Residents press River Falls council on closed‑session transparency and electricity costs for proposed AI centers

River Falls — Two members of the public used the Feb. 24 public-comment period to raise issues for the council: one urged greater transparency about closed sessions; another warned about electricity impacts from proposed AI data centers and questioned the fiscal case for removing the Junction Falls Dam.

An attendee (unidentified in the record) told the council “transparency is the ballpark of democracy” and urged the city to keep more complete records of closed-session discussions. The speaker said the city’s closed sessions sometimes appear “slightly out of the legality required” and recommended keeping minutes of closed-session discussions so the public can assess whether the reasons for closing meetings were legitimate.

William Hanson of River Falls raised energy and fiscal concerns tied to proposed AI data centers and to a local dam-removal project. Hanson said AI data centers will “result in significant large electricity demands” and argued developers should bear the full cost of related transmission or generation upgrades rather than passing costs to electric customers or taxpayers. He also asked council members to consider whether spending about $24,000,000 to remove the Junction Falls Dam aligns with River Falls’ fiscal responsibilities and sustainability goals.

Mayor and council acknowledged the comments during the meeting; no formal action was taken during the Feb. 24 session on these public-comment issues. The matters raised may inform future agenda items or staff reports.