:01] Uh planning commissioners, I'll just uh

[2:08:03] read out some some prepared statements

[2:08:05] uh that I think address a lot of the

[2:08:06] concerns tonight. Uh so, first of all,

[2:08:09] thank you all for your consideration of

[2:08:11] our proposed project. We hope that uh

[2:08:13] with thoughtful consideration,

[2:08:15] um you'll hear that we've answered a lot

[2:08:18] of the community's questions. Um again,

[2:08:20] my name is Gerald Balboa. I am the chief

[2:08:22] operating officer for Skylar

[2:08:23] Opportunities. We are the lead developer

[2:08:26] and the lead partner in the Townsite

[2:08:28] Solar 2 project. We began this project

[2:08:31] as a solar plus storage uh project, but

[2:08:34] we've evolved it into a proposed data

[2:08:36] center project because that really is

[2:08:39] the highest and best value use for this

[2:08:42] particular piece of land.

[2:08:44] Our firm first developed the 1,100 acre

[2:08:48] Townsite 1 solar project over 10 years

[2:08:51] ago. So, I have a long history of of

[2:08:53] working with Boulder City. Uh that

[2:08:55] project was sold to our current partner

[2:08:57] in the data center project, which is uh

[2:08:59] a Rivian Energy.

[2:09:01] Should the project be approved, when

[2:09:03] combined with the revenues generated uh

[2:09:05] from that first project, Townsite 1

[2:09:07] Solar, we estimate that between Townsite

[2:09:10] 1 and again, if this is approved,

[2:09:13] Townsite 2, uh we'd contribute over 12%

[2:09:15] of the city's annual budget. It's pretty

[2:09:17] significant.

[2:09:19] Hopefully, following today's

[2:09:20] presentation, you're going to come away

[2:09:22] with two things. One, satisfactory

[2:09:26] answers that give you all the assurances

[2:09:27] that you need to advance the Townsite 2

[2:09:29] project through the land management

[2:09:31] process, and two, a working knowledge of

[2:09:34] the significant benefits to the city in

[2:09:36] terms of reliable, long-term revenues

[2:09:39] with little to no imposition on city

[2:09:41] services.

[2:09:42] So, what are we doing to advance these

[2:09:44] goals? Well, you're probably already

[2:09:46] aware that when we uh that we we first

[2:09:49] proposed converting our solar project

[2:09:50] into a data center um

[2:09:52] several months ago, the city uh staff

[2:09:56] pointed out right away, we have a

[2:09:58] specific process here called the land

[2:10:00] management process. That is step one.

[2:10:03] We're just at step one. Lots of steps to

[2:10:05] go.

[2:10:06] Uh we have taken steps to listen to, to

[2:10:09] adapt, and to ultimately to provide

[2:10:11] responsible answers to the community.

[2:10:13] We've hosted two open houses. We've

[2:10:16] communicated answers through the local

[2:10:18] newspaper, and we continue to host a

[2:10:20] website, ts2project.com,

[2:10:23] that not only addresses the important

[2:10:25] community concerns that have been that

[2:10:27] have been raised, but also bring clarity

[2:10:29] to some of the misconceptions about the

[2:10:30] project. So, for tonight, um you've

[2:10:34] already heard about concerns, major

[2:10:36] concerns about water usage, about power

[2:10:38] demand, and all the other critical

[2:10:40] concerns from the residents and other

[2:10:42] stakeholders. Um we've heard these

[2:10:44] concerns, too. And we're pleased to say

[2:10:46] that we've adapted the project to meet

[2:10:48] these concerns with hopefully

[2:10:50] satisfactory answers across the board.

[2:10:52] And I'll close with this. I I really

[2:10:55] applaud the uh the city, its staff, and

[2:10:59] the rigorous process in place within

[2:11:01] Boulder City for use of city-owned land.

[2:11:04] The process, including today's meeting,

[2:11:06] is transparent. It's open to the

[2:11:08] community, obviously. And we welcome

[2:11:10] that that input. And should this project

[2:11:12] advance, uh we plan to be good stewards

[2:11:14] of the land and that you would let us

[2:11:16] lease and be good neighbors to all. And

[2:11:18] by the way, I was reading your four-way

[2:11:20] test there, truth, fairness to all,

[2:11:24] building of goodwill, and benefits to

[2:11:26] all. We want to do that for you all. All

[2:11:28] right, thank you again for listening to

[2:11:30] me.

[2:11:35] Good evening. My name is Rick Lammers,

[2:11:37] and I'm project manager for the Townsite

[2:11:40] Solar 2 project. Can you hold the mic up

[2:11:43] for you? Uh and to advance the slides to

[2:11:45] Yes. How can I see that they're

[2:11:47] advancing?

[2:11:49] Okay. All right. Thank you.

[2:11:51] So, uh

[2:11:53] I'm here to present the project to you

[2:11:54] in a in a in a

[2:11:56] the

[2:11:57] uh a cohesive way to the best of my

[2:11:59] ability. Um the project is located on 88

[2:12:03] acres that's currently under a lease

[2:12:04] option for a solar plus storage project

[2:12:06] that up 30 MW PV up to 167 MW best

[2:12:11] project. The project has firm bilateral

[2:12:14] transmission in place with SNWA that

[2:12:17] gives its firm transmission at 230

[2:12:20] kilovolts directly into the Mead

[2:12:23] Substation.

[2:12:24] And we estimate, based on our estimates,

[2:12:26] as you heard Mr. Mays say that we'll

[2:12:29] have to do new appraisals and we'll have

[2:12:31] to negotiate lease terms. So, this is

[2:12:33] just based on our estimates. We based it

[2:12:36] over the proposed 90-year term of the

[2:12:38] lease, uh the the project would have

[2:12:41] over 330 million more benefits than the

[2:12:44] solar plus storage project on the same

[2:12:46] site.

[2:12:50] » [gasps]

[2:12:50] >> So, we began development of the project

[2:12:53] » So, we began development of the project

[2:12:53] in 2018. In 2023,

[2:12:56] uh in December of 2023, we signed the

[2:13:00] lease option with the uh Boulder City.

[2:13:02] That In that same time period, we signed

[2:13:05] a

[2:13:06] uh

[2:13:07] we the BLM issued a separate uh

[2:13:11] right-of-way grant for a property that's

[2:13:13] to the west of this uh property, just

[2:13:16] 2,000 ft away, uh which is also the

[2:13:19] subject of an application with the BLM

[2:13:21] for a data center.

[2:13:23] Uh in September of 2024, we signed the

[2:13:26] SNWA transmission agreement, which I

[2:13:28] previously mentioned. In January, we

[2:13:30] sent our application into the Boulder

[2:13:32] City as the first step of the process.

[2:13:35] And right now we're in the

[2:13:37] uh

[2:13:38] the planning commission meeting. The

[2:13:40] next step would be to go to the

[2:13:42] commission.

[2:13:43] We've already spent over 12 million

[2:13:44] dollars on this project.

[2:13:46] >> [clears throat]

[2:13:46] » [clears throat]

[2:13:46] >> 5 and 1/2 million, we paid for all the

[2:13:48] » 5 and 1/2 million, we paid for all the

[2:13:48] interconnection costs. So, the project

[2:13:50] will not not impact any of the uh

[2:13:53] transmission or distribution costs of

[2:13:55] the city because the city won't have to

[2:13:57] pay for any of that. We've already paid

[2:13:58] for it. We've also pre-ordered the

[2:14:00] transformer, which today would take 3 to

[2:14:03] 4 years to order in the open market. And

[2:14:05] that was at a cost of 5 and 1/2 million.

[2:14:08] And the high-voltage equipment has also

[2:14:10] been ordered.

[2:14:16] This next slide just talks about some of

[2:14:18] our partners. Town Site Solar 2 is the

[2:14:20] owner. Skylar Opportunities is the main

[2:14:23] sponsor of the project. Uh Arivon, the

[2:14:26] owner of Town Site Solar 1, is also a

[2:14:28] partner of the project. Overwatch

[2:14:30] Capital, who's represented here tonight,

[2:14:32] is our technical expert providing

[2:14:33] technical expertise on data centers. And

[2:14:36] Marathon Capital is our financial

[2:14:38] advisor that would provide uh assistance

[2:14:40] with raising financing once the

[2:14:42] project's approved.

[2:14:47] I'm not going to spend too much time on

[2:14:49] this slide because I think Mr. Mayes uh

[2:14:52] handled it well. But uh right now we're

[2:14:55] at the Planning Commission meeting. The

[2:14:56] the the the site is already zoned as

[2:14:58] energy resource. The 90-year lease that

[2:15:01] that lease is a proposed lease. Uh most

[2:15:04] data center center owners prefer to own

[2:15:06] the land, and if they can't own the

[2:15:08] land, they prefer to have a lease as

[2:15:10] long as possible. That's the only reason

[2:15:12] why we proposed a lease of that length.

[2:15:17] The project design consists of 167 MW

[2:15:20] firm capacity into the main substation.

[2:15:23] Uh two That's at the 230 kV level. The

[2:15:27] The city's transmission is all at 69 kV

[2:15:30] and kilovolts and below. In addition,

[2:15:32] the project will have a 65 to 70 MW uh

[2:15:36] battery energy storage system that will

[2:15:37] help regulate the changes in load

[2:15:40] intraday and seasonal loads, as well as

[2:15:43] help regulate the voltages to keep them

[2:15:44] constant. In addition, the project will

[2:15:47] have 53 3.25 MW biodiesel generators

[2:15:52] that will only be used uh less than 100

[2:15:55] hours a year in accordance to local,

[2:15:57] state, and federal permits.

[2:16:06] We We initially were trying to figure

[2:16:08] out a way to use the effluent that's

[2:16:11] currently being discharged into the

[2:16:13] desert. I think it's close to 1.1

[2:16:15] million gallons a day that's just being

[2:16:17] discharged.

[2:16:18] So, we were trying to find a solution

[2:16:20] that would not only provide a revenue to

[2:16:22] the city for that wasted resource, but

[2:16:25] see if we could use it in some sort of

[2:16:27] closed loop system.

[2:16:28] But, just touching that wastewater and

[2:16:31] trying to turn turn it into a

[2:16:33] a a revenue source and and actually put

[2:16:36] it to use, we chose not to do that

[2:16:38] because one, there was a lot of

[2:16:40] opposition to using it.

[2:16:43] And secondly, we're not sure if maybe

[2:16:45] sometime in the future the city might

[2:16:47] find another way to to push that water

[2:16:50] into Mead. Right now, the cost to get

[2:16:51] that water back to Mead is

[2:16:54] is

[2:16:54] cost prohibitive,

[2:16:56] hundreds of million dollars. And so,

[2:16:58] that's why that project has not gotten

[2:17:00] off the ground.

[2:17:01] So, we we met with Southern Nevada

[2:17:03] Water.

[2:17:04] We asked them, "Is the effluent covered

[2:17:06] in your your evaporative cooling?" Even

[2:17:08] though we weren't going to use it in

[2:17:09] evaporative cooling, we were we wanted

[2:17:11] to see if that was a problem.

[2:17:13] They they they couldn't give us a

[2:17:14] definitive answer. Based on that and the

[2:17:17] the feedback that we heard from the

[2:17:19] public, we pivoted to 100% air-cooled

[2:17:21] system. It's a closed loop system. It

[2:17:24] doesn't require any any type of

[2:17:28] significant use of water other than a

[2:17:30] one-time fill of 400,000 gallons. And

[2:17:33] even that water can be purchased already

[2:17:36] mixed with the glycol mixture. So, you

[2:17:38] don't even have to get that water from

[2:17:40] Boulder City. We can have it trucked

[2:17:41] from California, Arizona, or some other

[2:17:44] state already in the format that it that

[2:17:46] it it needs to be in to put it into the

[2:17:49] the data center.

[2:17:50] How much water we talking about? 400,000

[2:17:52] gallons is about 20 20 average-size

[2:17:56] swimming pools.

[2:17:57] The ongoing use of water is only for

[2:18:00] bathrooms and kitchens, to up to 2,000

[2:18:03] gallons per day, which is based on the

[2:18:05] current average use of Boulder City, 200

[2:18:08] gallons a day per resident, that's about

[2:18:10] 10 residents. So, this entire facility,

[2:18:13] which at the end of the day could be as

[2:18:14] much as $4 billion, is going to use the

[2:18:17] same amount of water as 10 homes in this

[2:18:20] in this city.

[2:18:22] I think that's quite impressive if you

[2:18:24] take a moment and and think about it.

[2:18:25] So, we're not going to have any impact

[2:18:27] on the wetlands, no impact on the water

[2:18:30] at uh uh

[2:18:32] uh Lake Mead, and no long-term use of

[2:18:35] the effluent besides what the solar

[2:18:37] fields are already using it for dust

[2:18:39] control. We intend to do that as well.

[2:18:44] The other

[2:18:45] big

[2:18:47] misconception about the project is that

[2:18:49] we're going to blow up Boulder City's

[2:18:51] power prices.

[2:18:53] Well, power prices are comprised of

[2:18:55] several factors. One is transmission and

[2:18:57] distribution costs, the cost of

[2:18:59] interconnecting into the grid and

[2:19:00] delivering the power to its proposed

[2:19:03] use. As I mentioned earlier, we're

[2:19:04] paying 100% of those costs, so none of

[2:19:07] those costs will ever be paid for by a

[2:19:09] citizen or resident of the city.

[2:19:11] The other key component is the cost of

[2:19:13] energy.

[2:19:14] Skyharbor is going to purchase all the

[2:19:16] energy, the 100 167 megawatts required

[2:19:19] for the project in negotiated bilateral

[2:19:22] contracts from the wholesale market.

[2:19:24] Someone like the city of Pasadena, city

[2:19:26] of Glendale, or a a solar project will

[2:19:29] come to us and say, "We've got excess

[2:19:31] power. We want to sell you this power

[2:19:33] for 5 10 years." Those contracts will be

[2:19:35] negotiated, uh prices will be agreed,

[2:19:38] those prices will be fixed, the the

[2:19:41] those those contracts will be bilateral

[2:19:43] just between the parties of the project

[2:19:46] and the the seller, and and will have no

[2:19:49] impact on the price of energy for the

[2:19:51] for the city.

[2:19:53] The other thing is

[2:19:55] what I heard is that the the project is

[2:19:57] way bigger than the, you know, the

[2:20:00] amount of power that can throw flow

[2:20:02] through uh, the Mead Substation.

[2:20:04] The Mead Substation is over 10,000 MW.

[2:20:07] So, we represent less than 2% of the

[2:20:09] total power capacity of the Mead

[2:20:11] Substation.

[2:20:13] In addition

[2:20:14] to these

[2:20:16] these uh,

[2:20:17] this structure were since we're in the

[2:20:19] city's service territory, we have to

[2:20:22] have the city serve the project in some

[2:20:24] manner in order to comply with state

[2:20:26] law. And our idea, our proposal for that

[2:20:29] is that we would install a meter at the

[2:20:31] point of delivery. The city we would

[2:20:33] hire the city to read that meter and

[2:20:35] handle the and administer the monthly

[2:20:37] billing. For that, we propose to pay the

[2:20:40] city a 50 cents a MW hour. That source

[2:20:43] of revenue is around $700,000 for

[2:20:45] measuring the power and administering

[2:20:48] the the billing. What the city decides

[2:20:50] to do with that 700,000 is really their

[2:20:52] decision. But this this this benefit

[2:20:55] from

[2:20:55] uh, from this project from as a data

[2:20:57] center would not occur

[2:20:59] uh, for the project if it were a solar

[2:21:01] plus storage project.

[2:21:06] We heard a lot of misconceptions and and

[2:21:10] uh, concerns about heat, sound, and air

[2:21:14] quality.

[2:21:16] One big benefit this project has is its

[2:21:18] location. It's nearly 2.8 mi from the

[2:21:21] nearest resident of Boulder City.

[2:21:23] And it's 400 ft below the the uh, the

[2:21:28] the the residents of Boulder City. Those

[2:21:30] two factors work together to mitigate

[2:21:32] any impacts related to heat, sound, uh,

[2:21:35] or uh, particulate matter. Particulate

[2:21:38] matter is already reduced because we're

[2:21:40] only allowed to uh, run the backup

[2:21:44] diesel generators less than 100 hours

[2:21:47] per year and we can't run them in in

[2:21:49] excess of what our permit allows,

[2:21:51] uh, which will keep it at that level.

[2:21:54] So, bottom line is the heat will be in

[2:21:56] imperceptible but to any resident. Uh

[2:21:59] you won't be able to hear it. It It It'd

[2:22:01] be the same if I ask you, "Can you hear

[2:22:03] the uh the rock quarry when it when it

[2:22:05] mines the quarry?" Can anybody hear that

[2:22:07] in the city?

[2:22:08] You're not You're not going to be able

[2:22:10] to hear this facility. Uh None of the

[2:22:12] residents are going to be able to hear

[2:22:14] it. I I drove to the the Nova facility

[2:22:17] today, which is in North Las Vegas. It's

[2:22:20] an air-cooled just like ours. It's a I

[2:22:23] encourage all of y'all to go go go take

[2:22:25] a look at it. Uh it it's it's it You

[2:22:29] can't hear the facility. I was right

[2:22:30] next to it. The only thing I could hear

[2:22:31] was the road next to it.

[2:22:33] And it's it's going to be using the same

[2:22:35] technology, the same air-cooled

[2:22:37] technology that we're talking about

[2:22:38] using here.

[2:22:41] We're We We always uh

[2:22:44] work very closely with city staff and

[2:22:47] the fire department to make sure we uh

[2:22:49] obtain their input early on in the

[2:22:51] process so we design a system that

[2:22:53] ultimately is going to be accepted by

[2:22:55] them and being able to be run by them.

[2:22:58] And uh

[2:22:59] we've already started having having

[2:23:01] those some some of those discussions. We

[2:23:03] know that there's been a recent fire at

[2:23:05] the Townson Townson solar facility.

[2:23:08] There's going to be some lessons learned

[2:23:09] from that fire and we're going to take

[2:23:11] those lessons learned and incorporate

[2:23:12] them into the design of our project.

[2:23:16] Data center tenants typically have two

[2:23:19] type of tenants, hyperscale tenants,

[2:23:22] colocation tenants. Both of them are

[2:23:24] excellent credits. We estimate that our

[2:23:26] power

[2:23:27] uh

[2:23:28] building will be cost around $2 billion.

[2:23:31] These These tenants will put in another

[2:23:33] $2 billion

[2:23:34] worth of taxable uh

[2:23:37] basis in in terms of computer equipment

[2:23:40] and other equipment. So, at the end of

[2:23:42] the day, this could be a

[2:23:44] $4 billion in

[2:23:46] facility

[2:23:48] just 2.8 miles from the city.

[2:23:51] In terms of the benefits we've already

[2:23:52] talked about those quite a bit, but on

[2:23:56] an annual basis first year revenues are

[2:23:58] estimated at 3.6 million. Those are

[2:24:00] based on

[2:24:01] appraisals that we did for the property

[2:24:03] as a data center.

[2:24:05] We use the same appraisers that we used

[2:24:07] for the solar field the Val Bridge and

[2:24:09] Anderson. And

[2:24:12] so based on those leases the the lease

[2:24:14] revenue would be 1.5 million

[2:24:17] higher.

[2:24:18] The electric bill administration fee

[2:24:20] would be at 670,000

[2:24:22] and the property

[2:24:24] sales tax would be about a million

[2:24:26] dollars higher

[2:24:28] per year based on the 2 billion dollar

[2:24:31] project estimate.

[2:24:33] The project's also going to create a lot

[2:24:34] of jobs during construction permanent

[2:24:36] jobs not just any jobs but high-paying

[2:24:38] jobs $100,000 plus benefits. We're going

[2:24:42] to continue to draw on the resources of

[2:24:43] the city for facilities maintenance

[2:24:46] landscaping

[2:24:47] compliance different types of mechanical

[2:24:49] electrical contract security and

[2:24:52] training. So I think a lot of those jobs

[2:24:54] could be sourced here in Boulder City

[2:24:56] and it'll be our objective to source as

[2:24:58] many jobs as we can from Boulder City.

[2:25:03] Lastly I just want to thank you for your

[2:25:04] time.

[2:25:06] It's kind of late in my career. I didn't

[2:25:08] know I was going to have this exciting

[2:25:09] work to do so so late in my career, but

[2:25:12] it's been a pleasure working with the

[2:25:13] city and its staff and we look forward

[2:25:15] to addressing any concerns or questions

[2:25:17] that you have.

[2:25:19] Thank you Mr. Lamers. Does do any of the

[2:25:22] commissioners have any questions for the

[2:25:24] applicant?

[2:25:27] Okay.

[2:25:29] Hi, my name is Beth.

[2:25:31] Can you

[2:25:32] outline what the total revenue for the

[2:25:35] company annually will be?

[2:25:38] So related to the data center.

[2:25:41] So that's to be determined. It depends

[2:25:42] on what the lease rental rate would be,

[2:25:45] but typically There's gross revenue. You

[2:25:47] have to have estimates.

[2:25:50] You wouldn't go into a project like this

[2:25:51] without some idea of what you're going

[2:25:53] to be making.

[2:25:55] Speak into your mic, please.

[2:25:57] Thank you.

[2:25:58] You wouldn't go into a project like this

[2:26:01] without some idea of the gross revenue

[2:26:03] that these data centers were going to

[2:26:04] generate. What I'm asking is what were

[2:26:07] those projections?

[2:26:11] The revenue consists of two components.

[2:26:13] One is going to be the the revenue that

[2:26:15] from the tenants. You know, what are

[2:26:16] they charge for cloud-based computing,

[2:26:18] IT type computing. We we don't have

[2:26:21] anything to do with that that side of

[2:26:23] the equation. Our our revenue is going

[2:26:25] to be driven by the actual uh power

[2:26:28] shell building. And then that depends on

[2:26:30] what are we charging for uh the lease

[2:26:33] you know, what are we charging for the

[2:26:34] space, what are we charging for for uh

[2:26:37] the uh the power that that we're selling

[2:26:40] to them. So a lot of the factors Are you

[2:26:43] trying to tell me there's no revenue

[2:26:44] projections for your company

[2:26:48] to build this building and lease that

[2:26:49] space?

[2:26:52] No, we we we we we base our uh

[2:26:55] investment based on what we think the

[2:26:57] rate of return would be. And that would

[2:26:59] be what was the estimate? At least 12%.

[2:27:03] Of?

[2:27:04] The $2 billion investment.

[2:27:17] I have a question. Go ahead.

[2:27:19] I um

[2:27:21] just to give my background.

[2:27:24] I'm a retired operating engineer. Spent

[2:27:27] 40 years

[2:27:29] um

[2:27:30] operating central plants and high-rises

[2:27:33] in Las Vegas, New York,

[2:27:35] and uh

[2:27:37] my main thing was uh resource management

[2:27:40] and central plant operation.

[2:27:43] And I see this

[2:27:44] closed Excuse me, this closed loop

[2:27:47] system uh air-cooled closed loop system

[2:27:51] requires up to 40,000 400,000 gallons of

[2:27:54] potable water for a one-time fill of the

[2:27:58] cooling system.

[2:27:59] Um

[2:28:00] uh

[2:28:01] you know, I I want to be I don't want to

[2:28:03] be rude. I want to be respectful. But

[2:28:05] that is absurd.

[2:28:07] Um operating equipment like that, there

[2:28:10] are hourly blowdowns all over the

[2:28:13] equipment. Uh you're going to be

[2:28:15] constantly refilling the system.

[2:28:17] That's just the way That's just the

[2:28:19] nature of the animal. That's the way

[2:28:20] these systems work.

[2:28:22] And uh

[2:28:23] like I said, I'm trying to be

[2:28:24] respectful, but if if you're putting out

[2:28:27] misinformation like this,

[2:28:29] you know, I the the financial side, I

[2:28:31] have no idea. Um she does. And uh if if

[2:28:36] you're putting out this misinformation,

[2:28:39] how can I trust anything else you people

[2:28:41] say? As a matter of fact, aren't you

[2:28:43] guys hedge fund managers?

[2:28:46] No, we're a developing company that

[2:28:48] develops renewable energy projects. Call

[2:28:50] it what you want.

[2:28:51] Scott, maybe we can have Scott come up

[2:28:54] here from Overwatch soon and we can

[2:28:55] address your your question directly cuz

[2:28:57] you're saying you're saying that there's

[2:28:59] going to be regular blowdowns. You're

[2:29:02] saying quarterly. Well, how often do you

[2:29:03] think the Hourly. Hourly.

[2:29:05] >> to remove the total dissolved solids. Uh

[2:29:08] » to remove the total dissolved solids. Uh

[2:29:08] the other thing is that the uh rust

[2:29:10] inhibitors that have to be added to the

[2:29:11] water,

[2:29:13] um the the the glycol that you

[2:29:14] mentioned, a lot of these things are

[2:29:16] forever chemicals. This water can't go

[2:29:19] back into Lake Mead. It can't be, you

[2:29:21] know, it's it's going to end up back in

[2:29:23] our evaporator ponds.

[2:29:26] Introduce yourself, Scott. Yeah, I'm

[2:29:28] Scott during with Overwatch Capital

[2:29:29] providing uh you know, construction

[2:29:31] services for for the group. So,

[2:29:33] >> Sir, could you please um come a little

[2:29:34] » Sir, could you please um come a little

[2:29:34] bit forward and speak into the

[2:29:36] microphone?

[2:29:36] >> It It is It is a closed-loop system, and

[2:29:37] » It It is It is a closed-loop system, and

[2:29:37] there is there is chemicals and it's

[2:29:39] treated. We're not using potable water

[2:29:41] cuz it would introduce too many

[2:29:42] contaminants. So, we get that pretreated

[2:29:44] water water from a from a service,

[2:29:46] right? That's That's critical for us

[2:29:48] because it doesn't introduce any

[2:29:49] contaminants. It introduces corrosion,

[2:29:51] so we have to make sure.

[2:29:53] And it is something we have to maintain

[2:29:54] often.

[2:29:56] Um there's quarterly, monthly, and

[2:29:58] quarterly uh taps and surveys we have to

[2:30:00] do for the for the water. I'm sorry. I'm

[2:30:02] sorry. I can't hear you. Oh, there is

[2:30:04] there's

[2:30:05] daily services that we have to do,

[2:30:07] right? From a data center, there's

[2:30:08] redundancies in the data center that

[2:30:09] we're there every day maintaining that

[2:30:11] space. That's That's part of the nature

[2:30:12] of the data center. So, we are looking

[2:30:14] at the water and the and the uh

[2:30:16] contaminant levels of the water. If

[2:30:17] there's anything, if we have to replace

[2:30:19] anything, it's with that solution again.

[2:30:21] We can't just introduce potable water to

[2:30:23] it because

[2:30:25] it would introduce too many contaminants

[2:30:26] potential contaminants into the water.

[2:30:28] So.

[2:30:29] Thank you. Thank you.

[2:30:34] Anything else?

[2:30:35] So, uh

[2:30:37] I have a question about

[2:30:40] the uh 53 diesel generators. I live

[2:30:43] exactly a mile from where the airplanes

[2:30:45] do the run-up.

[2:30:46] On a four-cylinder airplane, I could

[2:30:48] hear it loud and clear at my house a

[2:30:50] mile away.

[2:30:51] And you're telling me 53 generators

[2:30:54] diesel generators, you're not going to

[2:30:56] hear 3 miles away.

[2:30:58] I I just have a problem with that.

[2:30:59] >> of sound would be 7 decibels. I can We

[2:31:02] » of sound would be 7 decibels. I can We

[2:31:02] all post a study on our website that

[2:31:04] allow you to read. It's been done by

[2:31:06] Kimley-Horn, who's also here, a

[2:31:07] respected environmental

[2:31:10] consultant that that we we use quite

[2:31:13] frequently, that the industry uses quite

[2:31:15] frequently. But, it it'd be 7 decibels

[2:31:17] at 2.8 miles away.

[2:31:19] >> Will you speak into the microphone,

[2:31:20] » Will you speak into the microphone,

[2:31:20] please? Thank you.

[2:31:22] The sound will be 7 decibels

[2:31:25] a lot lower than that sound uh

[2:31:29] at [laughter] at at the nearest

[2:31:30] resident.

[2:31:32] Have you thought about like past

[2:31:35] Nelson's Landing, that's still part of

[2:31:36] Boulder City.

[2:31:39] You mean for an alternate place of

[2:31:41] development?

[2:31:41] >> Yeah, cuz we don't want to hear this

[2:31:43] » Yeah, cuz we don't want to hear this

[2:31:43] this noise.

[2:31:45] I I

[2:31:46] Again, I I can share with you a study.

[2:31:48] What I'd like to do is post the study on

[2:31:50] our website, uh Mr. Smith, and then if

[2:31:52] we could engage after you've had a

[2:31:54] chance to review that study. Uh

[2:31:56] that study estimates that does the sound

[2:31:59] will be 7 decibels 2.8 miles away.

[2:32:05] Are you suggesting you'd like to

[2:32:07] withdraw this item until you can post

[2:32:09] the information? No, I'm not suggesting

[2:32:11] that at all.

[2:32:14] How come it's not available for the

[2:32:16] meeting where the decision about the

[2:32:17] land

[2:32:18] The the fact sheets do do state that the

[2:32:24] that the residents of Boulder City will

[2:32:26] not have any perceptible

[2:32:29] feeling of heat or sound

[2:32:32] living 2.8 miles far away. We've already

[2:32:34] said that it's on our website. This

[2:32:36] study just further further supports that

[2:32:39] statement.

[2:32:41] Thank you.

[2:32:45] Just if I might just one thing further.

[2:32:46] These are just emergency generators.

[2:32:49] It's not meant to be a full-time

[2:32:52] operating, you know, biodiesel

[2:32:54] generator, just to be clear.

[2:32:59] Yeah, it it it's

[2:33:00] Who's who's to say that they're all

[2:33:02] going to run at a time? It it it Those

[2:33:04] generators basically react to unforeseen

[2:33:07] events. You lose grid. You you may not

[2:33:10] lose 100% of your grid. You may lose 10%

[2:33:12] or 15%. That can be handled by the

[2:33:15] battery. If you lose 50%, then you're

[2:33:17] only going to be running half of them.

[2:33:18] So, to say that all 53 are going to be

[2:33:20] run, but even if all 53 are running,

[2:33:23] 7 decibels to the nearest resident.

[2:33:28] Yes, go ahead, Commissioner Red. So, how

[2:33:31] come you guys aren't just um building

[2:33:33] this out at USA Parkway or somewhere in

[2:33:36] northern Nevada where it'd be

[2:33:38] you would have to do no infrastructure,

[2:33:39] everything's already there. They've

[2:33:41] already got 15 data centers out there.

[2:33:43] Is it Is it pure economics

[2:33:46] that by using Boulder City and our our

[2:33:49] inexpensive land that makes it more

[2:33:51] attractive to you?

[2:33:52] Do you want to answer? Yeah, you can go

[2:33:53] ahead. Sure. Um so, the I think the

[2:33:56] question is why not somewhere else that

[2:33:59] is maybe already used to data centers,

[2:34:01] is that correct?

[2:34:02] Yeah, so um we are developing many, many

[2:34:05] other projects. This is This is one of

[2:34:07] about nine projects we're developing

[2:34:09] throughout the country. Uh we have

[2:34:11] looked at other sites in Nevada. Um why

[2:34:14] Boulder City? Why this particular piece

[2:34:16] of property? Um as we had originally

[2:34:18] studied this as a solar plus storage

[2:34:20] project, um it it it became obvious to

[2:34:23] us that with the infrastructure that was

[2:34:25] already being put in place for a solar

[2:34:27] plus storage project, that it might be

[2:34:29] better to consider this as a data center

[2:34:31] project, and hence we're here today to

[2:34:33] to ask you to consider that.

[2:34:35] Uh infrastructure is in place.

[2:34:38] It it it and

[2:34:39] it it it's we did we believe it is a

[2:34:42] higher value case for not only us, but

[2:34:45] for the city, and that's that's what

[2:34:47] those numbers say.

[2:34:49] So, at 12% that's $480 million.

[2:34:52] Is your 12% and and

[2:34:55] so, we're going to get 3.6 for for our

[2:34:58] of our revenue? Uh you're going to get

[2:34:59] whatever these appraisals that are

[2:35:01] required by state law suggests and

[2:35:03] whatever terms we're able to negotiate

[2:35:05] with the city council. I mean, if we're

[2:35:07] going

[2:35:07] >> This is This is an estimate based on the

[2:35:09] » This is This is an estimate based on the

[2:35:09] appraisals that that we've we've we've

[2:35:12] done, and we just followed the same

[2:35:14] methodology that you use for the solar

[2:35:15] fields. Would you be doing a

[2:35:17] Would you be willing to do a profit

[2:35:19] share with us that uh you give us like

[2:35:21] 6 8% of the profit?

[2:35:24] As as some city city staff knows, we

[2:35:27] have long ago proposed a public-private

[2:35:29] partnership.

[2:35:31] Uh we'd be perfectly be willing to to

[2:35:34] work with Boulder City on that front.

[2:35:35] We're doing that in other communities,

[2:35:37] by the way. So, this would not be new to

[2:35:39] Boulder City.

[2:35:40] Um

[2:35:41] you know, there there is upside benefit,

[2:35:42] of course. By the way, those numbers

[2:35:44] that you just came up with, those are

[2:35:45] undiscounted numbers. So, to be fair,

[2:35:47] we'd have to represent those in the

[2:35:49] current value.

[2:35:53] Thank you. Any other questions for the

[2:35:55] applicant before I open the public

[2:35:57] hearing? Uh yeah, I have another one. Go

[2:36:00] ahead, Matt.

[2:36:00] >> Um it was just um revealed that

[2:36:04] » Um it was just um revealed that

[2:36:04] um your company has been negotiating

[2:36:07] with the city since 2017.

[2:36:10] Um

[2:36:11] why did we not hear about this until

[2:36:13] recently? And who were you negotiating

[2:36:15] with in the city? Which administrators?

[2:36:19] So, uh to be clear, the negotiations I

[2:36:21] believe you're referring to uh

[2:36:24] involved the solar plus storage project.

[2:36:26] I'm sorry. Involved Involved what? The

[2:36:28] solar plus storage project. Hence the

[2:36:30] name, when you hear Townsite Solar 2,

[2:36:33] since we had developed Townsite Solar 1,

[2:36:36] we thought of this as the next potential

[2:36:38] phase as a solar project. So, when you

[2:36:40] hear about those dates,

[2:36:42] um it was only very recently, in the

[2:36:44] last call it 6 to 9 months, that the

[2:36:47] concept of can this be used as a data

[2:36:49] center?

[2:36:51] Infrastructure's there. Let's run it up

[2:36:53] the flagpole, see what Boulder City

[2:36:55] thinks.

[2:36:56] Thank you.

[2:36:59] So, the bottom line is

[2:37:00] the data center would be more profitable

[2:37:02] than the solar that's already been

[2:37:04] approved out there.

[2:37:06] For us and and the city.

[2:37:08] Correct.

[2:37:11] Thank you.

[2:37:13] Any other questions for the applicant?

[2:37:17] Okay, at this time I will open the

[2:37:19] public hearing. This is a public

[2:37:20] hearing.

[2:37:21] Come on up, Shauna. I just like to

[2:37:24] reiterate, if you spoke in the first

[2:37:26] public comment, we just ask that if

[2:37:29] there are other people who have not

[2:37:30] spoken that they get the opportunity to

[2:37:32] speak if they would like to. Thank you.

[2:37:35] Go ahead, Shauna. Hello, my name is

[2:37:37] Shauna. Um

[2:37:39] boy, that was a nice eloquent

[2:37:40] presentation, but they lost me at we've

[2:37:43] already purchased equipment.

[2:37:45] Like wow.

[2:37:50] They they if maybe I'm hearing it wrong,

[2:37:53] but they stated we've already purchased

[2:37:55] some equipment.

[2:37:56] And

[2:37:58] as eloquent as everything was, that to

[2:38:00] me I think the word is presumptuous.

[2:38:02] Um and still not in agreement and even

[2:38:05] more not in agreement now.

[2:38:07] Thank you.

[2:38:13] All right. Brenda Lormie. Um

[2:38:17] good point, but you know, they said

[2:38:18] trust me.

[2:38:19] So, um

[2:38:21] that said, um I sat here in this room on

[2:38:24] December 9th of last year.

[2:38:27] Uh they were here and they were asking

[2:38:29] for a renewal on their their BES, which

[2:38:32] is battery energy storage system.

[2:38:34] And which we uh expired at the end of

[2:38:37] last year. So, that's what they were up

[2:38:39] here asking for. It was

[2:38:41] approved. We didn't think anything of it

[2:38:43] at the time, so we were obviously

[2:38:46] shocked and surprised and we sat here a

[2:38:48] few months later

[2:38:49] and they had pivoted to a data center

[2:38:51] company all of a sudden and then we

[2:38:53] found out that's what every BES proposal

[2:38:56] recently tends to become. So, everybody

[2:38:58] just take note of that if you see BES

[2:39:00] anywhere on an agenda, that's what's

[2:39:03] coming down the line. So,

[2:39:05] um and they've actually I think that

[2:39:07] application, they were getting a renewal

[2:39:09] of it. It had actually been approved

[2:39:12] originally, I think in Mar- in May of

[2:39:13] 2022. And this is data centers have just

[2:39:16] become a more recent thing. And so, one

[2:39:19] of my questions is why the rush? And,

[2:39:22] you know, big tech companies have have

[2:39:24] made it a rush because it's a supply and

[2:39:26] demand issue on their part. And I said

[2:39:28] this at the last council meeting,

[2:39:30] um, you know, lack of planning on their

[2:39:32] part does not constitute an emergency on

[2:39:34] ours. So, I have begged our city council

[2:39:39] to just hold back, wait for the November

[2:39:41] election. They've chosen not to do so,

[2:39:44] so I'm begging here, but uh

[2:39:47] I'm hoping everybody read this

[2:39:49] application. I'm sure you all did, but

[2:39:50] I'm hoping everybody else read their

[2:39:51] application carefully, their March 24th

[2:39:54] application carefully, their December

[2:39:56] 9th application carefully, and poke

[2:39:59] holes in all of them because there's a

[2:40:00] lot of holes you can poke in them.

[2:40:02] Um, the

[2:40:04] March 24th one, they misstated their

[2:40:06] energy usage to a factor of 1,000 in

[2:40:08] their favor.

[2:40:09] Um, they said later that was just a

[2:40:12] mistake on their part. And tonight's

[2:40:14] application, uh, I need to get my notes

[2:40:16] out, but they they state their their,

[2:40:19] um,

[2:40:20] their water usage, um, in three

[2:40:24] different where they're cooling in three

[2:40:25] different ways. They state it under the

[2:40:27] cooling section six. Uh, they don't

[2:40:30] state a number at all, but in section

[2:40:32] three, I forget what that's listed, but

[2:40:34] in section three, I think they state it

[2:40:36] as 900,000 gallons per day. And then in

[2:40:39] section 10, they state it as 600,000

[2:40:42] gallons per day. And they're acting like

[2:40:45] they say they pivoted away from a, um,

[2:40:48] evaporative cooling system. And somebody

[2:40:50] else brought up there's a huge water

[2:40:51] line going to there. Well, if they

[2:40:53] pivoted away from that, why is it listed

[2:40:55] twice in their application for tonight?

[2:40:58] I don't know. Those are two of the

[2:41:00] holes, and I've run out of time, so I

[2:41:02] won't go into the myriad other ones I

[2:41:03] wrote down here, but just please read it

[2:41:06] and

[2:41:07] um I just urge you again to please deny

[2:41:10] it. I had all my technical reasons, but

[2:41:12] I'll leave that to others. Thank you

[2:41:14] all. Appreciate you.

[2:41:24] Commissioners, just two very quick

[2:41:26] points. I know it's a lengthy process.

[2:41:29] First, I'd like to thank Mr. Steve Rudd

[2:41:31] for bringing up the mathematics of the

[2:41:33] profitability for Boulder City, and I

[2:41:36] would ask the commissioners to evaluate

[2:41:38] and also Beth. I would ask the

[2:41:40] commissioners to really evaluate this.

[2:41:44] To the citizens, it doesn't look like

[2:41:46] Boulder City

[2:41:48] is gaining something that equitably

[2:41:51] justifies

[2:41:53] the objections that the that the

[2:41:55] majority of residents here oppose.

[2:41:59] So, please, I thank you very much for

[2:42:00] pointing that out and taking a careful

[2:42:02] look at that. As it's been said here,

[2:42:05] it's it's been said that a a lease under

[2:42:07] these circumstances would have to be

[2:42:09] renegotiated. The second point is that

[2:42:13] in the in the in the aspect of battery

[2:42:17] storage for the transfer Eldorado Valley

[2:42:21] Transfer Area, that is something that

[2:42:24] has been noted in the Boulder City

[2:42:26] Charter as acceptable.

[2:42:28] However, in these instances, it then

[2:42:31] becomes discerned down the road in the

[2:42:33] process as it was here that data centers

[2:42:36] are more profitable, but I believe that

[2:42:39] the data center usage is not within the

[2:42:41] Boulder City Charter, and I would like

[2:42:43] to respectfully pose that I don't know

[2:42:46] the legality of that, and perhaps you

[2:42:48] all do, but I'd like to mention the

[2:42:50] question of it here. Thank you very

[2:42:52] much.

[2:42:53] Ma'am, I didn't I didn't get your name

[2:42:55] for the record. I apologize.

[2:42:59] Ma'am.

[2:43:01] No,

[2:43:01] can you state your name? Yes, Kathleen

[2:43:03] McGarrity. Do I need to sign in again?

[2:43:05] No. Thank you.

[2:43:11] Okay.

[2:43:12] Donna Mellor.

[2:43:14] Just very briefly.

[2:43:16] I think that we've shown by everybody

[2:43:18] here that and what you've heard outside

[2:43:21] of here

[2:43:22] is that we are just completely against

[2:43:24] these. We are not interested in hearing

[2:43:26] any more about it.

[2:43:28] We would really like you to consider

[2:43:31] not passing on to the city council that

[2:43:35] they should they should consider it.

[2:43:38] We'd like you to just deny it. And

[2:43:42] that's what I have to say. Thank you.

[2:43:50] Hi, my name is Cherabelle Lab.

[2:43:53] And

[2:43:54] I wanted to start off before responding

[2:43:57] to some of the other things that were

[2:43:58] brought up to what

[2:44:01] our deputy city manager Michael Mace

[2:44:03] said. Which is that these are just the

[2:44:06] first steps. And

[2:44:08] to that I ask

[2:44:10] would you want to take the first steps

[2:44:11] towards a fire pit when you know that

[2:44:14] the ultimate end goal is for you to fall

[2:44:17] down in it?

[2:44:19] Would you want to

[2:44:21] take the first steps towards a nuclear

[2:44:24] waste site? To a bed of spikes? To

[2:44:27] rabbit dogs? No. Cuz I wouldn't.

[2:44:31] Um, and usually when you're taking steps

[2:44:35] towards something

[2:44:37] it's because you're trying to get there.

[2:44:39] So, trying to say that

[2:44:42] oh, well, we're just in the early steps,

[2:44:44] so it's not like we're doing this.

[2:44:48] That's honestly quite silly to say.

[2:44:51] You're taking the steps. You're doing

[2:44:53] the thing. If you're placing down wood

[2:44:54] and hammering it in, that means you're

[2:44:56] building the thing. And right now, these

[2:44:58] are the steps. So, let's set down the

[2:45:01] hammer because absolutely everyone has

[2:45:03] said they don't want this. Let's just

[2:45:05] not have the pit of spikes.

[2:45:08] So,

[2:45:09] um

[2:45:10] and let's not peer over the gates,

[2:45:12] especially when we know there's

[2:45:13] something bad on the other side. Uh

[2:45:15] let's try to keep the eyes of Boulder

[2:45:16] City

[2:45:17] um

[2:45:19] and with the data centers,

[2:45:22] there have been many mistakes in the

[2:45:25] information they've put out. How many

[2:45:28] mistakes does someone, especially

[2:45:30] company, get to make before the mistakes

[2:45:33] will be called lies or they'll be called

[2:45:36] a bait and switch? Um because it's also

[2:45:39] interesting that they're up here saying,

[2:45:42] "Oh, well, this is a very recent thing."

[2:45:44] And yet, in other speeches, they're

[2:45:46] saying, "We've thought long and hard

[2:45:47] about this. We've put time into thinking

[2:45:50] about this."

[2:45:51] It hasn't been really short or has it

[2:45:53] been really long? Cuz either you've

[2:45:54] thought about this for a really short

[2:45:55] time or really long time. And right now,

[2:46:00] we're not getting the same answer on

[2:46:01] that, but we're also not getting the

[2:46:03] same answer on just about anything from

[2:46:05] them.

[2:46:06] So, with that, I would like to once

[2:46:08] again say,

[2:46:09] please

[2:46:10] say no to the data centers. Not just you

[2:46:12] guys, but city council. I really hope

[2:46:15] that our city council pulls through and

[2:46:17] that they can actually represent the

[2:46:19] city that they're saying they do because

[2:46:22] right now, they're not acting like

[2:46:24] they're here for our people. They are

[2:46:26] acting like they're here for them and

[2:46:28] they're acting like the only chamber is

[2:46:30] an echo chamber and it's their voices,

[2:46:33] not ours. We have thousands of voices up

[2:46:35] here.

[2:46:36] I hope that thousands of voices are

[2:46:38] finally enough voices. Thank you.

[2:46:42] Thank you. Anybody else wishing to speak

[2:46:45] in the public hearing.

[2:46:47] Okay.

[2:46:49] Say a little something. Barbara O'Quinn,

[2:46:52] Barbie O'Quinn.

[2:46:54] Um

[2:46:55] the project manager, Rick, told us what

[2:46:58] electrical upgrade

[2:47:00] equipment they would or they have paid

[2:47:03] for already in detail.

[2:47:06] Um he did not say it was all the

[2:47:09] electrical upgrades that would be

[2:47:12] needed. So, my question to them would be

[2:47:15] be what upgrades to the grid would still

[2:47:18] be needed and who exactly would pay for

[2:47:21] them.

[2:47:22] Um my other

[2:47:25] comment is that he said that, rather

[2:47:29] proudly,

[2:47:30] that they could truck water from

[2:47:33] California or Arizona, but not this

[2:47:36] area.

[2:47:37] Much of our water comes from

[2:47:40] Colorado River, which we share.

[2:47:43] We have

[2:47:44] big agreements with Arizona, California,

[2:47:48] Mexico. This whole area depends on our

[2:47:52] water.

[2:47:54] So, by trucking it in from California,

[2:47:57] from Arizona,

[2:47:59] that's not helping us a bit.

[2:48:02] Um so, I'm sure you'd agree and I need

[2:48:05] to I was supposed to sign in

[2:48:07] before, so I'm going to do that now. And

[2:48:10] that's all.

[2:48:12] Just have a lot of concerns.

[2:48:15] Thank you.

[2:48:20] So, this is Adam Schultheis again.

[2:48:23] And

[2:48:24] I'm an educator, 36 years teaching.

[2:48:28] And I do my homework. Before I threw the

[2:48:31] my hat into the race for city council,

[2:48:32] which was, by God, Friday 13th, no idea,

[2:48:37] I did my homework.

[2:48:39] And

[2:48:40] every paper I've read, and there are

[2:48:43] hundreds of them. Hundreds of them.

[2:48:46] University Chicago, Harvard, Yale,

[2:48:49] Cornell,

[2:48:51] you name the top universities in the

[2:48:53] country and every single one of them are

[2:48:56] anti-data. You know what's interesting?

[2:48:59] The only papers that are pro-data are

[2:49:02] high-tech.

[2:49:04] So, you have the academics on the left,

[2:49:07] you have high-data on the right.

[2:49:10] So, we're talking

[2:49:12] education, academics, fact,

[2:49:16] and we're talking billions, billions,

[2:49:18] and billions.

[2:49:20] Consider that. Don't sell your soul

[2:49:23] to the devil.

[2:49:27] » [applause]

[2:49:28] >> We have a caller. We'll take the caller

[2:49:29] » We have a caller. We'll take the caller

[2:49:29] on the line, please.

[2:49:37] Public comment, go ahead. billions Yes.

[2:49:40] and billions.

[2:49:42] You want to have money to bargain?

[2:49:45] I'm a registered voter here and my

[2:49:48] question is how much fuel is going to be

[2:49:50] stored there

[2:49:52] to per- to make those diesel generators,

[2:49:55] you know, work in case the power goes

[2:49:58] out is one of my questions.

[2:50:01] My other one is a statement and that is

[2:50:03] every single one of you guys, anyone

[2:50:06] that voted for this,

[2:50:08] my vote's going somewhere else. Thank

[2:50:10] you.

[2:50:12] I think we're not elected.

[2:50:16] Have another caller. Hi, sorry, it's me

[2:50:18] again, the motormouth. I tried to fit a

[2:50:21] half an hour speech

[2:50:22] into 3 minutes and I do thank you for

[2:50:25] listening. Uh my name's Autumn McGrath

[2:50:27] and I just wanted to do one quick

[2:50:29] last part of my

[2:50:31] 30-minute speech here. Um

[2:50:34] living in this extreme desert

[2:50:36] environment gives us a strict

[2:50:38] responsibility to steward our lands more

[2:50:41] so than other other areas.

[2:50:43] We should care so much more about our

[2:50:45] wildlife and our lands than other areas.

[2:50:48] This project sits directly in a critical

[2:50:51] bird migration path. People don't know

[2:50:54] this, but all of the wild bird species

[2:50:56] of the western half of North of the

[2:50:59] North American continent pass through

[2:51:01] this area during migration,

[2:51:04] a time when birds are most threatened.

[2:51:07] It's not only local wildlife at risk,

[2:51:09] it's the entire western bird migration

[2:51:12] pattern.

[2:51:13] Um

[2:51:15] Uh there's

[2:51:17] there's so many birds. I think we're

[2:51:19] down to like the last few percentages of

[2:51:21] bird species that we even have left.

[2:51:24] Like there's these there's book that

[2:51:26] comes out every year about um the

[2:51:28] western birds and every year it's

[2:51:30] smaller and smaller and thinner and

[2:51:32] thinner. There's like hardly any birds

[2:51:34] left.

[2:51:35] Data centers are the current David and

[2:51:37] Goliath story and small town residents

[2:51:39] are standing up against corporate greed

[2:51:41] and sold out city councils all over this

[2:51:43] country. People are already stretched to

[2:51:46] our economic limits limits by the cost

[2:51:48] of living. We are already traumatized

[2:51:51] and exhausted by politics in general and

[2:51:53] do not stab your hard working

[2:51:55] constituents in the back for a

[2:51:58] short-sighted underhanded deal. And

[2:52:01] those guys were really uh cringey.

[2:52:04] Um that was really cringey.

[2:52:05] >> There'll be no personal attacks. Well,

[2:52:07] » There'll be no personal attacks. Well,

[2:52:07] there was a lot of word salad Ma'am,

[2:52:10] please make your point and do not

[2:52:12] personally attack anybody. Thank you.

[2:52:14] Okay, you got it.

[2:52:15] I apologize for that personal part, but

[2:52:19] that was pretty corny to sit through.

[2:52:38] » Hi, my name is Barbie Ruckle and I

[2:52:41] wasn't going to talk. Really nervous.

[2:52:44] But I lived in Vegas since '82

[2:52:47] and I loved Boulder City

[2:52:49] and I finally got to move here 3 years

[2:52:51] ago

[2:52:52] and I just don't want to see it fall

[2:52:55] apart. It's such a beautiful little town

[2:52:58] and nobody wants to see that break when

[2:53:00] you're driving to town

[2:53:02] and

[2:53:03] I just feel like they're giving us a

[2:53:06] high school science fair show and it's

[2:53:09] going to be yes, my rat's better than

[2:53:10] yours and I just don't feel like they're

[2:53:13] giving us the true information.

[2:53:16] They're leading us down a false road and

[2:53:18] I just don't want Boulder City to fall

[2:53:20] apart.

[2:53:22] Thank you, Barbie. We'll take the caller

[2:53:24] on the line, Madam City Clerk.

[2:53:29] What comment? I don't feel like they're

[2:53:30] giving me the true information.

[2:53:33] They're leading us down

[2:53:34] Hello.

[2:53:37] You'll have You'll have to mute that

[2:53:38] background. Go ahead. Got you. Got you.

[2:53:40] Hi. Hi. My name is Tommy. I spoke

[2:53:43] earlier.

[2:53:44] Tommy Love for the record. I heard all

[2:53:47] of what they had to say

[2:53:49] and I have to say I didn't trust them

[2:53:52] before they spoke. Just the company in

[2:53:54] general and I definitely don't trust

[2:53:57] them now after hearing

[2:53:59] the presentation that I saw. And so I

[2:54:03] hope that you guys can just really

[2:54:04] consider not accepting these data

[2:54:07] centers here in Boulder City.

[2:54:09] They told the room that they're

[2:54:11] projecting a minimum and I want to

[2:54:13] emphasis emphasize minimum 12% profit

[2:54:18] and what does the community really get

[2:54:21] out of this? What they're really getting

[2:54:23] is more heat, less water

[2:54:25] and just to kind of clear the confusion,

[2:54:28] as a registered nurse, I really I do my

[2:54:30] background check. I make sure that we we

[2:54:32] have the facts. And the data centers,

[2:54:34] they do produce heat. And in the valley,

[2:54:36] this heat is already killing people in

[2:54:38] the summer.

[2:54:40] And that's one of my biggest concerns in

[2:54:41] general.

[2:54:43] But they are taking our water, and then

[2:54:45] they're now contaminant or they will

[2:54:46] contaminate it further.

[2:54:49] And this is not speculation. This is

[2:54:51] actually what's been happening.

[2:54:54] And the target They They target little

[2:54:55] towns, beautiful little towns like

[2:54:57] Boulder City, on purpose.

[2:54:59] Um some city towns like this, they need

[2:55:02] the money, and I understand that, but

[2:55:04] this is not how we should be going about

[2:55:07] that in any form.

[2:55:08] But I really do want to thank you guys

[2:55:10] for hearing all of our concerns. I know

[2:55:12] there's been a lot of amazing people who

[2:55:14] spoke up tonight. And thank you for

[2:55:16] hearing us all out, because we need you.

[2:55:19] We really need you to hear us. Thank you

[2:55:21] so much.

[2:55:24] Thank you, Tommy.

[2:55:26] Any other

[2:55:28] person wishing to speak during this

[2:55:30] public hearing?

[2:55:34] Torres, and I just have one observation

[2:55:37] while they were talking. Um they were

[2:55:39] talking about not um using potable

[2:55:42] water, but having treated water that

[2:55:44] they would be bringing in to use.

[2:55:46] However, they did not clarify what they

[2:55:49] would do if they had to replace that

[2:55:51] water, the treated water. Where would

[2:55:53] the other water go? Is it going to go

[2:55:56] into our landfills? Is it going to go

[2:55:59] into the ponds, as you say, the back

[2:56:02] ponds being pumped? So, that's

[2:56:04] definitely something for them to

[2:56:07] say that they're going to use treated

[2:56:08] water, but they're not In order to

[2:56:09] replace it, they're not telling us where

[2:56:11] they're going to put the water that

[2:56:12] they've had to replace that, and where

[2:56:13] it's going to be landing.

[2:56:15] Hopefully not Boulder City. So, um thank

[2:56:19] you guys for listening, and for the

[2:56:21] presentation

[2:56:23] and um

[2:56:24] it's definitely a no still for the data

[2:56:26] center.

[2:56:47] My name is Barbara Paulson and my

[2:56:50] understanding is if the city were going

[2:56:52] to sell any land over 1 acre, it would

[2:56:55] have to go before a vote of the

[2:56:57] citizens. Is that correct?

[2:57:00] Ms. Paulson, this isn't the sale of

[2:57:02] land, it's a lease and we can't answer

[2:57:04] questions in public comment.

[2:57:07] This is as important as selling land

[2:57:11] and to make a decision like this, it

[2:57:13] should go before the voters. So, the

[2:57:16] voters vote and not have it decided by

[2:57:19] government body.

[2:57:21] Thank you.

[2:57:25] » [applause]

[2:57:28] » Is there a caller? I'll take the caller,

[2:57:30] please.

[2:57:38] I've got a public side. Public comment,

[2:57:40] go ahead.

[2:57:43] Hello. Um this is Jennifer Lowe again.

[2:57:46] Um

[2:57:49] I'm I'm really grateful that you gave us

[2:57:51] an opportunity to hear what was being

[2:57:54] said. Um

[2:57:56] and as I'm listening to them again,

[2:57:59] you know, I was a

[2:58:00] I was an assistant to a project manager.

[2:58:04] Um

[2:58:06] I'm very familiar with this process and

[2:58:08] I and I'm going to say this with

[2:58:11] as much heart as I can.

[2:58:13] Um as I'm listening to them and and

[2:58:15] truly listening. I felt like

[2:58:18] it

[2:58:20] It feels like this is a magical unicorn

[2:58:22] presentation.

[2:58:24] Um

[2:58:25] like they are the unique exception to

[2:58:28] the reality of the situations of data

[2:58:31] centers all across the country.

[2:58:34] Um

[2:58:37] It it seems like what they're trying to

[2:58:39] sell us is an absolute one-off unique

[2:58:42] exception to what has been a consistent

[2:58:46] series of destruction of property,

[2:58:48] destruction of health, destruction of

[2:58:50] national resources. There's not been one

[2:58:53] single community across the entire

[2:58:55] United States

[2:58:57] where having that data center has made

[2:58:59] their situation any better. It's always

[2:59:01] making the situation worse. This is some

[2:59:04] of the greatest man-made destruction

[2:59:06] that has literally ever existed in

[2:59:09] modern history. Yet

[2:59:12] even with everything that they said, you

[2:59:14] know, there were inconsistencies and

[2:59:16] somehow

[2:59:18] this is going to be the magical one and

[2:59:19] only data center in the United States

[2:59:22] that will

[2:59:24] not cause problems and actually be a

[2:59:26] benefit. You know, and they kept

[2:59:27] bringing up about this is out, you know,

[2:59:30] X amount so far away, but

[2:59:33] I was one of you know, and and

[2:59:35] until recent health event, I was one of

[2:59:37] the people that used it that area,

[2:59:40] whether it was

[2:59:42] for hiking or when we used to be able to

[2:59:44] off-road. Um

[2:59:46] we have the canyons out there, the

[2:59:49] petroglyphs out there. Um

[2:59:52] And somehow the destruction is magically

[2:59:54] not supposed to happen and and I'm even

[2:59:56] more against this than I thought I could

[2:59:59] have been. Um

[3:00:01] You know, and they spoke about the Nova

[3:00:03] Center. So, while this was going on, I

[3:00:06] researched it and the Las Vegas

[3:00:08] Review-Journal says that

[3:00:12] there are consistent quote unquote

[3:00:14] consistent complaints

[3:00:17] about high pitch noises coming from the

[3:00:20] Nova Center. So,

[3:00:22] I'm I think I'm going to trust with the

[3:00:24] people in the community who are

[3:00:26] complaining about this consistently

[3:00:30] as to say instead of what we're being

[3:00:33] told because literally the only people

[3:00:36] who have stood up in

[3:00:38] support of this data center are the

[3:00:40] people who are directly financially

[3:00:44] gaining from the data center. You know,

[3:00:47] and so my my ask is of you guys, and

[3:00:50] again, thank you for hearing us. Um

[3:00:52] you know, if this is one more key to

[3:00:55] destruction in our community, is that

[3:00:58] really truly the destiny you want to

[3:01:00] leave behind? Is that the most

[3:01:02] >> Miss Levitt, your time's up. Thank you

[3:01:04] » Miss Levitt, your time's up. Thank you

[3:01:04] again for your comments. Okay. Thank

[3:01:06] you. Bye.

[3:01:08] Any other

[3:01:09] person wishing to speak in this public

[3:01:11] hearing?

[3:01:16] Good evening again, Madam Chair,

[3:01:18] commission staff, ladies and gentlemen.

[3:01:20] Brandon Smith for the record. Um

[3:01:24] I think it's it's important to highlight

[3:01:29] the the series of presentations that

[3:01:31] have been pitched

[3:01:33] publicly

[3:01:34] by the TS2 people.

[3:01:36] Um

[3:01:37] their their very first presentation

[3:01:39] which was truly off by a factor of

[3:01:41] 1,000.

[3:01:43] Um it should have been shut down then

[3:01:45] and there.

[3:01:46] Um it wasn't.

[3:01:48] Uh they continued to

[3:01:51] I don't know, morph their their numbers

[3:01:55] um

[3:01:55] every presentation. It started out as a

[3:01:58] $2 billion project. Now it's a $4

[3:02:00] billion project. They've spent $12

[3:02:03] million by their own admission just a

[3:02:04] few minutes ago already anticipating

[3:02:07] that this project is going forward. Um

[3:02:10] you're right. They wouldn't have done

[3:02:11] any of this if they had not anticipated

[3:02:14] an overwhelming crazy amount of money.

[3:02:18] We are talking trillions of dollars at

[3:02:20] play here.

[3:02:21] Um

[3:02:23] and unfortunately, uh

[3:02:25] their their data just isn't consistent

[3:02:28] from

[3:02:30] one set of data for the same thing to

[3:02:32] the other.

[3:02:33] Um Rick was up here talking about 167

[3:02:36] megawatts. Uh their proposal's for 300

[3:02:39] megawatts in two phases. Um they still

[3:02:42] haven't come up figured out a way to to

[3:02:44] come up with the other half of the power

[3:02:46] that they're needed. Um the you know,

[3:02:49] the diesel generators and the amount of

[3:02:54] power that they're going to need to

[3:02:55] draw, they have to start those things

[3:02:57] monthly just to keep them running. Um

[3:03:00] you know, again, Rick would have us

[3:03:02] believe that all this heat is just going

[3:03:04] to float away and that it's advantageous

[3:03:06] for the site to be 400 ft below what the

[3:03:11] rest of the city is. Heat rises.

[3:03:13] Um if if I'm doing

[3:03:16] my logic uh correctly, it would be more

[3:03:20] advantageous to have it 4,000 ft in the

[3:03:22] air, not 400 ft below because it's just

[3:03:26] going to come up and waft um into the

[3:03:29] city uh unless the wind is blowing in a

[3:03:32] very specific direction away from the

[3:03:34] city. We're all going to feel it.

[3:03:36] Um I I can't imagine a world where um

[3:03:42] we we're home to the seventh wonder of

[3:03:45] the industrial world. We are small, but

[3:03:48] we are mighty.

[3:03:50] And let us be the city that says no to

[3:03:53] data centers when everybody else says

[3:03:55] yes. So, when this all falls apart

[3:03:57] somewhere down the line and lawsuits are

[3:04:00] flying everywhere and data center

[3:04:02] developers are going bankrupt and trying

[3:04:04] to sue everybody and us as citizens are

[3:04:08] losing our health and our wealth. Um

[3:04:12] and we're suing

[3:04:14] the the proponents of this,

[3:04:16] um

[3:04:17] the city will not be responsible because

[3:04:20] we said no. Please say no. Thank you.

[3:04:27] I'll take the caller.

[3:04:33] Public comment, go ahead.

[3:04:35] Yes, again for the record, Fred Voltz.

[3:04:37] I'd like to respond to some of the

[3:04:39] things that were said both by the

[3:04:40] proponents of the project and by the

[3:04:42] deputy city manager.

[3:04:44] Uh it is frequently a tactic used that

[3:04:48] the public is considered to be full of

[3:04:50] misinformation and misconceptions

[3:04:53] uh to try and invalidate what the public

[3:04:55] has to say and it's not a very

[3:04:57] respectful way to treat people. Uh we

[3:05:01] are able to read and analyze just as

[3:05:04] well as the experts. So, uh that is not

[3:05:07] a good tactic to take.

[3:05:09] Secondly, uh the quote that uh the

[3:05:12] project is going to purchase power on a

[3:05:14] long-term basis from places like

[3:05:16] Pasadena and Glendale completely defies

[3:05:20] the reality that California is very

[3:05:22] short of electricity. It's very

[3:05:24] expensive and the that's not really a

[3:05:27] source. They will be on the spot market

[3:05:29] with Boulder City competing against us

[3:05:32] and I do wish the project proponents

[3:05:34] would finally admit that rather than tap

[3:05:37] dancing around that very

[3:05:41] straight fact without any further

[3:05:44] abracadabra.

[3:05:46] Secondly, or thirdly, I'd like to say

[3:05:48] that it is very telling when proponents

[3:05:52] of a project have to engage two

[3:05:53] different law firms and a public

[3:05:55] relations firm to promote their project.

[3:05:59] If it's so great, it should stand on its

[3:06:01] own. They shouldn't need to have help

[3:06:04] trying to shepherd it along and cajole

[3:06:07] people into supporting it.

[3:06:09] Again, nothing came up about their

[3:06:11] complete lack of experience running a

[3:06:14] data center, so we don't know what sort

[3:06:16] of operators they are. All we know is

[3:06:18] what they say they will do. We cannot

[3:06:21] take that to the bank.

[3:06:23] Uh there is no proposed remediation of

[3:06:26] the injected chemicals into this

[3:06:28] closed-loop system, and there was no

[3:06:30] addressing of that issue on any

[3:06:33] rational or specific basis. That is a

[3:06:36] real problem. There should be a

[3:06:39] performance bond

[3:06:40] in place so that if this company or the

[3:06:43] companies

[3:06:45] cease doing business or create

[3:06:47] environmental problems, we in Boulder

[3:06:50] City have some sort of recourse. That

[3:06:52] has not been proposed. That's not been

[3:06:54] discussed.

[3:06:56] And finally, uh since the format uh

[3:06:59] does not allow for the public to ask

[3:07:02] questions and get answers, when will we

[3:07:05] have a workshop on this whole project

[3:07:08] with city officials, with the

[3:07:10] proponents, where everybody gets to hear

[3:07:13] the answer? That has not happened, and

[3:07:15] apparently it's not going to happen the

[3:07:17] way the two workshops were conducted.

[3:07:20] So,

[3:07:21] none of what the proponents or the city

[3:07:23] staff have said

[3:07:24] give this public in Boulder City any

[3:07:27] confidence

[3:07:28] that this is a good project. Thank you.

[3:07:34] Madam City Clerk, is there another

[3:07:35] caller? Go ahead.

[3:07:40] How about comment? Go ahead.

[3:07:42] Hello, my name is Savannah Beck, calling

[3:07:44] again. Um I was just calling to state

[3:07:47] that the um company is very trained in

[3:07:52] PR and legal terminology. So, when

[3:07:55] they're going over these points in their

[3:07:57] PowerPoint, they're not giving us the

[3:07:59] full information because they could be

[3:08:02] held legally liable. Um that's why they

[3:08:06] contradicted themselves about

[3:08:08] the pee water and when the commissioner

[3:08:11] called them out about using that water,

[3:08:13] they turned around and said, "No, we

[3:08:14] didn't say that." But, they actually

[3:08:16] did. Um so, you So, everyone really

[3:08:19] needs to like listen to the specific

[3:08:22] words that they're using because they're

[3:08:24] not telling us the truth. And when

[3:08:26] they're saying, "Oh, we actually got

[3:08:28] approved for the storage facility, but

[3:08:31] now we're going to change it to a data

[3:08:33] center." When that wasn't the approval

[3:08:35] that they were given before, um that's

[3:08:37] why we need need to push back on them

[3:08:39] and keep telling them, "No, we do not

[3:08:41] want this. They are not allowed to do

[3:08:43] that to us. Please stop poisoning

[3:08:45] our our water, our community,

[3:08:48] everything." Um and quit lying to us.

[3:08:51] And that's all I had. Thank you.

[3:08:57] Is there another caller? There is. Go

[3:08:59] ahead.

[3:09:01] I've got a comment. Go ahead.

[3:09:04] Hi, can you hear me? I can.

[3:09:07] Hi, this is Jasmine Lazaro. I'm a third

[3:09:10] generation Nevadan.

[3:09:12] The applicants came in with polished

[3:09:15] slides and the right words.

[3:09:18] They told you the water would be

[3:09:21] recycled, the environment protected,

[3:09:24] contaminants monitored daily.

[3:09:27] And we're asking you to look at what is

[3:09:29] actually happening, not the promises,

[3:09:31] the record.

[3:09:33] US data centers consumed 17.4 billion

[3:09:37] gallons of water in 2023 alone.

[3:09:41] Equivalent to 160,000

[3:09:43] American households.

[3:09:46] That number is projected to quadruple by

[3:09:49] 2028.

[3:09:51] And here is what they left out. Data

[3:09:54] centers evaporate approximately 80% of

[3:09:57] the water they draw.

[3:09:59] Not recycled, not returned, gone.

[3:10:03] Google consumed over 6 billion gallons

[3:10:05] in 1 year.

[3:10:07] One single Iowa data center used a

[3:10:10] billion gallons, enough to supply all of

[3:10:14] Iowa's homes for 5 days.

[3:10:17] We are in Nevada, the driest state in

[3:10:19] the nation.

[3:10:20] More than half of our ground water

[3:10:22] basins are already over-allocated.

[3:10:26] When they told you water would be

[3:10:27] recycled,

[3:10:29] Microsoft pledged a 95% reduction in

[3:10:32] evaporative water use.

[3:10:34] They then changed their reporting method

[3:10:37] methodology, so the numbers looked

[3:10:39] better.

[3:10:40] Google celebrated replenishment while

[3:10:42] consumption climbed 28% in a single

[3:10:45] year.

[3:10:47] XAI launched a gray water project,

[3:10:50] announced it would only cut aquifer use

[3:10:52] by 9%, and put it on indefinite hold.

[3:10:57] Indefinite hold. That is what their

[3:10:59] promise looks like in practice.

[3:11:02] Now, let me say what no one else will,

[3:11:05] but also a lot of people know.

[3:11:08] This is not just about data centers.

[3:11:10] This is about billionaires deliberately

[3:11:13] engineering a water shortage and

[3:11:15] positioning themselves to profit from

[3:11:18] it. The same executives building these

[3:11:20] facilities are investing in water rights

[3:11:23] and water infrastructure.

[3:11:25] They are not unaware of the scarcity

[3:11:28] they are creating. For some of them, it

[3:11:30] is the plan.

[3:11:32] Secure Secure the ground water now,

[3:11:34] control the resource, sell it back

[3:11:37] later.

[3:11:38] And while that happens, the federal

[3:11:40] government, under pressure from tech

[3:11:42] industry lobbying, moved in 2025 to gut

[3:11:47] clean water act oversight and fast-track

[3:11:50] data center permits. They are not just

[3:11:52] taking the water, they are dismantling

[3:11:55] the laws that would make them answer for

[3:11:57] it. Our community is not a sacrifice

[3:12:00] zone for someone else's investment

[3:12:03] portfolio. We are not against progress,

[3:12:06] we are for accountability.

[3:12:08] We are for binding transparency

[3:12:10] requirements before a permit is signed,

[3:12:12] not after. We are for our neighbors'

[3:12:15] water still being here for their

[3:12:17] children. We are for a future where

[3:12:20] water belongs to the people who live

[3:12:23] here, Ma'am, your time is up.

[3:12:25] >> that has never set foot in Henderson and

[3:12:27] » that has never set foot in Henderson and

[3:12:28] never will. They came today with

[3:12:30] promises and no

[3:12:31] proof.

[3:12:32] >> Thank you.

[3:12:36] Is there another caller? Oh, thank you.

[3:12:39] Hi, my name is Amanda Farrar. I'm a

[3:12:42] resident here in Boulder City, and I

[3:12:43] spoke earlier in the meeting, and I'm

[3:12:46] calling back with uh some further

[3:12:48] comment and information, and I

[3:12:50] appreciate you guys listening to

[3:12:53] everyone's comments tonight. I did some

[3:12:55] research on the size of the estimated uh

[3:12:59] the estimated size of the data center

[3:13:01] buildings that are built on 88.5 acres

[3:13:04] of land, the size of the parcel we're

[3:13:06] discussing, and also research on the

[3:13:08] size of Walmart stores as a comparison.

[3:13:12] And what we're actually considering for

[3:13:14] the gateway to our beautiful Crane Town

[3:13:17] that we're talking about starting with

[3:13:18] two buildings, um but the word building

[3:13:21] is actually a misnomer because the two

[3:13:24] buildings that we're talking about

[3:13:26] together, uh we can actually estimate as

[3:13:29] being the size of 14 regular Walmart

[3:13:32] stores.

[3:13:33] Or, because those stores come at

[3:13:36] different scales, eight very large

[3:13:38] Walmart Supercenters

[3:13:40] or about 35 Walmart Neighborhood Market

[3:13:44] stores.

[3:13:45] That is the scale of

[3:13:48] what would be likely only phase one of

[3:13:52] the data center project uh that is being

[3:13:54] discussed. And on top of having a

[3:13:57] footprint

[3:13:59] of the size of 14 Walmart stores, we are

[3:14:02] talking about a monstrosity

[3:14:05] um that is estimated to be about 40-ft

[3:14:07] tall.

[3:14:09] Um this is incredible. I remember

[3:14:12] about 2 years ago, there was an

[3:14:13] application by a local church for a

[3:14:15] senior apartment complex that was turned

[3:14:17] down because of opposition by

[3:14:19] surrounding neighbors who were concerned

[3:14:22] about what poor elders would do for

[3:14:24] their property values.

[3:14:26] That project was not approved. It was

[3:14:28] not built. Um it was my understanding

[3:14:31] that the input um by neighbors was uh

[3:14:35] was what stopped that project. So, I ask

[3:14:39] why in the world would we recommend a

[3:14:41] massive eyesore that's intermittently

[3:14:45] noisy, creates light pollution, and a

[3:14:47] town where our previous goal was to be a

[3:14:50] dark skies area.

[3:14:52] Uh it creates few jobs. It uses our

[3:14:55] precious water supply. It gives off

[3:14:58] heat.

[3:14:59] It could put enormous strain on our

[3:15:01] power grid uh which would likely raise

[3:15:04] our power bills over time.

[3:15:06] But, in addition to all that, a data

[3:15:08] center is a massive liability for

[3:15:11] Boulder City. Um I've heard that the

[3:15:13] developers haven't done this before.

[3:15:15] There are red flags everywhere,

[3:15:18] and I urge you guys on the planning

[3:15:20] commission uh to listen to all the

[3:15:23] concerns that have been expressed, and

[3:15:25] to recommend against the data center

[3:15:28] project.

[3:15:29] Uh thank Thank for listening.

[3:15:33] Thank you. Is another caller go ahead.

[3:15:36] Public comment go ahead.

[3:15:39] Should I speak now or wait a moment? Oh

[3:15:41] no, go ahead.

[3:15:44] Hello, my name is Carol Schultz as there

[3:15:46] earlier. I did listen to the city

[3:15:49] surveyor speak and he was talking about

[3:15:53] technology and the way we're going and

[3:15:55] we shouldn't miss the the boat. I just

[3:15:58] wanted to say since all this started in

[3:16:00] very short period of time ago,

[3:16:03] I've become a studier of everything data

[3:16:06] centers

[3:16:07] and listening to absolutely everything I

[3:16:10] can, reading everything I possibly can.

[3:16:14] And from what he said, he's completely

[3:16:16] wrong.

[3:16:17] The technology is going the direction of

[3:16:20] quantum compute.

[3:16:22] And let me give you an example of that.

[3:16:24] If you have an army of drones

[3:16:27] and they're

[3:16:28] out there on the war site and someone

[3:16:31] drops a bomb, a dirty bomb inside your

[3:16:34] country on that data at that data

[3:16:36] center,

[3:16:37] all the drones fall out of the sky. But

[3:16:39] with quantum compute, they don't.

[3:16:41] That is the future.

[3:16:43] And 18 to 24 24 months to build one of

[3:16:47] these things, we're going to be that

[3:16:49] much closer to quantum compute. That is

[3:16:52] the way everything is going.

[3:16:54] China's not building data centers.

[3:16:56] France isn't building data centers.

[3:16:59] You know,

[3:17:00] this is just a probability thing going

[3:17:03] on for these big companies.

[3:17:05] And we can find better ways to make

[3:17:07] money out of our valley. Let's be more

[3:17:10] creative.

[3:17:12] But I encourage everybody that's there

[3:17:13] on the commission

[3:17:15] to fact check all of us who've been

[3:17:17] studying the facts from all of the

[3:17:19] papers written by all the colleges and

[3:17:21] all of the special tech companies are

[3:17:23] saying one thing, but they never get

[3:17:25] around to the specifics. And if you read

[3:17:28] the 10-page Harvard paper yourself, it's

[3:17:31] available online.

[3:17:33] Maybe you can say, "This is no way." And

[3:17:35] you can tell the city council, "These

[3:17:37] people are right."

[3:17:39] Thank you for your time. And I only had

[3:17:41] to wait on hold for 30 minutes this

[3:17:43] time. But, you know what? It's better

[3:17:45] than not getting picked up at all. Thank

[3:17:47] you.

[3:17:51] Is there another caller? Uh-huh.

[3:17:53] Go ahead.

[3:17:55] Public comment, go ahead.

[3:17:58] Hi, this is Sharon Newby, Boulder City

[3:18:00] resident. And um

[3:18:02] I just I agree with everything that I've

[3:18:04] heard tonight. And I probably know more

[3:18:06] about data centers than I ever wanted to

[3:18:08] know. I never even heard of one before

[3:18:10] all this started.

[3:18:12] And uh just a couple of things that have

[3:18:14] stood out to me. The fact that they've

[3:18:16] already invested 12.5 million in this

[3:18:19] project, which they have no approval

[3:18:20] for.

[3:18:21] Uh the fact that they're going to get

[3:18:23] water from California or Arizona, that

[3:18:25] was the most ridiculous thing I've ever

[3:18:26] heard. Cuz that we know that comes from

[3:18:28] the Colorado River.

[3:18:29] Um that they have the generators

[3:18:33] and they're only going to do 100 hours a

[3:18:36] year. Well, we just had winds up to how

[3:18:39] much, you know, who knows what's going

[3:18:41] to blow the dirt into these places and

[3:18:44] cause problems all the time.

[3:18:46] And uh the last thing

[3:18:49] I want to thank uh

[3:18:51] Beth and Matt and Steve [clears throat]

[3:18:54] and Shanna and uh Kevin Smith for their

[3:18:58] questions, which were good questions.

[3:19:00] Thank you. And um

[3:19:03] I have so many notes here, I don't even

[3:19:04] know where to go next.

[3:19:06] Um [clears throat]

[3:19:08] Kathleen McGarry, thank you. Thank you

[3:19:11] all for coming and stating your

[3:19:13] opinions. Thank you for listening,

[3:19:15] planning commission. And I hope that you

[3:19:18] decide to deny this petition or whatever

[3:19:21] it is. Thank you.

[3:19:27] Is there another caller?

[3:19:29] Tony?

[3:19:32] Public comment.

[3:19:36] Hello?

[3:19:44] » [clears throat]

[3:19:49] » There's another comment. Okay. Public

[3:19:51] comment, go ahead.

[3:19:53] Oh, hello. Thank you for taking my call.

[3:19:55] This is Julie Kemp. I was also in there

[3:19:57] earlier, and I had to leave, so I was

[3:20:00] listening online, and I heard the

[3:20:01] presentation, and I just wanted to say

[3:20:03] that, I mean, honestly, the presentation

[3:20:05] was so

[3:20:07] Let me turn off the computer. Um

[3:20:09] Uh sorry, could you Do you need to

[3:20:11] Should I repeat myself? No, we can hear

[3:20:13] you.

[3:20:14] Oh, okay. Okay, sorry.

[3:20:16] Um that the presentation was I mean,

[3:20:19] honestly, it was sort of a joke. It

[3:20:20] really did feel like I was listening to,

[3:20:22] you know, kids in, um you know,

[3:20:24] elementary school doing some kind of

[3:20:25] project with It was just so

[3:20:27] unprofessional.

[3:20:29] Um the other thing that comes to mind

[3:20:31] is, um so, my background is in

[3:20:32] information technology, database

[3:20:34] development, and I've also studied

[3:20:35] cybersecurity. And so, I I handle cyber

[3:20:38] awareness training at my company, and

[3:20:40] one of the things that we talk about is,

[3:20:42] you know, when someone calls you on the

[3:20:43] phone, or, you know, you get some kind

[3:20:45] of message on your computer, and and

[3:20:46] they make you feel like this is an

[3:20:47] emergency, you got to take care of this

[3:20:49] right away, that's that's like the first

[3:20:51] sign that there's something wrong. And I

[3:20:53] feel like there's this such a sense of

[3:20:55] urgency with this, like there's some

[3:20:56] kind of emergency. Like, what are we

[3:20:58] trying to fix here? I mean, if if

[3:21:00] Boulder City needs a way to make money,

[3:21:03] which it doesn't sound like there's like

[3:21:04] some emergency, but even if there is,

[3:21:05] hey, you want you guys want to make more

[3:21:08] money, then great. Why don't you get the

[3:21:10] community together, have a have a a town

[3:21:13] hall with the commissioners and the

[3:21:14] planners, and the whole community make

[3:21:17] sure everyone knows about it and have

[3:21:19] have conversation and see what kind of

[3:21:21] ideas the community has for bringing

[3:21:23] different industry to Boulder City that

[3:21:26] fits more in line with

[3:21:28] um

[3:21:29] you know, energy sustainability. Um I

[3:21:31] mean that's I thought the solar panels

[3:21:33] are great that would be something that's

[3:21:34] wonderful for our community. We do we do

[3:21:37] need sustainable energy um and and so

[3:21:40] anyway, those are my thoughts and I do

[3:21:42] hope that you just flat out say no

[3:21:45] because there is some fake emergency

[3:21:46] going on here and I mean I don't even

[3:21:50] know we're hours into this meeting 3

[3:21:52] hours basically mostly of people saying

[3:21:54] no. So if you all vote yes, I I can't

[3:21:57] even imagine why you would vote yes. It

[3:22:00] really makes no sense. So thank you

[3:22:02] again for taking my call.

[3:22:06] Public comment, go ahead.

[3:22:09] My name is Deal Snyder and I'm a 40-year

[3:22:11] resident. I'm glad to hear the planning

[3:22:14] commission asking such good questions.

[3:22:16] If you look at the mechanics of this in

[3:22:18] terms of the resolution,

[3:22:21] um Mr. I believe it's Lambers package

[3:22:24] will be a chance to this as

[3:22:27] part of the package. It's an addendum.

[3:22:29] It's referred to and has become part of

[3:22:32] it. I don't feel that a lot of

[3:22:35] information is correct with warrants not

[3:22:38] passing it. And if you look at the the

[3:22:41] resolution itself, it's almost like a

[3:22:44] counter where the

[3:22:45] planning commission is very unfairly

[3:22:48] driven down a course that leads to only

[3:22:52] several different alternatives.

[3:22:54] The passage of it is based on that this

[3:22:58] data center is similar to

[3:23:01] uh data the um solar fields. And we've

[3:23:05] heard many many comments and including

[3:23:07] from the applicant that shows this isn't

[3:23:09] at all like the solar fields. So, to

[3:23:13] pass the resolution based on it being

[3:23:16] similar to the solar fields,

[3:23:19] I feel would be a mistake. And I

[3:23:22] appreciate all the comments. I agree

[3:23:24] with everybody. And I want to note that

[3:23:26] I've been here the whole time and

[3:23:29] telephonically, just like a

[3:23:30] councilperson

[3:23:32] appearing telephonically, I feel that

[3:23:35] I've been at the meeting if I raise um

[3:23:38] any kind of appeal or other matter

[3:23:40] relating to it. Thanks very much, and I

[3:23:43] appreciate the comments of the planning

[3:23:44] commission.

[3:23:48] Another call.

[3:23:49] Thank you. All right, we'll take the

[3:23:50] next caller.

[3:23:54] Public comment.

[3:23:57] Hello. It's My name's Robert Green. I

[3:24:00] just wanted to

[3:24:02] say what I think

[3:24:04] about the data center so far. I've

[3:24:06] watched videos like news reports of

[3:24:09] communities

[3:24:11] that place these in, and they're half

[3:24:12] struggling with their water supply.

[3:24:15] They're also struggling

[3:24:17] with their water becoming dirty water.

[3:24:19] What I think about this town so far,

[3:24:23] with their whole wanting to put this

[3:24:25] data center in, it's going to absolutely

[3:24:28] destroy our town

[3:24:30] by sucking up the water. They tell

[3:24:32] people that they can't water their

[3:24:35] plants, wash their grass within a

[3:24:37] certain time because of a drought, but

[3:24:40] they want to put in something that will

[3:24:42] suck up our water. They'll They want to

[3:24:45] put in something that has been shown to

[3:24:46] produce a bunch of heat. They want put

[3:24:49] in something that has been shown

[3:24:51] over and over

[3:24:53] to ruin communities. That is the only

[3:24:55] thing I wanted to say.

[3:24:58] Have a good day.

[3:25:02] Thank you. Is there another caller?

[3:25:07] What?

[3:25:09] You.

[3:25:13] Anybody else wishing to speak during

[3:25:15] this public hearing?

[3:25:26] I came just to listen tonight. My name's

[3:25:28] Anita Froystad. I came here just to

[3:25:30] listen tonight, but I just felt I needed

[3:25:33] to get up and say something.

[3:25:36] Why are we putting it on our shoulders?

[3:25:38] And maybe we should put it back on their

[3:25:39] shoulders that they should come up with

[3:25:40] a better product.

[3:25:42] And maybe they should spend some of

[3:25:44] their money

[3:25:45] on something that works a little better

[3:25:48] that doesn't cause all the issues that

[3:25:49] it is. And my other thought is

[3:25:52] and I've lived here since I have owned

[3:25:54] my home since '77.

[3:25:57] If something comes up, and I love

[3:25:59] Boulder City, I brag about it to

[3:26:00] everybody.

[3:26:02] Um

[3:26:03] if something would come up where it

[3:26:05] turns into a

[3:26:07] a

[3:26:09] health issue our property's going to go

[3:26:11] down.

[3:26:12] It could just we could be a little ghost

[3:26:14] town.

[3:26:15] I mean, this is a big issue

[3:26:17] as far as I'm concerned.

[3:26:19] And I just think I just needed to say

[3:26:22] that.

[3:26:23] Thank you, Anita.

[3:26:34] Hi, Karen Newcomer again.

[3:26:36] Um I just wanted to say that

[3:26:39] Boulder City is a lovely town now.

[3:26:43] And it's it's listening to all these

[3:26:44] people and their reasons and

[3:26:46] it just makes me

[3:26:48] think that

[3:26:50] Boulder City should be continued to be

[3:26:52] continued to be known as the home of the

[3:26:53] Hoover Dam and not this town that

[3:26:55] capitulated to this nightmare.

[3:26:58] Thank you.

[3:27:00] I guess.

[3:27:01] Any other

[3:27:03] members of the audience wishing to speak

[3:27:05] during public hearing?

[3:27:10] Any caller?

[3:27:12] We'll wait for the 30-second delay to

[3:27:15] give people at home a chance to call in

[3:27:17] before I close the public hearing.

[3:27:35] You think it's up?

[3:27:36] You think my 30 seconds is up? Okay.

[3:27:39] Seeing and hearing none, I'll close this

[3:27:42] public hearing.

[3:27:45] Okay. Prior to um opening up to the

[3:27:48] commission, I

[3:27:51] I want to make a couple points of

[3:27:52] clarification.

[3:27:54] Just based on

[3:27:56] the numerous comment comments I've

[3:27:57] heard. First, I want to thank everybody

[3:27:59] for being here, staying 3 hours,

[3:28:01] offering your input. Um it's very

[3:28:04] appreciated. Um we we hear you. Um

[3:28:08] that's part of the process. So, I

[3:28:10] appreciate your passion and you sticking

[3:28:13] this out. But, I do want to make a

[3:28:15] couple points of clarification. Number

[3:28:18] one is um just to remind everybody all

[3:28:21] of us up here are volunteers. We are not

[3:28:23] paid anything. We're not paid for being

[3:28:25] here, and we're certainly not paid by

[3:28:26] any applicant. I want to make that very

[3:28:28] clear. Um we are here because we care

[3:28:31] about this community. We live here. And

[3:28:33] you have to live here in order to be on

[3:28:35] the commission. And if we didn't care

[3:28:36] about the community, just like you, we

[3:28:38] wouldn't be up here. Not only do many of

[3:28:41] us serve on this commission, we do many

[3:28:42] other things in the community because we

[3:28:44] love it, just like you do.

[3:28:46] I wanted to also reiterate what um

[3:28:49] Deputy City Manager May said about the

[3:28:51] land management process. I heard several

[3:28:53] comments regarding how the council did

[3:28:54] not listen to you. And I just want to

[3:28:57] make it clear that the council

[3:28:59] forwarding the application to the

[3:29:01] planning commission is not approval of

[3:29:02] the project. It's not support of the

[3:29:04] project. What it does is the the land

[3:29:07] management plan

[3:29:09] does exactly what it did tonight and

[3:29:11] that is give all of you the opportunity

[3:29:13] to have input. It's whole purpose was to

[3:29:17] give the public the opportunity to have

[3:29:20] input before it was approved. So, this

[3:29:23] whole notion and I'm not here to defend

[3:29:26] the council's actions, but I'm trying to

[3:29:29] um clarify the process.

[3:29:32] The council forwarding it Well, first of

[3:29:35] all, let me just back up.

[3:29:37] The company

[3:29:38] has been a great community partner since

[3:29:40] the day they walked in city hall. I want

[3:29:41] to reiterate that. They are um the

[3:29:44] utmost professionals and them coming to

[3:29:47] the city to say, "Hey, yes, we have this

[3:29:51] land, but

[3:29:53] here's an opportunity for the city as

[3:29:55] well as us to to do something with it

[3:29:58] that's different. That yes, it is

[3:30:00] lucrative more lucrative for them. It's

[3:30:02] more lucrative for us.

[3:30:04] They had to The city couldn't shoot it

[3:30:07] down before it came to you. You have to

[3:30:11] operate in a public setting where all

[3:30:14] the discussions and all the decisions

[3:30:16] are made out in the open. That is the

[3:30:18] purpose of this process. I hate to see

[3:30:20] people thinking that the council's doing

[3:30:22] something nefarious when they are doing

[3:30:24] exactly what the city code has told them

[3:30:27] to do and that's what we are doing as

[3:30:29] well. This is your the whole the land

[3:30:32] management plan was for us, the

[3:30:35] citizens. So,

[3:30:38] and and you

[3:30:40] showed up. So, kudos to that.

[3:30:43] Um

[3:30:47] I'm going to

[3:30:51] save I have a couple more comments but

[3:30:53] I'm going to save them. I'll let other

[3:30:55] planning commissioners speak.

[3:30:58] I just want to address I think it's

[3:31:00] great everybody came out. I've been on

[3:31:02] the planning commission for going on my

[3:31:04] eighth year and it makes it a lot better

[3:31:06] when you guys come in and you interject

[3:31:08] and you help. I think

[3:31:09] you know, we are just the first step.

[3:31:11] You know, the city council is the next

[3:31:13] step where everybody needs to show up.

[3:31:15] Um little disappointed we had we went on

[3:31:18] for so long looking at the audience

[3:31:20] we've lost half of the people

[3:31:22] that didn't even stick around for the

[3:31:23] vote. So I know that everybody's

[3:31:25] passionate they want to say something

[3:31:28] but just listen to the people ahead of

[3:31:29] you and make sure that we're just not

[3:31:31] repeating the same thing over and over

[3:31:33] and over

[3:31:34] and and we want everybody you know, you

[3:31:36] get to sign a

[3:31:37] petition. You show up. You show your

[3:31:39] face but it's like I felt like we kind

[3:31:42] of lost our momentum for you guys but

[3:31:44] you know, the passion and everything is

[3:31:45] there. We appreciate that and we

[3:31:47] appreciate everybody taking time out of

[3:31:49] their their schedules and researching

[3:31:52] and everything else. So thank you guys

[3:31:54] for that.

[3:31:58] Any other comments from the

[3:31:59] commissioners? Okay, I just I just

[3:32:02] go ahead Steve. Yes. Yeah, I just want

[3:32:04] to chime in

[3:32:05] and again express my appreciation for

[3:32:08] everyone that showed up tonight and and

[3:32:10] this is the process, right? Having this

[3:32:12] opportunity to come and let your voice

[3:32:14] be heard and and it's the beginning of

[3:32:16] this process and what I would add is

[3:32:20] that I hope everyone recognizes that the

[3:32:22] vote tonight is is not an endorsement or

[3:32:25] a denial of of this project itself. The

[3:32:28] authority of this commission is to

[3:32:31] determine whether or not the applicant

[3:32:33] has met the threshold of being included

[3:32:36] in the land management process.

[3:32:38] And arguably that is a very subjective

[3:32:41] threshold. It's a low one.

[3:32:43] It's a low threshold honestly but it is

[3:32:46] the beginning if you if you read the

[3:32:49] Boulder City code and and and assistant

[3:32:53] city manager Maze

[3:32:55] referenced this, but the purpose is to

[3:32:57] ensure effective and sound practices

[3:33:00] surrounding the management of city-owned

[3:33:02] real estate. It is the first step

[3:33:04] towards determining the viability of the

[3:33:08] of the lease of city property in this

[3:33:10] instance or the sale. In this instance,

[3:33:13] it's the lease of city property. So,

[3:33:15] again, this vote is simply to determine

[3:33:18] whether or not this project goes on the

[3:33:21] land management process.

[3:33:24] It's not an endorsement. It It's It's

[3:33:26] not stating that this project is even

[3:33:29] going to be successful. Many of the

[3:33:31] concerns, I believe, that were mentioned

[3:33:34] tonight could be

[3:33:36] reconciled contractually.

[3:33:40] Who stands in in the authority to do

[3:33:43] that? The city. The city is the

[3:33:45] landlord. The city can dictate the terms

[3:33:49] by which this project has to adhere to.

[3:33:52] And so, many of those concerns can be

[3:33:55] resolved contractually. Some of them

[3:33:57] will never be, granted. And and I

[3:33:59] appreciate everyone for sharing those

[3:34:02] feelings,

[3:34:03] many of which cannot be reconciled by

[3:34:06] this body at all. Some people will never

[3:34:09] be convinced that a data center is good.

[3:34:12] Some people will never be convinced to

[3:34:14] the opposite. That's just how it works.

[3:34:17] But, this is the process and I applaud

[3:34:19] you for coming here, spending the time

[3:34:22] to let your voice be heard, and I

[3:34:24] promise you that it is being heard and

[3:34:27] the city council will hear it. But, it's

[3:34:31] important to understand what this

[3:34:32] process is and what it is not.

[3:34:37] Thank you, Commissioner Morris. Does

[3:34:38] anybody else have any comments?

[3:34:41] I just you know, at the end of the day

[3:34:43] it was like we're

[3:34:44] we're

[3:34:45] voting on whether it's the proper use of

[3:34:46] the the

[3:34:48] land and we're we're going to change

[3:34:50] what it's going to be. And I think

[3:34:52] everybody, you know,

[3:34:54] thought it was going to be for solar

[3:34:55] battery storage and now it's going to be

[3:34:56] for something else. It's kind of reminds

[3:34:58] me of, you know, when the church came in

[3:35:00] front of us and wanted to do something

[3:35:02] besides a church. They wanted to do

[3:35:04] low-income housing. It all sounds like a

[3:35:06] great idea.

[3:35:07] But

[3:35:09] you know, basically we're we're voting

[3:35:10] to change the use of that that property.

[3:35:16] Thank you, Commissioner Red. I'll just

[3:35:17] make one more comment and then we can

[3:35:20] call for a vote.

[3:35:21] Um

[3:35:23] like Commissioner Morris said, our job

[3:35:25] is determine if a data center would be

[3:35:28] appropriate on that land. If there was a

[3:35:30] data center, do I think that that land

[3:35:32] would be the place to put it?

[3:35:33] Absolutely. But with that being said,

[3:35:36] also I want people to remember that it's

[3:35:38] important that the city, regardless of

[3:35:40] you if you're very opposed to a project

[3:35:42] or you are in favor of it, it's

[3:35:44] important to consider, you know,

[3:35:45] somebody said we need to be creative.

[3:35:47] This is a process where people bring

[3:35:48] their ideas forward and you can be

[3:35:51] totally against them or all in favor of

[3:35:53] them, but

[3:35:54] that's what this, you know, this

[3:35:55] company's trying to do. However, you

[3:35:58] know, this is the hottest topic, one of

[3:36:00] the hottest topics in the country

[3:36:03] on top of our hottest topic is our lack

[3:36:06] of water.

[3:36:07] And regardless of how I personally feel

[3:36:09] about the project or the applicant, this

[3:36:12] town is not ready. It's not and I don't

[3:36:15] I want to see the applicant be

[3:36:16] successful and I want Boulder City to be

[3:36:19] successful. I don't think that can

[3:36:21] happen right now. I think there needs to

[3:36:23] be

[3:36:24] I think we need to be proactive by

[3:36:26] creating policies, laws, codes,

[3:36:29] whatever.

[3:36:30] Um

[3:36:31] so people know we're not just reacting

[3:36:34] to and you know, the land management

[3:36:35] process is transparent, but there should

[3:36:38] be

[3:36:39] more structure, in my opinion. There's

[3:36:42] several success stories out there

[3:36:45] um with data centers operating all over.

[3:36:47] You don't hear them because people

[3:36:49] aren't vocal about things that are

[3:36:51] running smoothly. They're vocal when

[3:36:52] there's

[3:36:54] they're afraid of changing their

[3:36:55] community, something changing their

[3:36:56] community, or

[3:36:58] um

[3:36:59] that type of thing. So,

[3:37:02] I um

[3:37:05] again, once again, thank you guys for

[3:37:06] your input, and I will entertain a

[3:37:09] motion.

[3:37:13] I'll recommend I'll recommend denial of

[3:37:16] resolution 1280.

[3:37:18] Second.

[3:37:20] All those in favor?

[3:37:22] I. I.

[3:37:23] Any opposed? Nay.

[3:37:26] Motion carries.

[3:37:29] » [applause]

[3:37:37] » Uh

[3:37:37] >> [applause]

[3:37:37] » [applause]

[3:37:37] >> item number four.

[3:37:39] » item number four.

[3:37:39] Item number four is um a monthly

[3:37:41] allotment.

[3:37:43] No report.

[3:37:45] Thank you, Nakisha. And our final item

[3:37:47] is public comment. This public comment

[3:37:50] can be about any matter. I will now open

[3:37:52] the public comment.

[3:37:57] I am.

[3:37:59] Two or three times, right?

[3:38:01] Did you say right now is the public

[3:38:03] comment for Yes, and it can be a on any

[3:38:05] um topic. Okay. Johnna Malor. I just

[3:38:08] want to say thank you.

[3:38:10] Really. Thank you, Johnna. Have a good

[3:38:12] night.

[3:38:16] Cheryl Belob, and I just want to say

[3:38:17] thank you to all of you who voted nay.

[3:38:30] Kathleen McGarrity, I want to thank you

[3:38:33] all wholeheartedly and I want to say

[3:38:35] that many consider this a miracle.

[3:38:38] So,

[3:38:39] I am humbled to be wrong and I want to

[3:38:42] apologize to you for my doubt and I

[3:38:44] thank you wholeheartedly. Thank you

[3:38:46] sincerely.

[3:38:52] Adam Schultheis, what a joy. You didn't

[3:38:55] sell your soul to the devil, accept

[3:38:57] Steve Morris.

[3:39:05] Any other public comment?

[3:39:09] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And my

[3:39:10] cousin in Milwaukee thanks you, too.

[3:39:18] All right. I know you all want to go

[3:39:19] home. Thank you. Have a good night. We

[3:39:21] appreciate all you do.

[3:39:27] Brandon Smith, for the record. Thank

[3:39:29] you. Thank you. Thank you. Um, you guys

[3:39:32] will be the commission

[3:39:34] that goes on to um

[3:39:36] set the bar pretty high going forward.

[3:39:39] Thank you for your consideration.

[3:39:47] I'll take the caller.

[3:39:51] Public comment, go ahead.

[3:39:53] Hi, my name is Tommy Love. Um, I just

[3:39:56] wanted to say thank you for listening to

[3:39:58] us and hearing us. Um, and I'm really

[3:40:00] impressed that everybody got to spoke

[3:40:02] up, but that is the point is even if we

[3:40:05] are repeating ourselves, even if

[3:40:07] multiple people are saying the same

[3:40:09] thing, the point is to make sure that

[3:40:12] our voices are heard as individuals.

[3:40:15] Um, so I'm really proud of everybody's

[3:40:16] for speaking up today, even though it

[3:40:18] took your guys's time. Thank you so

[3:40:19] much.

[3:40:27] Any other callers, Madam City Clerk?

[3:40:32] Oh, yeah.

[3:40:36] Public comment, go ahead.

[3:40:38] I just want to say thank you guys on the

[3:40:40] the Planning Commission um

[3:40:42] for denying that and shame on those of

[3:40:45] you that actually said yes for it.

[3:40:49] Ridiculous for those of you. Thank you.

[3:40:51] >> Can you state your name for the record,

[3:40:53] » Can you state your name for the record,

[3:40:53] please?

[3:40:57] Public comment, go ahead.

[3:40:59] >> [laughter]

[3:41:00] » [laughter]

[3:41:00] >> Yeah, Neil Sonnenberg and

[3:41:01] » Yeah, Neil Sonnenberg and

[3:41:01] thanks so much for voting this down.

[3:41:04] Everybody felt very strongly about it. I

[3:41:06] just want to point out in operating the

[3:41:08] Planning Commission because I did serve

[3:41:10] as chair of the Planning Commission.

[3:41:13] It's important that all understand the

[3:41:16] mechanics of it. This wasn't about

[3:41:19] whether to put it forward or not. The

[3:41:22] only thing tasked to the Planning

[3:41:24] Commission was to determine whether the

[3:41:27] data center

[3:41:29] was similar to the solar farm. That was

[3:41:32] it. And I'm sorry that that was missed

[3:41:35] and maybe a class could be held, but I

[3:41:38] appreciate all of you in analyzing all

[3:41:40] of this. Thanks very much.

[3:41:50] Oh, I was already checked out. Sorry.

[3:41:52] [laughter] Any other public comment?

[3:41:59] Seeing any

[3:42:02] Is there a caller? Seeing and hearing

[3:42:05] none, meeting adjourned.

[3:42:20] » It's 12.

[3:42:24] I'm sorry.

May 20, 2026, Planning Commission Meeting

Transcript