Council to send letter after residents complain of unpermitted, noisy Bitcoin-mining operation

Residents and council members at a Clawson Town Council meeting reported an apparent Bitcoin-mining operation on town property that neighbors say is noisy and appears to be operating without required permits or a business license.

A community member described persistent, loud generator noise and plastic totes and said the operation appears to be powered by gas from a nearby well. Council members said inspectors previously cited violations and the operator had moved equipment after an inspection, but neighbors said the equipment had returned to the area and continued to cause problems.

Council members discussed enforcement options and agreed to send a written request for information to the operator. A council member said the letter should demand clarification of the operator’s business activities and whether required permits, business licensing and noise or land-use approvals were obtained. The same council member said the town will pursue follow-up enforcement if responses are unsatisfactory.

The transcript records residents describing potential safety and nuisance concerns, including a dozer blocking a road and loud nighttime operations that prompted multiple complaints. Council members referenced previous inspections that led the operator to move equipment in the past but said the issue has recurred.

The council did not adopt a formal ordinance at the meeting; members instead agreed to ask the operator for documentation and to involve enforcement staff. The meeting record indicates a plan to prepare and send a letter asking for details about the operation and its intentions.

The council also discussed whether noise controls or a business-license requirement would apply; a council member noted the town could require a business license and that nighttime noise could be subject to local rules, but no new local ordinance was adopted during the meeting.