Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure And Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Wythe County to scrutinize proposed data center; staff schedules public meeting and reports broadband progress
Summary
During Citizens Time, residents urged the board to slow consideration of a proposed data center citing electricity use, noise, traffic and limited local jobs. County staff said a community meeting with the data center developer is being scheduled and provided an update on buried-cable broadband work in multiple service areas.
Speakers during Citizens Time urged the board to require fuller community input and stronger safeguards before approving a large data center proposal.
Sherry Burris told the board she is not against technology but opposes placing a large data center in the county without fully considering long-term costs to the community. Burris said data centers "consume enormous amount of electricity," strain infrastructure, create noise and traffic, and often leave few permanent local jobs. She urged the board to "slow the progress down, demand stronger safeguards, and seriously consider where this is the right project for our community." (Citizen comment recorded during Citizens Time.)
Another public commenter, identified in the agenda as Joe DeBorde, spoke about family and community service history and urged public recognition of longtime community contributors.
On staff updates, Deputy County Administrator Hankins provided a broadband progress report, saying crews are working on multiple roads (including Sweckertown, Major Grana Road, Little Reed Island and Walton Furnace Road) and noted the current project uses buried cable, which requires ditching and proceeds more slowly than pole-hung work. Hankins said crews have finished Crawford Road and Poly Flatwoods and are working toward Max Meadows.
County staff (Mister Breyer) said he had met with the company CEO and David Manley and that a community meeting is being arranged for the company to present final end-user and utility numbers for the proposed data center and to share information with the public.
No formal decisions were made regarding the data center at this meeting; staff said additional information will be shared at the planned community meeting.
