We're going to be
in the state of America. Thank you for your comment.
Okay, at this point, I need an nomination for Vice-Pleas.
I'll nominate Amy Roe.
I'll second that.
All those in favor of any bites.
Raise your right hand please.
All those against.
Now I need an nomination for secretariat.
Correct, other.
Executive secretariat.
Third line.
Okay.
Any area both not here.
Not all ones.
Okay.
Thanks, Thompson.
That's it.
Okay.
I'll fair.
Two times them.
Just take a second.
Please raise your right hand.
All those against.
same side. Thank you. And then now I need a most of our attorneys in
Perkins. All those in favor. Same thing right hand please. All those
gifts. Awesome. And finally, I apologize to you. Administrator.
Administrator
please raise your right hand. All those against.
Awesome. Okay, first
adoption of meeting
resolution. We're going to start with air plan times. We typically meet on the
fourth Monday of each month and seven o'clock. Would anybody like to look at a
different time different dates? I'm going to go with it. I'm not against six o'clock
but that's up to you guys.
You're not here to six.
I'm okay.
Yeah, so the motion's been made to start the meeting
or have the meeting the fourth Monday of every month starting at
6 p.m.
and our normal room unless otherwise notice.
Second.
Correct.
Because we already have this get the meeting for the 23rd.
That one will be at 7 o'clock.
in the Yacht Commissioner's room.
So I need a second for that please.
Okay.
All those in favor?
16.
Fourth Monday?
All those opposed?
Anybody?
Nope.
Okay.
Again, I'm going back for the March meeting.
Not the February 23rd.
Next, you need to be able to go over that one.
Sure.
You have to pack it.
The resolution.
I can't plan to move.
You just want to be public comment.
I can read this and it's entirely up to you like it says where it's full kind of
plan commission has to turn the public comment and it's ready to read even public
commission's commission's commission.
A regular business policy, where it's full kind of plan commission has to turn
the commission and it's ready to read the regulation and public comment.
Public meetings is a corporate and committed by the law.
Now there are four big results by the full kind of plan commission that the
The following rules will govern half of the public comment will be received at the mission
east.
One purpose.
The time of the public comment will provide the submission and they learn the public's
views on various issues.
The public comment is not designed for investigation and heritage in the fact that two, a
day and a time of public comment shall be placed on the agenda for each ready to meet the
public comment that faculty needs may be allowed to date in the sheets of seconds.
Public hearings will also allow time for public comment pursuant in the law.
Three members of the public shall limit discussion during use in a time reserved for general public comment
or public hearing less otherwise permitted.
A seat will have up to two minutes to speak on any topic.
Each figure will begin by stating the speaker's first and last name in counting the residents.
from the letter and less otherwise provider.
Five each speaker is to address common access to the members of the Commission of the staff,
not the pitchers or applicants are other attendees.
Six in times of general comment,
figures may comment on any topic relevant to the Commission's business.
Public hearings or if comments are allowed for a particular agenda,
item common shutter limited to the issue.
number seven, speaker shall not use obscene defamatory or threatened language, see your
mask.
Questions?
And any time spent, answer your question, you will be able to do it by the
speaker.
And kind of suggest that the speaker is a lot of time.
If I have questions for the attorney to
be board members, we can't do it.
We do public.
No.
Any board members?
Question?
for the third.
I need a motion if possible. You guys want to top this if not. I think a motion
to approve. Okay, all those in favor, raise your right hand.
All those against, raise your
right hand. Okay, resolution is now carried through.
Next up, I've got a paper trouble here,
I apologize. Next up, minutes from our November meeting. They're going to get canceled through.
We had a plan to review anybody have any comments anything needs to be corrected
If not, I need motion to accept the minutes for the November 25 meeting
So, motion, we change our correction of cats and mellow being present in the first one, not, and you know, motion to accept the minutes for, you know, member meeting.
All those areas right here, all those opposed saying sign, okay
moving on public comment not pertaining to the agenda items.
Okay,
that's it.
Yes, yes, it's not pertaining to the petitioner.
And this case would be, in general, that everybody will be allowed three minutes.
Two minutes.
Everyone will be allowed two minutes.
No.
We're talking to you.
In general.
We're talking to this room to be allowed.
We're talking to somebody else.
That is not addressed in here.
That will be up to you.
Generally, as long as it's the system.
the poor the public hearing okay any other questions from the public on
on.
Okay, all business, do we have the old business?
Board.
Okay, new business. Um, everybody knows why, I believe, or you know, the
why we are here tonight. Um, the commission is meeting on the 20th, there are
certain people that came and talked about this topic. If you guys look in your
I went through both the commitures meetings on the 20th and on the 2nd try to put down all your guys is confirmed and then try to convince them to
What's your name 12 questions, maybe 12 topics to head on
just to start maybe help speed across us up when it comes
Again, I
Spend a lot of time I hope it helps in this decision. That being said
That has been brought to my attention by several people, including an attorney here, that
I am all a director for R&C, and that is believed to be a conflict of interest.
So I tell you right now, I do not get any other money handed to me or in the NDA, nothing
on that.
That being said, R&C,
we do everything we can to try to help our customers and to try
to do what's best for the community.
We did never try anything malicious, but that being said right here. I do have
From an attorney that's to me to refuse myself
Which I was going to do anyways just so that it is not perceived in a negative way so at this time
I'm going to reduce myself in a according to full town in our guidelines
I am now disqualified from any vote and I must leave the public
So with you guys all good evening before I do I apologize
One thing I want to tell you guys, this board right here, we are all either appointed or volunteers.
This is not paid board.
We are here trying to do our best.
We represent multiple entities of the county.
The director, me, in this case, I am a non-boding member.
The only time the director would vote is if there is a tie or forum.
Also, Abby Answell, over here, she is our Purdue Extension.
She is one of the appointed people.
Abby is not a resident of Fulton County.
So tonight and every other night, Abby will not be able to bow
that's not being a resident of Fulton County.
So, that being said, I am going to...
This is my second question.
Please your special report and thank you.
He took the easy way out.
Hey, I'm going to hand you the letter and thank you the other time.
And thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
That was all.
Thanks.
I know that you probably don't like it.
But I can't say anybody who's going to come and seek.
And do you stay always in America is very important?
I would remind you that the idea of the rules, because that is what we will be using at engagement.
I do want to ask if any of the more members have a hearing issue, so that if an individual speaking
if we need to ask them to come to the right, do I have any challenges with hearing?
Okay, do we have a suggestion in which you would like an individual who was speaking to come and say this specific thought?
Those jackets, so we are one of them seeing where they're at.
I wouldn't mind seeing them.
Yeah.
They're in the back, right?
Yeah.
What do you have to say?
It's very soft and neat.
It's neat.
Yeah.
So like, for example, somebody in the back is seeking.
We've got lots of things going on at the end of the day.
We've got a lot of things going on at the end of the day.
We've got lots of things going on at the end of the day.
Yeah, that's right.
Okay, so at any point you want to read at the rules and engagement one more time.
And then we have going to take public comment from the board number first.
Then we will take public comment from the elected officials in the room, and then we will open the public comment to individuals that are not elected officials.
I've stated that everybody has two minutes and we will be here as long as each of you would like to.
I have no kind of commentator here that we will not, we will allow each of you to have an opportunity to seek.
Once I just completed it, if we feel that we need to take a break because we've put a lot of information, we may take a pot of break for a second and then come back to a delivery.
I think this don't repeat everything anybody else is saying, so we can move it along, you know, you heard it five times.
Rick, you have microphones up there too if you'd like to turn them on and pass them around to your members so the people in the back can
hear.
This
is from the resolution just past, if you didn't hear me.
I will try
and project.
Purpose, times of public comment are provided, so that the commission may learn the public's views on various issues.
Public comment is not designed for investigation, interrogation or fact-fighting.
A designated time for public comment shall be placed on the agenda for each regular meeting.
A time of public comment, at special meetings, may be allowed as a commission's discretion.
Public hearings will also allow a time for public comment pursuant to Indian law.
Members of the public shall limit discussion during meetings to time reserve for general public comment
or public hearing, unless otherwise permitted.
A speaker will have up to two minutes.
To speak on any topic, each speaker will begin by stating the speaker's first and last name
and county of residents and speak from a letter unless otherwise provided.
Each speaker is to address comments to the members of the Commission or staff,
not petitioner's applicants or attendees.
In times of general comments, speakers may comment on any topic relevant to the Commission's business.
Public hearings or if comments are allowed for a particular agenda item,
comment shall be limited to the issue of hand.
speaker's shall not use obscene defamatory or threatening language.
Speakers may ask questions, but commission members are not required to provide answers
to individual questions and any time spent answering questions will be considered time
yielded by the speaker and counted against the speaker's allotted time.
As a point of reference, our hope is that if
somebody chooses not to be respectful,
we will just remove that person for a moment so that they can cool off and then they are allowed
come back in, our attention is not to this diminish any public comment, but we just like to
have a respectful and productive and relevant conversation. So I wanted to say that as a point
of reference. As well, Kim is taking minutes, correct? So just remember that she is going to be
ferociously riding and trying to keep top of everything. So be respectful of her as we're trying
to capture everything adequately. So with that said, do I have any board comment to start
conversation.
Do I have any elected officials that are in attendance that would like to speak?
Casey.
I don't know how to turn this on, and I don't want this to be against me.
You're welcome to come and come here if you would like to.
I think it's a good topic.
I don't know how to tell you about it.
Is it on?
All right.
Hold it like this and hold it like the most well.
Hold it like this.
A lot of work pointed backwards and is after keeping time for us so that we don't have to pay
to that.
And you perkins be attorney, attorney, attorney, attorney, attorney, attorney, attorney.
So, that we can be fair to everybody.
Does that work?
Oh,
that works.
They say that I need to say to the live streams in case you'll have two minutes.
Okay.
So, in 1989, 1985, the Northwest side of the county, they were devastated by toxic contaminants
in the landfill.
It damaged well water contributed to a blight and about a 607 acre development that we continued
to see blighted today, with excessively low tax valuation and it's often on a tax sale.
If we fast forward to 26,000 can per tax drawn on old 31 spent 40 years releasing VAC,
which is volatile organic chloride gas that attached to water.
It led to death, health issues, in children, we had to extend city water lines outside the city
limits and years of federal testing in that region.
It's 2026 and we're looking at the future with data centers.
What I'm legitimately worried about is the potential of expansion of contamination through
Fulton County.
Data centers are teaming with what's called pre and polyfloor accolied substances are
which that's a volatile substance that burns off at anywhere from 1,835 to 2,000 degrees.
I do know from asking we do not have anyone on any fire department within our county that can even handle
what a PFAS firewood attribute to the situation.
That being said, what is a p-fox?
It is a man-made carbon-based chemical that basically is wrapped all around cables, pipes, or
track equipment.
It's water resistant and heat tolerance, it's heat tolerable.
So the reason they wrap it into the systems of the data centers is because the immense heat
that goes through there.
You often find that those chemicals are also present to prevent bacterial growth and water
as well as prevent corrosion on piping, because of that, just so you know what I handed out to you,
actually is all the fat-based references of what's happening here,
so it'll actually lay everything out with references.
I'm going to show you the answer.
Well, please answer.
How is the answer?
Casey, the effort I should think of.
Yes.
Sure.
Yes, answer.
Any other elected officials who would like to seek out this summit?
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Fritz Slot.
I think Fritz Slot.
thank you thank you so much
They are all public seats.
It's not like that.
It's not like that, it's not like that.
And it's like that.
And they marry the decisions of the time, and the best of time.
But we're looking at it trying to do what's best of time.
What I see are going to be, I don't know.
I made you be going.
But I have had certain people laugh because I wouldn't need to hear what they have to say.
There's a lot to be learned, there's a lot to be sent, they are safe, there will be a lot of those sent and there's so many ants.
If you look closely, there's a lot to be heard of, there's a lot to be sent to them.
I ask you, would you like to have a little more education for looking at the new and give this work to separation?
I have my recommendations and I think that's a good incentive factor for me.
As a point of reference, Josh, where are you hiding?
Josh?
It was noted that the public comments are not able to be heard
on the live streaming, how can we reconcile that?
Okay.
We just want to make sure that we, that everybody can see here herself.
I have a lot of officials in the room.
Uh, yes, sir.
Take your name and your position.
I mean, you come back, you're the right to
go ahead.
My name is Jared Baldwin.
I'm the Fulton County resident, I'm also a member of the Fulton County Council.
And I just have a few statements to the current board.
First of all, we're either elected or appointed or we volunteered.
And if we're elected, I've always felt like we're elected to represent the people.
And there are a lot of people here tonight, and I think most of us are on the same page
where we are not wanting these data centers.
And I just implore you to consider the wishes
of your constituents.
And we have done our research.
We know what these things are about.
And I don't think there's any changing our minds.
But I would just like to remind you
that you are elected or you're appointed by an elected official.
And I think you should listen to what your constituents
are saying.
And that's really all I have to say.
Okay,
the officials in the room that would like to speak.
Yes, ma'am.
Please get a mic.
Take your name and let this issue hold.
Yep.
They have to use a mic to be able to be picked up on the live feed.
Yes.
Is that work?
First concert.
I'm on the City Council.
And I own a local bar in town.
Okay.
And this is to you guys here at the area plan, okay?
We appreciate your plan committee for serving
as stewards for our community and fiscal future
because that is their job.
It's to worry about that.
Your role in developing a comprehensive plan
provides the long-term vision that helps guide smart,
sustainable growth.
And we really appreciate all the extra time you put into it.
And when we plan thoughtfully,
a rising tide truly rises all boats, okay?
data centers are a wave of the future. They just are. And the right planning and the foresight
they can be integrated in a way that supports economic vitality, respecting the character
and needs of our community. And I know each one of you will take that into consideration.
When I saw the hand facility, and I want you to know I had no idea what a data center was and
it consisted of. The building was specifically built for a data center, no noise, a
escaped interior of that data center, even in the hallways was quiet. It was efficient
and extremely clean. Now we didn't get to hear a whole lot of noise outside because it
was summertime, so they didn't need any air conditioning or anything like that. And yes,
They do have a lot of...
Generators, and just like any other big business, like Kroger, like Walmart, they're going to run their generator once a week to make sure it works. So just in case, they need it. It's going to run. So there is some noise that this company is taking all that stuff in consideration. Okay, and it is code, it coexist up there with alongside a bird sanctuary. And they didn't know that when they very first thought it.
got the okay to buy that land. They actually found that out later on. Okay. So, yes. So, they are clean. Thank you.
Any other to speak?
Here's your mic.
I'll just hold this.
Ethan Trotter, Rochester Community School Corporation, School Board Member and resident of Fulton County.
I have several things to point to in concern for this, divided into two categories, contradictions
within the zoning ordinance with regards to this, and contradictions with regard to
the presentations that were given to the Planning Commission about data regarding data centers.
I can hit that second one first because it's pretty plain and simple.
I have done a lot of research on the topic.
I've consulted with a lot of other people who have done a lot of research on the topic.
Several of the statements expressed in the minutes, both from the public hearing and from
the Exploratory Educational Session by Andrew, was an emholstering, RMC, Horseman, were
either not correct either intentionally or otherwise, or simply misrepresenting information
for example, one that I can point to, so you know I'm not low in smoke, is when he said
that he has not ever heard of a data center needing to connect to sewage and water treatment
with regards to concerns that might stress our systems, almost every data center in the United
States is connected to some form of sewage and water treatment.
The second point or the first point rather that I said I was going to hit the contradictions
within the zoning ordinance, almost every district that was amended to include data centers
or tier one battery storage systems as a permitted use, not special exception, has a clause
in it stating that the Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals purpose with those districts
is to protect them from conflicting land uses, non-agricultural oriented businesses, any uses
that may inflict significant environmental impacts or the injurious to neighbors, as well
as clause within the Plan Commission's rules and procedures, and within these owning
ordinance itself that says that due consideration will be given during petitions and presentations
with regards to how property values will be affected by major resonings and projects.
And in no minutes, presentations or videos that I could find anywhere online was it said that that was considered.
Thank you.
Those that would like to make public comments.
This is your last case.
Hearing none, we will take comment from the public.
As a reminder, the comments need to be respectful.
We are neighbors.
Some of us are friends.
I count everyone a phrase.
So we sort of remember that when someone makes the disagreeable or a different opinion than our own, we need to be respectful of that. That's just a point of reference.
So who would be the first set with light to begin the public comments?
Yes.
I'm
so all we're doing that is an individual able to yield their time to another individual.
And the discussion that we just had was that as far as I understand the will of the board is that we would allow that.
So if one individual would have two minutes,
they would have to defer that time to someone else,
that said individual would have four minutes.
So, is that work?
Okay, so who would like to be the first to seek?
Okay, please state your name and anything like,
where is the mic?
Where is the mic?
Or just one second.
Wait a minute.
My name is Archie Guston, and I would like to yield my time to the first lady elected official who's both because I feel like what you talked about as of grave concern to all residents and people who work in public county like I do.
And sir, what was your name again, just to the record?
Are she, Guston?
OK.
Thank you, sir.
OK, Casey, you've got two minutes.
So basically, what I found out is that PFAS should be a huge concern
to all of us.
They're major contaminants happen through leaching, which
happens at high temperatures, which
is what these data centers are meant to cool off.
Can we give you six minutes?
Yeah.
Can you give me six minutes?
Anybody else want to yield a time,
we don't have to cut it off and keep it there. Okay, I think it's a bit weird.
I'm sorry.
So, once again, you say you may, because this is for the individuals that are not in the room, and your position, sure.
So, I am Casey Lee.
I am, I live in Fulton County, I'm also your assessor.
So, basically, what happens is these people are added into all data centers.
It doesn't matter.
It's one thing they can't get around, but what they can do is maybe mitigate how the water
is basically contaminated.
So in the closing system which I do know that they brought forward to all of us, that
closing system actually uses what's called an F gas.
Those F gases technically are toxic as well, but they aren't considered part of the PFAS community.
Now, I will tell you, there is over 400, and it's all in my notes I gave you, so bear with me.
There is over 400 new chemicals that are being fast tracked through the EPA.
There are specific two data, and they're all being advised through what is a toxic board,
essentially at the federal government level.
So, as those get fast tracked, they're meant to possibly remove the option of using PFOS,
in the water when it comes to corrosion and bacteria transfer, because their water does have to be clean.
Now my concern is with PFAS, basically the health implications for that have to do with some severe
versions of kidney, testicular cancer, reproductive infertility, low birth rates, and huge compromises
on the underconsistent. I've cited for you things through Stanford Medical as well as various
other entities, including the EPA. As we look at all this, it's really important to me.
And I'm sure to everyone else. Agriculture's huge for me for many reasons. And obviously it's
important to a lot of people in the room here. I am not anti-growing our tax base at all,
But what concerns me is that it's important that we really, we really go forward with the
moratorium, just for the whole purpose that we dive into the issues that aren't being presented
to us. We're being presented with a perfect fix. That perfect fix has to come with some sort of
downfall. Everything can't be 100% above board. So the fact whether they decide to take the water out
and run it through, let's just, for example, Akron, there's a special filtration system that
has to happen. Those PFAS don't just come out of the water. And the bad thing is, we're not
going to know until it's 30 years down the road. It took over 40 years for camp cart to poison the
water to point that these people got severe cancer and died, where they had to have new wells
with filtration systems put in specific to the issue of chlorine gases that were attached.
There was brand new homes purchased and tore down.
I would hate for that to happen in this community.
So all we're asking is for education.
And it's education beyond what anybody else tells you.
It's education beyond what I'm telling you.
I'm just asking you to look at other things.
Look at other reference material.
Everything I gave you was unbiased by universities,
by chemical engineers, just giving facts.
And when you really look at good neighbors
that good neighbor payment, everything that I researched
that showed where there's a corporation,
giving good neighbor payments.
It was because they are basically giving you a gift
and hopes that you keep quiet for the noise, the pollution.
It takes away your right and the future to complain.
It takes away your right to be able to through them.
It has happened through, you punt, it has happened through, mohawk, it has happened through major corporations that have dumped PFAS in the water that has decimated areas all over the U.S.
Whether it's Virginia, whether it's Georgia, whether it's Alabama.
Now, granted, it's not the same levels as a huge facility, but when you start it, you can't stop it.
So all I'm asking is that you just take a second to educate yourself beyond what one expert is trying to sell you on one facility is giving you
Thank you. I think everything she's talking about demands a moratorium. And if not, I think it would be
move the board to illicit why not.
Okay.
Thank you.
I'm going to move my phone.
Okay.
My name is Lauren White.
And I've been retained by Fulton County residents, I've actually attached a list to the document that I provided to the board earlier today, so you all have all of those names.
The letter that I provided to you is a support letter for a more TORM on Data Centers in Fulton County.
On January 20th, 2026, the Fulton County Commissioners requested that this Planning Commission
Hold a public hearing to discuss and make a recommendation regarding more TORM on data center development in full and county.
Today my clients request a more TORM on all data center development, which would allow full and county sufficient time to study and review all aspects of the siding and regulation of these data center projects, including all environmental issues, increased utility rates, high resource consumption, grid integration, supply chain issues and vulnerabilities,
activities, temperature sensitivities, diminution and property value, thermal runaway incidents
due to best, and the bonding required to keep your county safe in all phases of construction,
operation, and decommissioning. These industrial applications raise serious health and safety
concerns for Fulton County residents and should be properly studied. Currently, Fulton County
has no ordinance to address data center or the health and safety concerns outlined above.
According to the Michigan environmental justice coalition, the rapid growth of data centers with their enormous energy and water demands necessitates targeted policy intervention to mitigate environmental impacts and to protect communities.
To conduct a thorough, serious investigation of these will require input from experts across many disciplines, as well as the citizens of the county who will be affected by these data center installations.
This work will take time to accomplish.
In addition, the commission and the county commissioners will need to consider the legal ramifications.
For example, a particular concern regarding the level and data centers is the rural landscape of the county,
is the visual impact to the county as a whole, and indeed the neighboring counties due to the size and location of the projects.
to consider this concern, both the Commission and the Commissioner should know that in
1926, and Euclid versus Amlorality, the United States Supreme Court found that zoning
is a valid exercise of police power, which local governments can use to protect the public
welfare. Subsequently, in a landmark in 1954 decision, Burman versus Parker, the United
State Supreme Court upheld the right of communities to use zoning for aesthetic purposes.
Finally, according to Daniel R. Mandacler and his book, Land You Slaw, a clear majority
of courts held that aesthetics alone is a legitimate government purpose in land use regulation.
As this commission is well aware, section...
1-1.4 of the Fulton County Zoning Ordnance States. The purpose of this ordinance is to promote health,
safety, comfort, convenience, morals, and the general welfare of the community. To this send it is
important that this commission ensure the development of data centers of the data center ordinance
reflects serious study and that all information regarding these findings is provided in public forums
and for public comment. The Fulton County Comprehensive Plan is a community-driven process.
Page 14 of the Comprehensive Plan shows how important community input ends when moving forward with development.
It states the establishment of the vision began with the culmination of public input.
Leadership identification of their community needs and wishes and the integration of each unique community
identity into one compelling brand that manages the perception of who we are and what we expect in the future.
To this end, and in preparation for the eventual writing and approval of the data center ordinance,
my clients are requesting the formation of a data center committee,
made up of at least 50% citizen members who can represent residents of the county with personal perspectives
and knowledge of the county that they live in.
My clients request that this commission instruct the data center committee to hold open meetings,
Where committee members will engage with the community to provide information to the public and to obtain recommendations from the citizens.
As a community, Fulton County does not have experience with data center operations.
Data center installations will impact your community for 30 plus years.
A time period that demands time now and for the next few years to ensure protection for the next generation of Fulton County residents.
Under the Fulton County Unified Development Ordnance, this commission has the power to give a favorable recommendation to a more Toryem on data center development.
Based on the information provided today, my clients request that this commission provide a favorable recommendation for a data center moratorium for one year and that they recommend the commissioners form a data center committee to study and draft a data center ordinance.
As shown above, this extension is necessary to protect the health, safety, and general welfare
of Fulton County citizens, and to ensure that the resulting ordinance regarding data
centers represents wise, land-use plannings that plans these industrial facilities and appropriate
locations that will not adversely impact the county.
And with that, I would like to ask any Fulton County residents that are in support of a
to stand up, please.
Well,
thank you so much for your public comment.
I just want to remind everybody that way individuals are speaking,
that we would not speak as well, so that we can all hear.
Our hearing isn't always as good as we, it needs to be.
So, who would like to go next?
I will go with, we had somebody already over this way.
I'll go with just somebody to write it.
Get a mic for front.
Wait a minute.
Where the phone is.
I'll help you with this.
I'm going to also on stage your name and your affiliation.
Thank you.
My affiliation as in.
I'm just a concerned citizen who lives here in Fulton County.
Just like the rest of you guys.
My name is I.
Duncan.
Today, I want to shed light on the often overlooked consequences that data centers bring to rural communities.
While these tech giants promise progress and connectivity, their presence comes with a hefty environmental and economic price tag that cannot be ignored.
First, let's talk about air quality. Data centers require massive pooling systems to keep their servers from overheating.
and many rely on fossil fuel power generators or air conditioning units that emit pollutants.
This leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, which can form the health of residents and contribute to climate change as we've heard from anybody who stopped about this so far.
Next is water usage, cooling these massive facilities demands a huge amounts of waters.
Often source from local supplies, where are they going to get this water?
We only have a couple of fresh water sources nearby us, where is it going to come from?
I see something about decennial groups saying they were going to truck in water from
where?
Electricity consumption is another critical issue.
Data centers are energy hogs running 24, 7, they could not shut off, they run all the time, they have to, they are computing overwhelming amounts of data, they have to be on, leading to higher energy costs for the community and increased reliance on non-religious renewable energy sources.
Ugh, size them in don't, been done by Barclay Investment Group, citing that nuclear energy
would be the most promising energy source for these data centers.
I don't know about you guys.
I don't want to nuclear energy reactor anywhere near me.
Now, money.
Data centers do not bring jobs.
You have to have extreme technological degrees to work at these places.
They will not bring money to us. It will not bring any economic boost to anywhere near like I'm not good. No money. My pocket. So no money in yours.
Sharon members of the Area Plan Commission. Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
My name is Nicole Martin and I am a Fulton County resident where I live and work along the typical new river.
I operate a river recreation and camping business that depends directly on clean water, stable
river conditions, and responsible land stewardship.
I want to begin by stating clearly that I am not opposed to technology, innovation, or artificial
intelligence.
I recognize the value these industries can bring.
My concern is not about whether data centers exist.
It is about where they are cited, how they are permitted, and what safeguards are in place,
especially when agricultural zoning is involved.
Agricultural zoning exists to protect farmland, rural residences, drainage systems, and groundwater resources.
These lands are also part of a connected watershed that feeds the typical river.
Decisions made in agricultural areas do not stay isolated. They affect water systems, recreation, and the local economy.
I'd like to offer a brief perspective from my direct experience.
In 2024, I came before this same body to obtain a special exception use permit for my family's
river-based recreation business.
We followed the process and it will operate under local oversight.
Our site ranked them on the top camping destinations in Indiana and was recognized in an outdoor
publication.
Our business depends on the health of the river.
Each year, drought conditions and fire bans have affected portions of our season.
In 2025, the blue-green algae bloom developed in the typical river.
Both the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and IDEM issued warnings related to river conditions
and our river activity operations were effectively shut down for the remainder of the season.
That experience demonstrated how sensitive this river system already is to low water levels
and environmental stress and how quickly local-
Can you make your-
Thank you.
That experience demonstrated how sensitive this river system already is to low water levels and environmental stress
and how quickly local businesses, recreation, and tourism are affected.
Because of this, I am deeply concerned about allowing large-scale infrastructure
as a permitted use in agricultural zoning districts.
Permitted use status reduces meaningful public oversight.
Once granted, projects can move forward quickly,
and it becomes much harder for residents and local officials to require safeguards.
even though the long-term impacts are born locally.
This is not an anti-development position.
It is a pro stewardship position and a pro-responsible planning position.
It's important county is to consider infrastructure of this scale.
It must be done with transparency and enforceable protections, including disclosure of average
deep water consumption and water source, groundwater monitoring, and public reporting, storm
water and impervious surface controls, setbacks, noise, lighting, standing standards, appropriate
for rural areas, and emergency planning for fuel and chemical storage.
I respectfully ask that this commission take one of two actions today, either reverse the
ordinance change that made data centers a permitted use in agricultural zoning or adopt
12 month moratorium, so the county can develop standards, study water and infrastructure impacts,
and allow full public transportation before any project becomes inevitable.
Folten counties should not make irreversible industrial zoning decisions affecting farmland
and the typical river watershed without first-putting protections in place for the people
and resources that are already here.
When state agencies issue river warnings and local businesses shut down, it tells us the system is already sensitive.
We should not make zoning decisions of this scale without safeguards in place first.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Well, I just want to know York and my I'm tired.
Boy, tough crowd.
Okay, my name is John Bailey.
I live right across the street.
I walked here today.
And to make it short.
In 1993, in 1993, I was an intern at the house.
GOP, you know, down in, let me do with that.
I have my badge here.
Caucus in Indianapolis, and here's my little badge.
If we were in the minority, we were in the minority at that time.
And the data center issue of that time was high tension wires.
And we had crowds like this at our committee meetings all the time that came from South
Bend, that came from Evansville, and this was before Facebook put out all this information.
They were coming down.
And they said that high tension wires were going to cause tumors in your kids heads and
make your cattle sterile.
Is anybody talking about high tension wires today?
No.
Yeah.
That's one, right?
One guy?
Not necessarily.
So, and if you want to go back even further, I don't know how much time I have.
Remember, in the 1970s, we were entering an Ice Age.
I have, right here, in my go folder, Tom magazine, 1973, 1979, we're entering a nuclear
ice age. It didn't happen. In the 1990s, it was global warming. Oh, it was global warming,
it didn't happen. And I'm sorry, I'm sorry Mr. Baldwin, because he does my taxes.
All right, thank you,
I'm
a resident of Forten County. And I'm going to address number four on the thing that Andy, no, was it Seth gave you at the beginning. I felt that I could my expertise and
experience in this part of it, I have been testing hearing and had background and college experience in hearing and hearing loss.
So what I did is I developed my time and my effort into looking for data because I'm a data person.
Out of feelings that feelings don't make decisions.
So I had looked and looked and I found a data center noise study that was published December 31st, 2022, which is not 10 years old, it's not even four years old, it's three years old.
All the data centers that were in Northern Virginia at this time, and they went around and looked at all the levels that were completed, completed in all the data centers.
They looked at how close they were to schools, they looked at the sounds that are admitting.
Not to give you a lesson and physics.
But when you look at sound, sound can be either a plain model or a spherical model.
data centers.
Now, the spherical model. You have to have account for attenuation, reflection, retraction. Those things take you have to take into consideration with noise. What they found out from doing every data center in that county was that they have far exceeded the expectation and the ordinance that were put in place.
So, what I would want to read to you real quick is just a brief summary, what came out of this is as Prince William County government is not fulfilling its obligations to residents by developing reliable noise protections for the data centers resounding proposals before approving any such thing.
Also, stated that in Virginia, though, there is very noise or ordinance specifications.
County governments, their staffs, their lackings, their significant excuse, may I have been talking all day in school.
Seficient expertise for crafting thorough, going noise, noise ordinances without loopholes,
with which industrial and commercial activities can exploit and circumvent the intent of those ordinances.
Now, again, I'm all day to base.
I looked at numbers.
I wanted to find a research study that was current.
I think December 31st, 2022 is pretty current.
I have a 54 page report to everybody who would love to see it.
And what I saw was that those data centers were putting on noise like 75 decibels, 80 is damaging
the hearing.
You know, when I do a lot of teenage kids too, and I'm like, get those AirPods out of
years. When you're hearing's gone, it's not going to come back. It's just something that I can't fix.
So some of the things that are health effects that are attributed to increased noise levels,
that was also included in this report, chronic sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression,
do the combination of noise and lack of control when residents realize this noise even
permeates their homes.
Difficult with concentration increased stress-related conditions,
gastrointestinal autoimmune, hypertension, increased health risk
as residents avoid outdoor exercise.
With chronic sleep deprivation, affects your brain and body,
anxiety depression, mood swings, suicidal thoughts,
memory concentration, you know, where they were
closing the site is near schools.
And one of the things that said is for children, it decreases growth
hormones. You have vehicular and workplace accidents and packs the insulin release and increases
risk of diabetes. If you guys don't know, diabetes is on the rise and especially in children.
Laws, less interest in exercise, hypertension, cardiovascular health stroke, June 2022,
American Heart Association. So, persistent 24-7 noise, as well as sleep deprivation due to noise
can impact your mental and physical health
and dramatically lower your quality of life.
So when I looked at the study and looked at all the readings
that were they were doing, it just forwarded me.
I was like, this is 20 decibels over an ordinance
that they put in place.
This is Dr. Mental, you're hearing it's gone.
It's not going to come back.
There's other things associated with it.
These are the older systems with the air cold systems
that they're doing now.
When I'm looking at data on it that's coming out,
there's not a huge 54 page study on this.
It's running the same decibels, 75 to 85 decibels.
80 is going to damage your hearing permanently.
So I'll come to you with just data.
I think knowledge is power when making decisions.
That's what I like to look for.
So that's what I have for you.
We're going to be looking for it.
Right here, this is the one we've got.
We've got all of you.
Hello.
Hi, my name's Kale Raer.
I'm a homeowner here in Fulton County.
I've worked in the field of surveying and civil engineering for over 13 years.
I've worked on lithium plants, solar fields, wind farms, and multiple steel mills.
I've seen jobs created and destroyed.
I've seen firsthand what different forms of infrastructure can do to the community.
It's my opinion that we need to do what's best for the community and not do what's best for our data center.
There are growing hazards that are constantly being realized from environmental to flat out hazardous to humans.
different forms of air pollution with backup generators, potential, potentially powered by
heavy use of diesel. We don't have local companies that use that kind of power.
There are even potentials for low levels of radiation and with this new technology who
is say that we don't find out that it is larger than speculated or the effects don't come
around in 30 years like mentioned. We all know that the growing water concern and honestly
Fulton County, even though we're working on it,
and has a lot of, has had a lot of water issues.
We aren't creating jobs, but yet damaging our environment.
So the answer seems pretty clear to me.
We don't lady, all my back,
we make sure she gets a microphone.
I'm just very much here.
I'm not talking about that.
I would like to give Henry Smith my two minutes.
Tophany Adams also.
OK, so that's six minutes.
And I'm not giving up.
Great enough here so we can figure it out.
Yeah, I know that's your face.
Thank you.
And again, say you name your affiliation in your six months.
My name is Henry Smith.
I've had an excavating business in Fulton County,
and I've been a resident in Fulton County for over 50 years.
I've actually got something that a lot of you don't have.
I've got experience in it, I've had a sense of construction.
All right, last year I put a 24 inch water main in the Google.
and they need a lot of water. I just stood in the front yards a lot of the
residents out there along the road around the front and they are not happy
because of everything, how Google just pushes and hustles everything through and
that's another thing that I see with this data center is they're just trying to
rush everything through and get green light and then they do what they want to
they don't really care. They build 50 foot berms all around properties if you have a house and
they can't buy a seat. They'll just build a 50 foot berm all over around your house. You'll see one
the road and that's it. You won't see anything else.
I think they have their place. I don't think
that some of the areas they're looking for in this county is the ideal spot. And I think we should
take our time and look into it. Thank you.
I'd like to be next.
Yes, microphone.
Can everybody hear me?
Hi, yes.
So my name is Lindsay Shambal.
I'm a homeowner in Akron.
I'm actually reading for James Zimmerman who also is
Akron resident and is unable to be here today.
So if anybody has any questions or follow up,
I can give you his contact information.
Again, I'm just reading.
So James says first off, I would like to say I'm very disappointed I'm not able to attend such an important meeting regarding our community's future.
I want to thank the community for their support and efforts as we try to do the right thing.
I am aware that during the August 2025 area plan meeting there were only two speakers that presented and covered the topic of data centers and they only spoke on the positives.
I have told many people in the community and some members of area-plion commissioners in council that
There was only one side that presented at the August meeting. I understand things might have looked great about a data center
But the best thing that could have been done for the community was to table the discussion and each member do their own research
Engage the public opinion before any votes
Where to take place regarding Zoting concerning data centers
Unfortunately, that did not happen and emotion was made and voted on for area plan to suggest
to the commissioners to rezone Aglion and how we commercial to allow data centers and
battery storage. I fully believe at this point you have all done for the research for yourselves
and come up with your own opinions. I also believe you have to be aware of the community's extreme
concern on the topic. From all my research, I have done. I can tell you there is far more
that will come with a data center than good.
The negatives outweigh the positives by a farm margin.
I tried to only find independent studies that way
I can say the research was not swayed by either side
of lease on data centers.
Without reading to you, the verbatim of each study I can tell you why I found it
and if you'd like, I can provide all research and links
that back at my claims.
30 to 100 permanent jobs after construction is best case scenario.
construction jobs are temporary. Once the project is complete, the majority of jobs are
remote and will be specialized so the majority of local residents will not see
benefits from employment.
Revenue can be offset by grid school and infrastructure
cost. I keep hearing 100 million in tax revenue. Actually, best case scenario that
is best case scenario is we will receive in 15 to 20, 20 years.
Don't be fooled and expect that yearly.
Next is a grid slash generation cost
are socialized through rates.
It's as simple as supply and demand.
The electricity is consumed in such large amounts.
All customers will bear the burden of paying for it.
Noise plus transmission plus industrialization
affect marketability beyond setbacks.
Long-term effects will lower property values,
but will raise property taxes due to land speculation.
Finally, tens of thousands, all the way to millions
of gallons of water used daily, even more harmful during peak
drought stress.
Even the closed loop argument has evaporation
where up to 80% can evaporate into the atmosphere.
And non-closed loop systems, the water is contaminated
in high amounts of chemical such as glycol, which could harm local groundwater in the atmosphere
causing medical concerns.
The bottom line is, even without tax abatements, hyperscale data centers can impose major
hidden costs, such as higher electric bills, minimal permanent jobs, raising property taxes,
but deflating property values, decrease quality of life, long-term infrastructure liabilities,
While life affected through habitat, destruction, water consumption, and noise and light pollution and unknown health concerns due to several factors.
This isn't anti-tech, it's pro-transparency and pro-community.
I am asking you to protect your citizens' health, safety, and property values.
Please do the right thing and make a motion for a favorable recommendation for a moratorium.
Allow us to have a year to further research and educate ourselves on this topic before we make permanent decisions.
I'd like to be next.
I don't know.
Okay, don't know.
I'll be.
Okay.
I'm layer molar and full count of resident.
And I'm not 5% of the speakers ability that has gone before me.
So I just want.
I want to thank you all for your time.
And I want to thank you all for your time.
I'm not good with my, this is just, I'm just going to read a couple really short paragraphs
that are from our own zoning.
So these are the guidelines, the guidelines I talked with my hands, these are the guidelines
that you all are supposed to and hopefully do consider.
So this is our community building principles for citizens, continue to empower citizens to be in
control of the county's future.
Encourage neighborhood citizen and business participation
in decision affecting neighborhood well-being.
Make a future that is ecologically,
economically and socially sustainable.
And then under their bullet point
for the natural environment, your bullet point
is says, protect and improve
molten county's natural environment
for a better quality of life for all people.
Almost done.
So then specifically for the Ag District, this is 4.1, 4-1.1, the Ag District Intent,
permitted uses and special exceptions, and I understand you move data center to this,
but these are the guidelines of what you're supposed to be seeking for the Ag Center.
The District Intent, the Ag District is intended to provide a land use category for agricultural activities.
provisions that regulate this land use district should protect, promote, and maintain areas
in full-toned county for farming operations.
Last paragraph, the Plan Commission and boards of zoning appeals should strive to protect
this district from conflicting land uses, non-agriculture or into business, and any use that
may inflict significant environmental impacts or be injurious to neighbors.
I don't know, there we go.
I've got a couple of people's time to take six minutes.
My name is Josh Shriver. I'm a member of
Akron. I see a lot of friends, a lot of people that know me throughout my life, and a lot of them are family. And the
one thing that I hear constantly from the pro-data center groups and the sales pitches is that
crazy. I ask any of you standing before me on the board. Did you seriously do your research?
Did you spend your time fact-checking or did you listen to your legislation out of the state?
And did you listen to a sales pitch in the group that wants to perversely take advantage
of our community? Because that is exactly what this is. So I'm going to ask you as members
of the board.
I want to be very clear about what this decision you have is actually, actually as independent
of how this project is presented tonight by the decennial group or others.
Zoning decisions are not about optimism.
They are about what lasts and cannot be undone.
The proposal places a 500-megawatt-hyper-sale data center on agricultural land with close proximity
to be established to an established community.
Once approved, that land does not return to agriculture,
and the county does not regain leverage.
This is industrial infrastructure that will be here for decades.
What I'm describing is not speculation, it's a pattern.
In other communities that approve facilities of this scale,
the same issues emerge years later.
It's been talked about within this group this evening.
Even when operators are main compliant.
Costs of low frequency noise that becomes part of daily life.
Routine diesel generator testing and exhaust exposure over decades.
Groundwater questions a surface after approvals are final
and the responsibility saluted.
And nearby homes that become harder to sell.
Harder to finance and harder to value.
Not because rules are broken, but because of proximity.
When these impacts appear, the response is always the same.
The operator points to permits, regulators, point to compliance, and the community has
sold there is no remedy.
That is not failure of enforcement.
That is the outcome of approval.
This project is being justified largely on revenue.
Yet we have not seen any of hard numbers of revenue.
We've heard promises, and boy, you promised this look good.
I got kids that will sit there and say promises to me all day long, but I don't believe them.
But revenue projections are still projections, and they depend on tax structures
that the county does not fully control.
While the county may be not running in a bait mix, the state of Indiana provides tax treatment
for large data center investments that affects how the value is realized over time.
At the same time, the county's obligations are immediate and ongoing.
roads, utilities, emergency services, staffing, and regulatory oversight do not.
Depreciate or rotate out, they remain the carrier's flexibility for as long as this facility operates.
Revenue projections expire, operators change, equipment turns over, land use decisions do not.
Once the decision is made, the community inherits the result, not the developer, and not the tenant.
And that brings me the only question that matters, and it not only matters to me because I'm
ground zero, but it matters to everyone else here because they're ground zero as well.
Would you place something in this large, this intense, and this irreversible, if you've
heard yards from your own home or your own loved ones of your own community, based mainly
on projections and promises,
because that's true, the community carries the risk, not
the developer, not the tenant.
And that decision cannot be undone.
Please refrain from doing anything
accusatory towards the board.
So we would like to take a conversation with data,
or your personal opinion,
freely, so turn out, please refrain from any accusatory comment.
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
I'm just out the right.
We're just in case we go back to action.
I just want to say that.
Who is next?
And I just as a quote of reference, we have a young man who can take the rap out of the
stage.
All right.
We hope you all are coming to take the five minutes.
We're going to open back.
Thank you.
I am.
I'm going to do the Baker.
I live in Casio, Scot County, where this is not a permitted use on farm land.
But I'm here on behalf of Bill and Nancy Crow and Plumber Family Farms.
I'm a part owner.
Our lens to the Baker.
Yes.
Our farms have a total investment of $3 million in irrigation systems and wells in
Fulton County and Richland Wayne and Union Townships.
We have five wells and 12 center pivots and we've always been good neighbors and we've
never had any complaints from our neighbors about any well issues that they have experienced.
It currently costs about $50,000 to install a 12 inch well for irrigation.
The current ordinance making data centers a permitted use on farm ground leaves Fulton
County farmers who have pay taxes to this county for generations without any protections
or recourse should our wells go dry due to data centers in the area.
All floating county residents on wells have the same problem.
Data centers currently being built in Indiana are causing streams to dry up and wells
to go dry.
Commissioner Day of Summer says that the project will be a closed loop system, but closed
loop systems still use water.
Data centers also cause electricity costs to rise further impacting homeowners, businesses, and farmers.
Decennials said in a commissioners meeting that they will truck in water.
When concerns were raised about their water usage, then at the community meeting in Akron,
their first night decennials said they will not be trucking in water and will always be using our water.
When I asked decennials, David Pavlik details about the project in the first community meeting in Akron,
He told me they did not have specs yet, no build plan yet, and would not answer technical questions regarding his project yet.
We're able to tell the community it will be a 500 megawatt facility.
They went 300, but ideally 400 to 500 acres, and will only use 20 to 25,000 gallons of water per day.
I'd like to remind the plan commission members that during the August Plan Commission meeting,
The discussion was that the data center was only going to be 140 to 160 acres in Fulton County.
Decinials DX3 project in Hammond is only 25 acres. 180 megawatts and a 450,000 square foot building.
Akrons will be a 300 to 500 acres, 500 megawatts, which will be over 1 million square foot building.
This is considered a high-risk scale data center.
Their hemophacility is on a brownfield,
and this is an area already zone for industrial use.
It is not around a residential area.
These projects by decennial are not the same.
Regardless of what any data center company says they will do,
none of it is in writing.
There are no restrictions for data centers
and no protections in the full and county ordinance.
The full and county zoning ordinance
has left residents and landowners at the mercy
of data center companies.
I want to remind everyone, this is not just an acronym problem.
This is an all of Fulton County problem because this is a Fulton County ordinance.
The acronym area should not be used as a sacrifice zone in this county to fill the county
coffers.
More projects will follow.
According to the Fulton County Zoning ordinance, data centers can go on farm ground anywhere
in this county.
Data centers are an industrial use, not agriculture.
You have an existing industrial park for this reason.
they should use it.
Zoning ordinances exist to protect your residents, not to welcome predatory industries into
the county at the expense of your residents.
The Fulton County Area Plan Commission needs to go back to the drawing board and do your
due diligence and truly look at the impacts of data centers.
You, until an ordinance, is in place that protects the health and well-being of Fulton County
residents and landowners, a more term is needed.
Please vote yes to the moratorium.
Thank you.
at midnight break so you're a welcome to the restaurant. We will be back at 7 o'clock.
Thank
you. So now working, it's not a lot. Okay, perfect. Okay, thank you so much. And a special thanks to Matt for recycling individuals in and out, so that others who have attending in the other areas are allowed to come in and make public comments as well. So we are now open for public comment again. You have two minutes. Please state your name and your affiliation. Who would like to begin?
They're microphone has to be used so that those that are not in the room can hear, thank you.
My name is David Fox. My fiance is here and Bridget Bartlett. We're both residents of
Fulton County, mostly Lifetime. She's yielding her time to me to give her four minutes. I'm going to try to make it as quick as possible.
I don't have any prepared statements, but I would like to point out that the way that these things work,
if you accept money from them, you have now entered into a contract with them.
And they'll give you the good neighbor, and then you're under arbitration.
And if you have any future problems, any legal action you'd like to take, well, too bad,
enjoy the arbitration and you will be on the hook at that point for half of the
costs because that's the way our arbitration works. They're not your friend. They're
not good neighbor. As far as noise that was brought up earlier from people who had
been to the Hammond facility. That's a 20 megawatt facility and they're
in the build a 500. That's not the way that sounds scales. It will not get quieter or stay the
same. Don't let them lie to you.
PFA's were brought up earlier. You may know them better as forever chemicals. They cause cancer,
reproductive and endocrine harms. They do not go away. They are here forever.
And if this is as has been presented to us, our area is a perfect area for it because of our power situation and everything, if you have something valuable to offer, you don't take the first offer.
I mean, period, it's just bad business.
So if this is so good, let's get a moratorium on it.
Let's get some time where we can study the consequences.
And we can get more offers if we're going to sell our health wellness piece of mind.
Let's sell it at least at a premium.
And as far as the idea that they're going to be
up some kind of school-to-work pipeline for these facilities, sure, maybe, but they're not
in control of that. They build the facility and then they lease it to a tenant and the
tenant hires the people that will work there. They don't have anything to do with that.
So, it's all puppies and rainbows and the best that they can present to you, but that's not how reality works.
We need a moratorium at the very least to get a better offer.
We do got a couple more chairs down here, but I once said down.
Name and position, yes.
We're now thinking, I'm a resident of Fulton County.
And those of you that know me have probably heard me say a time or two that data centers
are industrial and they belong in an industrial park or industrial complex.
And I'm just going to give an example or two for you.
So a farmer decides to just go ahead and build a KFO, you know, a big factory farm.
on residential zoning right in town.
He decides it's a pretty good idea
because you can hook up with a city water,
save himself drill and a well,
then have to worry about water quality.
Same for city sewage,
then have to home a newer,
saves himself a lot of time and money, right?
And his workers shoot, they live right down the street.
So, at weather, they can still walk to work.
He's got it made, right?
But what about his neighbors?
Do you think that they enjoy all the semis
coming in and out, hall and feed, hall and livestock.
Do you think that they enjoy the smell or the noise?
One person is winning, but several people
are losing in that situation.
Now let's look at a data center on agricultural land
out in the country.
The developers, they're looking for the advantage
of lots of open acres right by power lines.
So they don't have to just mention that electric infrastructure.
They're looking at unmetered water usage.
So no one really quite knows how much water
they use. And they're looking for few neighbors, so they don't have to deal with those good
neighbor payments, more resistance, etc. Once again, they're winning, right? Sounds like a good
deal for them. What about their neighbors? Do you think they want to listen and smell hundreds
of diesel generators running? Do you think they want the real possibility of water issues?
And what about increased electric bills and decreased property values? Once again, one is
and several are losing in that situation.
Would it be convenient for the farmer if he did that,
or the data center developer?
Sure would.
We both know that the reality is these situations
don't make sense for the majority.
Purpose of zoning is to protect the residents.
And when we have no protection with this current ordinance.
That's fine.
Thank you.
You give me two minutes.
Sure.
Okay.
She gave me two minutes.
We shall go over.
Okay.
Thank you.
The purpose of zoning is to protect the residents and we have no protection with this
curtain. That's why a moratorium would be a great step in the situation. It gives
time to research and to look at the corresponding and address this. Thank you for your time.
and then gentlemen, what's your time to finish your meeting?
I'm taking much to you.
Oh, to you.
So I'm taking much to you.
I'm taking much to you.
That's all.
Hi there.
Thank you.
I'm Mary Gibson.
I am a potent-cannon resident and I am the democratic house representative candidate for District 17.
I live on the corner of Old U.S. 31 North and 450, where previously they spoke about the
water contamination.
I moved here without knowing about the water contamination and the situation affects my neighbors.
I recently joined through my name in to run for the House of Representatives, partly in
because of this data center situation and what was being represented at the State House
in the Senate.
I would highly beg and plead that a moratorium be considered and approved to give time for research and understanding and allow for all the community members here.
I would almost bet you have had this much of a showing before, or within recent years.
And that just shows how much it means that those here within our community.
And then my next question, and I will stop is if there is someone here in support, because
we've heard a lot of public comment for opposed, I would be interested in hearing what the
public support is for the data center.
Thank you.
I believe Todd Trotier is also relinquishing his time.
I was a little rushed earlier, I tried to get most of my points out but I do have more to say, so I appreciate the time.
Thank you guys.
I wanted to stress the necessity of a moratorium, not just because it's a stoppage to something that we think was rushed, but because of the time it gives for research into the impact of situations such as this.
I believe that the, what was a considered educational workshop in August that led to
consideration of this ordinance, although it had been discussed prior in certain circles,
that led to the public hearing in September.
Was full of information from guest speaker Andrew Horstman that was either untrue, misrepresented or cherry-picked, which is not due diligence to take as the only major presentation before approving an ordinance such as this.
The moratorium would allow us to correct some of this information. For example, Andrew Horstman presented that a facility that size, discussing a facility that would reasonably serve Fulton County, would take up about 14260 acres as somebody else had referenced tonight.
The one discussed for this area has been sized at about 500 acres, at least to be preferred that way by the company.
And later in the same presentation, Andrew Horseman mentions that construction of 60 acres of building would bring a lot of construction jobs and inconsistency within only 30 minutes of presentation.
Later on, it is referenced that the water problem is nothing compared to our field irrigation.
When Andrew sites these numbers, he says that 3.2 million gallons can come out of one
irrigator over the course of a season, and we serve over 250 field irrigations in Fulton
and Plaski County.
Now, Plaski County is not of relevance to our zoning ordinance, first and foremost.
Secondly, while 750 to 800 million gallons of water is a large amount of usage, what anyone
like to guess what number Andrew Horseman said that equaled.
not $800 million, but $8.1 billion, a 10-fold misrepresentation of the actual number.
You don't have to be good at math to know that's wrong. We've been told multiple times,
including by Andrew Horstman at the meeting on January 20th, that the profit returned to the
members of RAMC would make a lot of this worthwhile from the excess energy and electricity,
but in the presentation in August, he referenced that returned profits to the members
happen after about 30 years.
Now, a lot of people in a situation like a data center coming in,
property valued devaluation, and other situations that might cause them to
move, have significant health concerns, or not be an RAMC service area,
are likely to not see returns that don't come for 30 years.
Andrew Horstman also references that the average data center runs at about
55 to 58 decibels.
It is no secret that the average sound ordinance targets at 60 decibels,
which is likely why he pulled this number.
When in reality, we've heard from another presenter tonight
that from a study done in recent years,
not random data, not something 20 years old,
that 80 decibels is more like the average.
That is a representation that is 33% off
of what Andrew Horstman told everybody
at the August meeting.
Later on, while representing the amount of jobs
this would create Andrew Horstman references
it could employ approximately 80 people,
while referencing the size of the data center in the acreage he gave, which is inconsistent already,
he says that it would employ 80 people. Data centers up to the largest size, maybe employ 100.
Later on, Suzanne, and pardon me for not representing her last name correctly,
Jawaharlowski, the Secretary of Energy for the State of Indiana, specifically mentions,
pardon me I have to flip through these pages here.
She specifically contradicts the claim
that it would create a lot of jobs by saying that rural Indiana is being targeted for data centers,
because it is ideal land that does not require a big workforce.
There is no need for a lot of roads, schools are infrastructure, but you still get the benefit
of the tax base that comes with it.
That does not sound like the presentation of someone that expects a lot of jobs to be created
nor cares much if they are.
In fact, the exact quote from the video of the presentation has a lot more in there than
what's in the minutes.
Later on, it is asked by Suzanne that if the state was looking for partners with Fulton County
be willing to partner with Indiana, a prodding question from a higher government official,
not a research-based inquiry during what was marketed as an educational workshop.
In several other situations, and I'll cut myself short here after this, Andrew Horstman and
Suzanne both mentioned that this was important to push through quickly because you really
only get one shot if you turn them down once they are gone.
That was not motivated by data.
Nor is it true.
Thank you for the extra time.
I'm Braxton, I can bury.
I've lived in this area for 52 years.
And I feel like our local board has failed us.
They say that there were some announcements about this.
I haven't talked to anybody that saw any of them.
There was a protest at Kokomu Sunday about the same thing
around the courthouse.
Same problem.
Nobody knew anything about it.
It's almost like the four county land fuels spirit
has come here to further itself.
That landfill come in.
Nobody knew anything about it.
Fought it for years.
Finally got rid of it.
Now it's what it is.
Everybody knows it's just toxic over there.
I feel like we need more communication.
The newspaper doesn't really exist so much anymore.
It's one day a week, maybe we could find out stuff in a shopping guide, maybe we need
to set up phone trees or something.
A big problem is the communication between the people and these boards that make these rules.
There's a lot of people came here tonight, wasted their day, nobody's happy.
You're planting the seeds of discontent in this community.
And it will go on forever if you build that thing over there.
It's like a cancerous tumor in your body, sucking you up and replacing it with poison.
That's how I feel about it.
If I could get just 30 seconds.
You have to take a bite.
It's like a cancerous tumor in your body.
Sucking you up
and replacing it with poison.
That's how I feel about it.
If I could get just 30 seconds.
about the noise. It's not just 33 percent higher. The way that sound works is a logarithmic
scale. Every one decibel is 10 times louder than the point below. So whenever you start
talking about from 58 to 78. Doesn't sound like that much on another 20 points. That is
2000. I forget it's 10 times than a hundred times than a thousand times for three points.
It is so much lighter. That's just the way the decadence works. Sorry, that's all I have to say.
I just wanted to speak to more personal aspect of this. We've been hearing a lot about the research that was done, but just speaking on behalf of my husband and I, which I've heard just talking to people a lot of the same feeling perhaps.
But we made Fulton County our home, and we moved here because of the role landscape, the quiet nature, and the culture, the agriculture.
And we know that you may be considering the financial and development aspects of this project, but our question is what expense?
We've heard a lot of different things today on the evening, and we believe my husband and our data centers are not a piece of economic growth for this community,
that they utilize the land and they offer concessions.
We attended the Desennial Group presentations,
and we walked away with little assurances
to what we were looking for the answers we were looking for.
And so we've heard about, you know,
contribute to habitat loss,
reduce property values, the farm land.
You know, there's public health,
limit recreation, and undermine the culture and economy
of our communities.
So at large, I believe that our communities contribute
to participation paying taxes, volunteering, creating local economies of interest and need
looking after our neighbors and stewardship of our land. So please don't let this
reduction of limited assurances take away from generations of community investment
and participation.
My name is Diana Bungart and I grew up in this community and I
chose to stay in this community. Data centers are often located on flat, well-drained,
farmland. Once converted land is effectively removed from agricultural use permanently, farms
and data centers may draw from that from the same aquifires or surface sources. During
dry seasons, agricultural often loses priority. Heavy construction, ulcer soil structure,
increasing runoff and reducing neighborhood field drainage quality. Speculation in infrastructure
investment can raise property taxes, squeezing small and family farms.
A short term financial gain is not worth the destruction of our land.
To me and my family and other people I've talked to, it ruins the water resources
that are for our children and generations to come, and we will pay the price in the end.
Low frequency harm travels further at night.
So we will no longer hear the wonderful sounds of nature or see the night sky
because of the pollution from the light.
Nearby residents may notice odors,
suit, or increase asthma risk.
New transmission lines, clear-wide corridors,
furthering, fragmenting ecosystems.
That's all I've got.
Hey, do you want to see the other hand?
The other individuals, okay.
I may see it up.
Okay, thank you very much.
My name is Dave Bradden.
I live down in Full Encounning and down by the North Creek.
Since June, we've not got much rainfall.
Now, we live right on the eastern side of the dam,
that if anyone's familiar with that area down there.
It's also back in behind our property.
Usually, two, three, four feet of water is not unusual.
There's a very large muscratic den out there.
You can see the runs of the muscrats
where they used to roam.
You'll walk out there now.
The waterlet table has dropped tremendously.
it's dry.
I don't like seeing our farmland chewed up. I've been a farmland my entire life.
I have sensed retired from it, but I don't like seeing our farm around chewed up by anything
other than a tractor plowing the ground. They're talking 400 generators, 400 diesel generators,
a lot of noise. I've been around diesel engines in my entire life. You put 400 them together,
It's a little hot and noise.
Okay, I got one of the things I can't think what it was.
We were told at the second meeting.
The Akron meeting, that the gentleman states,
we're the only game in town.
We're the only one who's going to save you.
From what?
Is Godzilla going to pop out of the ground?
And is there going to save us?
No.
We don't need saved.
We all love this community.
The way that it is.
We don't need this.
I'm
coming.
You've got a separate, so we can see.
Somebody got a microphone for her name and affiliation.
Kenny Miller, live in Akron.
I just got a question for the commissioners.
The question is, what's your financial interest in this project?
I'm sorry.
I'm coming.
Yeah, my question is for the commissioning board.
So what is your financial interest in this project?
Well that's my question.
If somebody could relinquish, I don't even need two minutes.
I know one of the things that brought us all together
because there was a lack of communication
into our county as to what was happening.
This may not be a popular idea,
but all the board represents for the most part
different districts in our county.
I know I attend at a certain time of year
to travel out amongst my constituents
and have conversations one on one with them.
I would almost recognize in the future, again,
recommendation.
If for some reason, we have a big topic issue,
Whether it's solar, wind, nuclear, small nuclear, or data, maybe we can have you guys break
off into teams that do not create a quorum and have forums in the district out at
Akron.
See what the feel is.
Hey, if we were talking about this, what you're feeling on it, only on these big ticket
issues.
Go to Kiwana, head over to Aby, maybe ask some questions before it gets to the point that
these people are beside themselves and feel like they had no voice.
That's all I have.
Okay, can you hear me? All right. She doesn't know what's on that map, but if you look at this yellow area on the map that I've colored in, and then there's an orange area with a bull's eye on it.
Everyone of those counties has had either a moratorium or they pulled the project and they're all around this folks turn it around so these people can see
Then there's some that aren't colored in. I know that a Franklin township and Indianapolis just passed another one stopping up project. So
What do those counties know that we don't know? Why are they saying no?
Why are they saying we're gonna put a stop to this?
They're putting in moratoriums and they're doing it for a reason and folks, we're not any smarter than the people in those counties.
So we better listen.
Laura Bailey, I live in Fulton County, moved here in August of 23 from Plaski County.
I sat and watched Blasky County be swallowed up by solar, because they knew how to approach it.
They had two commissioners with lease contracts that were undisflosed.
They had two zoning people with lease contracts undisflosed, and it was also to the community.
All this is one project, one developer, it's going to be 3,500 acres, it'll be great.
Today, it's 24,000 acres, because once you open the door with no protections,
you're done.
It's that simple, and that has become a really terrible place to live over there.
There are multiple instances of generational farm homes surrounded literally on every side by solar panels.
They have no property value.
They have no legal records, and they now have no quality of life.
We're opening that door here.
It's very important.
And I
have lived around here most of my life and stuff.
Now I try to come up well my husband used to always get involved in politics and I would
things.
When they said that a lot of times they go ahead and say what the agenda is, most of
the time your agenda is small stuff. It doesn't have anything pertaining to the huge group
of people. This did, and it should have had some kind of outlook to say, hey, you could put
I mean, diners or anything that said, okay, this is going to affect a lot of people and we should
let these people know.
Now the company that's coming in, are they so willing to know the proposal that they would
be willing to back up everything that they propose legally in documents?
Thanks, I am Joe Krieger, I'm a resident of Lake County, Illinois, and the general council
of the decennial group.
First, I just want to say we've been here for about 10 days, and I want to thank you for
your hospitality.
We've had a lot of great conversations, a lot of great hospitality at your local restaurants,
and a lot of great ideas in building data centers and rural counties that have come from residents
here in our discussions. We met with over a hundred people and it's been very productive
regardless of where we build a data center. I just can also clarify where we are in the
process. We weren't involved in Fulton County when the change the ordinance got passed.
We don't have a site selected. We've actually never signed an agreement with anyone that
lives or does business in Fulton County. We're simply here exploring at this point. We think
Fulton County has a lot of potential. As people have mentioned, there's an excess of power
running through your county.
You've got to develop a lands that we think won't be near any population
centers.
And we think we have a community that could benefit from economic development
that doesn't involve multiple factories, brain, a bunch of new subdivisions,
a bunch of new strip malls.
We think that there's going to be a very minimal impact and produce a lot of benefit.
Where do we go from here?
These projects take a lot of time.
I know a change in zoning is one part of the process, but for us to get to the point
where we're breaking ground.
We need to be in front of your various committees and boards,
half a dozen, a dozen times, to get to the finish line.
So at this point, we're just having the same conversation
that you all want to have to figure out
not what does any data center look like,
because there's a lot of bad versions of data centers,
but what would a good version of a data center look like
and could it help this community?
So that's what we're here trying to listen,
trying to explore, not to figure out,
hey, this is exactly what this has to be,
But can we do this and can the benefit outweigh the burden?
That's what we're trying to figure out.
And we want to thank you for your help in us answering
that question so far.
And we hope to continue that process.
Anybody else that has public comment yesterday?
I figured I'd come up front here.
So people wouldn't have to strain their necks.
Dave Pavlik, I'm the founder of Desenio Group.
See a bunch of faces in here that I've had the pleasure
to spend time with over the last week and a half.
We've talked to, as Joe said, probably over 100 people, one on one, we've had about a half
dozen group event forums, we rented the community center the entire time.
I'd say two dozen folks took advantage of the bus tour up to our data center and as the
founder of the company and the owner of the company, I want to thank you. I know that this isn't
easy, right? It's wrestling with what's best in the short medium and long term for your community.
And I'm not here to convince you to do anything here to present our ideas for what a data center could look like.
And I'd like to apologize if for some folks, it wasn't solidified enough or formalized enough.
And to the folks that think that you've come with two strong ideas, I apologize to you as well.
It's just kind of how this sausage gets made.
So I appreciate you be impatient with our team
as we go through this process with you.
I will say this.
Somebody had mentioned that I said something about being
the savior of your town and I am so sorry
if anybody took that as the message.
It was not meant to be.
We're not a savior.
I leave that to Jesus and my pastor to do it for me.
and he's having a rough goal of it as it stands, right?
I'm just here to provide an education on how we would do it.
What our data center experience has been like for Hammond County
and to engage in dialogue with all of you,
to see if there is in fact an opportunity to build something here.
As Joe had mentioned, we are about as early in the process as anybody could be.
We don't even know if there is enough power for building a data center.
We are committed to all of the resources that makes sense for the community to come to an educated decision on if this makes sense.
We have offered to everyone that we would support the cost of legal for you to ensure that the documents are drafted to the level and
that you deserve if we, if and when we get to that part of the process, we offer to pay for
engineering services and design services to represent you through this process so that you have
qualified folks that are certified and underwriting and examining all this, tell you if it is
in fact going to be 42 decibels or 72 decibels. A number of you have to ask me those questions
and we had to bring in our chief technical officer because I'm just not smart enough to know that
But we heard you and we brought him in and he did his best to answer those questions for you
You don't have an easy decision in front of you because unfortunately these electrons are going to go to somebody
And I don't say that as any kind of scare tactic or as as as
Create some false sense of urgency
It is just the fact, those electrons aren't owned by anybody in Akran or Fulton County.
They flow on those tension lines that run over people's farms today.
And in this unprecedented race to build data centers, that's from the very top down.
This is probably the number one issue in the White House today, all the way to local communities.
People are clamoring to get these data centers built.
So, I just urge you as you go through this process of examination and building understanding
of data centers, keep that part of it in mind.
The last thing I wanted to say was, you've got amazing folks in town.
Some of them despise me because of what I stand for, and I appreciate that.
I know that you made it.
Thank you very much.
My last comment was, for the folks that have helped us along the way have facilitated
this, have invested their time in their energy for local businesses that have allowed
us to eat there or be patrons, please don't take this out on them.
We've heard stories of backlash and they're just trying to do right by their business or
their family.
I never wanted to bring any of that onto them.
They're your community and I apologize if you're upset with them
for wanting to support what we're trying to build.
Amol that at me, I'm happy with that.
Please don't take it out on them and thank you.
Honestly, thank you for the experience and the opportunity
to just be heard on this whole adventure.
Yes, my name is Abigail Robbins and I am a full and county resident.
Thank you for those comments I was hoping to hear somebody who was into the other side and I was hoping to hear some of the benefits but really it just sounded like a sales pitch and that our land is perfect opportunity for this and lots of people want this and I think that we would all share in really wanting those communities that want it to get it.
I, yes, no.
If there are communities that want it, then they should have it.
And if this community does not want one, it makes sense not to.
Now, I also represent the perspective of someone who's lived in a third world country, where
our water was rationed.
And we got it, flowed to our house from a large system to something above our house that
would flow just with gravity.
And once that was gone, it was gone.
So we had to use it sparingly.
And we return home to raise our kids to where I had them.
And the goal is to preserve the USA.
And then that is the grand scale, Indiana as a smaller scale.
And then Fulton County as the smallest scale.
But where we can actually make the biggest impact.
And I really want to protect our water sources
for the next generation.
And I feel like that should be the highest priority.
I've seen poverty and I know that big business can make a huge impact, but is this the business that we want, is this the biggest bang for the buck or why is the cost.
And with almost having 14 each boys now, I really want to make sure that they want to live in this area.
And I appreciate everyone's comments and I hope that the people making the decisions make a good one.
My name is Chad Hartzler. I live in the Fulton County Resident, my entire life. I am a mom and dad and moved where we live now.
My old South, a friend, your guess, so that tells you that I am right, smack dab in the middle of this, and I've owned a business in Fulton County for 50 years, and I also just so everybody know, remember that I'm not presently, but I was the Fulton County Republican County Chairman for 15 years and still on the Central Committee.
So for good or bad and I think for good I had a part in electing help elect a lot of our Republican office holders
I know them personally. I know the type of people they are, they're good people, they're honest people
They want to do the right thing and a lot of conversations we've had over the years
How do we get the people involved? So I would say to you folks, the people are involved tonight
And they're making their voices heard and you need to listen to that.
I've also met with a decennial group.
They've come out to the shop and introduce themselves.
They're fine people.
I have no problem with them.
They've got a job to do.
They're here to sell their product.
As all of us are in business, we have a product to sell.
They've got a product to sell.
So we have a job to do to make sure that product is a good fit for Fulton County.
it might be, but as I set in my living room and look out my front window and fortunately
our farm has the wires, well that's not fortunate.
The wires run across the back part of it, but as we own the ground right in front of the
house, it's all open and it's just beautiful no matter when we're seeing spring fall.
So, as we make this decision, we have to also realize if we do this, which folks don't understand a lot of things.
They, the state sends a lot of things to the counties that they have to do.
They're required to do it, and they don't send the money.
So, a lot of you, when this is resolved, you need to turn around and take your fight to the state as well, that they stop doing that.
But this is also a change of life, if they, you know, 400 acres, as I, my bedroom looks
out over one of the product farms that they are considering, and I think, wow, well,
I'm going to be 70, so I can't, I can't believe Henry Smith is 50, I remember what he
looked like.
Now he's at 50, and so I can't believe I'm going to be 70.
So my time is shorter, we have to also consider the long-term effect.
I do think that some of the concerns can be addressed.
It might be a good benefit for Fulton County,
but I do encourage you to take the time needed,
so that we can study it, and so that we can say this is what we want.
And I think this is a good group to work with,
but I think we need the moratorium in place.
I'm just speaking for Henry Township. They're all volunteer fire department. I have not heard a thing about what a fire breaks out. And as soon as they have a structure fire, they call mutual aid right away.
Playing in support. We don't have enough manpower to put on a fire this size.
I yielded my minutes to Angie made a for a bit.
I just have a few things to say.
I would
Our deal with you that you have 24 people.
This is not an argument between either your life,
say that's an argument.
Okay.
So if you like to say that,
you just have to be exactly the same.
There were more like eight people that boarded the bus instead of 24.
I just want you to be aware of that.
Also,
The town of Akron is 292 acres and you are proposing to build a monstrosity that is larger than our current town.
I want to ask Seth, so I have to start from there, so.
Okay, each of you when you maybe married or got your first home, you were very selective
and where you picked.
My husband and I, when we were engaged, we, we prayed about it.
We told God, we said, we want a two story farmhouse or a story and a half.
We want a fireplace, we want a attached garage, we want a couple acres.
We didn't need anything real big but a couple acres and we wanted a flagpole.
I know that's silly but we wanted a flagpole.
And God was gracious and answered that not just once but twice as we out grew our first
house. The great thing about that process, it was something that we got to dream about. It's
something that came to fruition. And what is being proposed here is not in the past.
I would like to do it because I guess we're right here. Thank you.
What's being proposed is not anything in the dream that I had. I'm just asking for you guys
to hear my heart, hear everybody else's heart here.
And I respectfully ask that you entertain
the process of doing a one year moratorium
starting from today.
Okay, I'm talking about
and affiliation, two minutes.
Thank you.
Doug Burrova and Fulton County is right inside.
Oh, put the button down here so they can hear that button here.
Doug Burrova and Fulton County is that better?
Yes, you're keeping it in the middle.
I don't know, I live on the lake down near the dam, and I believe it's around a 225
day since water's flowed over the dam.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
The water level has been down probably 18 to 24 inches on Lake Manitau.
I believe it's affected anybody that's on the lake for their votes going in and out
meetings, supporting things on the lake, etc., the money that's brought in to the county
from Lake Manitau.
It's a very large tax base from what I understand.
We fought a cap of several years ago and somebody told me it was in the 80 to 90 percent
of the revenues coming in from the tax base surrounding Lake Manitau.
My main thing tonight, I guess, is to try to preserve the natural resources that we are blessed with here in Portland County Lake Manitale and the typical new river.
I think farmers, or excuse me, are tax-paces of the farmers, is also very effective.
There's a lot of money that comes in from that, but I believe that the lake is a very
important one.
And I don't think it's really been mentioned, the asset that we have in town of Rochester.
Thank you.
So
they have to, I saw some people walking and I wanted to make sure that they, if they intended to seek those with right there at the door, go back now.
Okay, so I'm just one more chance, one more chance, some people to keep talking.
John, I'm going, being ready to take on this.
Yeah, so I'm going to call this one.
Last chance.
I don't want to miss anybody.
I don't want anybody with there.
I don't want to talk.
I want to miss you.
Anybody who's holding a Facebook account
or Facebook account for your chance?
Uh, yes.
Uh, may be there for the issue.
Luke Conner, Fulton County resident.
There's a lot of people that spoke tonight that seem like they had really educated.
A lot of people brought a lot of good comments to the meeting.
I appreciate all that.
One thing I really got caught up on was straight from the lawyer that's being represented
by the company tonight. He said there's a ton. There's a lot of bad data centers out there.
So let's think about that before we put one in our county.
Could somebody relinquish, sorry, two minutes, so I can make a state point, thank you.
Just so you know the state of Indiana is currently in a position starting last year where they
cut what the personal property taxes.
It went from a threshold of 86,000 to 2 million in a year.
Going forward, the goal, well before the goal of eliminating property taxes, is eliminating personal property tax for all business.
Just know that is in the background. I imagine that will happen.
Well before we lose the ability to pay property taxes.
That's all I have.
Close to the public. You are welcome to stay. It's just close to public comments.
That's what came across. That's not what I intended.
So you are welcome to sit here and listen but public comment will be done after now. So five minutes that is actually let's give
Eight minutes
Thank you very much.
Do you think I need a microphone? I guess, yeah, they probably can't. I know I made everybody else do it. Can you hear me? Okay. Can everybody in the crowd?
So I just wanted to say a special thank you to each and every person who came out and made public comment. Thank you for choosing to be respectful and for informing us because I learned a lot. My brain is a little bit blown right now. I knew some things, but I appreciate you make good decisions when you have lots of insight. So I appreciate that.
I think I am actually very proud, I hate to say this but I am proud. I think Fulton County shows up when it's necessary and I do love that they always would say that we have the most well attended legislative breakfast. That's because we're smart and we have lots of opinions and everybody needs to know about it.
I'm going to start this really quickly, I am sorry, but you are a top of audience for a second, so I am going to ask Heather to share with us because there are ways in which you can keep updated on things.
I would like Heather to make that official. I did not tell her I was doing that, sorry Heather.
But I would like you and the public that are listening to know how you can say engaged because we'd like that. Do you have a microphone?
So, many ways that they can say they should know what type of thing.
Well, I know a lot of you were told about, um, can you hear?
Um, they notify me button, which I didn't know that either.
So, um, that is nice.
So, when we publish something on the website,
if anyone has signed up for that or if you don't know about it,
you can call the office and we can set it up with that.
Um, all of our agendas are always posted on the website.
Um, at least a week prior to better,
at least a week prior to our meetings.
We don't meet every month unless we have business.
I know that was a question, but if we don't have business or a petition, even our BCA boards don't meet every month.
But our agendas are on the website all the time, along with the minutes and the packets that all of our boards get.
It is published in the Rochester Sentinel and the shopping guide, the meeting date and time.
and the agenda, I believe the set-inals now change.
And I know everyone doesn't get the set-inals,
but that is state law.
We have to publish it in a paid subscription newspaper.
So that's why the public hearings are in the Rochester
Sentinel, not the shopping guide.
So that's why that is.
That's a perfect case.
What section is Sean's eyes to make love?
I think it's the upcoming events, or I don't know.
It's an upcoming updates and events,
or something.
I don't know what it's labeled,
but it's got like all the meetings around the community.
Those are all in that area, if you guys know what I'm talking about.
I see some head shaking, and then our public hearing notices, like for tonight,
it is in the back of the sentinel under the public hearing notices.
So those are back there, but the agendas are always on the town talk.
And I know they have changed their ways a little bit with all of this happening.
They actually published everything on our agenda now and what's being asked for instead of just
meeting date and time. So we have tried to make a few changes, but it's always posted and
the website will probably be your best bet or give me a call and we'll let them know what we're
doing.
Well, as I have this, do you have that rumor? I do not have that rumor. It's just a case.
CEO.com.ion.us.
So the notify, I actually saw that today. I learned that from Heather, so you can go and you can click
And I believe what happens then is if anything specifically associated with what you ask to be notified about, you will receive that notification, is that by email?
You can sign up for either one site, I actually signed up for the commissioners, and I noticed the
events were posted today, so I got an email and I'm not going to give you guys a sign for the commissioners,
but I didn't even know where it was up there and then it's going to be posted.
So there's a text or email, I'll leave it in the options.
So please take advantage of that so you can be at those receipt those notifications.
They are there.
So I address for one more time.
CEO.
Thank you. The other thing that I wanted you to go through this really something, if you may, um, and just kind of, uh, and this, I'm not, I'm sorry to put you on something.
I just thought quickly through, um, if you may, how we got to a position that we may, kind of the steps in which we, uh, then got there. I'm not trying to jump forward for the amendment for the amendment.
Yeah, like what the process is associated with that and how we got to that, and then we'll
open up more topics.
That was pretty good.
And what we had, two meetings of discussion, two meetings of discussion, act or that, and it was
the public hearing.
And again, and the proposed amendments were posted on the website, and all the chart.
We don't list them separately, simply because we had almost two pages of proposed amendments.
So a strict amendment was proposed, but the chart was listed on the website along the agenda.
public and all.
The board decided what we're going to do. What amendments we wanted to look at and change. Then we had our public hearing. And then once they think they're recommendation, then I go to all the legislative bodies.
So I went to all this town town councils and missioners and everyone approved all the amendments and that's
public hearing.
And then
I'm going to grab this and have to go to the police.
Okay, could everybody hear okay still?
Yes.
Okay.
So at this moment, we will take board comments.
Would anybody like to start first?
First of all, I would like to put you on the spot again.
Can you explain?
We're trying to be discussing the more important.
I think the other part of this is guessing.
So explain how the more foreign works.
We know that the cities are not in blue.
This
is a particular board story that was proposed to be by the Commission, so the Commissioners,
any amendments to the ordinance were more important, but only be effective for the county.
What's the decisions made tonight?
And I will then ask the legislature to bodies.
They would like the board for him as well.
I know I did talk to Akron yesterday, last night.
And they have a small bit of the zoning type lumber takes up mostly industrial and they don't have any A.
But if they want the moratorium, no, I can bring about a bunch of other bodies, but the biggest concern would be the county, which is especially the Ag Distorts.
So the moratorium goes through.
I didn't like you can hear me that good.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
So, I would make the recommendation that we do a moratorium.
So let's open it up for discussion and see what everybody else thinks.
Come in.
I mean, just to be able to make sure that everybody has just like all of you have an opportunity when to make sure that everybody will have an opportunity.
That's okay. Well, just like other people who need a second to take a breath.
So we just want to be respectful.
So I just want to thank everybody that's coming here tonight.
I really appreciate all the comments, the concerns,
They're all valid concerns, I believe.
The urgency does scare me a little bit, just how quickly things have proved.
Pressing, and I just feel like we just need to take a step back and look at all options, look at everything, and make a very informed decision. Thank you.
Okay,
interesting tool here and so I too am glad that y'all came and that we were able to hear your concerns.
You are the public. We serve the public. You've made it very clear about a lot of the dangers that are involved in this
And I too think that a moratorium, I'm particularly,
I'm agricultural based.
And so I am very concerned about the agricultural aspects.
I am here representing Akron.
I live in town.
I've lived there in my entire life.
I still live in the house that I grew up in.
It will be my home forever.
And I too think that we need to slow things down and take a closer look at what the benefits are and also what the negative aspects are so that we can make a good decision that will benefit
Akron and the county if we choose to move forward with this.
I didn't say I knew so.
Not yet.
No but I just want to thank everyone.
I definitely have learned a lot.
And obviously I feel like there's still a lot to learn.
So I do just want to keep learning and if this is what we know so far what else
there to know.
I'm going to reiterate, thank you guys all for your comments. I did learn a lot,
so I am on this board because of my position with Purdue Extension, and I am the Ag and Natural
Resource Educator. And so I wouldn't be doing what my passion is about with Ag if I did not
recommend that we do a moratorium and keep Ag or culturally and Ag or culture.
Hi, I'm Michael Trig. I want to thank everybody for coming tonight,
and voice in your opinion and telling us how you feel about what is coming into our community and your concerns and everything else.
It helps to educate us and help us make an informed decision so I just want to thank everything that one of you.
Okay, now I guess I can talk.
Basically, like everybody else said, I mean, we got your message.
Even the people that I had had a couple of people text me and tell me, you know, they
was interested in it.
Let's slow down.
Make sure you have your facts first before you make any decision.
So I guess that's the main reason why I think without a doubt, we need some kind of a
moratorium, but no.
So thank you all for coming.
We appreciate comment. Like you say, we usually have two or three people show up in a meeting.
So this is, you know, paper, paper well notes and but so thank you for coming. We appreciate it.
I have been wanting to allow everybody else. So I've been doing my research on the term moratorium. Also on the term.
We'll just a full understanding of the area plan commission. I'm a big language girl. I do the set church all the time too.
The pastor says a big word, I like to look it up and understand what it means.
And everybody probably knows this, but as a reminder, the area of plan commission, we get to be the research and development, which is probably why I love it so much because I like to understand things.
I think it's really interesting on the lifelong learner, so each of you is like a Petri dish of like knowledge to me and it's great.
I appreciate that. The one thing at first, and I'm just going to be honest, and Rick and I
had this conversation, and he may laugh. I'm kind of telling on him, but at first, my understanding
of a moratorium was that it was used as a punishing tool, which when you do the data, because
that's what I did, because I was trying to avoid like the information out of probably a super
abundance of caution to be fair. So I didn't get to do all the research that you guys did,
because I wanted to make sure I got to listen to each of you first.
But I did research a moratorium, and it has been used as a suppression economic suppression tool.
And so I was worried about that.
But after great discussion for probably two hours with Rick about what that looks like in making
a story.
I do.
He was my pediatric dish of knowledge to ask him all the questions.
I just wanted to make sure I understood because I, as well, I don't take decisions lightly.
I think that we need to ensure that we make the best decision.
And I do have to admit that when we made the decision,
we understood that more information would be needed at certain times.
We also, in my opinion, just my beliefs,
we did not want to leave ourselves or I did not want to leave ourselves
to potential opportunity for someone to jump in.
Because, you know, if you don't have some protection, then you are not protected.
So in my mind, that's what I believe to be true.
So I do believe that there needs to be more data.
I love your idea, this young lady that's at the front
when I say that, Ms. White, I love the idea of a committee.
I do think that that's lovely.
I think that that's helpful because all of us are very busy people,
but some of us probably are very passionate about the subject,
and would be able to put time and effort into making that happen.
I love the idea of the citizen input,
because that then is additional because obviously there's very passionate people that have been
doing their research. I don't know that we can have every single one of you on there. I apologize,
but I don't know how that would work. So that's kind of where I'm at. I do think that like
Chase said, it does not hurt to take a pause. Pause is not a bad thing. Because we have had
a rush of activity, and I don't believe anybody can make effective, great decisions when
you are not able to take a deep breath and think.
So I do agree that we need to take a pause and that a committee might be great.
So Andy, from this perspective, I would like you to help us to understand what our options
are.
And then from that perspective, we can have additional more discussion and move forth.
So,
the Plan Commission has 60 days from this public hearing that we've had to vote on
the proposal.
The statute says you're to vote not later than 60 days after you've held the public
hearing.
That vote is couched in the statute in terms of favorable or unfavorable recommendations.
And then there's further procedure where depending on that vote that is certified and it goes back to the legislative body.
And so that's your kind of your timeline is within 60 days of tonight.
You are to make a favorable or unfavorable recommendation.
there's actually the statute says you can make no recommendation, but it also says you have to vote.
So I don't know that we've ever had a non-recommendation vote, but that's possible as well.
And so that's what's on your agenda.
Yes, I mean just as part of a body, you can certainly establish the committee.
I just mean that's optional, but what you have to do is within 60 days you have to make
a favorable or unfavorable or non-rightly, but you have to vote within 60 days.
So we should say something wrong.
Yes, just make sure it's clear to the legislative bodies how you are responding to this
proposal.
So you can,
well, and Rick can expand on this, but the minutes of the commission's
meeting say that motion was made to amend the ordinance back to the area plan commission
to revise the ordinance concerning data centers.
To revise, I, I Rick has represented that that was a request and you, it was presented
from Heather and Rick this morning as the proposal is for a moratorium.
Okay, so the additional,
now it's not an additional recommendation.
I see Rick is clarifying the vote and he can he can bring because the proposal can start in the legislative
It can start here and the proposal we heard before the public hearing was for a moratorium and and forgive me
It it then on meaning. I don't recall Rick if you put a particular time period on that recommendations
Okay
Open to discussion again
My intention is
The fever's hot right now. Everybody's worried. Let's go on on. I think we need to make a decision tonight on a moratorium
I'll open that up to support discussion.
Oh, it's just gonna ask how long you thought we needed how long you thought we needed
you can turn your microphone off, your microphone on.
You can turn your microphone off.
You can turn your microphone off, your microphone off.
Come out, you're actually a little help with the problem I apologize.
I just want to make sure that you're calling on your office for a water and a face.
So you're saying, like I've got to decide.
I'm going to go right now.
It's up to things.
No, I'm asking you to close this.
Right now.
You
know,
when you send it back for change, you know, when you send it back for change,
we need to study the changes and get it right. So that's the reason why I thought we needed
a moratorium to slow everybody down, get their cash to the grass and figure out what we really
one to do.
So.
Okay.
Okay. Okay. So I need to make the proposal now.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
But my intent is probably a year. I mean, you're proposal to think things over.
Change your budget. Yeah. I don't think we can change it back right now. Yeah.
Yeah,
you go with that.
Yeah, yeah.
Okay.
So then what I understand is that the proposal that is being stated is a one year moratorium
is that what you're saying that you were clarifying for what was given to Heather.
Okay.
So I would like to allow others to speak on that because that's the first time that we've heard that.
So, not that we haven't heard it from all you all, but from Brick and he is, you know, the legislative body. So anybody, okay.
Yeah, I would agree with a one-year moratorium in regards to the committee with Bobby separate if we wanted to establish that committee today.
I mean, I struggle a little bit with the year. I do, and that was what Rick and I had talked about.
And I don't think I should be punished for that, but I feel that we should, that that is not putting us in a position in which we feel that we would be able to have the respect to everyone because there are others in the community that I know are afraid to come here.
And I hate to say that because I know that's probably not going to be favorable to say, but I have to be fair to everybody and I hope that everybody understands that.
I know myself and I'm just stating facts. I have been threatened by individuals.
And so I know that individuals that have been and I'm not saying I agree with everybody. I just want to say that first. I do agree. We need to understand more information. Please hear me say that. I totally agree with that.
But I also want to make sure that we're being conscientious of others that may have been afraid to come into this room that did not speak their mind.
So that's just something I want to say because we represent everybody and we do have a large amount of people who are strongly minded in one direction.
But we also have some that are in the other direction. I just want to be fair. I like to be fair. That's what I do.
So, okay. Now, me and A is going to argue here, but wait, that's the side of the point.
if I understood everybody right at this because we put a year on it six months down the road,
we got our policy in place and everybody's good with it. I think we can go or if it's
three months when we got our policy in place and everybody's good with it, we can still
it am I right, Andy?
Yes, if the if the moratorium is passed by the county commissioners
here. And it is then desired that that be shortened. It can be shortened. If it was an amendment
to those own ordinance, then it needs to evolve this process again. But yes, that can happen.
So, I mean, I don't see what you heard, like I said, at the three months or more done,
six months were done, everybody's good with it.
We roll with it.
So, that's my thoughts.
And, and.
So, my only issue with the year is that I don't think that we should wait the
three months and stop and then get moving when we get closer to the end of the
We need to keep the momentum going and not say, oh, we have a year so we'll just wait till November and then we'll freak out again
Okay,
to the devil's act that that is a little sad that get to Kathy's point
So, and this is just a thought
Andy and I crack a jackbuck a certain box of attorney
Let's say to Kathy's point we do a
six-month moratorium and we say dotted out just listen I know you're
discrete and discrete but just listen and we say we need more time. I guess
is it easier to do the year? Is it easier to do the year and then to short
nits or is it more students to do what Kathy was talking about or what we were
kind of thinking through is a six and then we can add another six at some point. I'm
asking for understanding clarity, perspective from the process of everything.
I think either way, that is another amendment to the zoning ordinance.
So process wise, I don't think it saves you anything.
I'm just from a process.
Obviously there are policy questions in that that are above my priority, but as a process
matter, it is always an amendment to the zoning ordinance to impose
to change or to lift a moratorium and so we've got some of this process built in, regardless of my view.
So then if the favorable recommendation to the commissioners would be the moratorium of whatever length,
a separate that we would like to have a committee, a study committee on this young ladies recommendation because I think that's a great idea.
And the third would be, or is it just the two that we would?
I haven't heard the third.
Okay.
I'm just making sure that we have set a lot of words.
I am starving and I'm making sure that we have it under control.
So any other board comments that would like to be made at this point for the,
I believe proposed one year, or if we did half of that, and then renewed it. Any other comments
at this point?
Not in regards to that, but the committee.
You have a comment on the committee?
Go ahead.
So I do feel like that it would be appropriate to have people that are for and against on
the committee, just for it to be fair.
And so, and maybe it's even at our next meeting, so we have time to think about a good plan for the committee and so they just kind of have, you know, right now.
So that's my thoughts.
I will remind everybody you know what time that I've had our next meeting, don't
you?
So I mean it could be a lengthy meeting or it could be a, that's, I'm just warning you, I'm not saying it will be a won't be.
What I was stating is that we don't want to rush the committee, because we feel that that would be a really important step, and that was what Chase was stating is to ensure that we have adequate time to assess who would be the right individuals on the committee, because I think that's super important.
important because we don't want it to be heavily suited or heavily suited against because
that's not a fair committee, right? So and making sure that we have the adequate amount of
people for that, that was what the statement was. So any other comments at the moment or
I would like to make a motion that we have a moratorium for 12 months on this conference.
And the vote is a favorable vote, but we have to basically vote yes or no.
Okay, what Andy was saying is that they would have to be a yes or no vote and the motion
on the table is for a 12 month moratorium. I believe we'll take a second vote on the committee
at a separate time. So we will go starting at that end.
for
the proposed 12-month moratorium, Chase, Rick, Amy, Kathy,
Gloria,
Brooklyn, Mike, and this
I just want to let you know I am not against a moratorium I want that to be a hundred percent clear.
I believe in the moratorium.
I think the time link is a little bit long.
But we're also taking a motion on this.
Miss White comments about a committee.
So do I have a motion to recommend putting committee together?
motion, and now we're going to, uh, favorable motion, and we're going to do a roll call.
Second, I'm sorry. Okay, Rick's second it. Okay, so now the roll call.
Okay, roll call for the
committee, um, Chase. Yes. Rick? Yes. Amy? Yes. Kathy? Yes. Gloria? Yes. Brooklyn? Yes.
mic. Yes. And that passes seven to zero. I
just want to once again thank
everybody for your express patience. I tell you I you are road warriors for
saying here this long but also I do I am very proud of each and every one of you.
I do want to mention that I know that we have strong feelings but I just want to
friends, and we are allowed to disagree, which if we don't, then we're not making ourselves better people.
So, but let's do it respectfully, so we're going to say something.
Yeah, you know, we're going to take a talk right now, after a second.
Uh, when are we, when are we doing this, Rhiner?
Monday, Monday, commissioners, meeting, or what, what's going on?
Do you know?
What's coming back to us in your sentence?
A resolution or a favorable recommendation for the proposal of the redness.
So can we do that?
Or do you know where you are?
I don't know.
I don't know about the commissioner.
You guys have to go.
I have to go.
sometimes Friday, so Monday, we got a meeting Monday already scheduled.
Is that just so
everybody knows is what I think that's good enough, Brian, you good with that or what?
Okay, okay,
okay, so stay tuned, I guess.