[0:00] We're going to uh convene as the Bud
[0:02] County Commission. Uh
[0:05] we will start with the pledge of
[0:06] allegiance. Just so you know, we'll have
[0:08] flags in the back that we will face.
[0:10] There is an American flag behind us. If
[0:11] you will face that, all please rise.
[0:19] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
[0:22] United States of America and to the
[0:25] republic for which it stands, one nation
[0:29] under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[0:33] justice for all.
[0:42] » All right, we have our uh general
[0:44] business. We have orders presented by
[0:47] our county clerk.
[0:49] >> Make a motion to accept the orders
[0:50] presented by the clerk as presented.
[0:52] >> Second.
[0:53] >> Got a motion. Second. All in favor say
[0:54] I.
[0:54] >> I.
[0:57] >> Uh we have our edit registers as
[0:58] presented by the county clerk.
[1:00] >> All right. Make a motion to accept the
[1:02] edit registries as presented.
[1:03] >> Second.
[1:04] >> Got a motion second. All in favor say I.
[1:06] >> I. I.
[1:07] >> We have our prior meeting minutes. Any
[1:09] corrections?
[1:11] >> Nope.
[1:12] Make a motion to accept the prior
[1:14] meeting minutes as presented.
[1:15] >> Second.
[1:16] >> Got a motion second. All in favor say I.
[1:18] >> I.
[1:19] >> Did not see erroneous assessments or
[1:21] combined ads. We do have our personnel
[1:23] and payroll orders.
[1:23] >> All right. Make a motion to approve the
[1:26] personnel and payroll orders as
[1:27] presented.
[1:28] >> Second.
[1:29] >> Got a motion second. All in favor say I.
[1:30] >> I.
[1:31] >> We have our bills.
[1:32] >> All right. Make a motion to accept the
[1:34] bills as presented.
[1:35] >> Second.
[1:36] >> Got a motion second. All in favor say I.
[1:38] >> I.
[1:39] >> The state settlements fuciary orders.
[1:41] Just need an off just need a motion
[1:43] authorizing the president to sign off on
[1:45] the estate settlement and fiduciary
[1:46] orders.
[1:47] >> Make a motion for commission president
[1:49] to sign all necessary documents for the
[1:51] estates and fiduciary orders as
[1:53] presented.
[1:54] >> Second.
[1:54] >> Got a motion second. All in favor say I.
[1:56] >> I. I.
[1:57] >> All right. And we will come back to
[2:00] budget revisions and board appointments.
[2:03] So for those that don't normally come to
[2:05] our meeting, uh we do have one board
[2:08] interview scheduled. So, we will take a
[2:10] uh short executive session break to do
[2:12] this interview and then we will come
[2:14] back into executive session. Should be
[2:16] roughly 5 to 7 minutes. With that, I'll
[2:18] entertain a motion to go in executive
[2:19] session for purpose of board interview.
[2:21] >> Make a motion to go into executive
[2:22] session.
[2:23] >> Second.
[2:24] >> Got a motion to second. All in favor say
[2:25] I.
[2:25] >> I.
[2:28] Sure.
[2:34] Heat. Heat.
[3:37] [laughter]
[3:38] Yeah.
[3:42] Heat.
[3:52] Yeah.
[4:03] Hallelujah.
[4:21] Heat.
[4:31] Heat.
[5:02] Yeah.
[5:07] Heat.
[7:35] Yeah.
[7:44] Heat.
[8:15] Yeah.
[8:17] Heat.
[8:30] Heat.
[9:09] All right, I'll entertain A motion to
[9:11] come back into regular session.
[9:12] >> All right. Make a motion to come into uh
[9:14] regular session.
[9:15] >> Second.
[9:16] >> Got a motion to second. All those in
[9:17] favor say I.
[9:18] >> I.
[9:19] >> All right. Ready?
[9:21] >> Yep.
[9:22] >> All right. I'd like to make a motion to
[9:26] uh appoint Sherry OD to the Putnham
[9:29] County uh
[9:31] >> tourism to the Putnham County Tourism
[9:34] Board uh to be effective August 25th for
[9:38] a term to expire on June 30th of 2029.
[9:42] >> Second.
[9:42] >> Got a motion second. All those in favor
[9:44] say I.
[9:45] >> I.
[9:47] >> Okay.
[9:50] >> Thank you guys. We'll get to Sherry
[9:52] Cherry, we'll send you the packet
[9:55] afterwards.
[9:55] >> Okay. Okay. Thanks.
[9:57] >> I'd also like to make a motion to
[9:59] appoint Richard Bowen uh to the Putham
[10:02] County Board of Zoning and Appeals
[10:04] effective August 25th, 2026 and a term
[10:07] to expire on January 1st of 2027.
[10:10] >> Second.
[10:12] >> Got a motion second. All in favor say I.
[10:13] I.
[10:41] All right, for our agenda items, we have
[10:43] a proclamation for Putnham County Goes
[10:46] Purple, the Hope Dealer Project.
[10:48] Is there anyone here from the project?
[10:54] Okay, we'll go ahead and uh read the
[10:56] resolution.
[10:57] >> Okay,
[10:59] [clears throat] excuse me. Proclamation
[11:01] Putham County goes purple, the Hope
[11:03] Dealer Project, September 2026.
[11:06] Whereas the National Recovery Month is
[11:09] held every September to increase
[11:10] awareness and understanding of mental
[11:13] and substance abuse disorders and to
[11:15] celebrate those in recovery for their
[11:17] strength and perseverance. hand. Whereas
[11:20] the color purple has been utilized to
[11:22] symbolize
[11:25] the struggle taking place in communities
[11:27] across the country as individuals,
[11:29] families, healthc care providers, and
[11:31] law enforcement agencies face the
[11:33] growing crisis of opioid abuse. And
[11:37] whereas Putnham County goes purple is an
[11:39] awareness campaign focused on
[11:41] prevention, treatment, and recovery
[11:43] resources available in the community and
[11:45] will you emphasize the role local
[11:48] agencies play in combating this
[11:50] epidemic. And whereas Putnham County
[11:54] goes purple strives to promote
[11:55] conversations around the dangers of
[11:58] substance misuse and abuse and
[12:00] encourages a community to take a stand
[12:02] against it. And now therefore, the
[12:05] Putnham County Commission in the state
[12:06] of West Virginia does hereby proclaim
[12:09] the month of September 2026 to be
[12:12] Putinham County goes purple in the
[12:14] county of Putnham and call upon the
[12:16] people of Putnham County to observe this
[12:18] month with appropriate programs,
[12:20] activities, and ceremonies. And now
[12:23] therefore, be it resolved that we, the
[12:25] county commission of Putnham County,
[12:26] West Virginia, in the state of West
[12:28] Virginia, do hereby proclaim September
[12:30] 2026 as Putnham County goes purple
[12:34] National Recovery Month
[12:36] in Putnham County and encourage all
[12:38] citizens to join in this observance. The
[12:41] Putham County Commission encourages the
[12:43] community to wear purple, light up their
[12:44] homes or business with with purple
[12:46] lights, tie a purple rabbin, excuse me,
[12:50] tie a purple ribbon on their tree,
[12:52] fence, or door, make a purple heart
[12:55] display, or get creative and display
[12:58] purple another way. Dated this 25th day
[13:01] of August, 2026, and signed by each of
[13:04] the county commissioners.
[13:05] >> Thank you, Larry. So, kind of following
[13:08] up that uh discussion and possible
[13:10] decision to approve Putham County's
[13:12] application for opioid settlement funds.
[13:15] Uh the county has been in receipt of
[13:17] opioid funds and early on we had
[13:20] committed $250,000 to Marshall
[13:23] University to be part of a leverage up
[13:26] into a larger project. They were
[13:28] applying for a grant to uh help things
[13:31] regionally. uh Putnham County as well as
[13:33] a few other counties had uh joined in in
[13:36] setting aside those funds. Uh we were
[13:39] informed by Dr. Franks with Marshall
[13:41] that their application was rejected. So
[13:44] therefore we have $250,000 in of opioid
[13:47] funds that can be spent towards
[13:49] treatment. Um in talking to Dr. Matthew
[13:52] Christensen who is the region 5
[13:55] represent uh representative for the West
[13:58] Virginia First Foundation which holds
[14:00] most of the opioid money. He said region
[14:02] 5 has a expert panel that can review
[14:05] applications and as they come in. So
[14:08] what we're looking to do now is uh
[14:10] establish an application that uh
[14:13] entities can apply for uh for treatment
[14:16] and we can send it off to uh that expert
[14:19] panel for review and comments back uh
[14:22] just so we can make sure that the the
[14:24] money opioid funds will be spent
[14:27] appropriately.
[14:29] Um, commissioners, you've had that
[14:31] application submitted to you for review.
[14:33] Do you have any comments or questions?
[14:36] >> No, sir. I do not.
[14:38] >> No, sir.
[14:39] >> Okay. Um, with that, uh, if we do
[14:43] approve this application, uh, county
[14:45] manager, I'd ask that you would have it
[14:47] available on the website and that we can
[14:49] make it public for we can start
[14:51] receiving those applications and send
[14:53] them off for the expert panel to review.
[14:56] Right.
[14:57] Make a motion to uh accept the
[14:59] applications for the overall funds as
[15:02] presented.
[15:02] >> Second.
[15:03] >> Got a motion to second. All those in
[15:04] favor say I. I.
[15:05] >> I.
[15:08] » All right. Next up, County Manager Tim
[15:10] Hannah.
[15:12] >> All right. So, what I have today is the
[15:14] bid opening for the Pman County
[15:16] Recycling Bin fencing uh project. Um,
[15:20] looks like we've received uh three bids
[15:23] to uh to purchase and install a fence
[15:26] around some uh incoming uh recycling
[15:29] bins that are be housed behind the
[15:31] sheriff's department. So, the uh the
[15:33] first bid is
[15:44] it's from Ballard Fence Company.
[15:49] Looks like they have
[15:54] all their required documentation and
[15:57] their bid comes in at 18,200.
[16:05] The next
[16:07] is from BPI Incorporated.
[16:21] Looks like they have all their required
[16:23] documentation as well. Um, their bid is
[16:27] for $48,493.
[16:36] And the final bid is from CJ Hughes
[16:39] Construction.
[16:58] Looks like they have their required
[16:59] documentation and their bid comes back
[17:01] at $37,562.
[17:08] That's all the bids I've received.
[17:10] So, if you guys wouldn't mind, I need a
[17:13] uh a motion to approve the apparent low
[17:17] bidder for the project
[17:19] >> and pending staff staff review.
[17:21] >> Correct.
[17:22] >> Okay. Make a motion to approve the low
[17:25] bidder uh pending staff review of
[17:28] Ballard Fencing.
[17:30] >> Second.
[17:30] >> Got a motion second. All in favor say I.
[17:32] >> I.
[17:37] » All right. We have the Kuster Ridge
[17:39] waterline project status and update and
[17:41] resolutions for payment. We have
[17:43] somebody from regional intergovernmental
[17:45] council here.
[17:48] Are they Were you given anything to
[17:49] present?
[17:50] >> No, I ain't giving anything.
[17:51] >> Okay.
[17:53] All right. We will move past that.
[17:57] So, next up we have a Putin County
[17:59] Planning Commission resoning request.
[18:02] Melissa, sorry.
[18:13] Good evening everyone.
[18:14] >> Evening.
[18:26] This is resoning request 2026-4
[18:34] for Valda Court Farm Limited
[18:36] Partnership. Desires to reszone tax map
[18:40] 172 parcels 2 and three in Winfield from
[18:44] RR rural residential district to C2
[18:48] highdensity commercial district. The
[18:51] request should be considered in
[18:52] accordance with chapter 8A of the West
[18:55] Virginia code, Putnham County's adopted
[18:58] plans, and the adopted zoning ordinance.
[19:02] The applicable planning documents
[19:03] include the comprehensive plan reference
[19:07] attachment A, the 35 corridor management
[19:10] plan, reference attachment B, and the
[19:13] Taz Valley land use plan attachment C.
[19:16] Full copies of each of these are at the
[19:18] president's seat.
[19:21] Article 150 of the zoning ordinance
[19:24] defines an amendment while article 2000
[19:27] establishes resoning procedures.
[19:30] The RR district provisions are included
[19:33] as attachment D and are intended to
[19:36] establish low density residential areas
[19:39] consisting of single family dwellings
[19:42] and compatible uses. The C2 district
[19:45] provisions are included as attachment E
[19:48] and are intended to provide a wide range
[19:51] of commercial uses requiring convenient
[19:54] automobile and truck access.
[19:57] The timeline and facts section of your
[19:59] summary discusses the specifics.
[20:03] In February 2005, the property deed was
[20:07] recorded in the Putnham County Clerk's
[20:09] Office. A copy is included as attachment
[20:13] F. The deed states that the parcels
[20:16] contain a total of 305 acres. However,
[20:19] this figure does not account for acreage
[20:22] acquired from the US 35 rightway.
[20:25] Current county assessment records
[20:27] indicate approximately 288 acres.
[20:32] April 4th of this year, a resoning
[20:34] application was submitted. A disclo the
[20:38] disclos excuse me the disclosure
[20:40] statement with the application is in
[20:42] attachment G.
[20:45] A current zoning map is included as
[20:47] attachment H.
[20:50] Yellow is RR, purple is I1, red is C2,
[20:56] and blue is IOP.
[20:58] Surrounding properties and zoning are as
[21:01] follows. You'll see tax map 162 parcel
[21:05] 51. It's 141 acres also owned by Va
[21:10] Court and assessed as a farm extending
[21:13] from Canal River south of the US 35. It
[21:17] includes I1 between the Canal River and
[21:20] Winfield Road, RR in the southernmost
[21:23] portion and C2 over the majority of the
[21:26] property.
[21:28] 1729.1
[21:30] 28 acres to the south zoned RR and used
[21:34] as a private residence.
[21:37] 1729
[21:39] 66 acres of woodlands to the south zoned
[21:42] RR.
[21:44] 17210
[21:46] 40 acres of woodlands to the south zoned
[21:49] RR
[21:51] 1724.2
[21:53] 2 32 acres of woodlands to the southeast
[21:57] zoned IOP
[21:59] and 1724
[22:01] 95 acres zoned C2 previously used as a
[22:05] golf course extending from US Route 35
[22:08] to the Canal River.
[22:11] If approved, the resoning would create a
[22:13] continuous area of C2 and industrial
[22:16] zone property between the existing
[22:18] zoning districts rather than maintaining
[22:21] the present RR separation.
[22:24] The subject parcels have approximately
[22:27] 2500 linear feet of frontage along
[22:29] Winfield Road, 2400 ft along Route 35,
[22:34] and 2700 ft along the Canal River.
[22:39] The rights of ways for Winfield Road and
[22:41] US35 divide each subject parcel into
[22:44] three sections. Parcel 2 contains
[22:47] approximately 13 acres between Winfield
[22:49] Road and the Canal River, 84 acres
[22:52] between Winfield Road and 35, and 60
[22:55] acres south of 35. Parcel 3 contains
[22:59] approximately 10 acres between Winfield
[23:01] Road and the Canal River, 79 acres
[23:04] between Winfield Road and Route 35, and
[23:07] 42 acres south of 35.
[23:10] These estimates are approximately 288
[23:14] acres, consistent with the current
[23:16] county assessment records.
[23:18] Attachment I are photographs of the
[23:21] property and aerial imagery. FEMA's
[23:24] mapped 100-year flood plane and floodway
[23:26] are located within the site's
[23:28] boundaries. See attachment J.
[23:32] DOT traffic data indicates that traffic
[23:35] volumes on Route 817,
[23:37] which is an 80 foot wide roadway, have
[23:40] declined significantly due to completion
[23:43] of the 35 project, resulting in
[23:46] underutilization of a roadway capable of
[23:48] accommodating higher volumes.
[23:52] The subject land is approximately 1,200
[23:55] f feet from a tiff district. Attachment
[23:58] K shows the existing tiff in yellow.
[24:02] Water service is available through West
[24:04] Virginia American. This property will
[24:07] have a sewer service um available along
[24:11] Winfield Road once sewer easements are
[24:13] finalized and the current sewer
[24:15] expansion project complete.
[24:18] On June 25th, the planning commission
[24:21] held a public hearing for the subject
[24:23] application.
[24:25] Public comments received are detailed in
[24:27] Roman numeral six of your packet. After
[24:30] closing the public hearing, the planning
[24:32] commission deliberated and unanimously
[24:35] re recommended approval citing the
[24:38] creation of a continuous C2 and
[24:40] industrially zoned area, elimination of
[24:44] the existing RR zoning separation, and
[24:47] the parcel's substantial frontage along
[24:49] Route 35 and Winfield Road. That same
[24:53] evening, staff did verbally announce
[24:55] that this application would be presented
[24:57] tonight.
[24:58] On July 9th and 16th, legal
[25:01] advertisement for the subject resoning
[25:03] request and tonight's meeting was
[25:05] published in the Hurricane Breeze. On
[25:08] July 17, abuing land owners within 250
[25:11] ft were sent certified notice of
[25:13] tonight's agenda. Planning Commission
[25:16] attendees who provided a mailing address
[25:18] but were outside the 250 foot area were
[25:22] notified by regular mail. Signs were
[25:24] posted on site August 18. To date, the
[25:28] only public comments received were
[25:30] during the public commission the public
[25:32] hearing at the planning commission.
[25:35] Spot zoning is recognized as a zoning
[25:37] amendment that is invalid because it is
[25:39] inconsistent with a comprehensive or
[25:41] well-considered plan. A resoning
[25:44] decision should not be based on a
[25:46] specific proposed use. Rather, the
[25:49] application should be evaluated based on
[25:51] the permitted uses of the requested
[25:53] zoning classification.
[25:55] If approved, the land owner would be
[25:57] entitled to any permitted C2 use just as
[26:00] the property is currently entitled to
[26:03] any permitted RR use. Your different
[26:06] options for tonight, there are four. You
[26:09] may table the matter if you desire
[26:11] additional information.
[26:13] You may approve the application as
[26:15] requested if you find that it protects
[26:17] and promotes the public health, safety,
[26:20] convenience, morals, and general welfare
[26:23] and meets the intent of the referenced
[26:24] planning documents.
[26:27] You may deny the request if you find
[26:29] that it does not protect and promote as
[26:31] referenced. And you may approve in part
[26:34] and deny in part if you find that only a
[26:37] portion of the request meets the needed
[26:39] standards. Um, on the back sheet of your
[26:42] packet, you'll find the resoning
[26:43] worksheet as normal, and I will do my
[26:46] best to answer questions if you have
[26:48] them.
[26:49] >> Thank you, Melissa. Commissioners, any
[26:51] questions, staff, before we go into
[26:52] public hearing?
[26:53] >> No, sir. I do not.
[26:55] >> No, sir.
[26:56] >> All right. I'll entertain a motion for
[26:57] public hearing.
[26:58] >> Make a motion for public hearing.
[27:00] >> Second.
[27:01] >> Got a motion to second. All those in
[27:02] favor say I.
[27:03] >> I. I.
[27:03] >> So, this is a public hearing regarding
[27:05] this resoning request. Is there anyone
[27:07] that would like to make public comment
[27:09] regarding this request? Yes, ma'am. If
[27:11] you would please come to the microphone,
[27:12] state your name and address for the
[27:14] record.
[27:17] » Hi, my name is Marilyn Fost. I live in
[27:19] Nitro.
[27:21] Um, I'm going to make a comment that I
[27:23] will hope you will bear with me and the
[27:25] people will bear with me for my first
[27:27] comment. I don't believe in socialism. I
[27:30] don't believe in communism. I believe
[27:32] that people work for what they want and
[27:35] what they need. I believe that um um you
[27:40] get what you pay for. My first thing is I don't want more of these people,
[27:44] but I know they're here, but I'm also
[27:45] going to comment on that also.
[27:47] >> Well, let's let's keep this one just to
[27:49] this reasonzoning request that we'll
[27:51] have another public comment for anything
[27:52] else not on the agenda later on.
[27:54] >> For so for the data center.
[27:56] >> Yeah. Anything not on the agenda.
[27:58] Correct. This is
[27:58] >> anything but
[28:00] >> this is only for this reasonzoning
[28:01] request to reszone this parcel. And I
[28:04] apologize.
[28:04] >> No, you're fine.
[28:05] >> Have nice zone.
[28:10] » Either one. Yeah.
[28:14] » Good evening. Uh, commissioners. Um,
[28:18] >> if you would state your name and
[28:19] address.
[28:20] >> My name is Brian Martin and I've spoken
[28:21] to you several times. uh Fraser's bottom
[28:25] and uh I'm [clears throat] here because
[28:28] of the data centers, but uh I noticed in
[28:31] this resolution or this proposal here
[28:34] that you're uh wanting to go from rural
[28:36] residential district to high density
[28:39] commercial district and uh that catches
[28:42] my eye because data centers are high
[28:44] density impact and uh those are that's
[28:47] what this is and this is red we just
[28:49] look at it it's red on the river you
[28:51] know they want land they want water I
[28:53] would like to know who is wanting to
[28:55] make this high density, who who is
[28:57] asking this and what are they going to
[28:59] put there. Thank you.
[29:00] >> Yep. So, just for clarification, uh the
[29:03] Vakart Farms is the land owner and they
[29:07] don't have to tell us what their intent
[29:08] is. They're just asking for reasonzoning
[29:10] of property.
[29:11] >> What was the name of that company?
[29:12] >> Valdacort Farms. Valda Court, V A L D.
[29:17] And they they may choose to speak uh as
[29:20] well during this this process.
[29:25] Mike, do you want to speak?
[29:29] Uh Mike Moeller, hello 57 Tate Hollow
[29:32] Road in Hurricane. Um on on this issue
[29:36] alone,
[29:38] let's take it slow. Let's not make any
[29:40] decisions on this today because you can
[29:43] see all these people are here because of
[29:44] a decision that was made hastily. Um, so
[29:48] I would ask that you all table this for
[29:51] now, have some more discussions about
[29:53] it, look into the impacts of what this
[29:56] is going to do to the county, both
[29:58] negative and positive, and just uh just
[30:01] slow things down a little bit and keep
[30:04] us in the loop. We'll continue to show
[30:05] up and be here for you. Thank you.
[30:09] >> Anyone else like to make public comment
[30:10] regarding this issue?
[30:13] Shirley.
[30:17] I had your name written down first,
[30:18] Shirley.
[30:23] » Well, hello everybody. Glad to see this
[30:26] fall. Um, I've lived in Frasier's Bottom
[30:29] all my life. I just want to make a
[30:32] comment because I've been following the
[30:34] Smith property. Um, I actually used to
[30:37] babysit for them. Uh in February of
[30:40] 2023,
[30:42] uh I went to a county commission meeting
[30:46] and um uh the county commissioners voted
[30:51] 2 to one. Ellis was okay. They said no
[30:55] from going to rural residential to C2
[30:58] due to traffic concerns.
[31:01] December the 28th, 2023,
[31:05] unanimous they voted 3 to nothing. C2,
[31:09] highly commercial, 35 acres,
[31:13] 600 parking spaces, three shifts. That's
[31:16] 1800 cars on Route 35.
[31:19] When they voted three to nothing, I
[31:21] thought, "Wow,
[31:24] you wouldn't do it for this, but now
[31:26] you're doing it for you. Look who's who
[31:29] owns the property." That's all I'm
[31:31] saying. And um
[31:34] I just want to say we all vote
[31:38] That is our power and the only power we
[31:41] have. We need some new blood. Thank you.
[31:45] [applause]
[31:50] Anyone else?
[31:52] [applause]
[31:53] Anyone else regarding this issue?
[31:58] All right. Entertain a motion to close
[32:00] public hearing.
[32:01] >> Make a motion to close public hearing.
[32:03] >> Second. Got a motion second. All in
[32:05] favor say I. I. I.
[32:07] All right, gentlemen, you have the
[32:09] packets before you and as it's been laid
[32:12] out. Um, so as we look at how uh this
[32:17] proposed resoning uh along US Route 35
[32:23] um affects our US 35 corridor management
[32:26] plan, our TA Valley land use plan, our
[32:28] comprehensive plan, uh things to
[32:31] consider. We have to consider how it
[32:32] impacts the community, but we also have
[32:34] to consider the land owner of why um if
[32:39] we chose not to reszone, why we we would
[32:42] choose not to resone his property
[32:43] compared to other uh properties in the
[32:46] area. Um
[32:48] first off, any other questions of staff
[32:51] before we deliberate?
[32:53] >> Yes, sir. county.
[32:55] >> So the first question we have to ask,
[32:57] will the proposed amendment protect and
[32:59] promote the public health, safety,
[33:01] convenience, morals, and general
[33:02] welfare?
[33:04] >> Commissioner Ellis,
[33:06] >> my answer to that is yes, it will. In
[33:08] fact, the the 35 quarter plan, the uh
[33:15] the land use plan, that's why Route 35
[33:18] was built is to access West Virginia
[33:21] better. uh to to bring West Virginia in into the the the current I say future
[33:28] of of the United States, the uh
[33:33] the land owner has every right to to
[33:36] apply for a a reszoning of his
[33:40] personally held properties as anyone
[33:42] does. Uh so my answer to that would be
[33:46] yes.
[33:47] >> Mr. reverse it.
[33:49] >> I think a lot of the property
[33:50] surrounding it is already zoned that way
[33:53] anyway. So, I don't really see a big
[33:55] downside to it. So, I would say yes.
[33:58] >> Okay. I would also say yes, this is
[34:00] consistent along US35
[34:02] um with the land owner. He has
[34:04] additional land in the area that's
[34:06] already zoned C2. Um, you know, I I
[34:09] don't think we have the ability to deny
[34:11] his request to change the usage. I do
[34:15] understand u we've had many discussions
[34:17] in these chambers about traffic on 35
[34:20] and and the accidents that we've have
[34:22] there and we we fully understand that
[34:24] and we will continue to to put pressure
[34:26] on DOT regarding those issues but again
[34:30] um we have to have justification in
[34:33] order to deny this application which I
[34:34] feel like we don't have. Number two, is
[34:37] the amendment consistent in achieving
[34:39] the objectives of the adopted
[34:40] comprehensive plan, US 35 corridor
[34:42] management plan, and the Taz Valley land
[34:44] use plan? Commissioner Ellis,
[34:46] >> answer is yes, it does. Uh it is yes to all three of those. And um again, it
[34:54] is why
[34:55] >> would you speak up? It's why that the uh
[34:59] route 35 was was constructed
[35:02] again to to access West Virginia to a
[35:05] broader market. So my answer to that is
[35:08] yes.
[35:09] >> Commissioner Pearson.
[35:11] >> Obviously with its uh location there by
[35:14] US35 I think it does meet the u
[35:17] objectives of that comprehensive plan.
[35:19] So I would say yes.
[35:21] >> I would also say yes along with the
[35:23] frontage that it has along US35. Uh, it
[35:26] absolutely fits into the US35 corridor
[35:29] management plan and the Taz Valley land
[35:31] use plan that were created in the
[35:32] mid90s.
[35:34] All right, answering one and two. We
[35:36] don't have to go to number three. With
[35:38] that, we'll go back to our agenda and
[35:41] I'll entertain a motion.
[35:43] >> All right, I'll make a motion to approve
[35:46] the reasonzoning request by Victor Court
[35:48] Farms as presented.
[35:49] >> Second.
[35:50] >> Got a motion second. All those in favor
[35:52] say I. I. I.
[35:58] All right. Uh we have a have a grant
[36:01] contract. Tim Hannah.
[36:03] >> All right. [clears throat]
[36:05] So we have applied for and received uh
[36:09] HABA which is helping Americans vote act
[36:11] security fund uh grant
[36:14] uh funds for the county clerk's office.
[36:16] Uh we received $7,572.40
[36:20] 40 cents to purchase election equipment
[36:22] and other uh supplies for the county
[36:24] clerk's office. Um I really just need a
[36:27] motion for the president to sign the all
[36:30] necessary documents for this grant.
[36:34] >> All right. I'll make a motion for
[36:36] commission president to sign all
[36:37] necessary documents on the grant
[36:39] application as presented.
[36:40] >> Second.
[36:41] >> Got a motion second. All in favor say I.
[36:43] >> I. I.
[36:46] >> All right. The uh the next thing I have
[36:47] is the 24th cycle funding application
[36:50] for the courthouse facilities
[36:51] improvement authority grant program. Um
[36:54] so this year we are going to request
[36:57] $28,000 you from the courthouse
[37:00] facilities improvement authority in
[37:01] order to purchase a new power unit for
[37:04] our aging elevator in the end of
[37:06] courthouse to to make sure that people
[37:08] can get to and from you the first and
[37:11] second floors used safely. Um you guys
[37:14] have any questions? I do not.
[37:16] >> I just need a motion for the president
[37:17] to sign.
[37:18] >> All right. Make a motion for the
[37:19] commission president to sign all
[37:21] necessary documents on the uh courthouse
[37:24] funding grant as presented.
[37:26] >> Second.
[37:27] >> Got a motion second. All those in favor
[37:28] say I.
[37:29] >> I. I.
[37:34] » All right.
[37:36] >> Larry.
[37:38] >> Yes. Commissioners, as you know, we are
[37:41] in the process of uh trying to get in
[37:43] the Fisher Bridge waterline extension
[37:45] program or project. Uh there are two
[37:48] documents that we have been provided.
[37:50] They're asking for the first one, which
[37:53] is the uh county commission president to
[37:55] sign a letter of intent for the Fiser
[37:58] Ridge Waterline Extension Project. And
[38:00] then there is a second document that
[38:02] they're asking to be sent back and sent
[38:05] signed. It's the non-federal sponsors
[38:08] selfcertification
[38:10] of financial ability for decision
[38:12] documents and agreements. U and I would
[38:16] suggest that Mr. Hannah be authorized to
[38:18] make that to sign those documents on
[38:21] behalf of the county commission. But the
[38:23] first one in the letter of intent u just
[38:26] requires the president's signature.
[38:28] >> Good with that?
[38:30] >> All right. I'll make a motion for the
[38:31] commission president to sign the letter
[38:34] of intent for the waterline extension as
[38:37] presented.
[38:37] >> Second.
[38:38] >> Got a motion second. All those in favor
[38:40] say I.
[38:40] >> I. [clears throat]
[38:44] >> I'll make a motion for Kim Hannah to
[38:47] sign all all necessary documents uh on
[38:50] our behalf as presented.
[38:52] >> Second.
[38:53] >> Got a motion second. All in favor say I.
[38:54] >> I. I. Uh for those in the audience, this
[38:57] is a $3 million water project out on
[39:00] Fischer's Ridge that will bring uh water
[39:03] to about 70 homes out there. And this is
[39:06] going to be 80% federally grant funded
[39:09] with the the state matching the 20%
[39:12] grant.
[39:15] » And this has been a long time long time
[39:17] coming on on uh Kuster Ridge and Fiser
[39:20] Ridge, by the way. Yeah.
[39:21] >> Yes.
[39:22] >> Is everybody in Fisher Ridge here
[39:24] tonight?
[39:26] Okay, just checking.
[39:28] All right, we will do budget revisions
[39:30] and purchase orders and then we will
[39:32] have public comment for everything not
[39:34] on the agenda. So Tim, you want to do
[39:36] >> All right. I do have one budget
[39:38] revision. It's for the Department of 405
[39:41] prosecutor's office. Uh they are
[39:43] requesting to decrease capital outlay by
[39:45] $3,000 and increase contracted services
[39:48] by $3,000.
[39:50] >> Make a motion to accept the order as
[39:52] presented.
[39:52] >> Second.
[39:53] >> Got a motion second. All those favor say
[39:54] I. I.
[39:55] >> I.
[39:56] >> All right. The first payment order I
[39:58] have is to issue a check from the
[40:01] general county fund in the amount of
[40:03] $25,000 made payable to Hurricane Fire
[40:05] Department for the county's portion of
[40:06] the Falcon Highway rollover tanker
[40:08] training prop.
[40:10] >> Make a motion to accept it as presented.
[40:13] >> Second.
[40:15] >> Got a motion second. All in favor say I.
[40:17] >> I. I. Uh, the next is to issue a check
[40:20] from the dog fund in the amount of
[40:22] $2,262.50
[40:24] made payable to selling associates for
[40:26] architectural design services for the
[40:28] Putnham County Animal Shelters Kennel
[40:30] Canopy Project.
[40:32] >> Make a motion to accept the order as
[40:34] presented.
[40:34] >> Second.
[40:35] >> Got a motion second. All those in favor
[40:36] say I.
[40:36] >> I. I.
[40:39] The next is to issue a check from the
[40:41] opioid fund in the amount of $2,15
[40:44] made payable to recovery point of
[40:46] Huntington Incorporated for Pton County
[40:48] beds for the month of July 2026.
[40:51] >> Make a motion to accept the order as
[40:53] presented.
[40:54] >> Second.
[40:54] >> Got a motion second. All those in favor
[40:55] say I.
[40:56] >> I.
[40:58] >> And the last two I have are both out of
[41:00] the TIFF fund. Uh the first is to issue
[41:02] a check in the amount of $226,46148
[41:08] payable to West Banko Bank Incorporated
[41:10] trustee for July 2026 TIFF revenue. And
[41:14] the next is to issue a check in the
[41:17] amount of $90,54947
[41:21] payable to benchmark construction
[41:23] incorpor.
[41:23] >> If you would give me our lady here go
[41:26] that tried to jump in ahead of time.
[41:29] We we if we can uh we can finish it off.
[41:31] Uh
[41:32] >> so start over.
[41:33] >> Okay.
[41:34] >> I don't believe in socialism. I don't
[41:36] believe in communism. I believe you work
[41:39] for what you want. You pay for you get
[41:41] what you pay for. One of the things I'm
[41:43] here for for two issues. First one is we
[41:46] passed the levy for Pupman County for
[41:48] the fire department. 5% increase on
[41:51] taxes. I have no problem with that. I
[41:53] live in Nitro.
[41:55] Even though I won't receive any of the
[41:56] services from that, I am fine with it.
[41:59] Everybody deserves to have a fire
[42:01] department. We in Nitro have one of the
[42:03] best that you can have, police and fire
[42:06] department. They are absolutely amazing.
[42:09] whenever they've been needed here,
[42:11] they're there and immediately
[42:13] I have been working with the mayor of
[42:16] Nitro and saying that because we pay
[42:19] already pay because we live in the city
[42:20] Nitro 7%
[42:23] for our fire department. We also pay for
[42:26] five 5% for everybody else that's not in
[42:29] our nitro area which use our services.
[42:33] My problem with that is is that if I
[42:36] need them and they're in Taz Valley or
[42:39] they're here or they're there,
[42:43] I'm not getting what I'm paying for.
[42:46] So, I have no problem with that. But I
[42:48] just feel so I talked to you about this
[42:50] before.
[42:50] >> Yes.
[42:51] >> And now I'm being told that it's not
[42:53] going to happen for the simple fact that
[42:56] well, what if someone dies? Well, what
[42:58] if my family dies?
[43:00] >> Yeah. So, if you have a call in Nitro,
[43:02] uh, PA and Taz Valley will both be toned
[43:04] to come to your home. Now, Nitro will be
[43:06] there first. Absolutely.
[43:07] >> Well, they should go to the other one
[43:08] first that's not in Nitro. They should
[43:11] >> Well, I I'd like all three units will
[43:12] come to your house. If your house is on
[43:14] fire, Nitro will be toned first and then
[43:17] PA. We've got a three system mutual
[43:20] >> already called out to somewhere else
[43:21] that they're not paying that 7% like
[43:23] >> then then Ellaner will come or then
[43:25] Bankraftoft will come.
[43:26] >> I'm sure they'll get there very quickly
[43:28] just as quick as Nitro. whipped beans.
[43:30] >> So, Nitro,
[43:31] >> Nitro also comes to other they come to
[43:33] Taz Valley, they come to PA and
[43:35] >> and you know, I have no problem with it,
[43:37] but I would like for everybody to help.
[43:39] Hey, I'm helping you pay for yours, help
[43:41] pay mine.
[43:42] >> So, we we do
[43:43] >> So, everybody should be paying 12%, not
[43:45] just the people of Nitro.
[43:46] >> So, that is a difference of living in a
[43:48] city.
[43:50] >> It doesn't make any difference. It
[43:51] doesn't matter cuz they're going to be
[43:52] clear out in the boondocks. So, if they
[43:54] take my fire fire department, clear out
[43:56] in the boondocks, they're not going to
[43:57] come for me. What if I So the the poker
[43:59] fire station's right there on Main
[44:00] Street in PO when they get there cuz
[44:02] it's all volunteer. It
[44:04] >> it is. And county is all volunteer when
[44:07] they get there. Instead of being 5
[44:08] minutes, it could be 30 minutes.
[44:09] >> So that's what we're trying to change.
[44:11] And that's what the levy is there to
[44:12] change is we have more money now where
[44:14] we do have paid staff 12 hours a day, 7
[44:17] days a week. And so right now during the
[44:19] daytime, there would be Putin County
[44:21] Fire will come to your establishment.
[44:23] >> Right. Yeah. It's going to take longer.
[44:26] >> Absolutely.
[44:27] >> Yeah. Absolutely.
[44:28] >> Yeah. No respond.
[44:29] >> We need them to get the quick service,
[44:31] but I'm But they're not helping me to
[44:33] keep my fast service. So, cuz if we go
[44:36] up somewhere else,
[44:37] >> we do support Nitro. Again, this is just
[44:39] starting.
[44:40] >> I hate cuz I the money that I give cuz I
[44:42] live in Nitro. You know, it's not going
[44:44] to be a problem in a few years anyway
[44:47] because me and my family have already
[44:48] decided we're leaving the area. and just
[44:51] bring up another comment is um we we
[44:54] moved here from Ohio. I had a friend
[44:56] that worked for the board of education.
[44:58] He says go here. So when I pulled into
[45:01] that neighborhood and I seen all the
[45:03] kids, I remember thinking, is this the
[45:05] house? And then I, you know, I went
[45:07] down, I looked at the school and I'm
[45:09] like,
[45:11] it's in Pman County. I mean, all these
[45:13] other beautiful schools in Pupman
[45:15] County, but being Rock Branch is in
[45:17] Nitro,
[45:19] goodness knows they told me not to judge
[45:20] a book by the cover, and I'm so grateful
[45:22] that I didn't. This one of the best
[45:24] schools I've ever seen, and I really
[45:27] don't want to complain to the board of
[45:28] education cuz I don't want them to screw
[45:30] it up.
[45:30] >> Well, I I'm a Golden Bear from Rock
[45:33] Branch, so I would agree with you that
[45:34] it's a great school
[45:35] >> and it's an amazing school. So, as soon
[45:37] as my grandchildren are done with
[45:39] elementary, cuz I wasn't real [cough]
[45:40] impressed with Poke Middle School or the
[45:43] high school, we will be leaving. But
[45:45] we're going to make sure that my kids
[45:47] get that best education in the
[45:48] beginning. So, we will be leaving.
[45:51] >> Okay.
[45:52] >> And that's another thing going back to
[45:54] this data center that everybody is here
[45:56] for. It's being shoved down our throat
[46:01] with no say. Socialism, communism is
[46:04] what it feels like. because we have
[46:06] absolutely no say and no matter what we
[46:09] do, we are going to pay for it with our
[46:12] water, with our electric bill. I mean,
[46:15] I've already seen the water bill because
[46:16] we wonderful American water just took
[46:19] over the nitro sewage.
[46:22] Wait till you get the bill.
[46:25] >> [clears throat]
[46:26] >> There's no way that a family and the way
[46:29] I look at it too is that Nitro is one of
[46:31] the poorest
[46:33] areas of Pupman County that are in that
[46:35] area. One of the poorest and being taxed
[46:38] and paying the school. It's not right.
[46:40] I'm done. I'm not even going to argue
[46:42] with you anymore. We're just going to
[46:44] leave.
[46:45] >> Okay. Thank you.
[46:46] >> Thank you.
[46:48] >> Yes, ma'am.
[46:53] » Yeah, you're fine.
[47:01] Good evening, commissioners. Good
[47:03] evening, Putham County. Look at you
[47:05] guys. It is great to see such a full
[47:07] room. So, my name is Jessica Lacy. I'm a
[47:10] third-year law student at Penn State
[47:12] Dickinson, lifelong Putham County
[47:14] resident. My current address is in Red
[47:16] House.
[47:18] and I'm also recently accepted a
[47:20] position as the lead point of contact
[47:23] and organizer for Putinham United. Now,
[47:26] I wanted to come before you tonight to
[47:28] introduce myself and to tell you a
[47:31] little bit about our organization.
[47:33] I also want to introduce something that
[47:36] I hope represents the kind of
[47:38] relationship that we're trying to build
[47:40] between the people of Putnham County and
[47:43] this commission.
[47:45] Tonight, Putnham United is bringing to
[47:48] you a resolution.
[47:50] At its core, this resolution is about
[47:52] something very simple. The people of
[47:55] Putham County having a meaningful voice
[47:58] in the decisions that affect the future
[48:00] of this county. [clears throat]
[48:02] Now, I personally am proud to be from
[48:04] Putnham County. We have great schools.
[48:07] We have a nice area. And we have people
[48:10] who care to show up and be here.
[48:13] So, the resolution we're presenting to
[48:15] you this evening, it's grown out of
[48:17] concerns that we've heard from the
[48:20] residents of this county about
[48:22] development, transparency,
[48:25] public participation,
[48:27] and the changes that our county may face
[48:30] in the coming years. But I want to be
[48:32] very clear about res what this
[48:34] resolution is and what it is not. It is
[48:37] not an attack on the commission. It is
[48:40] not an accusation
[48:42] [cough]
[48:44] and it is not an attempt to create an us
[48:46] versus them conflict between the
[48:49] citizens and their elected officials.
[48:52] It's an invitation, to recognize that whatever
[48:57] challenges or opportunities come before
[48:59] Putnham County, the people who live here
[49:02] deserve a seat at the table. And I think
[49:05] the best way to explain that is with
[49:06] three very familiar words. We the
[49:09] people.
[49:11] So 250 years ago, take from five to
[49:15] seven, the founding fathers created the
[49:19] constitution. And in that constitution,
[49:21] they said, you know, we the people
[49:24] in order to form a more perfect union,
[49:26] not an already perfect union, but a
[49:28] union that's a work in progress,
[49:31] establish justice, ensure domestic
[49:34] tranquility,
[49:35] provide for the common defense,
[49:39] promote the general welfare, and secure
[49:42] the blessings of liberty to ourselves
[49:44] and our posterity due here, ordain, and
[49:46] establish this constitution.
[49:49] We the people.
[49:51] Those words are so familiar that
[49:53] sometimes I think we forget how
[49:55] extraordinary they really are.
[49:58] Our system of government begins with the
[50:00] idea that government does not simply
[50:02] happen to people. It belongs to them.
[50:06] And democracy only works when we the
[50:09] people are willing to participate in it.
[50:13] That is what we're going to try and
[50:15] encourage through Putinham United. For a
[50:17] lot of people, government can feel
[50:20] intimidating and inaccessible. They care
[50:23] deeply about what happens in their
[50:25] community, but they may not know how to
[50:27] participate. They may have never
[50:29] attended a county commission meeting.
[50:31] They may not even know who it is that
[50:33] actually represents them. They may not
[50:36] know where to find information,
[50:39] how to ask questions, or even what
[50:42] happens when they walk through these
[50:44] doors. So, we decided to start there. We
[50:48] asked the people of Putham County to
[50:50] show up and tonight they did. We did not
[50:55] invite people here to attack this
[50:57] commission.
[50:58] We did not invite them here to make your
[51:01] jobs harder. And we certainly did not
[51:04] invite them to create hostility between
[51:07] the citizens and their elected
[51:09] officials.
[51:10] We invited them here because this is
[51:12] their government.
[51:14] We want people to learn how it works. We
[51:16] want them to learn to participate. And
[51:19] most importantly, we want to help the
[51:21] people find their own voices.
[51:24] Putnham United does not intend to be a
[51:26] substitute for the voices of the people
[51:28] who live here. Our goal is to help
[51:32] amplify those voices and to help people
[51:34] understand how to use them for
[51:36] themselves. That's what this re
[51:38] resolution really represents. It's one
[51:41] of our first attempts at taking the
[51:43] concerns of the citizens and turning
[51:45] those concerns into constructive civic
[51:48] participation.
[51:50] We are saying here is something that the
[51:52] people in our community greatly care
[51:54] about and here is an opportunity for the
[51:58] citizens and their elected
[51:59] representatives to come together and
[52:01] find common ground. But as important as
[52:04] that resolution is, the most important
[52:06] thing we brought into this room tonight
[52:08] isn't a piece of paper. It's these
[52:10] people. People who cared enough about
[52:13] their community to show up, come to a
[52:16] public meeting, listen, learn, and
[52:18] participate. And to everyone who came
[52:20] here tonight, I want to say something to
[52:23] you. We, the people have
[52:25] responsibilities, too. Having a voice
[52:28] does not mean that we get to drown
[52:31] everyone else's out. If we expect our
[52:34] elected officials to listen to us, we
[52:36] must be willing to listen to them. If we
[52:39] expect to be treated with respect, we
[52:42] must show respect. We must be kind. We
[52:45] must be willing to listen. And we have
[52:48] to be willing to hear something we
[52:50] disagree with without immediately
[52:52] deciding that the person saying it is
[52:54] our enemy. We can ask the difficult
[52:57] questions. We can disagree passionately.
[53:01] We can absolutely hold our government
[53:03] officials accountable.
[53:06] And we can do all of those things while
[53:09] treating one another like neighbors
[53:12] because we the people whether we like it
[53:14] or not includes those who disagree with
[53:17] us.
[53:20] That may be one of the hardest parts of
[53:21] self-government but it may also be the
[53:24] most important. And commissioners, it is
[53:27] my hope that you will help us foster
[53:29] that kind of participation.
[53:31] The people who came here tonight are not
[53:33] your adversaries. They are your
[53:35] constituents, but more than that, they
[53:37] are your neighbors.
[53:39] You are part of we the people, too.
[53:42] There will be time when residents come
[53:44] into this room frustrated, as I'm sure
[53:46] you guys are well aware and used to at
[53:49] this point.
[53:50] >> You sure are.
[53:50] >> There will be times they ask questions
[53:53] you cannot answer. There will be times
[53:56] when they ask you to do something you
[53:57] don't have the authority to do. And
[54:00] there will absolutely be times we
[54:01] disagree. That's okay.
[54:04] My hope is that someone can walk into
[54:06] this room, stand before their elected
[54:09] officials, have what they say what they
[54:12] have to say, even if it's a
[54:14] disagreement, and walk out believing
[54:16] that participating mattered. Because if
[54:18] the people believe that participation
[54:20] matters, they will come back. They will
[54:22] learn. They will pay attention. They
[54:25] will vote. And they will meaningfully
[54:28] participate in the growth and
[54:31] development of this county.
[54:33] That is what we want Putinham United to
[54:35] help foster. We want to build a bridge
[54:38] between this commission and the
[54:39] community that feels so divided at this
[54:42] time.
[54:43] We also want to bring concerns from the
[54:46] residents to you and help take
[54:49] information from you back to the
[54:51] residents. If misinformation is
[54:54] circulating, let us help correct it. If
[54:57] people have questions, help us find the
[55:00] answers. If this author, if this
[55:02] commission has the authority to address
[55:04] something, we want residents to
[55:07] understand how they can participate in
[55:09] that process. And if you don't have that
[55:12] authority, we want to be able to explain
[55:14] that too and to help people direct their
[55:16] energy towards avenues that will
[55:18] actually produce a sustainable outcome.
[55:21] I don't expect that Putinham United and
[55:23] this commission will always agree
[55:25] because we won't. But disagreements do
[55:28] not have to mean hostility.
[55:31] Accountability does not have to mean
[55:33] antagonism.
[55:35] And cooperation does not require
[55:38] unquestioning agreement. There is an
[55:41] enormous amount of space between silence
[55:45] and hostility.
[55:47] That is the space where democracy lives.
[55:50] It lives in rooms like this. It lives
[55:53] when ordinary people decide to show up.
[55:56] Democracy lives when someone
[55:58] [clears throat] who has never spoken at
[56:00] a public meeting before finds the
[56:02] courage to stand at this podium or that
[56:04] microphone. It lives when an elected
[56:06] official listens to criticism. It lives
[56:09] when citizens listen to answers they may
[56:12] not like.
[56:14] Democracy lives when we disagree, shake
[56:18] hands, and come back tomorrow willing to
[56:20] work together.
[56:22] Because ultimately, regardless of where
[56:24] any of us stand on any particular issue,
[56:27] we share something much more important.
[56:29] This is our home. I was raised here. I'm
[56:33] raising raising my family here. And the
[56:35] people sitting throughout this room are
[56:37] our neighbors. We may disagree about
[56:39] what is best for Putnham County, but I
[56:41] believe most of us are here because we
[56:43] care deeply about what happens to it. So
[56:46] tonight, I extend a hand in both
[56:48] directions.
[56:51] We will ask questions. We will advocate.
[56:54] Sometimes we will challenge you. But we
[56:58] will also listen. We will come to the
[57:02] table in good faith.
[57:06] And I hope you will receive this
[57:07] resolution with the same spirit. not
[57:10] simply as a list of demands, but as an
[57:12] opportunity to say that when major
[57:14] decisions about the future of Putnham
[57:16] County are being made, the people who
[57:18] call this place home deserve to know
[57:20] what is happening, deserve an
[57:22] opportunity to participate, and deserve
[57:25] to have their voices heard. And my
[57:26] fellow residents of Putnham County, keep
[57:30] showing up. Learn how your government
[57:32] works. Ask questions. Listen to the
[57:35] answers. Speak when you have something
[57:38] to say.
[57:39] Be respectful. Be kind. And do not ever
[57:43] convince yourself that your voice does
[57:45] not matter because you're not an elected
[57:48] official, a business owner, a
[57:50] politician, a lawyer, or someone with
[57:53] political connections. Our government
[57:55] was never supposed to belong only to the
[57:58] people who hold office. It belongs to
[58:00] all of us. We the people. Not we the
[58:03] politicians, not we the powerful, not we
[58:06] the people who already know how the
[58:07] system works, but we the people. That
[58:10] means all of us. And that's ultimately
[58:13] what I hope this resolution represents.
[58:16] Not just about one project. It's not
[58:19] just about one controversy. And it's not
[58:21] about one meeting. It's about something
[58:23] much more fundamental. When decisions
[58:26] are being made about the future of
[58:28] Putnham County, the people of Putham
[58:30] County should have a voice in those
[58:32] decisions.
[58:34] This is our community. This is our
[58:36] government. And this is our
[58:38] responsibility.
[58:40] So, let's show up. Let's listen to one
[58:43] another. Let's find places where we
[58:45] agree. And when we disagree, let's show
[58:49] each other some respect because Putham
[58:51] County belongs to we the people and its
[58:54] future should be something we build
[58:56] together.
[58:58] >> Commissioners, with your permission, I'd
[58:59] like to approach and hand you a copy of
[59:01] the resolution.
[59:02] >> Yes, please.
[59:12] energy.
[59:20] » So, I'm going to leave that in your
[59:21] hands to [clears throat] take a look at
[59:23] and I'm just going to ask I have one
[59:25] simple request for this evening.
[59:28] Commissioners, will you sit in the space
[59:30] where democracy lives with us this
[59:32] evening? [cough]
[59:34] [clears throat] Thank you. I'd like to
[59:36] turn the podium over to my friend
[59:38] Joseph. There he is. I was looking in
[59:40] the wrong direction so that he can
[59:42] explain this resolution to you a little
[59:44] bit more in depth. Thank you for
[59:45] listening to me and thank you Putnham
[59:47] County for coming here tonight.
[59:59] » Wow.
[1:00:03] So my name is Joseph Deg Grath and
[1:00:06] that's a tough act to follow because
[1:00:10] that's a very difficult space that she's
[1:00:13] talking about.
[1:00:15] You know, it's very easy. It's very easy
[1:00:18] for us to come to our commissioners, to
[1:00:20] our elected officials, and to talk at
[1:00:23] them.
[1:00:25] But it's another thing altogether to
[1:00:27] talk to them.
[1:00:31] And at some point, we have to lay down
[1:00:34] our swords and we have to agree to talk
[1:00:37] to one another. As she said, she brought
[1:00:40] up the words of a more perfect union.
[1:00:45] You know, it's very easy often right now
[1:00:47] to think that the division in our
[1:00:49] country is Republican and Democrat, left
[1:00:50] and right.
[1:00:54] But perhaps it's the relationship the
[1:00:56] people have with the government that we
[1:00:58] need to unify.
[1:01:00] So, with that said,
[1:01:03] this resolution, it's a tricky one
[1:01:07] because you see, if we're going to
[1:01:09] create a resolution that's going to
[1:01:11] stand for the county, we have to be
[1:01:14] inclusive to all of the voices in the
[1:01:17] county or at least with the general will
[1:01:20] of the county.
[1:01:24] And so when we have a resolution, many
[1:01:26] of you here, you're wearing shirts,
[1:01:28] you're wearing signs that say no data
[1:01:29] centers. And that's to be respected
[1:01:31] because everybody has a voice and
[1:01:32] everybody has an opinion and it's all
[1:01:35] very valid. But the commissioners also
[1:01:37] have to respect the voices of those that
[1:01:40] maybe they do want them for whatever
[1:01:42] reason.
[1:01:43] So if we're going to create a
[1:01:44] resolution, we have to have a resolution
[1:01:46] that's on a point that we can all agree
[1:01:49] because that space that Miss Lacy was
[1:01:52] talking about where democracy lives and
[1:01:54] resides, it begins in agreement.
[1:01:58] So with that said,
[1:02:00] I'll read the resolution here.
[1:02:04] So the first part of it says
[1:02:06] [clears throat] whereas hyperscale da d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d da
[1:02:09] centers are massive facilities that can
[1:02:11] have the geographic footprint of a small
[1:02:13] city.
[1:02:14] We can all agree that these things have
[1:02:16] the footprint of a small city. That's
[1:02:18] not in debate.
[1:02:20] That's just a simple fact. Look at the
[1:02:22] size of them.
[1:02:25] The increased energy demand from the
[1:02:28] hypers scale data centers could impact
[1:02:30] grid reliability and energy costs for
[1:02:32] all rateayers while increasing CO2
[1:02:34] emissions. That's also not up for
[1:02:37] debate. That's the n national discourse
[1:02:40] right now is the grid reliability and
[1:02:43] increasing costs. Nobody's arguing that
[1:02:46] these are the cases.
[1:02:49] the extent to which they may argue, some
[1:02:52] people say more, some people say less,
[1:02:54] but that it affects it. Well, that's a given.
[1:03:00] Whereas hypers scale data centers can
[1:03:01] consume immense amounts of water per
[1:03:03] day, depleting resources and risking
[1:03:05] contamination for local users and
[1:03:07] negative ecosystems.
[1:03:09] There's no dispute that these things
[1:03:11] require water and immense amounts of it.
[1:03:14] Again, the extent to which people will
[1:03:16] debate, people are always going to
[1:03:18] debate,
[1:03:21] but that these things consume water in
[1:03:24] immense amounts. That's part of the
[1:03:27] national discourse.
[1:03:29] Whereas the presence of hypers scale
[1:03:30] data centers puts community members at
[1:03:32] risk of decreased property values. Can
[1:03:34] you imagine what your property values
[1:03:36] are if you're living next to one?
[1:03:38] There's no no question about these.
[1:03:41] It also alters the character and the
[1:03:43] function of property or loss of private
[1:03:45] property to eminent domain. That's a
[1:03:47] frightening one that's happening to many
[1:03:49] people. Again, not up for debate. This
[1:03:51] is the national discourse. These things
[1:03:53] are happening all over the country. We
[1:03:55] know they're happening.
[1:03:59] Whereas the presence of hyperscale data
[1:04:01] centers changes the fabric of a
[1:04:03] community with noise and light pollution
[1:04:06] and loss of large tracks of potential
[1:04:08] farmland or reconstruction of the
[1:04:09] national natural terrain. Yes, putting a
[1:04:13] data center
[1:04:15] this is going to change the very fabric
[1:04:18] of a community.
[1:04:20] Now, some might argue, developers, for
[1:04:23] instance, may argue that it's better.
[1:04:25] Some may argue that it's worse, but that
[1:04:27] it changes the fabric is just part of
[1:04:31] the facts. It's just the way it is.
[1:04:36] So,
[1:04:38] that's the whereas statements. That's
[1:04:39] kind of like the the reasons that this
[1:04:42] statement exists. But where do we go
[1:04:44] with this? Do we say we can't do this or
[1:04:47] shake our fists?
[1:04:49] No, we have to have a point of agreement
[1:04:52] between the commissioners and between
[1:04:54] the people. And what's that point of
[1:04:57] agreement?
[1:04:59] Two points of agreement.
[1:05:05] The position of the undersigned
[1:05:07] is that the presence of hypers scale
[1:05:09] data centers in West Virginia
[1:05:10] communities.
[1:05:13] We should evaluate these decisions on
[1:05:16] more than just the financial impacts.
[1:05:20] That's the first thing. [clears throat]
[1:05:23] Okay? Because a lot of what the people
[1:05:25] are being here are hearing is that the
[1:05:28] money, the money, the money, the money,
[1:05:32] the decision needs to be evaluated on
[1:05:35] more than the money.
[1:05:38] And that's part of the agreement that we
[1:05:41] have to agree is that decisions are more
[1:05:43] than just money. Some things matter more
[1:05:47] than just the money.
[1:05:50] And then the next point of agreement
[1:05:54] is that decisions about these data
[1:05:56] centers should reside with the people of
[1:05:59] the communities in which they reside.
[1:06:02] These things impact [applause]
[1:06:10] » [applause]
[1:06:17] » The point of our constitutional
[1:06:19] government
[1:06:22] was that when a decision impacts people,
[1:06:25] the people should have a say in that
[1:06:28] decision.
[1:06:29] Now,
[1:06:31] what is the role of government and what
[1:06:34] is the role of people?
[1:06:38] Because it can't just be that the people
[1:06:41] decide everything
[1:06:44] and our elected officials have nothing
[1:06:46] in it.
[1:06:48] That's not fair either. There is a space
[1:06:52] between democracy, between the people
[1:06:54] and our elected officials.
[1:06:56] You see, the job of government
[1:07:00] is to help us to help you
[1:07:04] to know the decisions that you need to
[1:07:06] make
[1:07:08] to help you to see the things that you
[1:07:10] don't see
[1:07:13] and to provide to you the necessary
[1:07:16] information on the matters that impact
[1:07:18] you the most.
[1:07:20] That is their job to provide those
[1:07:23] things to you.
[1:07:25] Your job is to reciprocate
[1:07:28] and to share with them the ways in which
[1:07:30] these things impact you all.
[1:07:34] And when they do their job and you do
[1:07:39] your job,
[1:07:41] then the decision is made together
[1:07:45] and the people make the decision.
[1:07:50] Because the people are you and the
[1:07:54] people are you.
[1:07:58] But if you don't show up for them
[1:08:01] and if you don't show up for them,
[1:08:07] then the system breaks down.
[1:08:13] But we all have an opportunity here
[1:08:14] today
[1:08:17] to build the system back up
[1:08:20] by agreeing with something.
[1:08:24] It is very easy to agree
[1:08:27] that decisions are more than money
[1:08:31] and that we the people should make the
[1:08:33] decisions.
[1:08:36] And that's the question that we have for
[1:08:38] you all today is can we agree on these
[1:08:41] matters
[1:08:44] and if we can agree on this
[1:08:47] then we can have a common conversation.
[1:08:53] Thank you very much.
[1:08:56] [applause]
[1:09:02] » [applause]
[1:09:03] >> Real quick before anyone else speaks, I
[1:09:05] will say that uh uh on behalf of Miss
[1:09:08] Lacy and Mr. Degraph, I appreciate the
[1:09:10] approach and I I can appreciate the uh
[1:09:13] the time and effort put into uh I I can
[1:09:16] tell this wasn't just thrown together.
[1:09:18] There has been deliberation and
[1:09:20] discussion on that and your approach
[1:09:21] this evening is appreciated by the
[1:09:23] commission. I just want to get that out.
[1:09:25] But we'll carry on public comments.
[1:09:27] Ma'am, if you would state your name and
[1:09:28] address for the record.
[1:09:30] >> Absolutely. Hi, my name is Janette
[1:09:32] Domenico. I live right on the border of
[1:09:34] Putham County and Mason County. I have a
[1:09:37] 48 acre farm going on five generations.
[1:09:41] And I love that everybody showed up. And
[1:09:44] yes, decorum is so important here to be
[1:09:47] polite and respectful to you guys that
[1:09:49] we put sitting here in these chairs. And
[1:09:52] I respect each and every one of you. and
[1:09:54] thank you so very much for your time on
[1:09:57] such urgent matters. I have a couple
[1:10:00] questions you guys and then a couple
[1:10:02] statements and I'll try and be as brief
[1:10:04] as possible.
[1:10:06] Number one, are you guys going to stand
[1:10:09] up for our community? Not just us, but
[1:10:12] our children, our grandchildren, and
[1:10:14] great grandchildren. I'm at the end of
[1:10:16] my yard stick. I'm 64. I've been through
[1:10:18] cancer three times. And the last thing I
[1:10:21] want is a data center that's 4 minutes
[1:10:23] away from my beautiful farm that can
[1:10:26] possibly give me more cancer. Straight
[1:10:29] up.
[1:10:31] In order for you guys to restore the
[1:10:33] local control over our zoning and
[1:10:35] development in Mason and Putnham County,
[1:10:37] which can be achieved by the West
[1:10:39] Virginia legislature, passing an
[1:10:41] amendment or a new bill, repealing the
[1:10:44] restrictive elements of HB214
[1:10:48] that Governor Morrisy did that was so
[1:10:51] shady to take away your rights and our
[1:10:54] rights to even have a voice. That was
[1:10:57] bull. [applause]
[1:11:04] » [applause]
[1:11:04] >> YOU guys can do a thing called a home
[1:11:07] rule and due process. The arguments, you
[1:11:10] can argue that stripping the localities
[1:11:13] of all zoning in horiculture ordinances
[1:11:16] and enforcements fundamentally violates
[1:11:19] the rights of the property owners in the
[1:11:21] scope of the municipal home rule
[1:11:24] charters, which is you all, the
[1:11:25] politicians. What they did was wrong. If
[1:11:28] it was so good, why did they keep it a
[1:11:30] secret?
[1:11:33] There were 30 states in the United
[1:11:34] States of America that governors did
[1:11:37] this to. We are one of the 30 where they
[1:11:40] took away our local politicians rights
[1:11:42] and put you guys on the border of
[1:11:44] offense because you guys got to have a
[1:11:47] budget. If you don't do what they tell
[1:11:49] you, you don't get your budget. I did
[1:11:51] that. But you know what? I don't want
[1:11:54] nine or 10 data centers right around
[1:11:57] from my farm that's going to kill the
[1:11:59] wildlife.
[1:12:01] I have rescued 180 head of horses. I
[1:12:04] can't tell you how many animals I've
[1:12:06] rescued, dogs. I'm a retired equipment
[1:12:08] operator originally from Cleveland,
[1:12:10] Ohio. I love the nature. I can't imagine
[1:12:14] a world where I wake up and I don't see
[1:12:16] American bald eagles in my farm or on my
[1:12:20] farm. the red hawks, the coyotes, the
[1:12:23] foxes, the coons, the deer, they have no
[1:12:26] voice. They can't pack up a suitcase and
[1:12:29] leave. And you know what? I'm not going
[1:12:31] to leave my farm. I am going to fight.
[1:12:33] Even if I lose, at least when I do go to
[1:12:36] the other side to be with my ancestors,
[1:12:39] I will know that I gave it my all. And I
[1:12:42] love each and every one of you for
[1:12:43] having the guts to come here tonight
[1:12:46] because as far as I'm concerned, data
[1:12:49] centers are bad. I can't find one thing
[1:12:51] good about them. I'll go on with my
[1:12:54] notes and I'm sorry for getting off
[1:12:56] track. I apologize. I I'm very
[1:12:59] passionate about this.
[1:13:02] Do you guys know if um these data
[1:13:04] centers have done any long-term impact
[1:13:06] studies concerning the health on human
[1:13:09] beings, the wildlife along with our
[1:13:11] environment in our communities over a
[1:13:13] five or 10 or even a 20-year period?
[1:13:15] They've been around for a while. Do you
[1:13:17] know if they've done any?
[1:13:19] The answer is no, Andy. They have not
[1:13:22] analyzed any environmental impacts on
[1:13:24] humans health. The massive AI data
[1:13:27] centers that are currently being built
[1:13:28] in West Virginia. Not one data center is
[1:13:31] worth our land, our water, or our
[1:13:34] health.
[1:13:36] Real time environmental impacts
[1:13:38] disruptions are happening right now in
[1:13:40] Mason County near Point Pleasant. These
[1:13:42] folks are experiencing immediate health
[1:13:44] and environment environmental impacts
[1:13:47] now during the initial construction
[1:13:49] phases of the Monarch Compute campus
[1:13:51] which is the largest data center ever
[1:13:54] being built in the world. Our country is
[1:13:57] the only one doing this at neck break
[1:13:59] speed. 5,500
[1:14:01] data centers have been built. Ohio is
[1:14:04] number five.
[1:14:06] Flood waters have poured into nearby
[1:14:08] neighborhoods in Mason County, damaging
[1:14:11] homes, creating mold, huge dust clouds,
[1:14:14] making it hard to breathe, poor air
[1:14:16] visibility, constant noise, and heavy
[1:14:18] truck and machinery traffic. That is
[1:14:20] ridiculous. You wouldn't believe it
[1:14:23] unless you pulled out of my road to see
[1:14:25] how dangerous it is. They expect these
[1:14:27] elderly people to sell their homes where
[1:14:30] they have lived their whole lives and
[1:14:32] move where their families are here.
[1:14:35] Where are they going to do? Where are
[1:14:38] they going to go? I'm so sorry.
[1:14:42] Next. The reason why these data centers
[1:14:45] are being built. Who owns the flock
[1:14:48] cameras? Flock safety does. There are
[1:14:50] 80,000 of these AI powered devices
[1:14:53] across America watching us. Flock
[1:14:56] cameras track your every move and
[1:14:58] repurpose all of the data collected
[1:15:00] about you every time you pass them. They
[1:15:03] are a national security risk. They are
[1:15:06] easily hacked. Senators and
[1:15:08] representatives have drafted a letter
[1:15:10] right now to investigate the findings.
[1:15:13] Who pays for these flock cameras owned
[1:15:15] by Flock Safety? An AI powered
[1:15:18] surveillance group? We do. $2.28 million
[1:15:23] a contract. our tax dollars for West
[1:15:26] Virginia. While thousands are losing
[1:15:28] health care, our infrastructures are
[1:15:30] horrible, our roads are being tore up by
[1:15:33] these big trucks and heavy machinery,
[1:15:36] and clean water is still not available
[1:15:38] in many counties, and people still haul
[1:15:40] water. It is disgusting.
[1:15:43] Also, here's something very important
[1:15:45] for everybody to know. Flock does not
[1:15:47] sell these cameras outright. They charge
[1:15:49] a subscription roughly $2,500 to $3,000
[1:15:54] per camera a year. The correlation
[1:15:57] between these flock cameras and data
[1:15:59] centers is simple. Flock cameras rely on
[1:16:03] AI data centers to instantly process the
[1:16:06] billions of vehicle scans their network
[1:16:08] captures monthly. They need massive
[1:16:11] amounts of storage space for these flock
[1:16:15] cameras. That's why there's this land
[1:16:17] grabbing thing happening in the United
[1:16:20] States. This this is just crazy what's
[1:16:23] happening. We have just woke up in the
[1:16:25] Twilight Zone and everybody better
[1:16:27] realize these things do not bring
[1:16:30] anything good to our communities and my
[1:16:32] God, I have done the research to see
[1:16:35] there's nothing good. I can't I cannot
[1:16:38] honestly say this is good anywhere.
[1:16:42] These billionaire companies are trying
[1:16:44] to change our society to a dystopian
[1:16:46] society to to dehumanize us.
[1:16:50] This has got to stop.
[1:16:54] I'm going to end cuz I could just go on
[1:16:56] forever. You guys, I hope I got my point
[1:16:59] across and I thank you all for your
[1:17:01] time, each and every one of you. And I
[1:17:03] hope that the information I'm giving you
[1:17:06] might shake you to the core to realize
[1:17:08] this stuff is really bad and toxic. And
[1:17:11] I understand that you guys are kind of
[1:17:12] on the fence and it's hard for you to
[1:17:14] voice your true opinions, but each and
[1:17:17] every one of you have family members
[1:17:19] here. This is our community and I know
[1:17:21] you love living here, too. Amen.
[1:17:24] >> Thank you.
[1:17:28] [applause]
[1:17:32] » Hello everyone. Uh my name is Mike
[1:17:34] Moeller. I'm the Democratic nominee for
[1:17:37] House of Delegates in District 21 in
[1:17:38] Hurricane and Colon. Uh gentlemen, I
[1:17:41] come to you today uh with a quick
[1:17:43] question. Those flock cameras that she
[1:17:46] was talking about, have those been
[1:17:48] removed, taken down?
[1:17:50] >> I believe, yeah, we did. We were coping
[1:17:52] on an email that the sheriff had
[1:17:53] requested Flock to come take the
[1:17:55] cameras.
[1:17:56] >> Okay. And so, has Flock taken them down
[1:17:59] yet?
[1:18:01] [applause]
[1:18:04] » I I can't speak to the whether they're fully down. I know the request
[1:18:08] was sent and uh Um,
[1:18:11] >> we can always follow up on that.
[1:18:13] >> Um, I have uh a couple things in front
[1:18:16] of me. It's basically fiscal year 24
[1:18:18] into 25 on the opioid settlement money.
[1:18:22] And what you said you all donated $3,000
[1:18:25] to where with the opioid settlement
[1:18:28] >> $250,000 we had set aside to go to
[1:18:31] Marshall University a part of a larger
[1:18:33] grant and we're trying to leverage those
[1:18:35] funds for more funds. Oh, I thought
[1:18:37] earlier in the meeting you all had
[1:18:38] donated a few thousand to a local.
[1:18:40] >> Yes, we have a recovery point. We've
[1:18:42] actually supported recovery point beds
[1:18:44] since 2014 and but since the boy funds,
[1:18:47] we use that funding to support two beds
[1:18:49] for Pton County residents.
[1:18:50] >> That's commendable. I appreciate that
[1:18:52] guys. Um I have a cousin, she was
[1:18:54] addicted her entire adult life for 25
[1:18:58] years. Uh she was dependent on every
[1:19:02] form of government assistance. She never
[1:19:05] worked. Um, and about two years ago, she
[1:19:10] had to go to drug court and she failed.
[1:19:12] And through rehab facilities, through sober
[1:19:20] living homes and things like that, she
[1:19:23] was able to become sober, stay sober,
[1:19:27] get a job, get a promotion, and become a
[1:19:30] productive member to society. And I
[1:19:32] think that's that's wonderful. So, I've
[1:19:34] got a couple of examples here of Canal
[1:19:38] County's uh expenditures when they spend
[1:19:41] the the money from the opioid settlement
[1:19:43] fund. They spent $86,999
[1:19:47] on the Canal Valley Fellowship Home,
[1:19:49] which I think is great.
[1:19:52] Um, they spent, let's see, a lot of
[1:19:56] paperwork here. So, they also spent
[1:20:02] they had to spend some money on
[1:20:03] themselves. obviously for, you know,
[1:20:05] dealing with it. Here it is. Union
[1:20:08] Mission, $249,89,
[1:20:12] which I think is great. Uh, they also
[1:20:15] put money into the um the the jail
[1:20:18] system, which unfortunately those who
[1:20:20] don't want to do drug court, they do go
[1:20:22] to jail, and I understand that the
[1:20:23] counties have an obligation to help with
[1:20:26] those expenses.
[1:20:27] uh they donated $65,000 to RIA of Hope
[1:20:32] and so those I mean and WVU Thomas
[1:20:36] Hospital where a lot of people go they
[1:20:38] gave $154,000.
[1:20:40] I think these are some wonderful
[1:20:42] investments because we can get people
[1:20:45] clean. We can get drug addicts off the
[1:20:48] streets and we can turn them into
[1:20:49] productive members of society like we
[1:20:52] owe it to them because we do. Um, I'm
[1:20:56] not going to get into, you know, the
[1:20:57] peddling of the pills into the state and
[1:20:59] who did that and all that. I'm just
[1:21:01] going to leave that alone. Now, let's
[1:21:03] look at Putnham County cuz I'm a little
[1:21:06] concerned.
[1:21:07] $480 at Jersey Mike's,
[1:21:11] $186.38
[1:21:13] at Enterprise,
[1:21:15] $3042
[1:21:16] at Speedway. This is the opioid
[1:21:18] settlement money. $54 at Sheets,
[1:21:23] $38,944
[1:21:25] at Chick-fil-A,
[1:21:26] $491.96
[1:21:28] at Panera Bread, $99.72 at Giovani's
[1:21:33] Pizza,
[1:21:34] uh $3,519.82
[1:21:37] at Cery, I believe that's drug
[1:21:39] screening.
[1:21:41] Uh what's up with that? I mean the
[1:21:45] individual cost
[1:21:45] >> what what what do restaurants have
[1:21:48] >> it's from a training they put on a
[1:21:49] crisis intervention training so they put on a training they transported
[1:21:53] people they paid for their lunches they
[1:21:55] paid for gas
[1:21:57] those are the individual expenses you
[1:21:58] were referencing
[1:22:00] >> I have yet to find any other county that
[1:22:02] has expenses like that I've I've done a
[1:22:05] deep dive but um
[1:22:07] >> it was training for those drug
[1:22:08] interdiction uh conferences.
[1:22:11] >> Okay. Well, I will give you gentlemen a
[1:22:14] copy of Oh, and here's just one I wanted
[1:22:17] to point out that
[1:22:19] in a direction we don't want to go. The
[1:22:22] city of St. Albins's spent $157,674
[1:22:27] thou uh674
[1:22:31] with the armored group for an MRAP.
[1:22:35] That's not going to help us cure the
[1:22:37] opioid problem. the the cure for
[1:22:40] addiction is connection. It's not
[1:22:43] military hardware and it's it's not a
[1:22:47] bunch of lunches. So, I'm going to give
[1:22:49] you all a copy. I'm sorry. Sorry, I only
[1:22:51] have two. If you all wouldn't care to
[1:22:53] either share or um make another copy of
[1:22:57] Cana County's expenditures, how much
[1:22:59] they spend, where they spend it at,
[1:23:02] because you can make a huge difference
[1:23:05] in the recovery of people in Putham
[1:23:08] County by donating to these uh rehab
[1:23:12] facilities and to these halfway houses.
[1:23:14] And and that would go a long way. And
[1:23:16] >> and that's that's part of our discussion
[1:23:18] with Dr. Matthew Christensen is having
[1:23:22] region 5 vet these applications because
[1:23:24] then they have I think $397 million of
[1:23:28] opioid money and then they can then take
[1:23:30] it to the West Virginia First Foundation
[1:23:32] and hopefully if they do see a project
[1:23:34] worthwhile leverage that up to have a
[1:23:36] greater impact.
[1:23:38] >> That's our goal.
[1:23:39] >> I appreciate your gentleman's time and
[1:23:41] uh if you if with your permission I'd
[1:23:43] like to approach to hand you these
[1:23:44] copies and I thank you very much.
[1:23:49] » [applause]
[1:23:54] » THAT'S ALL RIGHT. THANKS, MIKE.
[1:23:58] SIR,
[1:24:01] my name is AJ Bird. Bird of Prey is the
[1:24:04] ministry that I follow Jesus very
[1:24:06] closely. And I was sitting on my couch
[1:24:09] and I saw a post earlier about this
[1:24:10] meeting. So, it's not a be not going to
[1:24:13] be conventional about speaking to these
[1:24:16] folks, but I am going to speak to you
[1:24:18] and this is what's called holding
[1:24:20] someone accountable following Jesus.
[1:24:22] Okay, folks, we are in that time. Okay,
[1:24:27] AI is going to be joined clay and metal,
[1:24:31] right? Daniel, he talks about it and it
[1:24:34] doesn't stand. And my heart grieavves
[1:24:37] for people, okay? And I'll just tell you
[1:24:39] real quick and I'll I'm I'm going to go
[1:24:41] as long as the Lord tells me. But here's
[1:24:43] the thing. I follow Jesus on the street.
[1:24:46] I go where he tells me to go. Bird of
[1:24:48] prey. I stood I was laying in a jail
[1:24:50] cell. I had cops asking me not to kill
[1:24:52] them at one point. And the Lord said
[1:24:54] through me to me. I helped you through
[1:24:56] these days to show people my ways. And I
[1:24:58] jumped up and he changed my life. Took
[1:25:00] me to heaven and took me to hell. Okay?
[1:25:03] He showed me what's real, guys. And I'm
[1:25:05] going to be completely straight up
[1:25:07] honest with you. these secret societies
[1:25:09] and all this stuff that pull the strings
[1:25:11] behind the scenes. We know about it,
[1:25:12] okay? God knows about it. He's watching.
[1:25:14] He sees you.
[1:25:17] We as followers of Jesus doing this in
[1:25:20] West Virginia, okay? Most people know
[1:25:23] Jesus. Most people know what he did.
[1:25:25] It's not like a big community. Okay? We
[1:25:28] are trampling when we do this to the
[1:25:31] nondisclosure is fraud. Period. It's
[1:25:34] fraud. I don't care. They would hold you
[1:25:36] totally accountable in court if you
[1:25:39] didn't disclose something and they
[1:25:40] signed non non-disclosure agreements.
[1:25:43] So, here's what I'm going to tell you. I
[1:25:45] didn't put a speech together. I'm
[1:25:46] letting him lead me. This is what the
[1:25:48] Lord has shown me and I'm burning up
[1:25:51] inside. And I'm not nervous. I'm
[1:25:53] passionate. Okay? Title 18, section 241
[1:25:56] and 242 is conspiracy to deprive people
[1:26:00] of their rights.
[1:26:02] That's what our government has done
[1:26:04] since 1871. They overlaid the
[1:26:07] Constitution just like they did. They
[1:26:10] overlaid the Bible saying, "Oh, it's
[1:26:12] just grace. We don't have to worry about
[1:26:14] anything. We can go on and sin and do
[1:26:16] anything we want to do. We can chop up
[1:26:18] kids and tell them that they are um a
[1:26:22] girl or a boy." Judgment is here in the
[1:26:25] for the house of the Lord. And we are
[1:26:27] the house of the Lord. If you believe in
[1:26:29] Jesus Christ, if you say you believe in
[1:26:31] Jesus Christ, judgment is here. He is
[1:26:33] coming for us, through us, and we will
[1:26:36] answer for everything. We will stand in
[1:26:38] front of him. And for all the lies,
[1:26:40] guys, we can we can call it like it is.
[1:26:42] We've all lied and we've all fallen
[1:26:44] short. But it stops for us. You all work for us. And we love
[1:26:53] you. If they have the love of God in
[1:26:54] their heart, we love you. We don't want
[1:26:56] to see anything happen to you. But I'll
[1:26:58] remind you that back when we found this
[1:27:01] country for a 3% tax, what did those
[1:27:04] guys do for a 3% tea party? What did
[1:27:09] they do? And and we're taking people's
[1:27:11] homes.
[1:27:15] It's coming, guys. Jesus is not happy.
[1:27:17] These people aren't happy. How long do
[1:27:19] you think this is going to go on?
[1:27:22] Now, I love you guys. I love all of you
[1:27:24] because that's what I do. I cast out
[1:27:26] demons on the street and I draw people
[1:27:27] to Jesus. They get set free from drugs.
[1:27:29] I bring them to my house. I pray for
[1:27:31] them. 25, 30 hours of deliverance,
[1:27:33] praying with them, spending time with
[1:27:34] them, personal one-on-one, discipling
[1:27:36] men.
[1:27:37] What are you all doing? Are you taking
[1:27:39] the money behind the scenes? Show us. We
[1:27:42] know. Okay. We know. He knows.
[1:27:47] Bless you guys. Have a good day.
[1:27:51] [applause]
[1:27:54] Anyone else? You want to speak?
[1:28:00] [clears throat]
[1:28:04] » Hello, my name's Melanie Lacy. I live at
[1:28:06] 60 out of Street in Buffalo. I believe I
[1:28:09] was here a couple months ago and spoke
[1:28:11] to the commission. Um, I had come and
[1:28:15] spoke about our storm runoff problems
[1:28:17] down in the bottom. I live two houses
[1:28:20] beside the water treatment plant there
[1:28:25] um at the end of town in Buffalo, which
[1:28:27] is actually just thousands of yards away
[1:28:30] from where the pro proposed site of the
[1:28:32] Google data center is. But before I will
[1:28:35] start with that, I would like to
[1:28:36] approach y'all to show you some pictures
[1:28:38] of the storm water runoff problem that
[1:28:40] we have down there.
[1:28:43] [cough]
[1:28:43] [clears throat]
[1:28:48] kind of
[1:28:50] if you look at those that's on 10th
[1:28:52] Street which is terminal route 62 by
[1:28:55] Frog City Park
[1:29:01] and then there is a ditch line that goes
[1:29:03] from 10 street right there and it goes
[1:29:08] all the way down between
[1:29:11] there's two rows of houses there's route
[1:29:14] 62
[1:29:15] And then right behind them is another
[1:29:17] row and then there's ID street. But in
[1:29:20] between that property on them houses is
[1:29:22] a big long ditch that goes to the water
[1:29:24] treatment plant for Buffalo.
[1:29:27] Here's the pictures
[1:29:29] of the water in those ditches.
[1:29:35] This continues as part of the ditch.
[1:29:38] You can see I'm not even completely over
[1:29:40] in the ditch. The water is half high on
[1:29:44] me.
[1:29:46] And then this goes
[1:29:50] on down towards the water treatment
[1:29:52] plant.
[1:29:55] And then these are on IDA street between
[1:29:58] my house and Barb
[1:30:02] which I believe is in the audience. This
[1:30:04] is actually the front of her house and
[1:30:06] her property.
[1:30:07] >> So is all this town limits?
[1:30:10] >> The town says that it's the state owns
[1:30:13] it. The state says the town's under it.
[1:30:16] So you tell me, we've had this problem
[1:30:19] before.
[1:30:21] Uh so that's just some of the flooding
[1:30:23] issues. It comes off of the main road
[1:30:26] because the cos and the drain system. We
[1:30:30] are flood plane. Uh most of the property
[1:30:33] on 62 that Google owns is in a flood
[1:30:37] plane. Uh I don't actually have that map
[1:30:40] today but I would love to come back and
[1:30:42] bring you the map which shows from
[1:30:44] Google what they have showing because I
[1:30:47] do have those
[1:30:48] >> we can see it on our county maps too.
[1:30:50] Okay. So, you know what else is flowing
[1:30:52] down through there. U with that being
[1:30:54] said, it is supposedly supposed to be on
[1:30:59] the other side of Buffalo's
[1:31:02] plant, maybe a proposed wastewater
[1:31:05] treatment plant and water treatment
[1:31:07] plant, which will be be being buil in
[1:31:10] the flood zone with also a storm water
[1:31:14] pond on that piece of property.
[1:31:17] But as I would like to go on tonight, as
[1:31:19] I said, I lived at 60 out of Street in
[1:31:21] Buffalo. And I'm here tonight because
[1:31:23] Project Avalon is not simply a
[1:31:25] development somewhere in Pman County.
[1:31:28] The proposed Google data center is
[1:31:30] planned for the property located at
[1:31:33] 22272
[1:31:34] Charleston Road. And this project could
[1:31:36] have major effect on the surroundings of
[1:31:39] Buffalo Community.
[1:31:42] As we all know, it's 1,700 acres on both
[1:31:45] sides of Route 62. And I want to make
[1:31:48] something clear at the beginning. I am
[1:31:50] not against economic development. I am
[1:31:53] asking that economic development not
[1:31:55] come at the expense of people who
[1:31:57] already live there.
[1:32:04] [applause]
[1:32:06] I know what the flood plane means. The
[1:32:08] concern about flooding is personal to
[1:32:10] me. As I addressed you guys once before,
[1:32:13] we just put in a margin home on the
[1:32:16] property six years ago and we had to
[1:32:19] raise it approximately 6 ft to get it to
[1:32:21] above the required flood elevation with
[1:32:24] the level of Route 62.
[1:32:27] Why? Because this is low-lying land.
[1:32:30] This is floodprone area. I had to take
[1:32:33] extraordinary measures just to protect
[1:32:36] one home. That's not talking about the
[1:32:38] homes that's been sitting in that
[1:32:40] community for 20 or 30 years that aren't
[1:32:42] 6 foot high like I am.
[1:32:46] Now, we are talking about changing the
[1:32:48] natural landscape across the
[1:32:49] approximately 1,700 acres that is
[1:32:52] adjacent to me. And this concerns me
[1:32:55] because we will remove trees,
[1:32:57] vegetation, grades, hillsides, and
[1:33:00] replace natural ground with buildings,
[1:33:04] roads, parking areas, and other
[1:33:06] impervious surfaces. You change the way
[1:33:09] the water moves.
[1:33:11] Rainwater that once had time to soak
[1:33:13] into the soil can become much faster
[1:33:16] surface runoff. So my question is,
[1:33:18] commission is very simple. Where is all
[1:33:21] the additional water going to go? Follow
[1:33:24] the water. The project spans both sides
[1:33:28] of Route 62. This makes the existing
[1:33:31] roadside drainage system extremely
[1:33:33] important. Route 62, its ditches, and
[1:33:36] its culverts are part of the drainage
[1:33:38] system serving the area. If the storm
[1:33:40] water from a development this size
[1:33:42] reaches those drainage systems faster
[1:33:45] than they can safely carry it, what
[1:33:47] happens? What happens when the covert
[1:33:50] becomes a bottleneck? What happens if a
[1:33:52] ditch cannot carry the volume of the
[1:33:54] water coming towards it? With almost
[1:33:57] 45,000 linear feet of streams that's
[1:34:01] going to be filled in on that piece of
[1:34:04] property. That's a lot of water to run
[1:34:06] off and that's just on one side
[1:34:08] basically
[1:34:09] across the road on the railroad track
[1:34:11] side.
[1:34:13] So my question is
[1:34:16] if the storm water from the develop this
[1:34:18] size reaches those drainage systems
[1:34:20] faster than they can carry it and it and
[1:34:23] it becomes bottleneck and the ditch
[1:34:25] cannot carry the volume of the water
[1:34:27] coming towards it. What happens when the
[1:34:29] drainage system fails and becomes
[1:34:31] overwhelmed? The concern is not there
[1:34:33] are homes directly downstream of the
[1:34:35] project. The concern is what happens if
[1:34:38] the drainage system backs up and those
[1:34:40] ditches are not clear. If the water
[1:34:43] cannot get through the ditchers and
[1:34:44] culitz, it could come back along the
[1:34:46] road and eventually move into the
[1:34:48] surrounding neighborhood. And this is
[1:34:50] what concerns me. And ultimately, I want
[1:34:53] to know
[1:34:55] where will the water go if a system
[1:34:57] cannot handle it. And and water doesn't
[1:34:59] recognize a property line.
[1:35:02] It doesn't recognize a zoning boundary.
[1:35:05] And it doesn't care what a drainage plan
[1:35:07] says it's supposed to do. If the system
[1:35:10] becomes overwhelmed, water will find
[1:35:12] another path. And in this case, we need
[1:35:15] to know whether that path could be back
[1:35:17] up the roadway and into our
[1:35:19] neighborhood. That's why I'm asking for
[1:35:22] an independent third party storm water
[1:35:24] study be done. And I don't want the
[1:35:26] study to stop at Google's property line.
[1:35:30] [applause]
[1:35:35] Start at 22272
[1:35:37] Charleston Road and follow the water
[1:35:39] through the entire drainage system.
[1:35:41] Follow it through the proposed draining
[1:35:43] system. Follow the retention areas.
[1:35:45] Follow this Route 62 ditches. Follow it
[1:35:48] through the culverts. Then show us what
[1:35:51] happens if those citizens become
[1:35:52] overwhelmed. Show us what happens on Ida
[1:35:55] Street, on Tim Street, on Frog City
[1:35:58] Park. Show us what happens to that
[1:36:00] low-lying area in Buffalo. And show us
[1:36:04] what happens around the municipal
[1:36:06] wastewater treatment facility. What
[1:36:08] happens to the flood plane? I also want
[1:36:10] the commission to look at the direct
[1:36:13] effect of changing the elevation of this
[1:36:15] land if they do decide to build up for
[1:36:18] the wastewater treatment plant. The
[1:36:21] water, it will be filled in, graded,
[1:36:24] raised. The water will have to be
[1:36:26] occupied. The space doesn't simply
[1:36:28] disappear.
[1:36:30] Where would that water go instead? If
[1:36:32] additional wastewater infrastructure is
[1:36:34] planned near the existing Buffalo
[1:36:37] wastewater treatment plan, I want the
[1:36:39] county to explain where those facilities
[1:36:42] will be located, how high will they be
[1:36:45] built, whether additional flow will be
[1:36:48] required, and what effect the
[1:36:49] construction will have on flood
[1:36:51] elevations and the movement of water
[1:36:53] through this low-lying area.
[1:36:55] I want I want the answer with
[1:36:58] engineering not assumptions because when
[1:37:00] I bought my home I had to raise it like
[1:37:03] I said 6 ft in the air. That tells me
[1:37:06] something very important. Elevation
[1:37:08] matters here. Drainage matters here.
[1:37:11] Flood plane matters here. And a project
[1:37:13] of this size cannot be evaluated without
[1:37:16] looking at the entire area as a
[1:37:18] connected system. Existing residents
[1:37:21] should not become the experiment.
[1:37:24] my home on Ida Street, the other homes
[1:37:26] in the community, they've been there for
[1:37:28] decades. Many of our neighbors are
[1:37:30] elderly. Some have mobility problems,
[1:37:32] and some cannot easily evacuate during
[1:37:35] emergency if they're not 6 ft high. And
[1:37:38] some simply cannot afford to absorb the
[1:37:41] financial consequences of flooding or
[1:37:43] major property damage. These people
[1:37:46] should not have to become the test case
[1:37:48] of whether a massive industrial
[1:37:50] development drainage system works. We
[1:37:53] shouldn't have to wait for the first
[1:37:54] major storm to find out. The engineering
[1:37:57] should prove it beforehand. Construction
[1:37:59] is another risk. There is also the
[1:38:02] construction period itself. And we're
[1:38:04] looking at 8 years of construction down
[1:38:06] there. Before the data center is
[1:38:09] completed, there could be extensive
[1:38:11] clearing, grading, excavating, heavy
[1:38:13] equipment, and disturbed soil. And I
[1:38:16] believe it was 66,000 cubic feet of soil
[1:38:20] that they're supposed to be moving into
[1:38:21] that area.
[1:38:23] And that's on the high side of the road,
[1:38:25] not on the lowlying area.
[1:38:28] Um
[1:38:31] before the data center is completed.
[1:38:35] I'm sorry, I lost my pro my place. Um
[1:38:38] anyway, what happens when the major
[1:38:40] storm hits construction? Where does the
[1:38:42] runoff go? Where will the sediment go?
[1:38:45] Can the existing ditches and culverts
[1:38:47] handle it? What happens if the sediment
[1:38:49] blocks the drainage during the
[1:38:51] construction? What happens if runoff
[1:38:53] reaches a neighboring property? And who
[1:38:55] is responsible for someone's property is
[1:38:58] damaged? Those questions need to be
[1:39:00] answered before construction begins, not
[1:39:02] after the damage occurs. We don't want
[1:39:04] to be Mason County.
[1:39:08] [applause]
[1:39:21] The Buffalo wastewater treatment plant
[1:39:24] is an essential public infrastructure.
[1:39:27] My home is in the community sound
[1:39:29] surrounded by that facility. If project
[1:39:31] Avalon adds additional wastewater
[1:39:34] infrastructure and changes the
[1:39:35] surrounding landscape, the county needs
[1:39:37] to know exactly how that effect will
[1:39:40] change the drainage, the flood
[1:39:42] elevations, and the existing wastewater
[1:39:44] system.
[1:39:48] I want to know how far or how high those
[1:39:51] facilities will go. I want to know um
[1:39:54] what additional land will be filled or
[1:39:57] raised. We should know where the water
[1:39:59] will go if the land can't no longer
[1:40:01] absorb it or hold it and what happens
[1:40:03] when we have extreme rainfall events.
[1:40:06] The question needs to be answered before
[1:40:08] construction begins.
[1:40:11] Storm water is my primary concern, but
[1:40:13] it isn't my only concern. The county
[1:40:16] should all examine the construction
[1:40:18] traffic, the long-term traffic, the
[1:40:20] noise from construction and data center
[1:40:22] operations, the waiting nearby on our
[1:40:24] homes, the backup generators associated
[1:40:28] with noise and emissions, water damage,
[1:40:30] water capacity, emergency response,
[1:40:33] property impacts on surrounding
[1:40:35] homeowners, the long-term effect of
[1:40:38] replacing natural land with buildings
[1:40:40] and pavements in field, changes in
[1:40:43] elevation and drainage caused by
[1:40:44] upgrading and feel the effect of the
[1:40:47] additional wastewater infrastructure on
[1:40:49] the existing flood plane. And again, I
[1:40:51] just don't want general asurances. I
[1:40:54] want engineering. I would like to have
[1:40:55] maps. I want calculations. I want
[1:40:58] models. I want flood analysis because I
[1:41:01] have to live there. And that's where I
[1:41:03] plan to spend hopefully the next at
[1:41:05] least 30 to 40 years of my life.
[1:41:08] And I want to know what happens during
[1:41:10] the worst reasonable storm, not just
[1:41:12] what happens under the perfect
[1:41:14] conditions.
[1:41:16] I understand that Google may bring
[1:41:18] investment, jobs and community and
[1:41:20] benefits. And I appreciate investments
[1:41:22] in our schools, our seniors, emergency
[1:41:25] services, and other community
[1:41:27] organizations. But I want to say
[1:41:29] something very plainly.
[1:41:31] A community grant cannot replace a safe
[1:41:34] home. and it cannot undo damage after it
[1:41:37] happens. Google has enormous resources.
[1:41:41] The residents of Buffalo, all we have is
[1:41:43] our homes and our families and our
[1:41:46] community and they deserve to know that
[1:41:49] their safety is being considered before
[1:41:52] the project moves forward. And my
[1:41:54] request to you as the commission,
[1:41:57] I am asking you to require an
[1:41:59] independent third-party impact study
[1:42:02] before Project Avalon moves forward.
[1:42:06] >> [applause]
[1:42:11] » I am asking for storm water modeling
[1:42:15] downstream damage analys an analysis
[1:42:17] extreme rainfall and flood analysis
[1:42:20] analyze of Route 62's ditches and
[1:42:22] culverts. What happens if the drainage
[1:42:24] system becomes overwhelmed and becomes
[1:42:27] blocked? What happens whether the water
[1:42:29] could back up along the roadway and move
[1:42:31] into the surrounding neighborhood
[1:42:34] in places like out of street, 10 street,
[1:42:36] and frog city park.
[1:42:39] Analysis and changing the flood
[1:42:40] elevations caused by gradient in field.
[1:42:43] Analysis of additional wastewater
[1:42:45] treatment facilities and their effect to
[1:42:47] the existing flood plane.
[1:42:52] I want the results made available to the
[1:42:54] public because we the public deserve to
[1:42:57] know. I don't want the genuine assur as
[1:43:00] assurances.
[1:43:03] I want to know what happens when the
[1:43:05] system doesn't work perfectly. We live
[1:43:07] here on out of street. My neighbors live
[1:43:10] here. Our streets are here. Our park is
[1:43:13] here. Our wastewater infrastructure is
[1:43:15] here. And this is our community. We want
[1:43:18] Buffalo to prosper. But economic
[1:43:21] development should improve our
[1:43:22] community, not transfer the risk of
[1:43:25] development onto the people who already
[1:43:27] live here.
[1:43:29] [applause]
[1:43:33] So I'm asking you, commission, follow
[1:43:36] the water, follow the drainage, follow
[1:43:38] the elevations, the coverts, the flood
[1:43:40] plane, and the wastewater
[1:43:41] infrastructure.
[1:43:43] Look at what happens when the system is
[1:43:45] overwhelmed. And before I approve you
[1:43:48] approve the project of this magnitude,
[1:43:50] make sure you have proven that the
[1:43:52] people who already live here will be
[1:43:54] protected.
[1:43:56] Like I said, I had to raise my home
[1:43:58] approximately 6 ft and you've seen the
[1:44:00] pictures of what it's like already in
[1:44:03] that bottom and I didn't even go over on
[1:44:05] the other streets.
[1:44:07] [snorts]
[1:44:08] Anyway, I like to thank you for your
[1:44:09] time, for listening. Um, that's what I
[1:44:12] had to say. I also have a couple of
[1:44:16] things from my neighbors. If I could
[1:44:18] speak on their behalf real quick.
[1:44:21] Uh my neighbor, her name is Mary Tucker.
[1:44:24] She lives at 36 IDA Street in Buffalo,
[1:44:27] West Virginia. She is 79 years old.
[1:44:30] As my neighbor is speaking for me today,
[1:44:33] Melanie Lacy, because I wanted her I
[1:44:37] want my concerns to be heard even though
[1:44:39] I'm not available to speak for myself. 5
[1:44:42] years ago, I made the decision to move
[1:44:44] down into the bottom in Buffalo to be
[1:44:47] closer to my family. I chose this place
[1:44:50] because I wanted to enjoy a slower,
[1:44:52] quieter way of life. I wanted quiet
[1:44:55] mornings, quiet evenings. I wanted to
[1:44:57] sit on my porch and watch the lightning
[1:44:59] bugs come out at night. I wanted to
[1:45:01] watch the birds and the wildlife. I
[1:45:04] enjoy seeing the raccoons and the deer
[1:45:06] crossing the yard as they make their way
[1:45:08] towards the river. Every spring, I enjoy
[1:45:11] seeing the geese come down on the lower
[1:45:13] part of the Google property and they lay
[1:45:15] their eggs and they raise their babies.
[1:45:18] These may seem like small things to some
[1:45:20] people, but at 79 years old, they are a
[1:45:23] great deal to me. This is the peaceful
[1:45:26] place I have chose for the years that I
[1:45:28] have left. Now I'm facing a very
[1:45:31] different reality. The Google data
[1:45:34] center is being built just yards from
[1:45:36] within my home. I understand development
[1:45:38] is coming to our community. I understand
[1:45:41] the progress can bring jobs. But I also
[1:45:44] ask you as a to remember the people who
[1:45:46] already live here.
[1:45:48] I'm not asking for anything
[1:45:50] unreasonable. I'm asking you to consider
[1:45:52] the residents who have to live beside
[1:45:54] this project every single day. I am
[1:45:58] concerned about the construction noise
[1:46:00] beginning early in the morning. I am
[1:46:02] concerned about the construction
[1:46:03] traffic, the heavy equipment, the
[1:46:05] lights, the dust, the constant activity
[1:46:07] that will come with the project this
[1:46:09] size. I don't want to lose the ability
[1:46:12] to sit on my own porch and enjoy the
[1:46:14] quiet life for what years I do have
[1:46:16] left. I don't want the wildlife
[1:46:19] to disappear from the noise and the
[1:46:21] activity. And most importantly, I don't
[1:46:24] want the peaceful home I have chose
[1:46:27] after working my whole life of 60 years
[1:46:30] to become a place where I can no longer
[1:46:32] enjoy the simple things.
[1:46:35] That's what brought me to Buffalo in the
[1:46:37] first place, the simple things. At my
[1:46:40] age,
[1:46:43] I do know that I want the years to be fe
[1:46:46] peaceful. And I am 79 years old. And I
[1:46:50] moved here for this simple life. And the
[1:46:52] simple life is what Buffalo should stay
[1:46:54] to be. Thank you.
[1:46:58] [applause]
[1:47:04] I have one from April Spencer. She
[1:47:07] actually owns two pro pieces of property
[1:47:09] on that road.
[1:47:12] Her home of residence is at 3210 Tim
[1:47:15] Street and her proposed rental property
[1:47:18] is at 290
[1:47:22] 20909
[1:47:24] Charleston Road, Buffalo, which is about
[1:47:26] three houses down from the data center
[1:47:29] property.
[1:47:33] [clears throat] She currently takes care
[1:47:34] of her 90-year-old mother and her
[1:47:36] residence. And when she passes away, she
[1:47:38] would like for her intention to be to
[1:47:40] sell her home. She is also currently
[1:47:43] trying to sell her rental property with
[1:47:45] no ow. That's not anything coming of it.
[1:47:49] Because of that, she would like to know
[1:47:51] how this development could affect the
[1:47:53] future value, the taxes, the
[1:47:55] marketability, and the sale of her
[1:47:57] property. One of her biggest concerns is
[1:48:00] property taxes. If this development
[1:48:02] causes property values in the area to
[1:48:04] increase, I'm concerned that my property
[1:48:07] taxes could also increase. That could
[1:48:10] create an additional financial burden
[1:48:12] for homeowners who may not have the same
[1:48:14] financial resources as some major
[1:48:16] billion-doll company.
[1:48:19] At the same time, I am concerned about
[1:48:21] the possibility that nearby properties
[1:48:23] could actually become less desirable
[1:48:25] because of the development, increased
[1:48:27] traffic, construction, activity, noise,
[1:48:30] and storm water problems.
[1:48:33] As Melanie showed you in several of
[1:48:34] those pictures, that is also the
[1:48:36] backside of my home and the rental home.
[1:48:40] If it happens, property owners could
[1:48:42] find themselves in a situation where
[1:48:44] taxes increase while the inability to
[1:48:47] sell the property or actual market value
[1:48:50] decreases. This is a serious concern for
[1:48:52] her. She's trying to sell her rental
[1:48:54] property now, but since people has heard
[1:48:58] the data center is coming through, she
[1:49:00] hasn't got any interest in it. She's
[1:49:03] also extremely concerned about the water
[1:49:05] off storm water runoff and flooding.
[1:49:08] She would also like to know what happens
[1:49:11] when the ditches and the culverboards
[1:49:12] become backed up.
[1:49:21] She would like for answers. She would
[1:49:23] like to know how this project could
[1:49:25] affect our future property taxes, how it
[1:49:27] could affect the actual market value and
[1:49:29] the ability to sell our homes if we
[1:49:32] decided we do wanted to leave. Whether
[1:49:34] existing drainage ditches and culverts
[1:49:36] are capable of handing handling the
[1:49:38] additional storm water. What protections
[1:49:41] will be in place for existing homeowners
[1:49:43] if flooding or drainage problems occur?
[1:49:47] Who will be responsible if storm water
[1:49:49] from the de development causes damage to
[1:49:52] private property? And what assurances
[1:49:54] existing property owners will have that
[1:49:57] they will not be left financially
[1:49:59] responsible for problems created by this
[1:50:01] large-scale development.
[1:50:04] I have invested in my properties and in
[1:50:07] this community. I should not have to
[1:50:09] choose between protecting my property,
[1:50:12] being able to sell it, and dealing with
[1:50:14] problems caused by development that we
[1:50:16] did not create or ask for.
[1:50:20] She is simply asking the commission to
[1:50:22] look beyond the immediate project site
[1:50:24] and consider the people who live around
[1:50:26] it. And we've waited and we've waited and still no one has
[1:50:31] come and knocked on our doors and asked
[1:50:33] us how we felt or what we wanted.
[1:50:39] And anyway, she would like to thank you
[1:50:40] for listening to her concerns about the
[1:50:42] impact of this project.
[1:50:46] » Thank you.
[1:50:47] >> All right. Thank you. [applause]
[1:50:50] >> I have one more.
[1:50:53] and this is actually for my
[1:50:55] husband Tim Lacy that he didn't want to
[1:50:58] get up and speak.
[1:51:00] Um
[1:51:02] he's lived there for 35 years. His home,
[1:51:06] of course, we know is in a flood plane,
[1:51:07] too, cuz we share homes. The things that
[1:51:10] he is concerned about is the noise and
[1:51:12] the light pollution. He works 12-hour
[1:51:15] shifts. Sometimes he needs to sleep
[1:51:17] during the day.
[1:51:19] With the construction, the cooling
[1:51:21] equipment, the pumps, the generators,
[1:51:23] the traffic, and the lighting, it could
[1:51:26] significantly affect the nearby
[1:51:28] residents, what noise and lighting
[1:51:31] limits will apply, who will monitor
[1:51:33] them, and who will address the
[1:51:35] violations.
[1:51:37] There is also the area supports deer,
[1:51:40] coyotes, minks, birds, hawks, eagles,
[1:51:43] monarch butterflies, bats, and other
[1:51:45] wildlife. Clearing land and changing
[1:51:48] drainage could destroy the habitats.
[1:51:50] What studies have been done, especially
[1:51:52] regarding protected or endangered
[1:51:55] species?
[1:51:56] I appreciate Google's community grants,
[1:51:59] of course, he says, but those
[1:52:01] contributions do not replace the
[1:52:02] responsibility to protect the nearby
[1:52:05] residents who has been living in this
[1:52:06] county, like I said, for 35 years when
[1:52:09] there was only three or four houses in
[1:52:11] that bottom.
[1:52:13] He believes that development must be
[1:52:15] matched by aquatic adequate
[1:52:18] infrastructure and safeguards. Residents
[1:52:21] should also be informed earlier and
[1:52:23] should have been given a meaningful
[1:52:25] opportunity to participate.
[1:52:27] People should not learn about this
[1:52:29] project this large after major decisions
[1:52:31] has already been made. Why weren't
[1:52:34] nearby residents better notified? And
[1:52:36] why is farmland being considered instead
[1:52:39] of not an industrial site?
[1:52:42] residents should have a meaningful
[1:52:43] opportunity, including a vote if
[1:52:45] appropriate, to decide whether this
[1:52:48] facility belongs here.
[1:52:51] Moving forward, he also asked what
[1:52:53] myself and other neighbors ask.
[1:52:56] The storm water and the flooding, the
[1:52:58] impacts, the culverts, the water damage,
[1:53:01] the impacts on the nearby properties and
[1:53:03] waterways, the light control, and the
[1:53:07] protection for the nearby homeowners,
[1:53:09] the responsibility for future problems.
[1:53:13] He would also like to know why farmland
[1:53:15] is not be is being used. Like he said,
[1:53:18] this is a piece of property that is part
[1:53:20] of our history.
[1:53:22] It'd be different if it didn't have
[1:53:24] history to it, but it does. And we
[1:53:27] should not have to choose between
[1:53:28] economic development and safe, peaceful
[1:53:31] homes. Responsible development means
[1:53:34] addressing these concerns before they
[1:53:36] occur. Please listen to the residents
[1:53:39] closest to this project. require
[1:53:41] thorough studies and safeguards, involve
[1:53:43] the community, and address the existing
[1:53:46] dra drainage problem before adding a
[1:53:49] major development or a major
[1:53:50] catastrophe.
[1:53:52] And please don't let longtime residents
[1:53:54] just be an afterthought.
[1:53:57] Thank you.
[1:53:57] >> Thank you. [applause]
[1:54:04] » Just a couple of comments on that one.
[1:54:06] the um you know they do have to go
[1:54:08] through the Army Corps of Engineer and D
[1:54:11] would be involved in construction. Um
[1:54:14] but I would encourage you to go to the
[1:54:16] uh the site that they created um and ask
[1:54:20] any of these questions uh regarding
[1:54:21] their their plans.
[1:54:23] >> Every time I try to use it or they don't
[1:54:25] respond
[1:54:29] [clears throat]
[1:54:29] >> no response
[1:54:32] here in the audience that won't get a
[1:54:34] response.
[1:54:34] >> Okay. permit
[1:54:37] on that site.
[1:54:39] >> No. Yeah, I agree with that. That's held directly through them. No
[1:54:43] response on website. Okay, we'll we'll
[1:54:45] reach out on that [clears throat] one.
[1:54:48] >> Yes, sir.
[1:54:49] >> Hi. Hello. I'm Dr. Kyle McCoslin. I'm
[1:54:52] from Ply. I've been here a few times
[1:54:54] before and I want to talk about a couple
[1:54:56] little things. I appreciate what Miss
[1:54:58] Lacy said because she's right on target.
[1:55:01] All you got to do is look at Mason
[1:55:02] County and see. And it will be much
[1:55:04] worse in Putnham County. There's no
[1:55:06] doubt. I've seen the maps. I've seen
[1:55:08] what they're going to do to those
[1:55:09] hillsides. Um it's going to be a wash
[1:55:12] out. And not just when they build, it'll
[1:55:16] be in the future. She she's right on
[1:55:18] target, by the way. But we're going to
[1:55:20] talk about a couple other things. So, I
[1:55:23] thought about this for a while and I
[1:55:24] thought, you know, I'm going to use AI.
[1:55:26] I'm gonna I'm gonna ask it a question.
[1:55:28] And the first question I asked was what
[1:55:31] biological species destroys its own food
[1:55:35] source? You want to know what the answer
[1:55:37] was? Interesting. Humans are the primary
[1:55:42] biological species that systematically
[1:55:45] and knowingly degrades or destroys their
[1:55:49] own food producing resource. We're the
[1:55:52] only ones. I mean, sure, sometimes you
[1:55:55] have biological species like deer that
[1:55:57] become overpop populated and they
[1:55:59] degrade their environment and then they
[1:56:02] die off.
[1:56:03] But but we systematically do it.
[1:56:07] No other single species does this. We're
[1:56:09] the only ones. I mean, you need to think
[1:56:12] about that. All of you. All of you. All
[1:56:15] of us. Because that's our future.
[1:56:19] So Franklin Delanar Roosevelt said it
[1:56:22] the best. A nation that destroys its
[1:56:25] soils destroys itself.
[1:56:30] [applause]
[1:56:36] Now, let's talk about Putnham County.
[1:56:38] 1950, 21,000 people, give or take a few,
[1:56:42] lived in this county. 2020,
[1:56:46] 57,000,
[1:56:48] give or take.
[1:56:50] Now, let's talk about the total land.
[1:56:53] and harvested acres lost
[1:56:56] in Putham County since 1950.
[1:57:00] Harvested prime farmland.
[1:57:04] Total loss has been 15,000 to 18,000
[1:57:07] acres.
[1:57:09] Right now, 2020, we have less than 5,000
[1:57:14] acres less left in this county. Our
[1:57:17] farmland has not been protected.
[1:57:20] And this particular data center is going
[1:57:23] to destroy hundreds of more acres. We We
[1:57:26] do not have that much to lose. It's the
[1:57:29] most natural resource we have. We've
[1:57:32] been wasteful.
[1:57:34] And I've heard you talk a little bit
[1:57:35] about planning. I've heard nothing about
[1:57:39] agriculture.
[1:57:40] I mean, and I pointed out at the last
[1:57:43] time I was here that in 1998, there was
[1:57:46] an order created by your predecessors,
[1:57:49] three other commissioners who were
[1:57:52] supposed to create a land plan. Nothing
[1:57:55] was done. So now here we are with less
[1:57:57] than 5,000 acres. And now we're talking
[1:58:00] about destroying some of the most prime
[1:58:02] land we have left.
[1:58:04] And here's something other to know about
[1:58:07] that prime land.
[1:58:10] It is recognized by the National
[1:58:12] Department of Agriculture, national, not
[1:58:15] state, not local, as nationally
[1:58:18] important in the USA.
[1:58:21] Now, first of all, there's very little
[1:58:22] in West Virginia that's even considered
[1:58:24] nationally important from an
[1:58:25] agricultural standpoint. We're not Ohio
[1:58:28] and it's all in the Cana Valley or in
[1:58:31] the Eastern Panhandle. We're a little
[1:58:33] bit left in the Ohio River Valley.
[1:58:35] That's it. And Putnham County only has a
[1:58:39] little chunk left of the Cana Valley
[1:58:42] farmland.
[1:58:45] And when you take out what's going to
[1:58:47] happen with this data center and a few
[1:58:49] other parcels like around Frasier's
[1:58:51] bottom
[1:58:53] and what I heard tonight on the
[1:58:55] Courtland Smith property, you're going
[1:58:58] to lose another thousand acres. that's, you know, 20% of what you have
[1:59:02] left. If you don't do something right
[1:59:05] now, you're gonna have nothing. It's
[1:59:08] very important that you think about
[1:59:09] this.
[1:59:12] And let's talk about the high technology
[1:59:15] valuation act quote data center. Now,
[1:59:19] this is this is about why everybody
[1:59:22] wants a data center. You know, they
[1:59:24] think it's all about money because it is
[1:59:25] all about money. Okay, but let's talk
[1:59:27] about it for a minute.
[1:59:30] for property tax purposes, it's going to
[1:59:33] be valued at 5% of the original cost of
[1:59:35] the property.
[1:59:37] It sounds like a lot of money and and it
[1:59:39] is, but it's nothing compared to what
[1:59:42] the rest of us have to pay. I mean, they
[1:59:44] get the deal. We get the shaft.
[1:59:47] And in addition, the sales tax exemption
[1:59:50] for all purchases of pre-written
[1:59:52] computer software, computers, computer
[1:59:55] hardware, servers, building materials,
[1:59:59] and tangible personal property for
[2:00:02] direct use in qualified high technology
[2:00:06] businesses or internet advertising
[2:00:08] businesses. It's exempt.
[2:00:11] Again, bad deal. I mean, even if you are
[2:00:16] totally focused on the money, it is a
[2:00:18] bad deal for us. Good deal for the
[2:00:21] state, I guess. Bad deal for everybody
[2:00:24] in this room
[2:00:25] >> and you all too.
[2:00:26] >> Us included.
[2:00:27] >> Yeah, absolutely. It's a horrible deal.
[2:00:30] And to top it off, 70% goes to the
[2:00:33] state. I mean, come on. Who who who even
[2:00:37] came up with this idea? Wasn't anybody
[2:00:39] in this room, I bet. And it wasn't you
[2:00:42] all.
[2:00:43] But it's your job to defend us. I mean,
[2:00:46] you need to make a better deal. I mean,
[2:00:48] if you're going to put a data center,
[2:00:50] you at least should be getting paid well
[2:00:53] so that at least we can benefit.
[2:01:01] So, let's talk about the pros. The pros
[2:01:04] of a data center. Income, right? That's
[2:01:07] the biggie. You're going to make all
[2:01:09] this money. Yet they can't really tell
[2:01:10] you how much money. They surmise and
[2:01:13] they hypothesize, but nobody really
[2:01:15] tells us exactly, you know, and they
[2:01:19] talk about construction jobs, which are
[2:01:21] great and they're very good for the
[2:01:23] economy, but they're temporary and a lot
[2:01:26] of them are going to be out of sters.
[2:01:28] They're not going to be locals.
[2:01:30] And then they talk about the long-term
[2:01:32] jobs. And this is the part that really
[2:01:34] gets me because if you use AI, which is
[2:01:37] what they all talk about, the average
[2:01:40] number of jobs at a data center long
[2:01:42] term is 18. It's not 300. It's not 400.
[2:01:47] It's 18. And if you read a little
[2:01:50] further, there will be even less because
[2:01:52] what do you think AI is supposed to do?
[2:01:54] It's supposed to reduce the need for
[2:01:56] people because we, you know, we we
[2:02:00] technologically improve. So instead of
[2:02:02] two people, we need one person.
[2:02:05] So the pros are limited, but what are
[2:02:08] the cons?
[2:02:09] Well, you're going to degrade your
[2:02:11] historical value there. And what amazes
[2:02:14] me is that that's probably one of the
[2:02:15] most historical parts you have of
[2:02:17] Lefture County. I didn't know it. I've
[2:02:19] learned a lot. I've become much more
[2:02:22] proud of that area and its and its
[2:02:24] historical value. The agricultural
[2:02:27] destru destruction is is unheard of
[2:02:31] because you don't have enough to work
[2:02:33] with and you're destroying your prime
[2:02:35] agricultural land that you have left.
[2:02:38] The water issues, people have talked
[2:02:41] about this, the amount of water and of
[2:02:43] course it's about water. I mean, look at
[2:02:45] the West. If you read about the aquifers
[2:02:47] that are being drained in Texas and
[2:02:50] Nebraska and Kansas and god forbid, look
[2:02:54] at the Colorado River. I mean, it's a
[2:02:57] trickle when you get to Mexico.
[2:02:59] Why do you think they're coming? They're
[2:03:01] coming for our water. You know, even
[2:03:03] Michigan knows this with the Great
[2:03:04] Lakes. They made a pack with Ohio years
[2:03:06] ago because they see what's coming.
[2:03:08] They're trying to protect themselves. We
[2:03:11] should be doing the same. WE REALLY
[2:03:13] SHOULD.
[2:03:15] >> [applause]
[2:03:19] » AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT electrical
[2:03:20] consumption. It's going to be massive.
[2:03:23] And the problem with that is, is the
[2:03:26] grid capable of handling it? If not,
[2:03:28] what's going to happen to us? We're
[2:03:29] going to be the first people without
[2:03:30] electric. Not all of us have generators.
[2:03:34] And and then what happens, of course, is
[2:03:36] if they can't handle it. They use their
[2:03:37] backup generators. And what does that
[2:03:39] do? Well, that creates more noise and
[2:03:40] more pollution. And by the way, this
[2:03:43] electric that has to be produced
[2:03:44] somewhere is going to create more
[2:03:45] pollution and everybody's going to be
[2:03:48] breathing it and that's going to create
[2:03:50] more health problems. Maybe not here,
[2:03:52] but probably, but it's probably in other
[2:03:54] parts of the county or certainly other
[2:03:56] parts of the state.
[2:03:58] You got to think about these things. And
[2:04:00] then you have the noise disruption and
[2:04:02] the lighting disruption and how that
[2:04:04] affects people and their health and the
[2:04:06] animals and and just everybody's
[2:04:08] well-being.
[2:04:10] And then you talk about the decreased
[2:04:12] local property values. This poor ladies
[2:04:14] will never sell her house. It's not
[2:04:17] going to happen. Who's going to buy it
[2:04:18] when they know this is coming? It's
[2:04:20] already started and it's only going to
[2:04:23] get worse. So that hurts us and in the
[2:04:26] end it may hurt you all too a certain
[2:04:29] degree, but hurts us a lot more. And
[2:04:32] then you talk about the endangered and
[2:04:34] the threatened and the potential species
[2:04:36] that are going to be driven out. Even if
[2:04:38] they're not killed, they're going to be
[2:04:39] driven out. And that is important. It's
[2:04:42] part of our life. It's part of our
[2:04:43] ecology. It adds to our world.
[2:04:47] And the health issues, well, they're really coming. Wait till you see
[2:04:51] the COPD. Wait till you see the asthma.
[2:04:53] Wait till you see the h the cardiac
[2:04:55] problems. It's coming. They haven't
[2:04:58] proven it yet. They haven't done enough
[2:04:59] studies because been around long enough.
[2:05:01] But it is coming. I promise you. It's
[2:05:03] just a matter of time. And it may be you
[2:05:05] all or some of us or even worse it'll be
[2:05:08] your children.
[2:05:11] And then we talk about climate
[2:05:13] disruption. These are heat islands.
[2:05:16] These are going to raise your
[2:05:16] temperature in that area by 5 6 10°. And
[2:05:20] that's going to affect our crops that
[2:05:23] are left, the farmland that's left. The
[2:05:25] animals, they're not going to reproduce
[2:05:27] nearly as well.
[2:05:29] And you have to think about these
[2:05:31] things. These are the cons. And and this
[2:05:32] was the whole point of the resolution,
[2:05:34] which is yes, I know money is important.
[2:05:38] I know growth is important, but it has
[2:05:40] to be it has to benefit all of us and it
[2:05:44] has to be balanced. This is not
[2:05:46] balanced. Not yet. I'm not saying the
[2:05:48] data center can't happen at some point
[2:05:50] in the future. It's being pushed and
[2:05:52] it's being pushed too quickly. And when
[2:05:54] you do anything too quickly, you make
[2:05:55] bad decisions and then you have to live
[2:05:57] with all the consequences. And that's
[2:06:00] why you should always sleep on it for a
[2:06:02] night or two when you make a decision.
[2:06:04] All right. So, I'm going to end this
[2:06:06] here.
[2:06:08] It's a call to what I do not want and
[2:06:10] what I do want. What I don't want is I
[2:06:13] don't need self-driving cars.
[2:06:16] I don't need humanoid robot robots.
[2:06:20] I don't need AI in every app that I use.
[2:06:23] Okay? I don't need it. What I do need is
[2:06:26] clean water, a stable climate, and a
[2:06:30] habitable planet. That's what we need.
[2:06:37] [applause]
[2:06:40] And this is my last statement
[2:06:43] and this is deals with agriculture which
[2:06:45] I think you need to think very seriously
[2:06:48] about. It's no farms, no food, no
[2:06:53] future.
[2:06:55] >> [applause]
[2:07:02] » THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
[2:07:05] Anyone else?
[2:07:06] >> I have a question. Has there been an
[2:07:10] impact study done on how these centers
[2:07:13] are going to affect us?
[2:07:15] >> I have no idea.
[2:07:16] >> No.
[2:07:17] >> Shouldn't there have been one before was
[2:07:20] all
[2:07:20] >> I Yes. And I I think all these are great
[2:07:23] statements and I think if you guys take
[2:07:25] this passion to the legislature, may
[2:07:27] maybe we can have an impact. Uh
[2:07:30] >> do you have the authority to address our
[2:07:34] problems?
[2:07:35] >> We don't. We have to go to Charleston to
[2:07:37] do that.
[2:07:37] >> You have to go to Charleston.
[2:07:39] >> We need to get rid of everybody else.
[2:07:42] >> I I'm just saying that you House Bill
[2:07:44] 2014 takes all of our local authority
[2:07:47] away. Whether it be zoning, whether it
[2:07:49] be permitting, we a data center doesn't
[2:07:53] have to do anything with the county
[2:07:55] commission.
[2:07:55] >> How do they have the authority to do
[2:07:58] that?
[2:07:58] >> They they passed a law, House Bill 2014.
[2:08:02] >> But how can they strip local governments
[2:08:06] of their right to govern you guys?
[2:08:08] >> Yes. Because they
[2:08:11] strip your right away.
[2:08:12] >> They wrote the law. They stripped it
[2:08:13] away.
[2:08:15] >> Yeah. All right. Now with the power
[2:08:17] company, Mr. McCall was talking about
[2:08:19] power. I am all electric. The last time
[2:08:23] my power went off, I was on 17 days, not
[2:08:29] hours. If they use all the electric that
[2:08:33] I hear they're going to use, what's that
[2:08:35] going to do to my house? So, so one part
[2:08:38] that what we've been educated on is the
[2:08:41] reason they're located where they are is
[2:08:43] the location to the 756 transmission
[2:08:46] line. That's actually over on the
[2:08:47] Frasier's bottom side. It's about 2 mi
[2:08:49] away. So, they are not hooking into
[2:08:51] actually to the local grid. They are
[2:08:53] hooking into the 756 transmission line
[2:08:56] that goes through that area.
[2:08:57] >> So, it won't I
[2:08:58] >> I'm not saying that. I'm just telling
[2:09:00] you what we've been told. I have no
[2:09:01] idea. I don't work for the power
[2:09:03] company. I don't know how that works.
[2:09:05] >> Is this thing going to be self-contained
[2:09:09] in the water because I went to Colorado
[2:09:12] just recently and it just so happens was
[2:09:14] a lady sitting beside of me from Indiana
[2:09:18] I believe it was and her company builds
[2:09:21] these
[2:09:23] and she said all of them today are
[2:09:26] supposed to be self-contained.
[2:09:28] >> Yeah, closed loop is what they call them
[2:09:30] as and that's the indication that's been
[2:09:32] made is that they intend to be a closed
[2:09:34] loop system. permit for 30 water and
[2:09:38] river
[2:09:42] » if you want information.
[2:09:48] » Okay.
[2:09:49] >> And when I was out of power and I called
[2:09:51] the public service and you people pay
[2:09:54] attention. I told her what my problem
[2:09:56] was and you know what she did? She
[2:09:58] laughed and she said, "Well, that's what
[2:10:00] you get for living out in the country."
[2:10:02] Oh, I forgot her name.
[2:10:05] Yeah,
[2:10:06] >> I get it.
[2:10:07] >> All right, let let's let's give it to
[2:10:09] the microphone. Hi,
[2:10:10] >> my name is Cheryl Manny Penny Thrift. I
[2:10:12] am a resident of Scott Depot. Uh I will
[2:10:16] be as brief as possible. My
[2:10:18] granddaughters are hungry and bored.
[2:10:20] [laughter]
[2:10:22] Um, I I've questioned how we got here
[2:10:26] and and I know we got here to a large
[2:10:29] extent due to House Bill 2014,
[2:10:32] [snorts]
[2:10:33] but what I don't understand is the
[2:10:35] nondisclosure agreement that I
[2:10:37] understand that you all uh have signed.
[2:10:40] Can you explain to me what that is?
[2:10:42] >> So, I I was the only one that signed it.
[2:10:44] >> Okay. Uh, and this was probably about a
[2:10:48] year and a half ago. And because there
[2:10:52] was talk of some development, I didn't
[2:10:54] know it was a data center or anything,
[2:10:56] but I never had any contact with the
[2:10:59] company. So, I signed a non-disclosure
[2:11:02] to start to have talks about what could
[2:11:04] come to the community. And I guess that was probably right about the time
[2:11:08] House Bill 2014 was in legislation. So,
[2:11:10] once that passed, they didn't have to
[2:11:12] have any contact.
[2:11:14] that that helps me understand. Thank
[2:11:15] you. Um do you I I know that your power
[2:11:20] essentially has been taken away. Uh I
[2:11:22] appreciate that you all have sat here
[2:11:24] and listened to the public and all of
[2:11:27] our concerns and I share all the the
[2:11:30] concerns that you've heard here this
[2:11:31] evening. [gasps]
[2:11:33] But what can we do? What can we do to
[2:11:38] have House Bill 2014 revoked, repealed,
[2:11:42] whatever the correct terminology is? Can
[2:11:45] you all file a lawsuit directly? That's
[2:11:48] my direct question.
[2:11:50] >> I mean, anybody can file a lawsuit.
[2:11:52] >> I don't think individuals can. I think
[2:11:53] only
[2:11:54] >> Well, I mean, just just in general, just
[2:11:56] I was just speaking, you know, in
[2:11:58] general, anybody can file a lawsuit
[2:11:59] whether they're right or wrong. We have
[2:12:01] looked at it. We have had contacts with
[2:12:03] Mon County um who is also looking at the
[2:12:06] same issue. Um because regardless of
[2:12:12] what what happened, we have to deal with
[2:12:14] this. It's in our community and and
[2:12:17] again, we know there's pros and cons and
[2:12:19] we know I I've been on record and I'll
[2:12:22] say it again. Not all data centers are
[2:12:24] created equal. I I believe there is a
[2:12:26] difference between um a developer data
[2:12:30] center that is I'm going to build it and
[2:12:32] they're going to come or one like we're
[2:12:35] dealing with Google. Um I will say I
[2:12:38] know I'm talking to a room that wants no
[2:12:40] data center, no way, no how and I get
[2:12:42] that. I fully understand that. But in my
[2:12:44] dealings with Google, I have seen that
[2:12:47] their willingness to try to share
[2:12:49] information and try it seems we did do a
[2:12:54] tour uh for those that weren't here at
[2:12:56] the previous committee. All three
[2:12:57] commissioners went to the new Albany
[2:12:58] site in Columbus, Ohio. Uh we did a
[2:13:01] about a 4-hour tour of the facility. Its
[2:13:04] size is very comparable to the one that
[2:13:06] is being proposed in Buffalo.
[2:13:09] um it's on about 700 acres where what
[2:13:11] they p purchased from a and that that's
[2:13:14] another important point I think we need
[2:13:16] to talk about as well is it's not like
[2:13:19] they bought from one private entity um
[2:13:22] you know I I understand the farmland I
[2:13:24] understand that discussion you know that
[2:13:26] was a private entity decided to make
[2:13:28] that sale of farmland and those those
[2:13:30] families decided to sell to a 60 70
[2:13:33] years ago uh so this has kind of been a
[2:13:36] trickle down effect of why are we where
[2:13:38] we're at now? Your original question.
[2:13:41] Um, but during that tour in New Albany,
[2:13:44] Ohio, um, we did see I think there's uh
[2:13:48] there were six units online. They were
[2:13:50] building a seventh unit. Uh, we had a
[2:13:52] chance to talk to some of the workers uh
[2:13:54] that are there in the the the data
[2:13:56] center that size. You had about 400
[2:13:58] Google employees. You had about 400
[2:14:01] daily contract workers. And then over on
[2:14:04] building seven, the one they were
[2:14:05] building, you had roughly about 800
[2:14:07] trades people that were working in
[2:14:10] construction at that time. Um, looking
[2:14:13] at that site, um, I again it I know it's
[2:14:17] a in in your backyard it's a different
[2:14:19] story and I get that 100%. Um, my
[2:14:22] biggest concern is the construction
[2:14:25] phase. This is a long construction
[2:14:27] phase. the road to get these
[2:14:29] construction materials. That's a huge
[2:14:32] concern because that's coming right
[2:14:33] through town and that's going to be all
[2:14:35] day long. So, that is that is a huge
[2:14:38] concern that I feel like that we need to
[2:14:41] be looking at because as of right now,
[2:14:44] even if House Bill 2014 didn't exist,
[2:14:48] that that was an unzoned area of Putham
[2:14:50] County. So, zoning zoning didn't matter.
[2:14:54] They are uh Google is going through the
[2:14:56] planning office with some of the
[2:14:57] permitting requests that would be
[2:14:59] required uh addressing some of the
[2:15:01] concerns probably not all of them that
[2:15:03] Miss Lacy brought up concerning runoff
[2:15:05] and things like that. Uh but there is uh
[2:15:08] there will be some information shared
[2:15:10] through through the planning office that
[2:15:12] will will be open to the public uh as
[2:15:15] they go through that process. Um then
[2:15:18] army corps engineer once they go through
[2:15:20] their review my understanding that
[2:15:22] probably takes about a year and then u
[2:15:25] during construction phase you have D
[2:15:28] that will be monitoring the construction
[2:15:30] side of things. Um I know I just went on
[2:15:33] a rant there but uh did did I address
[2:15:35] some of your questions?
[2:15:36] >> You you did.
[2:15:36] >> Okay.
[2:15:37] >> Um I guess the rest of what I have to
[2:15:39] say is not only for your information but
[2:15:42] for the rest of the group here. Uh I
[2:15:45] spent probably 30 years of my career
[2:15:49] doing environmental permitting for a uh
[2:15:54] interstate transmission pipeline.
[2:15:56] So I know quite a bit about the Clean
[2:15:59] Water Act, the National Historic
[2:16:01] Preservation Act, the Endangered Species
[2:16:04] Act, etc., etc.
[2:16:06] And I'm very upset with our state
[2:16:09] legislature for taking any local control
[2:16:12] away.
[2:16:13] And I'm upset with the state in general
[2:16:16] for uh taking if we end up with this
[2:16:20] thing and we we don't get the money kind
[2:16:23] of thing. Exactly there. But
[2:16:25] >> we still have the federal government
[2:16:27] that we can try to push on. All these
[2:16:31] permits
[2:16:33] >> are under federal law. The endangered
[2:16:36] species act is the federal endangered
[2:16:38] species act. the clean water act which
[2:16:42] is uh done by the core of engineers is
[2:16:47] the federal clean water act. So, if we
[2:16:50] can't fight this battle, for lack of a
[2:16:54] better way to put it, with our state
[2:16:56] legislature or our local D or whomever,
[2:17:00] we need to start looking at what can we
[2:17:03] do through the federal laws in the
[2:17:05] federal entities. I don't know that it
[2:17:08] will help, but it is another avenue I
[2:17:10] think we can pursue to try to make sure
[2:17:14] if this thing goes in, it goes in as
[2:17:16] environmentally sound as it possibly can
[2:17:19] and preferably not go in at all. Uh, I
[2:17:23] thank you for your time. I I'll leave
[2:17:26] you with one last thing.
[2:17:29] I don't know how I feel about you as
[2:17:31] individual commissioners, but I do
[2:17:34] respect what you put up with. Uh, I was
[2:17:37] born and raised in Hancock County. My
[2:17:40] father was a county commissioner for 18
[2:17:42] years.
[2:17:42] >> Oh, wow. God bless you.
[2:17:44] >> That was before cell phones and
[2:17:46] computers and everything else. And our
[2:17:48] phone never stopped ringing. And of
[2:17:51] course, my mother quit answering it. So,
[2:17:53] being a teenager in the house, I
[2:17:55] answered it. I wanted to talk to my
[2:17:57] boyfriend. I did not want my dad on the
[2:18:00] phone for another hour listening or
[2:18:01] talking to somebody. I know that you
[2:18:04] must feel at times that the weight is on
[2:18:07] your shoulders. The of the weight of the
[2:18:09] world is on your shoulders. Um, and I
[2:18:12] know you listen tonight very patiently
[2:18:13] when you sat there knowing there's not a
[2:18:15] whole lot you can do. But if you can do
[2:18:19] something, including going forward with
[2:18:21] a lawsuit on behalf of your
[2:18:24] constituents, I for one would be very, happy.
[2:18:30] [applause] Thank you.
[2:18:33] >> Go feed those grandkids.
[2:18:37] » Miss Mills Polly.
[2:18:39] >> Thank you, Ellen Mills Polly. I'm from
[2:18:42] Scott Depot, Crooked Creek. Um, and I
[2:18:46] have to say thank you all too for
[2:18:47] putting up with it. I know that it's
[2:18:49] difficult. Uh, and I appreciate you
[2:18:52] paying attention to us. Um, and I'd like
[2:18:56] to I agree with and for the all of all
[2:19:00] of the aforementioned reasons I believe
[2:19:03] this is not right. It's not being done
[2:19:06] right. It isn't going to happen right.
[2:19:08] Isn't you know it just isn't. I am
[2:19:11] opposed to data centers and even if it
[2:19:16] makes no difference to the powers that
[2:19:18] be in Charleston, I urge all of you and
[2:19:21] you collectively as the county
[2:19:23] commission to express your opposition in
[2:19:27] writing to someone, the governor, the
[2:19:31] data zar, whatever it is
[2:19:35] in your opposition to the way this is
[2:19:38] being done and what is being done unless
[2:19:42] you are secretly for data centers and
[2:19:44] you don't want to tell those people you
[2:19:46] don't want to be for them. But I would
[2:19:48] urge you to stand up and say we're
[2:19:51] opposed to the way this is being done.
[2:19:53] House Bill 2014
[2:19:56] is horrible and I feel certain that at
[2:19:59] some point it will be uncovered and
[2:20:02] discovered what a terrible thing that
[2:20:05] was to all of us in West Virginia. Um
[2:20:09] the other thing I'd like to bring up
[2:20:11] quickly and that is um the the uh Valley
[2:20:17] North transmission lines that come out
[2:20:21] of John Amos. It's already a 55 or 60
[2:20:24] year old facility to go through 12
[2:20:28] counties to the eastern panhandle to
[2:20:31] send electric to a data center
[2:20:36] in Virginia. not even for us to use. And
[2:20:40] that facility is already old. That
[2:20:43] facility, it's down the river. Um, it's
[2:20:46] already up the river. It's already old.
[2:20:49] It can't handle being having the
[2:20:51] electric sucked out of it to take it to
[2:20:53] Virginia. So, other county commissions,
[2:20:57] I had the paperwork for two of them, but
[2:21:00] I believe that there are eight or 10
[2:21:02] more out of the 12 counties. Other
[2:21:04] county commissions have expressed in
[2:21:07] writing to the public service commission
[2:21:11] and to the Valley North people that they
[2:21:14] res are opposed to the Valley North
[2:21:17] transmission line going through our
[2:21:19] county and their county. It's going to
[2:21:21] devastate more of North Putton. I
[2:21:25] respectfully respectfully asked you to
[2:21:28] join them in writing some kind of a
[2:21:33] letter in opposition to the Valley
[2:21:35] North. We beat one line and that was
[2:21:39] PATH about 20 or 25 years ago and it is
[2:21:44] possible for us to express stand up for
[2:21:46] ourselves. we're getting screwed with
[2:21:48] the uh data center. We don't need to get
[2:21:52] it twice. So, please consider some type
[2:21:55] of correspondence with the powers that
[2:21:58] be that you're opposed to it if you are
[2:22:00] indeed opposed to it. And I think the
[2:22:03] people in this room would like to see
[2:22:04] you all stand up and do that. Thank you
[2:22:06] so much.
[2:22:10] [applause]
[2:22:16] Good evening, gentlemen.
[2:22:17] >> Good evening.
[2:22:18] >> My name is Alicia Rice and I live on the
[2:22:21] border of Putnham and Mason County.
[2:22:25] Therefore, I'm a member of both Putinham
[2:22:27] United as well as Mason United.
[2:22:31] So, tonight I'd like to zoom out a
[2:22:33] little bit. We've spent time talking
[2:22:36] about data centers as buildings and
[2:22:39] operations and talking about their size
[2:22:41] and their resource use, pollution, jobs,
[2:22:44] and economic opportunity. These are
[2:22:47] important questions, but I think there's
[2:22:49] another question we need to ask. What
[2:22:52] are all these data centers actually for?
[2:22:56] They're part of the physical
[2:22:57] infrastructure supporting an
[2:22:59] increasingly datadriven world where
[2:23:02] enormous amounts of information can be
[2:23:05] collected, stored, processed, and most
[2:23:09] importantly analyzed at a speed and
[2:23:12] scale we've never experienced before.
[2:23:16] And that's where I'd like to connect a
[2:23:18] few dots. Um, I know that Putnham County
[2:23:21] was considering installing flock cameras
[2:23:24] and I'm not exactly sure what the future
[2:23:26] of that might be. Um, these cameras are
[2:23:30] often presented to us as a public safety
[2:23:33] tool and I understand why that sounds
[2:23:35] appealing. As the world gets crazier,
[2:23:38] safety matters, especially as we age and
[2:23:42] may feel a little bit more vulnerable
[2:23:44] than we once did. If someone tells us
[2:23:47] that a camera can help catch the person
[2:23:49] who stole our car or find a missing
[2:23:51] child, most of us are probably going to
[2:23:53] think that sounds like a really good
[2:23:56] thing. And it very very well may be at
[2:23:59] first blush, but I think it's important
[2:24:01] to go deeper and to look under the hood.
[2:24:04] Think about the old security camera at
[2:24:07] the corner store.
[2:24:09] If police wanted that footage, someone
[2:24:11] generally had to go get it. and that
[2:24:14] camera only knew what happened in front
[2:24:17] of that camera.
[2:24:20] Flock completely changes the equation.
[2:24:23] It doesn't merely record an image. It
[2:24:26] captures searchable information about a
[2:24:28] vehicle, including the license plate,
[2:24:31] the car characteristics, the location,
[2:24:34] and the time it was seen. And it puts
[2:24:37] all that information into a network
[2:24:39] system that law enforcement can search
[2:24:41] from their office chair, sometimes
[2:24:44] thousands of miles away.
[2:24:47] The difference isn't simply better
[2:24:48] cameras.
[2:24:50] The difference is that surveillance has
[2:24:52] become instantaneously
[2:24:54] searchable.
[2:24:56] And there are constitutional re reasons
[2:24:59] to pause here in cases like both
[2:25:02] Carpenter and Kylo versus the US. The
[2:25:06] Supreme Court has recognized that
[2:25:08] advancing technology can change the
[2:25:11] Fourth Amendment equation, especially
[2:25:14] when it allows government to track our
[2:25:16] movements or obtain information it
[2:25:18] couldn't previously access without a
[2:25:20] search.
[2:25:21] Neither case involved flock cameras, but
[2:25:24] the principle matters because advancing
[2:25:27] technology doesn't erase our rights to
[2:25:30] protection from unreasonable searches
[2:25:33] and seizures.
[2:25:36] Most of us don't particularly care if
[2:25:38] somebody sees our car drive past Kroger.
[2:25:41] That's one photograph in time.
[2:25:44] But what happens when thousands of those
[2:25:46] photographs can be assembled?
[2:25:49] At some point, we no longer have a
[2:25:51] photograph.
[2:25:53] We have a movie. And increasingly,
[2:25:56] artificial intelligence can help
[2:25:58] assemble the pieces of that movie over
[2:26:00] time to create a story.
[2:26:05] And that's where data centers enter this
[2:26:07] conversation because all of that data
[2:26:10] requires somewhere to live.
[2:26:13] Cameras collect it. Digital networks
[2:26:16] move it. Data centers provide the
[2:26:18] computing infrastructure to store and
[2:26:21] process it. And AI helps make sense of
[2:26:24] it.
[2:26:26] History also teaches us that technology
[2:26:28] rarely stays exactly where it starts.
[2:26:32] The cell phone started as a telephone
[2:26:35] and social media was a way to connect
[2:26:37] with friends.
[2:26:39] both became something much larger over
[2:26:41] time.
[2:26:43] And somehow along the way, we became
[2:26:47] products ourselves.
[2:26:49] Our clicks, purchases, movements,
[2:26:53] relationships, and even biometric
[2:26:56] information like our fingerprints and
[2:26:59] faces have become extraordinarily
[2:27:02] valuable data. In a sense, corporations
[2:27:06] have learned how to digitally mine us.
[2:27:10] There's even a name for part of this
[2:27:12] economic model. It's called surveillance
[2:27:15] capitalism.
[2:27:17] Information about human beings has
[2:27:19] value. And the more that can be gathered
[2:27:22] and connected, the more valuable and
[2:27:24] powerful it becomes.
[2:27:27] We are building capabilities today that
[2:27:31] future generations, corporations, and
[2:27:34] governments will inherit.
[2:27:38] And we don't get to choose who will
[2:27:40] always be sitting behind the controls.
[2:27:43] The question isn't only do we trust the
[2:27:47] people using this technology today.
[2:27:50] The question is, what power are we
[2:27:54] creating for whoever controls it
[2:27:56] tomorrow?
[2:27:58] When the political guard changes, as it
[2:28:01] always does, what seems acceptable under
[2:28:04] one set of leaders may look very
[2:28:06] different under another. Once these
[2:28:09] cameras, databases, and computing
[2:28:11] systems become interconnected,
[2:28:13] they become increasingly difficult to
[2:28:16] unwind.
[2:28:18] That's why these conversations need to
[2:28:20] happen now while citizens still have an
[2:28:23] opportunity to ask questions and weigh
[2:28:25] in on decisions that may shape our lives
[2:28:28] for decades.
[2:28:30] And that's why I keep returning to
[2:28:32] something I've written and talked about
[2:28:33] before.
[2:28:35] Sometimes, maybe even often, progress
[2:28:39] moves faster than wisdom.
[2:28:42] We become so fascinated by what
[2:28:45] technology can do that we forget to ask
[2:28:48] what it should do.
[2:28:51] Just because we can do something does
[2:28:54] not mean that we should.
[2:28:56] ask whether something makes us
[2:28:58] safer
[2:29:00] and then perhaps we should also ask what
[2:29:02] we're giving up in exchange for that
[2:29:05] safety.
[2:29:07] We can ask whether a data center will
[2:29:08] bring economic development.
[2:29:11] But perhaps we should also ask what kind
[2:29:14] of digital future these enormous
[2:29:16] facilities are helping make possible and
[2:29:19] at what cost.
[2:29:22] Is the juice worth the squeeze?
[2:29:26] These aren't questions coming from fear
[2:29:28] of technology. I enjoy technology.
[2:29:32] They're questions about responsibility.
[2:29:36] The question is whether our wisdom,
[2:29:38] privacy, accountability, and consent are
[2:29:42] going to evolve as quickly as technology
[2:29:45] does. And right now, I'm not convinced
[2:29:49] they are.
[2:29:51] So, as Putnham County considers the
[2:29:54] technologies and infrastructure coming
[2:29:56] into our communities, I'm simply asking
[2:29:58] us to connect the dots with foresight.
[2:30:02] Look beyond the individual camera.
[2:30:05] Look beyond the individual data center.
[2:30:09] And for a moment, look beyond the
[2:30:11] promise of safety, convenience, or
[2:30:14] economic development and ask what kind
[2:30:18] of system all these individual pieces
[2:30:21] may eventually create when they're
[2:30:23] connected together.
[2:30:26] Yes, economic opportunity matters, but
[2:30:30] so do freedom, privacy, and quality of
[2:30:34] life
[2:30:36] because we're not simply deciding what
[2:30:38] kind of technology we want in Putham
[2:30:40] County.
[2:30:42] In some way, we're helping decide what
[2:30:45] kind of world we want to live in and
[2:30:48] what kind of world we're living to we're
[2:30:50] willing to leave behind for our children
[2:30:53] and our grandchildren.
[2:30:55] Thank you for your time. J, [applause]
[2:31:04] » you were a school teacher, right, Miss
[2:31:05] Rice? School teacher, librarian.
[2:31:07] >> No.
[2:31:08] You told me that I should be reading
[2:31:10] to
[2:31:10] >> Yes. Yeah. But yeah, I mean,
[2:31:12] >> I'd listen to you talk about anything.
[2:31:14] >> You
[2:31:16] Okay.
[2:31:17] >> Thanks.
[2:31:21] » I'm going to take a different approach.
[2:31:23] My name's Barbie Franc. What was
[2:31:25] >> the last name? I'm sorry.
[2:31:26] >> Franc F R O N K. I live Well, let me
[2:31:31] start from the beginning. I was born and
[2:31:33] raised right here in Putham County at
[2:31:34] one of the most prominent sites where
[2:31:36] the first Putham County bus garage was
[2:31:38] ever built. My grandfather was the first
[2:31:41] head bus mechanic. I come from a
[2:31:44] established Putinham County family.
[2:31:48] I've grown up, moved out, lived away,
[2:31:51] was really, really, really, really happy
[2:31:54] and proud to find a piece of property
[2:31:56] back in Putnham County. July 9th last
[2:32:00] year, my husband and I purchased a flat
[2:32:03] little piece of property, 33 Ida Street,
[2:32:06] right across from Miss Melanie Lacy.
[2:32:09] Was so excited.
[2:32:11] My husband
[2:32:13] is
[2:32:15] has some health issues. He's battled
[2:32:17] cancer twice
[2:32:20] and we're in the process of finding out
[2:32:22] if he has Parkinson. So, this was a
[2:32:24] blessing in disguise to find this flat
[2:32:26] piece of property with an open floor
[2:32:29] plan where I can keep him safe and I can
[2:32:32] have emergency crews come in and get him
[2:32:33] if I have to because he has had to be
[2:32:36] rescued twice in the property we live in
[2:32:39] at Milton and they had a hard time
[2:32:42] getting up and down those 13 steps and
[2:32:44] through our tiny little hallway.
[2:32:48] So, this is huge to us. Right after
[2:32:51] purchasing this property that we're so
[2:32:53] excited about,
[2:32:56] Melanie came out and told us about HB2
[2:33:00] 2014 in the data center.
[2:33:04] And you saw the pictures of the front of
[2:33:05] my property that's already flooding
[2:33:08] every time
[2:33:11] we have any any water. So, my fear is,
[2:33:15] [clears throat]
[2:33:17] are we going to get flooded out as soon
[2:33:18] as we move in? We haven't even been able
[2:33:20] to move in yet. We are in the middle of
[2:33:22] a rehab
[2:33:25] that ought to be completed in the next
[2:33:27] couple of months.
[2:33:29] My question,
[2:33:31] because this is very personal to me, is
[2:33:35] what can we as a community, as a group
[2:33:38] do to get behind you all to help us
[2:33:42] pursue some of these answers?
[2:33:49] » I mean, the legislative session that
[2:33:52] will be coming up will be very
[2:33:54] important.
[2:33:55] um regarding House Bill 2014, whether
[2:33:58] any changes are made to it. Um you know,
[2:34:02] we are evaluating the legal uh aspect of
[2:34:06] things. Um that's that is difficult to
[2:34:10] get that uh proper feedback again
[2:34:13] because we don't want to waste county
[2:34:14] dollars in hiring an attorney and and
[2:34:16] going through that process. U but
[2:34:18] working with some other counties in the
[2:34:20] state that are affected and and looking
[2:34:23] at the same thing. um to determine if it
[2:34:28] is legitimate or if it can be overturned
[2:34:31] in court. Um
[2:34:33] >> thank you
[2:34:34] >> seeking that feedback. Um but I mean you
[2:34:37] know you're showing us now you're coming
[2:34:39] out you're you're you're showing us that
[2:34:42] the issues I I think from your personal
[2:34:45] issue with storm water. Um and I I have
[2:34:48] already relayed the message that the
[2:34:50] website wasn't responding uh properly
[2:34:53] and got a message back that that has
[2:34:55] been realized and and so responses
[2:34:57] should be coming uh in in the next day
[2:35:00] or so. But get on the website, you know,
[2:35:03] make your uh requests of information and
[2:35:06] how it is going to directly impact you
[2:35:08] because it will directly impact you.
[2:35:11] >> Um
[2:35:11] >> because they're going to build that up.
[2:35:13] >> Yes,
[2:35:13] >> we already have water issues. I'm sorry
[2:35:16] this number you used to get all of this
[2:35:19] >> the I I contacted our development
[2:35:21] authority director
[2:35:24] >> um but
[2:35:26] >> but yes that's that's what I would
[2:35:28] suggest is um and then if you aren't
[2:35:32] getting answers then that come back to
[2:35:34] us and and we will try to help you get
[2:35:37] the answers you seek.
[2:35:38] >> Okay. Thank you.
[2:35:40] >> Thank you.
[2:35:44] » [applause]
[2:35:48] » Hello commissioners. Christopher
[2:35:49] Pototts. My mom is a mccosland. Um we've
[2:35:53] been in Ply for six generations now. Uh
[2:35:56] hopefully a seventh. We would love that.
[2:35:59] Um just kind of like an update on AI,
[2:36:01] it's recent discoveries, what's going
[2:36:03] on. I feel like sometimes we get lost
[2:36:05] and we don't really know what we're
[2:36:06] supporting. Um so somebody said like is
[2:36:09] there research on AI? There's not
[2:36:11] research on data centers, but there's
[2:36:13] research on the effects that the data
[2:36:15] centers give out. So, for example, um do
[2:36:18] data centers create light pollution and
[2:36:20] do data centers create noise pollution
[2:36:23] and sound pollution, um air pollution? I
[2:36:27] did a search on air pollution alone and
[2:36:30] like 3,000 studies come up. Um I started
[2:36:33] the study with Marshall um
[2:36:35] overwhelmingly saying that uh air
[2:36:38] pollution causes AIB atrial
[2:36:40] fibrillation. Um it's when one of your
[2:36:43] atria and your heart cannot fully
[2:36:44] contract to expel blood to the body. Um
[2:36:47] just think when you think of aphib just
[2:36:49] think of clots going to the brain. Um
[2:36:51] when you think of clots going to the
[2:36:53] brain we call it a stroke. Um so anyone
[2:36:56] who is exposed to light pollution, noise
[2:36:59] pollution, air pollution is increasing
[2:37:00] the risk for stroke baseline. Um so we
[2:37:03] can't say data centers cause this but we
[2:37:06] know data centers do indirectly. Um so
[2:37:09] by the process of elimination that is
[2:37:11] genuine research that should support the
[2:37:14] impact of a data center. Um that we
[2:37:17] don't have those longitudinal trials yet
[2:37:18] that will come.
[2:37:20] um some general AI advancement things.
[2:37:24] You tal you talked about like the
[2:37:26] difference between Google versus
[2:37:28] developing AI. Um so the thing is I'll
[2:37:32] use an example of a company. Have you
[2:37:34] heard of Claude?
[2:37:35] >> Claude.
[2:37:36] >> So I've heard so there's like three big
[2:37:38] runners in AI right now. It's Chat GBT
[2:37:41] that's open AI collude which is ran by
[2:37:44] someone called Anthropic and then
[2:37:46] there's Google's Gemini. These three
[2:37:49] models are running against each other.
[2:37:51] So Claude's model has only been
[2:37:53] collecting data on us since 2021.
[2:37:56] Um, and on June 11th of this year, they
[2:37:59] released a new version of their AI. It's
[2:38:01] called Fable 5. Within 24 hours, Fable 5
[2:38:05] unearthed uh public records that were
[2:38:08] supposed to be uh confiscated or
[2:38:10] supposed to be um withheld by the
[2:38:13] government, government information,
[2:38:15] national security information. Um, and
[2:38:17] then the government put out a directive
[2:38:19] to suspend the new versions. Um, so I
[2:38:22] talked like a few months ago saying that was imminent and it happened in
[2:38:26] Mexico and now it's happening on US
[2:38:28] soil. Uh, that is with only data
[2:38:31] collected since 2021 on us. I think that
[2:38:35] Google's more dangerous. They've been
[2:38:37] collecting data on us since the
[2:38:38] beginning of the Google era. You've all
[2:38:40] used Google to do your search engine
[2:38:42] strategies for a long time now. Um so
[2:38:45] maybe they have more sanctions but they
[2:38:46] have more data to utilize and I think
[2:38:49] their model will come up stronger. Um by
[2:38:52] the time this thing is completed we'll
[2:38:53] have no idea what it's capable of. So
[2:38:56] let alone the financial impacts the um
[2:39:00] the AI will be so far advanced. What is
[2:39:02] it 8 years it will be built?
[2:39:04] >> Uh yeah I think it's a well I think it's
[2:39:06] a 10 to 12 year build is
[2:39:07] >> 10 to 12 year build. We didn't even know
[2:39:09] what it was capable of in June.
[2:39:10] >> Right. So, and there there was a
[2:39:12] government directive within 24 hours to
[2:39:16] suspend that from public use. So, these
[2:39:18] AI data centers we're not even going to
[2:39:20] be able to use. It's going to be
[2:39:21] governments.
[2:39:22] Um, I asked last time I stood up here
[2:39:26] and talked, what has been done to
[2:39:30] alleviate or to reassure us that other
[2:39:32] data centers are not going to come after
[2:39:33] this one?
[2:39:34] >> None. And that's that's my biggest
[2:39:36] concern is um you know again you only
[2:39:40] have so many sites I think that they can
[2:39:42] locate but we do have other sites that
[2:39:45] they can locate. So um I think that's probably the the biggest concern
[2:39:51] is
[2:39:52] >> um and and I understand your concerns
[2:39:54] with
[2:39:55] >> Google whether it's built in Buffalo or
[2:39:57] whether it's built somewhere else. you
[2:39:59] still have those AI concerns and and
[2:40:01] what AI is going to be, what AI is going
[2:40:03] to do, but uh I'm more uh focused and
[2:40:07] concerned on what other companies would
[2:40:10] try to, you know, cuz we are the
[2:40:12] proximity to the Canal River, the
[2:40:14] proximity to the 756 AP transmission
[2:40:17] line.
[2:40:17] >> Mhm.
[2:40:18] >> That that is enticing for one of these
[2:40:20] developer data centers or or another
[2:40:22] company to come behind it um if it's
[2:40:24] able to acquire the land uh to to do the
[2:40:27] same thing. Um, and with House Bill
[2:40:30] 2014, we'd have no say. So, the the site
[2:40:34] that Google has acquired, again, wasn't
[2:40:36] zoned. There could be other areas that
[2:40:38] are zoned. Um, and we, as a county
[2:40:42] commission, if House Bill 2014 didn't
[2:40:44] exist, we could deny the resoning
[2:40:46] request. Um, but if House Bill 2014
[2:40:49] still in effect, we have no control.
[2:40:52] [clears throat]
[2:40:53] >> So, what can you do to say some place is
[2:40:55] going to get developed? What can you do
[2:40:57] to negotiate for it to be something else
[2:40:59] than a data center?
[2:41:01] >> Nothing.
[2:41:02] >> Yeah.
[2:41:03] >> Okay.
[2:41:03] >> Yeah. I mean, the only the only options
[2:41:05] are House Bill 2014 gets changed or we
[2:41:07] sue the state.
[2:41:08] >> Mhm.
[2:41:09] >> Okay. Have you considered it? I know you
[2:41:11] said yes.
[2:41:12] >> Yes. Yes. We've talked to M County who's
[2:41:14] also considering it. Um it is a
[2:41:17] extremely uphill battle.
[2:41:19] >> Um but not not to say it's not worth
[2:41:22] taking on. Um but it's something that we
[2:41:26] want to evaluate and be sure of before
[2:41:28] we would go through a very long process
[2:41:31] that
[2:41:32] by the time you get results uh there
[2:41:36] might be Google would be built and
[2:41:38] something else may be built but and not
[2:41:40] to discredit that it's not worthy but it
[2:41:43] would be an uphill battle from our
[2:41:44] initial research.
[2:41:46] >> When you visited in New Albany did they
[2:41:49] tell you the jobs that would persist
[2:41:50] after the data center was complete?
[2:41:52] Yeah. So, I mean, there were six units
[2:41:54] up and running. Um, there was only one
[2:41:56] under construction and there were 800
[2:41:58] daily workers there. Um,
[2:42:00] >> 800 programmers or
[2:42:02] >> No, they were doing logistics, uh,
[2:42:04] security. Um,
[2:42:06] >> so 800 people guarding this place.
[2:42:09] >> Uh, I mean, you had a you had a
[2:42:10] lunchroom that was you had 50 people
[2:42:13] working in the lunchroom u for for the
[2:42:16] workers. Mhm.
[2:42:17] >> Um but they you they had 400 Google
[2:42:20] employees on site that were actual
[2:42:22] Google W2 employees
[2:42:23] >> and then you had 400 contracted services
[2:42:26] that were day-to-day workers and then
[2:42:28] you had about 800 uh trades people that
[2:42:31] were working building the seventh unit
[2:42:33] in that area and it was surrounded by it
[2:42:35] wasn't an industrial park and it was
[2:42:37] surrounded by three other data centers.
[2:42:39] I think there was a meta data center and a couple other on this large
[2:42:43] industrial park area. So, was there like
[2:42:46] 400 desks or where are these people
[2:42:47] going to work? Do they just
[2:42:48] >> Yeah, there was a lot of office space.
[2:42:50] Um, a lot of conference room, meeting
[2:42:52] rooms. Um, and then you could tell a lot
[2:42:55] were in logistics that were, you know,
[2:42:57] constantly on the move and and it it was
[2:43:00] about a 700 acre site.
[2:43:02] >> So, a lot of movement.
[2:43:04] >> Okay. So, why why do you feel that
[2:43:06] Google's better than the next one that
[2:43:08] can come? So
[2:43:10] like in Mason County, what we've seen
[2:43:12] from the beginning of that where that's
[2:43:14] a uh um almost like a private equity uh
[2:43:18] type firm that's still raising money.
[2:43:21] >> Uh Google has money, has capital, um has
[2:43:25] shown the ability to to use it. Um
[2:43:29] again, I know that they were going to
[2:43:31] make money at the end of the day. I
[2:43:32] mean, that's their whole goal. They made
[2:43:34] $400 billion last year.
[2:43:35] >> Mhm.
[2:43:36] >> But, you know, they're going through the
[2:43:38] county permitting process and paying
[2:43:40] fees that they don't have to pay to the
[2:43:42] county. Um,
[2:43:44] and it just seems like they have the
[2:43:46] capital and the intent and they're going
[2:43:47] to be the end user. When you see these
[2:43:49] developmental data centers, you see
[2:43:50] somebody come in and again they're going
[2:43:52] to build it hoping someone will come.
[2:43:54] They're not the end user. So, if they
[2:43:56] take shortcuts during construction or, you know, try to try to get by or
[2:44:00] around that. And again, I'm not I'm not
[2:44:04] fully on board saying that, you know, thank goodness Google is
[2:44:08] coming. I'm saying thank goodness for my
[2:44:10] research that if we have a data center
[2:44:13] that it is Google.
[2:44:14] >> Yeah. Thank you for pointing out that
[2:44:17] these other centers are corrupt because
[2:44:20] I promise you Google will be selling our
[2:44:21] data to those places and they they will
[2:44:24] be misusing it.
[2:44:26] >> I don't credit the end use of it. and
[2:44:28] the end use is going to happen whether
[2:44:30] they build in Buffalo or they build
[2:44:32] anywhere else uh because they've got so
[2:44:34] many data centers now that um they're
[2:44:37] it's going to locate somewhere. So I
[2:44:39] don't discredit the inuse and AI and
[2:44:41] where we're going and and the scariness
[2:44:42] of this. I fully grasp that and
[2:44:45] understand that and and um maybe not so
[2:44:50] much for my generation but for for yours
[2:44:52] and I've got children your age uh their
[2:44:54] generation of how AI is going to affect
[2:44:56] their life. I I get that 100%.
[2:44:58] >> Uh but as my job as county commissioner,
[2:45:01] I'm more focused on the development in the county and on site and how that
[2:45:06] affects the community.
[2:45:08] >> Okay.
[2:45:08] >> Yeah. Thank Well, thank you for
[2:45:10] listening. Uh just I I really want to
[2:45:13] encourage you to consider how we can
[2:45:14] protect from future data centers and
[2:45:17] encourage you to think about behind
[2:45:19] these decisions. Just because someone
[2:45:21] will build it elsewhere doesn't mean
[2:45:23] that we should sacrifice our morals to
[2:45:25] build it here.
[2:45:26] I'm a third-year medical student and I
[2:45:28] will use a different example. Um, just
[2:45:31] because someone else will perform
[2:45:34] abortions does not mean as a
[2:45:36] practitioner of medicine I have to.
[2:45:39] >> So take that into consideration with
[2:45:41] your morals wherever you go and whatever
[2:45:44] you apply that to. Thank you so much
[2:45:45] guys.
[2:45:46] >> Thank you.
[2:45:50] [applause]
[2:45:52] » I guess it's me.
[2:45:53] >> Yep.
[2:45:54] My name is Alex Cole. I live on a farm
[2:45:58] that's been in my family for six
[2:45:59] generations up on Dun Levy Ridge, right
[2:46:02] across from the data center proposal.
[2:46:05] Six generations over 200 years.
[2:46:08] Fought tooth and nail like everybody
[2:46:10] else here to make a living in West
[2:46:12] Virginia and keep that legacy alive. I'm
[2:46:15] a little worked up and I hesitated to
[2:46:17] speak because AP came calling today
[2:46:21] looking to steal if we don't sell to
[2:46:24] them four new 200t wide riderways from
[2:46:28] the existing power line that you've
[2:46:30] already mentioned. That power line
[2:46:31] crosses our farm. It was stolen from us
[2:46:33] then. We did not agree to sell it. They
[2:46:36] are looking to branch four off of that
[2:46:38] one from each tower specifically to fund
[2:46:41] the data center and brought up imminent
[2:46:43] domain. And the very first conversation
[2:46:45] we had,
[2:46:47] so
[2:46:48] some of the other land owners between
[2:46:51] the power line and the data center are
[2:46:53] here tonight. Now we get to pit against
[2:46:55] each other. I don't want it. You don't
[2:46:56] want it. I don't want it. It's
[2:46:59] ridiculous that they can just steal this
[2:47:00] land.
[2:47:02] I understand the government has
[2:47:04] different branches and different
[2:47:06] delineations of duty and I'll yell at
[2:47:08] the PSC about that, but I I had to bring
[2:47:11] it up.
[2:47:13] And I understand the county commission,
[2:47:14] your main job, well, one of your main
[2:47:16] jobs is zoning and planning here. And
[2:47:19] I've heard you bring up this potential
[2:47:20] lawsuit against HP 2014 several times. I
[2:47:24] really hope you all do that. I know you
[2:47:26] guys are all Republican. I I hear you
[2:47:28] guys talk about small government. I
[2:47:30] don't know how you can stand there and
[2:47:31] let the state government steal one of
[2:47:33] your primary duties specifically for
[2:47:36] this one thing obviously. But can all
[2:47:39] three of you please come out publicly
[2:47:41] against 2014 and big government stealing
[2:47:45] your rights or your powers and by
[2:47:47] extension our powers. Even if you don't
[2:47:50] do the LAWSUIT
[2:47:55] [applause] and please push that on your
[2:47:57] own party that it's just ridiculous. You
[2:47:59] can't stand up here and say you're small
[2:48:01] government and then allow the state to
[2:48:02] just strip your powers from local
[2:48:04] control. And that's all I really have to
[2:48:06] say. But I'd like to hear your all three
[2:48:08] personal opinions on that if you don't
[2:48:10] mind.
[2:48:11] >> Yes or no about how
[2:48:12] >> would you be willing before your next
[2:48:14] election cycle to come out against HB
[2:48:17] 2014 as individuals, not the county
[2:48:19] commission?
[2:48:19] >> Yeah. Well, I think that uh that can be
[2:48:21] seen in the legislative session and and
[2:48:24] I did go to the floor when House Bill
[2:48:27] 2014 was presented when it was uh before
[2:48:29] the Senate. Um and and I'll I'll be
[2:48:33] honest, at the time it was mostly about
[2:48:34] tax dollars. Um it was I I I didn't know
[2:48:38] anything about data centers at the time.
[2:48:40] Um, and it was mostly about um, you
[2:48:44] know, some local control and and not
[2:48:46] having say, but if we're going to get it, why why should we take a haircut
[2:48:51] on the money? Um, so I I was on the
[2:48:54] floor at the Senate. Um, and I would
[2:48:56] agree that uh, you know, we need to have
[2:49:00] uh, um, those decisions should be made
[2:49:02] locally. IT'S
[2:49:05] [applause]
[2:49:08] I think my broader point was too it
[2:49:10] doesn't just affect the legislators in
[2:49:12] their elections. It affects yours too.
[2:49:14] And I'm sure you already know that. So,
[2:49:17] uh, as you can see from the support
[2:49:18] tonight, I think you'd be better off
[2:49:20] coming out against these in your own
[2:49:22] elections. Thank you. Thank you.
[2:49:25] [applause]
[2:49:31] Anyone else? Ma'am,
[2:49:40] » don't let those signs trip people now.
[2:49:42] >> Well, yeah, we brought our signs. Um,
[2:49:45] thank you all for having me and and
[2:49:47] letting us keep your time. I know you're
[2:49:49] all tired as we are too. My name is
[2:49:51] Janie Miles and I've spoken before. Um I just wanted to bring up the fact that
[2:49:57] um when I was here the last time and you
[2:49:58] all shared with us that you had taken a
[2:50:00] kind of a field trip to Ohio to look at
[2:50:03] the data centers and I want you to know
[2:50:05] that we were appreciative of that effort
[2:50:07] of you all uh and then for you to come
[2:50:09] back and share what you had found out
[2:50:12] because we were so much in the dark um
[2:50:18] since then and that's been a few months
[2:50:21] ago and and when this all first started, I had no idea what a data
[2:50:26] center was. I just thought, well, it
[2:50:27] sounds kind of good. She going to bring
[2:50:30] some jobs and stuff. And now, now that
[2:50:32] I've learned more and with all due
[2:50:35] respect, what you brought back to give
[2:50:38] us and was in hopes of massaging our
[2:50:41] fears.
[2:50:43] It didn't help. I mean, we're watching
[2:50:47] the national news [clears throat] and
[2:50:50] back in March and April, you didn't see
[2:50:52] it on TV. You didn't hear about it. I
[2:50:55] didn't I didn't until it started coming
[2:50:57] to Buffalo. And then little by little,
[2:50:59] we're hearing more. And I'm sure you all
[2:51:02] see on TV every day now that states all
[2:51:05] across this nation are facing the same
[2:51:09] evil monstrosity that we're facing. And
[2:51:11] I I feel like it's evil. It's affecting
[2:51:14] our lives and our homes. Not that it's
[2:51:16] that you all. It's not your fault. We
[2:51:19] realize that. But what we do hope with
[2:51:23] the resolution that was presented to you
[2:51:24] all tonight.
[2:51:26] There are things that can be done.
[2:51:29] People in other states are fighting and
[2:51:32] they're winning. They're stopping these
[2:51:34] things. They are putting bans on them,
[2:51:36] moratoriums, just pausing long enough
[2:51:39] for us to learn more about it to find
[2:51:42] out what is the actual impacts
[2:51:45] healthwise, environmentally, the whole
[2:51:48] nine yards, jobs. Um, I'd love to have
[2:51:51] my little grandson that was here. I'd
[2:51:52] love to have him stay here and have a
[2:51:54] good, productive life, but with with
[2:51:57] these kinds, I just don't see it
[2:51:58] happening. So with that being said, all
[2:52:02] I would like to say is on behalf of
[2:52:04] Putnham United and the citizens that
[2:52:06] have showed up here tonight, please, take a look at that resolution
[2:52:11] and dig real hard in your hearts to see
[2:52:13] that you can support us with that. It
[2:52:16] can happen, but we need you all.
[2:52:19] [applause]
[2:52:34] My name is Ashley Armstrong. I'm from
[2:52:36] Eleanor, West Virginia. My question is
[2:52:39] concerning these unknown health risks. I
[2:52:42] have learned personally that our health
[2:52:44] system is not in good support. I started
[2:52:48] here with a neurologist. She wasn't very
[2:52:50] good. I went to Cleveland, saw three
[2:52:53] doctors there, moved to Wheeling, saw a
[2:52:55] doctor there, came back home, finally
[2:52:58] found a doctor that addressed my
[2:53:00] concerns, which I got diagnosed with my
[2:53:04] gravis. So essentially, my muscles can
[2:53:08] just stop and so I can stop breathing.
[2:53:11] And with the pollution that's going to
[2:53:13] come out of these data centers, that can
[2:53:15] kill me. And I'm concerned about that.
[2:53:19] And the other point is the whole reason
[2:53:21] I found the neurologist I have is
[2:53:24] because my dad has multiple myoma. He
[2:53:26] cannot walk now. He had a tumor on his
[2:53:29] spine. And it also proves to me that
[2:53:33] there was another woman down in
[2:53:34] Huntington diagnosed with the same
[2:53:36] cancer. It is a pretty rare cancer to
[2:53:39] get. And if you look at all the kids
[2:53:41] that have died here, it's been bone
[2:53:43] cancers, it's been blood cancers, and
[2:53:45] it's been brain cancers.
[2:53:48] What other cancers are we going to bring
[2:53:50] in with these data centers? So, you as a
[2:53:54] commission, how would you bring forth
[2:53:57] medical experts that are going to
[2:54:00] understand these difficulties and what
[2:54:03] this society needs?
[2:54:05] >> Yeah. Unfortunately, I don't have an
[2:54:07] answer for you. Um, and I've got just as
[2:54:10] much fear as you do um regarding that.
[2:54:14] Okay.
[2:54:15] >> Thank you.
[2:54:15] THANK YOU.
[2:54:17] >> [applause]
[2:54:23] » I'M BECKY SCHULER FROM BLIMEY, West
[2:54:25] Virginia, and I've been a wife, mother,
[2:54:29] grandmother, librarian, and Sunday
[2:54:32] school teacher for 42 years. My passion
[2:54:35] is children. I fought Aptus incinerator
[2:54:38] plant in Mason County, Parsons and
[2:54:42] Whitmore,
[2:54:43] oat milk plant that wanted to come where
[2:54:45] new core is same spot because that was
[2:54:49] not going to benefit West Virginia or
[2:54:52] our children. And that is why I'm
[2:54:54] against the data center. But everybody's
[2:54:57] already said everything that I was going
[2:54:59] to say today except I brought props
[2:55:03] being a teacher and a sign
[2:55:08] house bill 2014.
[2:55:13] [applause]
[2:55:19] It's unconstitutional.
[2:55:21] And you heard them. Our only recourse is
[2:55:24] to go to the legislature. So everyone
[2:55:26] here be there because this needs to be
[2:55:30] stripped. It needs to be done away with
[2:55:33] because the reason I was able to help
[2:55:37] with against the actus and we went to
[2:55:39] Coffeeville, Kansas to view their
[2:55:42] incinerator plant which we did not need
[2:55:44] here. But anyway, um the reason we were
[2:55:48] able to stop those two from coming to
[2:55:51] our area was because they didn't have
[2:55:54] 2014.
[2:55:55] We had a say and they listened to us.
[2:56:00] And with this data center, we don't have
[2:56:03] a say. And they don't have a say. Nobody
[2:56:06] has a I tell you what, 250 years ago,
[2:56:09] they had a Tea Party to stop THIS VERY
[2:56:14] THING.
[2:56:17] AND WE HAVE STEPPED back 270 years into
[2:56:22] our time um with a a insidious House
[2:56:28] Bill 2014. We lost rights and our
[2:56:32] forefathers are ashamed of us.
[2:56:39] » [applause]
[2:56:42] » God bless our teachers and librarians.
[2:56:44] They got the props.
[2:56:46] >> Yes.
[2:56:46] >> Anyone else like to make comment?
[2:56:54] » Thank you, commissioners and staff for
[2:56:56] your patience tonight. U just going to
[2:56:59] hit the refresh uh button here for just
[2:57:01] a moment. uh several months ago uh after
[2:57:05] the uh
[2:57:08] capital dropped the uh DC bomb on us in
[2:57:12] March, Mike and I were here on a uh
[2:57:16] Tuesday morning at one of these uh
[2:57:20] stating our case, letting you know how
[2:57:22] we felt about things. And Mike at
[2:57:24] [clears throat] that time had uh offered
[2:57:27] uh legal services to um challenge
[2:57:32] uh HB 2014 because it's simply
[2:57:35] unconstitutional.
[2:57:37] We are the people. We have a right to
[2:57:39] run our lives. And that's been taken
[2:57:41] away from us. It's been taken away from
[2:57:42] you and it's been taken away from all of
[2:57:44] us. And uh and we felt like as county
[2:57:48] commissioners, y'all had rolled over
[2:57:49] like the Titanic. And uh so Mike uh made
[2:57:55] that proposal at that time and
[2:57:58] uh Mr. Ellis there said, "Well, we you
[2:58:01] know, we're not uh thinking about that.
[2:58:03] We're not going down those terms. We
[2:58:05] have tens of thousands of citizens to uh
[2:58:08] consider in these things." And uh and
[2:58:10] that was easy to say when it was just
[2:58:12] two or three of us here that morning uh making the case. This evening, you
[2:58:17] have a room full of citizens that don't
[2:58:22] want these things. These data centers
[2:58:25] are parasites. They're going to take our
[2:58:28] land. They're going to take our water.
[2:58:30] They're going to take our power and give
[2:58:32] us almost nothing in return as a people.
[2:58:35] Yeah. Uh
[2:58:37] Charleston's going to get money and
[2:58:38] they'll be able to spread it out, but
[2:58:40] very few dollars are ever going to help
[2:58:42] anybody in this room. And so it's a
[2:58:46] parasite and we don't need it. We don't
[2:58:48] want it. We didn't elect it. We didn't
[2:58:50] vote for it. We didn't have a say in it.
[2:58:52] And uh and I am very happy to to uh hear
[2:58:55] tonight uh that you are considering that
[2:58:59] because [clears throat] several months
[2:59:00] ago that wasn't even an option. And now
[2:59:02] you are thinking about that.
[2:59:04] Janie said that uh other communities
[2:59:09] have won battles. those communities won
[2:59:12] battles because they had control.
[2:59:16] Um I know Mr. Seisborn, you have said uh
[2:59:19] time and again that 2014 has taken away
[2:59:22] your right to do anything to have any
[2:59:24] say in this. Um fight it. It's
[2:59:28] unconstitutional. It's not legal. Stand
[2:59:30] up to Charleston. UM
[2:59:34] [applause]
[2:59:37] at the same time at the same time we
[2:59:40] need to remember that uh we are a
[2:59:45] community. We live here and we don't
[2:59:48] want we don't want that noise. We don't
[2:59:50] want uh that pollution. We don't want
[2:59:54] that [clears throat] closed loop system.
[2:59:55] No loop loop system is ever entirely
[2:59:58] closed. uh it's going some of that's
[3:00:00] going to go back into our water system.
[3:00:02] We need if if we can't stop this
[3:00:05] particular data center, we need
[3:00:08] guarantees. We need guarantees on the
[3:00:11] water that's going to be put back into
[3:00:12] the system. We need guarantees on how
[3:00:14] much light they're going to produce, how
[3:00:16] much noise those generators are going to
[3:00:18] produce, how much pollution those
[3:00:20] generators are going to uh produce. We
[3:00:22] need guarantees. You talk to Chris
[3:00:24] Morris, you talk, you look, you look at
[3:00:26] their websites and all that stuff. It's
[3:00:28] all general, you know, garbage. It
[3:00:30] doesn't say anything. You know, it
[3:00:32] tickles your ears, but doesn't give any
[3:00:34] factual backup. We need you guys as our
[3:00:37] [clears throat] elected representatives,
[3:00:39] as the people that are fighting for us,
[3:00:41] the people,
[3:00:43] to at least be looking at how you're
[3:00:45] going to to help us if this thing comes
[3:00:48] in. How are we going to be able to sleep
[3:00:50] at night? How are we going to be able to
[3:00:51] breathe? How are we gonna be able to
[3:00:53] drink our water thinking that we're not
[3:00:54] getting cancer? You guys got to do that
[3:00:57] for us. These things are ugly. You know,
[3:00:59] it's a parasite and [clears throat] then
[3:01:01] 15 years from now when this technology
[3:01:03] is obsolete, who's going to clean it up?
[3:01:06] We're going to clean it up like every
[3:01:08] other mess that's left after people come
[3:01:10] in and and rape and pillage our great
[3:01:12] state.
[3:01:14] It's not it's not being done right. So,
[3:01:16] thank you very much.
[3:01:19] [applause]
[3:01:20] Anyone else like to make comment?
[3:01:22] Charlie,
[3:01:30] » commissioners, everybody that's here, I
[3:01:32] won't take very long because I know
[3:01:33] everybody's tired, but I just wanted to
[3:01:36] say number one, um, Route 35 was
[3:01:39] designed for a quick exchange from Taz
[3:01:42] Valley to Ohio.
[3:01:44] And um
[3:01:48] I just you know like I say I've lived in
[3:01:50] Fraser's Bottom all my life. I thought
[3:01:53] the warehouse was bad that's coming
[3:01:56] evidently.
[3:01:58] Um but when I heard
[3:02:01] what's going on with the data center,
[3:02:05] I could not believe it. This is a
[3:02:07] monster.
[3:02:09] 128 cooling towers,
[3:02:13] 184 acres of field dirt. They're going
[3:02:15] to put in
[3:02:18] this, like I say, and we are not
[3:02:21] prepared.
[3:02:23] The infrastructure is not prepared for
[3:02:26] this. And this is another thing I found
[3:02:29] out. Mason County, 2,300 acres
[3:02:34] of data center,
[3:02:37] 1,700 acres in Putnham County. And if I
[3:02:41] did my calculations right, we're less
[3:02:44] than 30 miles from them.
[3:02:47] Um, something's wrong.
[3:02:50] You know, nobody's even mentioned the
[3:02:52] bees, the honeybees.
[3:02:54] they cannot
[3:02:56] work if they cannot communicate with the
[3:02:59] other bees.
[3:03:02] Um,
[3:03:06] and quantum technology
[3:03:10] has supposedly already been uh being
[3:03:14] done with the cloud.
[3:03:17] I just worry about what what is going to
[3:03:19] do to
[3:03:22] our county.
[3:03:25] It is going to affect all of us. And
[3:03:28] like I say that and we found out that
[3:03:31] they call it a campus.
[3:03:34] And you're thinking, "Oh gosh, that's a
[3:03:36] campus.
[3:03:38] It's got eight data different data
[3:03:41] centers in it. Four miles by four miles. four by four miles. It's
[3:03:48] a monster. And who's going to clean it
[3:03:51] up when it's finished? The coal, it's
[3:03:55] like the coal companies all over. But
[3:03:58] now, and they picked West Virginia
[3:04:00] because we're poor
[3:04:02] and uh they know that we have bottom
[3:04:06] land.
[3:04:08] And I just feel like if you could do a
[3:04:11] mortorium or whatever it's called
[3:04:14] because technology
[3:04:17] is moving at a pace that we need to
[3:04:21] catch up some. Um and I just like I say
[3:04:25] I'm I'm glad everybody's here tonight.
[3:04:28] Everybody's tired, but if we don't push
[3:04:30] back,
[3:04:32] we don't know what's coming. This is our
[3:04:34] future. And I just can't understand
[3:04:37] 4,000 acres within less than 30 miles
[3:04:43] from each other.
[3:04:45] Please be involved and we've got to do
[3:04:48] something. If anybody voted for that
[3:04:49] House Bill 214, don't put him back in
[3:04:52] office. Thank you. [applause]
[3:04:56] One more thing.
[3:04:59] Call the governor. 3045582000.
[3:05:05] Call every day. Have your neighbor call.
[3:05:08] We've got to do something and push back.
[3:05:12] Thank you.
[3:05:12] >> Thank you. [applause]
[3:05:19] » Anyone else?
[3:05:21] >> Hey, I have just one second. Um, I just
[3:05:24] wanted to say in September, minutes in
[3:05:27] um before an Indianapolis city council
[3:05:30] was slated to reszone a proposal that
[3:05:33] allowed Google to build a huge data
[3:05:35] center on a 468 acre track of land. They
[3:05:39] withdrew from the project because there
[3:05:42] was enough opposition from the
[3:05:44] community. So, it has been done. Um in
[3:05:48] 2015
[3:05:50] in ciao uh Google has had and operated a
[3:05:56] Google center there.
[3:05:58] Um give me just one second.
[3:06:02] In 2022 it was reported that the roughly
[3:06:06] annual consumption was 8500.
[3:06:09] it it had enough water consumption
[3:06:13] to for 8,500 households every day that study showed. There's also another
[3:06:21] study that showed just in as of in May
[3:06:24] 2026
[3:06:26] 97,000 job cuts were due to AI. That's
[3:06:31] almost a 100,000 jobs just in one year
[3:06:34] that we have lost that AI has replaced.
[3:06:37] like it's not helping our economy. Yeah,
[3:06:40] it might boost us up for a little bit.
[3:06:42] It might put our coal miners back to
[3:06:44] work for a few years until our
[3:06:46] databilated mines fall down and kill one
[3:06:49] of them because they John Amos needs to push out more coal for more
[3:06:53] electricity. Um or we lose
[3:06:57] stenographers, we lose um assistants, we
[3:07:02] lose telephone operators. Shoot, we've
[3:07:04] lost the lady. Is AI now even at the
[3:07:06] Taco Bell? 97,000 jobs. That's not
[3:07:10] helping our country or our economy.
[3:07:14] [applause]
[3:07:20] Um this was also done by United Nations
[3:07:24] study. So this is done on the world
[3:07:26] globally globally. But furthermore, AI
[3:07:30] infrastructure could generate up to 2.5
[3:07:35] million tons of electric waste each year
[3:07:38] by 2030. Much of it processed in
[3:07:42] lowincome economies with limited
[3:07:45] safeguards with critical minerals
[3:07:47] extracted in jurisdictions with weak
[3:07:50] environmental oversight. I think that's
[3:07:52] what West Virginia is cuz that's the way
[3:07:54] we've always been treated.
[3:07:57] [snorts]
[3:07:58] Um,
[3:08:01] let's see.
[3:08:04] I got one more here. And then in
[3:08:09] California, Pittsburgh, California, the
[3:08:11] Center of Biological Diversity sued the
[3:08:14] city of Pittsburgh, California.
[3:08:16] Um, this was written back in November.
[3:08:20] It says for approving development
[3:08:22] including a massive data center without
[3:08:24] considering or planning for the
[3:08:26] environmental effects including the
[3:08:28] greenhouse gas emissions, water usage
[3:08:31] and harms to wildlife and surrounding
[3:08:33] wetlands. The project that was set there
[3:08:37] was set on wetlands that would habitate
[3:08:39] near nearby streams and other um
[3:08:42] waterways.
[3:08:43] The area served as an important wildlife
[3:08:46] corridor to the region is home of the
[3:08:48] well red tail hawks which we have here
[3:08:51] and we also have other raptors. Data
[3:08:54] centers pretend to be unassuming but in
[3:08:57] fact they pose huge risk to the air
[3:09:00] quality and water supply of the
[3:09:02] communities [snorts] said Meredith
[3:09:04] Stevenson's a staff attorney at the
[3:09:06] center. We would let a large industrial
[3:09:09] plant We wouldn't let a large industrial
[3:09:12] plant move into town without first
[3:09:14] analyzing how it'll affect the
[3:09:17] neighboring wild wildlife and residents.
[3:09:20] This is no different here in West
[3:09:21] Virginia. In Pittsburgh, California,
[3:09:24] leaders, they were told to go back to
[3:09:27] the drawing board and give this project
[3:09:29] the thorough review that the community
[3:09:31] deserves. We're asking for the same
[3:09:33] thing. Data centers will accommodate
[3:09:36] artificial intelligence servers and
[3:09:38] other computer systems and are extremely
[3:09:40] energy intrusive and require enormous
[3:09:43] amounts of land and water which we all
[3:09:45] know. And as the industry grows,
[3:09:48] communities are rapidly realizing how
[3:09:50] environmentally destructive these
[3:09:52] centers can be. [snorts]
[3:09:54] All data centers currently operating
[3:09:56] across the country together require
[3:09:58] about the same amount of electricity as
[3:10:00] the state of New Jersey. They also use
[3:10:03] the massive amounts of water for
[3:10:04] cooling. A midsize data center uses an
[3:10:07] average of 300,000 gallons a day. We're
[3:10:11] looking at a hyperscale data hypers
[3:10:13] scale data center. By 2030, the global
[3:10:16] data center industry will produce about
[3:10:19] 40%
[3:10:21] of what the entire United States emits.
[3:10:26] 40% in four years of the total
[3:10:30] greenhouse gas emissions.
[3:10:33] That's sure that's what West Virginia
[3:10:35] needs. I mean, if the wind blows right,
[3:10:37] hopefully it'll blow to Red House or
[3:10:39] Hurricane and maybe in y'all's backyard
[3:10:41] instead of mine. Thank you.
[3:10:43] >> Thank you.
[3:10:46] [applause]
[3:10:52] » Keep it brief, Eddie. [laughter]
[3:10:54] Oh, hey. Come on.
[3:10:57] >> I just got a few questions. Alex asked
[3:10:59] y'all a question. You answered it, but
[3:11:01] Brian, you didn't. Are you for House
[3:11:03] Bill 2014 still or are you against it?
[3:11:06] Now,
[3:11:06] >> this is not a question and answer
[3:11:09] session.
[3:11:10] >> Well, it is. I mean, Andy said he's
[3:11:12] against it. So, it is an answer injury
[3:11:16] for guessing. That tells me all I need
[3:11:18] to know. Okay.
[3:11:19] >> The other question I got is a rumor of
[3:11:23] another data center coming to Pman
[3:11:25] County. 2,000 acres.
[3:11:29] Y'all just reszone Courtland Smith's
[3:11:31] place.
[3:11:33] And what I understand, Courtland is part
[3:11:35] of the Bowler Woods. He's in that
[3:11:40] people that owns
[3:11:41] >> They've got over 2,000 acres on the
[3:11:42] road.
[3:11:43] >> Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
[3:11:44] >> Yeah.
[3:11:44] >> So, is it coming there? the I I don't
[3:11:49] know. I I've I've heard the same thing
[3:11:50] over the last week that the Berwoods or
[3:11:53] Part D or whatever you call it, right?
[3:11:55] Um does have the acreage that would be
[3:11:59] uh attractive to a data center. And I
[3:12:01] kind of alluded to that tonight that
[3:12:03] that's my concern is more than one. Um
[3:12:08] even if uh
[3:12:11] and I've I've went ahead and looked at
[3:12:12] the part D land and it is not zoned you
[3:12:15] know it it has residential zoning in it
[3:12:17] but again with house bill 2014 that
[3:12:19] doesn't matter
[3:12:20] >> right I understand that understand
[3:12:22] >> so again I I don't have anything
[3:12:24] definite but I have heard a rumor over
[3:12:25] the last week that say you need to look
[3:12:27] into this and I at least looked into see
[3:12:29] the zoning of it uh currently as it
[3:12:31] stands and it's mixed but mostly
[3:12:34] residential uh the party land
[3:12:36] >> and talking about real estate. Um, I was
[3:12:39] told today from a realtor,
[3:12:42] I don't know this property in Buffalo.
[3:12:44] Doug, you might know it. The Reigns,
[3:12:46] Rudy Rains Farm. You know where it's at?
[3:12:49] It's
[3:12:49] >> up on the hill.
[3:12:50] >> It's up on the hill.
[3:12:51] >> Yeah.
[3:12:51] >> I heard it was sold, but once the people
[3:12:55] was told that the data center was
[3:12:58] coming, they biked off of it cuz they
[3:13:00] got young kids. It come from the realtor
[3:13:03] that hadn't sold it.
[3:13:05] It's up on Cross Creek Hill.
[3:13:07] >> Is that where it's at?
[3:13:08] >> But I didn't know where it was, but
[3:13:10] that's what I was told about 3 hours ago
[3:13:12] from a realtor
[3:13:14] that I was talking to.
[3:13:16] So, it is going to affect everybody down
[3:13:20] through there. And I am one of the farms
[3:13:24] and so is my neighbor that they're
[3:13:27] looking to pass with A.
[3:13:30] And we are said no. But we know under
[3:13:33] domain they can take it.
[3:13:38] So
[3:13:38] >> y
[3:13:40] >> with that being said, I know a lot of
[3:13:43] you live this way
[3:13:46] and are for this, but you better think
[3:13:48] if they put that one at B your woods,
[3:13:52] the pollution's coming right in your
[3:13:53] back door. This the same as it is coming
[3:13:55] in ours. That's all I got to say. Thank
[3:13:59] you, Annie. [applause] ANYONE
[3:14:06] ELSE?
[3:14:09] >> All right. Yes. Got one more.
[3:14:22] » Good evening, commissioners. I was back
[3:14:25] there taking notes the whole time and
[3:14:26] I'm going to try to stick to that
[3:14:28] because y'all know I can drone on for
[3:14:30] longer when everybody's trying to get
[3:14:32] out of here. So
[3:14:33] >> mind just name address for the event?
[3:14:35] >> Yes. Uh so my name is Heather Ransom. I
[3:14:37] am a Putnham County voter. I own
[3:14:39] property in Ply um about a mile from the
[3:14:41] proposed site next door to Alex. So I'll
[3:14:45] be the neighbor that's over there
[3:14:46] enjoying those transmission lines um
[3:14:48] once those go up. Um, but first of all,
[3:14:52] I I do want to thank you all for the
[3:14:53] time today. Obviously, you've you've
[3:14:55] listened to us for a very long time and
[3:14:57] we appreciate it. Um, but also since we
[3:15:00] first started sharing these concerns
[3:15:01] back in April, um, you guys have been
[3:15:03] very generous with your time um, every
[3:15:05] time since. So, we appreciate that. Um,
[3:15:08] and so back then, your position was that
[3:15:11] you needed more information. I
[3:15:13] appreciate you doing some of your own
[3:15:15] investigation. Um, one thing I want to
[3:15:17] say about what you brought back from
[3:15:18] that site visit is in reference to the
[3:15:20] comment that not all companies are
[3:15:22] created equal and Google is one of the
[3:15:24] good ones. So, let's take that at face
[3:15:26] value. Many of the people in this room
[3:15:28] fundamentally disagree, myself included,
[3:15:31] but let's let's take that at face value.
[3:15:33] You've also recognized that these data
[3:15:35] centers come in droves, right? It's not
[3:15:37] just one. It's never just one. So
[3:15:40] everything we do here right now is going
[3:15:42] to set the precedent for what's to come
[3:15:45] and we cannot leave these companies to
[3:15:48] their own devices.
[3:15:51] So the other thing about that is saying
[3:15:53] that they're one of the good ones. It
[3:15:55] it's kind of like saying, "Hey, sorry we
[3:15:58] dropped a bomb on you, but at least you
[3:16:00] only lost an arm. You should be grateful
[3:16:02] that you're not Mason County. Hell, they
[3:16:04] lost both legs." That's sort of what
[3:16:06] this feels like.
[3:16:08] Um,
[3:16:09] so I I won't I won't harp on that. I
[3:16:11] also just want to thank everybody in
[3:16:13] this room, even if you had to leave.
[3:16:15] There was, you know, as we know a lot of
[3:16:16] folks here earlier, we've been here for
[3:16:18] a minute. Um, or people that sent their
[3:16:20] remarks with someone else cuz they
[3:16:21] couldn't be here. Um, but especially
[3:16:23] those who are still sitting here after
[3:16:25] all this time. For months, you all have
[3:16:27] shown up consistently
[3:16:30] um to provide that information that they
[3:16:32] asked for. You have researched, you've
[3:16:36] provided news, deeply personal stories,
[3:16:39] and you've plainly illustrated why the
[3:16:41] people who live closest to this thing
[3:16:44] should have a say in its development and
[3:16:46] why we have a responsibility to consider
[3:16:48] all of the implications, not just the
[3:16:50] tax dollars.
[3:16:52] [applause]
[3:16:58] What's amazing to me is that after 5
[3:17:00] months, state officials in Google are
[3:17:03] still keeping us in the dark about the
[3:17:04] scope of this project, despite the
[3:17:06] national environment, which is both
[3:17:08] telling and terrifying.
[3:17:11] Um, as we heard earlier, there is a
[3:17:13] nationwide movement to reveal the truth
[3:17:15] about data centers. Local and state
[3:17:17] governments across the country are
[3:17:18] stepping up. Um, and it's working, but
[3:17:21] we learn something new about them every
[3:17:22] single day. And the only thing we really
[3:17:24] know for sure is that each new piece of
[3:17:26] information is more damning than the
[3:17:28] last.
[3:17:30] So, I want to just take a minute to tie
[3:17:32] some of this back to West Virginia
[3:17:34] specifically. And
[3:17:37] don't I'm going to go a little bit on a
[3:17:39] tangent through the lens of Appalachin
[3:17:40] bias, which is literally just a fancy
[3:17:43] term for a very simple concept that
[3:17:44] everyone here has experienced. It's the
[3:17:47] Appalachin stereotype, the perception
[3:17:49] that we're poor, backward, uneducated
[3:17:51] hillbillies. Um, and that justifies our
[3:17:55] exploitation in the minds of
[3:17:57] billionaires and others who ain't from
[3:17:58] here.
[3:18:01] West Virginia has experienced this
[3:18:03] probably even more than our other
[3:18:04] Appalachin neighbors in part because our
[3:18:08] leaders have inflamed the problem. At
[3:18:11] times, they act as facilitators and
[3:18:13] participants in the exploitation.
[3:18:15] HV 2014 is the latest chapter in that
[3:18:18] story. Our state officials have
[3:18:21] literally invited outofstate
[3:18:23] billionaires to come take advantage of
[3:18:25] us poor dumb West Virginiaians.
[3:18:30] [applause]
[3:18:35] So the other thing to understand is that
[3:18:37] we have what everyone else wants, right?
[3:18:40] We've talked about that a bunch tonight.
[3:18:41] Resources. Vast resources. First is our
[3:18:45] timber and our coal. We give up our
[3:18:47] lungs and our limbs and our lives. So
[3:18:49] some out of state baron could make
[3:18:50] millions on those. And then it was our
[3:18:52] natural gas, our mineral rights that
[3:18:54] were essentially stolen for pennies on
[3:18:55] the dollar. And now they're coming for
[3:18:57] our water. Literally the most valuable
[3:19:00] resource on planet Earth because to them
[3:19:03] we're expendable. We're less than. Our
[3:19:07] health and our livelihood don't matter.
[3:19:08] So we sure as don't have any right
[3:19:10] to those finite resources that the tech
[3:19:12] oligarchs believe they deserve.
[3:19:16] And it's no wonder that so many of our
[3:19:18] neighbors simply throw up their arms in
[3:19:20] defeat, right? Once you've been held
[3:19:21] hostage for generations, you see the
[3:19:24] writing on the wall. It's really hard
[3:19:26] not to be apathetic.
[3:19:29] And as my aunt Becky said, this is
[3:19:32] full-on taxation without representation.
[3:19:35] We are paying taxes in the form of our
[3:19:37] air, our water, our livelihood, um, and
[3:19:39] yet again, our health for something we
[3:19:41] did not have a say in. People who have
[3:19:43] never stepped foot in this room, who
[3:19:45] have no stake in Buffaloy or the farms
[3:19:47] down river or cross the river, decided
[3:19:50] that we should give up our night skies
[3:19:52] and our history, our physical and mental
[3:19:55] health, our rural way of life, all in
[3:19:57] the name of flock cameras, mass
[3:19:59] surveillance, imminent domain, and
[3:20:02] billionaires making more billions.
[3:20:05] But here's the thing, we are not dumb
[3:20:08] hillbillies.
[3:20:10] [laughter]
[3:20:16] Everyone here has proven that. And so of
[3:20:19] our friends and our neighbors in Mason
[3:20:21] County and in Tucker and Berkeley and
[3:20:23] Mingo who are speaking out against the
[3:20:25] same injustice. We're finally speaking
[3:20:27] our truth with a unified voice, a
[3:20:29] bipartisan unified voice. And we're
[3:20:33] ready to hold others, our leaders,
[3:20:35] accountable to that truth.
[3:20:38] And so we're asking you, our
[3:20:39] commissioners, to join the chorus. As
[3:20:41] Joseph and Jessica said, we believe that
[3:20:44] government works best when elected
[3:20:46] officials and the people they represent
[3:20:47] can work together, which requires common
[3:20:49] ground. So this resolution that we've
[3:20:52] presented tonight, we believe represents
[3:20:55] that common ground. If we can agree on
[3:20:57] the very basic premise that we as West
[3:20:59] Virginiaians as the people who already
[3:21:01] live in Buffalo or Plying deserve
[3:21:04] respect from our leaders and from
[3:21:06] billionaires.
[3:21:07] If we can agree that the people should
[3:21:09] have a say in the presence of hyperskll
[3:21:11] data centers in their community and that
[3:21:14] there's more to them than the financial
[3:21:15] implications, then we have a foundation
[3:21:18] from which we can move forward together.
[3:21:21] So you all have said that your power has
[3:21:22] been taken away by 2014. And I'm not
[3:21:25] denying the reality and the tragedy of
[3:21:28] that bill. But what you do still have is
[3:21:31] the power of your voice. Voices matter.
[3:21:34] Our voices matter. Yours matter more.
[3:21:38] They just do. So I'll end with an
[3:21:40] invitation for you all to share your
[3:21:42] position. Will you pass the people's
[3:21:44] resolution on the presence of hyperskll
[3:21:46] data centers in our community?
[3:21:50] Thank you.
[3:21:54] » [applause]
[3:22:08] » Hello, gentlemen. How are you this
[3:22:10] evening?
[3:22:10] >> How are you?
[3:22:11] >> I promise. I think we're done. I
[3:22:13] promise. I've got one easy thing I do
[3:22:15] want to say. I thank you guys for
[3:22:16] everything about the opioid sediment
[3:22:18] there. When will applications be open
[3:22:21] for that? Or do we have any idea?
[3:22:23] >> Post it on the website. We've got the
[3:22:25] application ready to go. It was approved
[3:22:26] tonight, so we'll probably post it
[3:22:27] tomorrow.
[3:22:28] >> Okay. Awesome. Awesome. I'll definitely
[3:22:29] let a couple different organizations
[3:22:30] know about that. Um, just one last thing
[3:22:33] to end on here. Today is the 105th
[3:22:36] anniversary of the Battle of Blair
[3:22:37] Mountain when the government chose to
[3:22:39] work for the company as opposed to the
[3:22:43] people that elected him there. And
[3:22:46] that's how that turned out. If anybody
[3:22:47] knows the story about that, there were
[3:22:50] machine guns. [applause]
[3:22:52] The government chose to use machine guns
[3:22:54] against West Virginia citizens instead
[3:22:55] of siding with people over company. So,
[3:22:59] just something to think about today.
[3:23:01] Thank you.
[3:23:03] [applause]
[3:23:06] If we don't end, I'm going to have to
[3:23:07] take a bathroom break. So,
[3:23:10] nothing else. I'll entertain a motion to
[3:23:12] adjourn. Our next scheduled meeting is
[3:23:15] on
[3:23:17] Tuesday, September 8th at 9:00 a.m. Make
[3:23:21] a motion to adjourn to our next
[3:23:23] scheduled meeting.
[3:23:24] >> Second.
[3:23:24] >> Got a motion. Second. All in favor say
[3:23:25] I. I.