Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transparency topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge Wythe County to disclose NDAs and weigh data-center impacts
Summary
Two residents told the Wythe County Board of Supervisors that nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) used in data-center negotiations can block public scrutiny and asked the county to disclose any NDAs and pursue transparency policies; one speaker said he will file FOIA requests to seek related records.
Two residents used the public-comment period at the Wythe County Board of Supervisors—eb. 27 meeting to press for transparency around potential data-center projects and any nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) the county may have signed.
Andy Keggley said many residents remain unsettled over a recently announced data center and the possibility of more. He argued NDAs can prevent officials from sharing critical information about community impacts and said he plans to file a Freedom of Information Act request to learn whether NDAs exist. "The NDA has become the developer's anti-FOIA," Keggley said, urging the board to consider local policies that would limit NDAs with public officials.
Tony Floyd, who also addressed the board during Citizens' Time, echoed calls for transparency and cautioned the board to consider the community impact of projects identified by code in the county project list. Floyd also raised funding concerns tied to photo-enforcement revenue and urged caution about relying on that source for ongoing expenses.
Why it matters: Data centers can have long-term local impacts on land use, utilities and tax revenues; NDAs that withhold information can limit public input on those trade-offs. Residents asked the board to disclose whether NDAs are in force and to provide fuller information to the community.
Board response and next steps: The board did not take formal action on the public comments during the meeting. Keggley said he would file FOIA requests seeking any NDAs and related documents; if the county receives such requests, staff would handle responses per state public-records law.
