Resident group warns of risks from hyperscale data center, announces public meeting and lawsuit update

Kathy Johnson, chair of the Coalition for Responsible Data Center Development, used public comment time to urge caution toward proposed hyperscale data‑center projects near Farmington. She said state and local regulators lack experience governing such projects and criticized use of nondisclosure agreements during negotiations. "Developers like Trak come to small towns ... to use our resources, especially water, and our existing infrastructure like electricity or sewers," Johnson said, arguing that residents, not developers, will bear long‑term environmental and utility risks.

Johnson expressed concern that cities are being asked to make infrastructure concessions to attract developers, citing a paraphrase that a city official recommended halving wastewater end‑user rates to make the technology park more attractive to end users. She urged residents to review research shared by the coalition (nodatacenter.com) and announced a public meeting with experts and an update on the coalition’s lawsuit scheduled for Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. at the library.

Council and staff did not respond with new policy decisions at the meeting. Johnson’s comments added a public‑interest perspective and an invitation for residents to attend the coalition’s Jan. 20 event to hear experts discuss potential risks and legal developments.