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Residents press Hobart council on data center transparency and ask for agricultural protections
Summary
Public comment at the June 3 Hobart council meeting centered on protecting active farmland and criticism of a proposed data center; speakers alleged conflicts of interest and raised transparency and safety concerns, and the mayor asked for documentation to support specific claims.
During public comment at the June 3 Common Council meeting several residents urged the council to protect agricultural land and expressed concern about transparency surrounding a proposed data center project.
Jennifer McQuade asked the council to create an Agricultural Preservation/Agritourism land-use category, add an Agricultural Protection Overlay and update the Future Land Use Map to identify and preserve active farms. She provided a handout describing roughly 190 actively farmed parcels inside Hobart, about 130 on the city’s south side, and listed recommended protections including setbacks, buffers and independent impact studies.
Resident Ted Smuckler asked whether the elected council would act on a site plan the Plan Commission approved for a data center. City Attorney McCarthy replied that, under the City Municipal Code and state statute referenced in the meeting, site plans are approved by the Plan Commission and building permits are issued by the Building Department, not by the elected council.
Barb Koteles criticized the environmental effects of a proposed data center near 61st and Colorado and alleged that Heather Ennis, CEO of the NW Indiana Forum, has two positions and is paid for both. Koteles stated, "Ms. Ennis has two jobs: The Foundation and The Forum and she makes $200,000 from each job." Mayor Huddlestun asked for documentation supporting that specific salary claim; no documentation was supplied during the meeting. The mayor also said Fire and Police personnel had been at a city open house for the Amazon project to answer emergency-response questions.
Alice Pawlowski asked whether the mayor had received threats and whether additional police protection had been added. Mayor Huddlestun said the City's insurance company had requested added protection and that taxpayers are covering the cost; he said the added protection was for him and his family and that multiple parties—not only Hobart residents—had made threats. The exchange grew heated and audience shouting occurred before the meeting adjourned.
What was not resolved: The salary claim regarding the NW Indiana Forum CEO and other factual allegations offered during public comment were presented as assertions by residents and were not substantiated during the meeting. The mayor asked for documentation; none was provided in the record.
Provenance: agricultural-preservation handout and remarks — SEG 006–SEG 007; public comments and questions about Plan Commission authority and environmental concerns — SEG 004–SEG 005.
