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Residents warn of surveillance from data centers; homeowner describes steep valuation increase
Summary
During public comment, a resident urged the council to keep a moratorium on data‑center proposals because of energy, water and privacy concerns; another resident described a large revaluation that she says makes taxes unaffordable on her income and urged county assistance.
Several public commenters used the council’s public‑comment period April 20 to raise concerns about data centers and property valuations.
Doug Powell urged council to continue pausing data‑center proposals, citing water and energy consumption, limited local jobs and civil‑liberties risks from surveillance technologies tied to cameras, drones and AI. "One of the primary purposes of modern data centers is to run AI technology to keep track of every citizen through facial recognition software," Powell said, arguing such infrastructure could enable pervasive monitoring.
Jonathan (John) Rich reintroduced a local news outlet (bardbeagle.com), saying his organization will cover county meetings and community news. "There will be something from this meeting tomorrow," he told the council.
Gwen Gerber, a homeowner at 665 Maple Street, described a dramatic increase in her property’s assessed value between 2019 and the most recent revaluation and said the resulting tax and mortgage pressure are unaffordable on her hourly wage. She urged officials to help residents navigate reassessments and to consult the county about valuation appeals and relief programs. "I simply cannot afford another increase," Gerber said.
What happens next: councilmembers encouraged residents to contact the county assessor’s office about valuation concerns, and Powell’s comments reinforced prior council caution about data centers; planning staff and council continue to consider policy options for data‑center review.
