Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Data Center topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Page council begins public review of proposed data center as residents press for transparency
Summary
The Page City Council opened public discussion and staff briefings on a proposed data center that city officials say could route power through the municipal utility and generate large sales‑tax revenue; residents pressed elected officials for details about water, operator identity, size and community protections.
Mayor Kidman opened public remarks about an early‑stage proposal for a data center and said the city is at the start of a long process that will include public hearings and zoning review. The mayor said Page Utility estimated that, at the lower end of the project’s projected power use, sales‑taxed power flowing through the municipal utility could produce more than $9,800,000 in a single year, though permanent local jobs were estimated at only about 30–40 positions and construction would create a short‑term labor spike.
The nut graf: The council emphasized that the proposal is preliminary and not yet zoned for this use; the mayor and the city attorney said protections and pull‑out clauses are being negotiated in draft contract language while the public has repeatedly demanded earlier and clearer involvement in the process.
Residents used the public‑comment period to press the council on water, wastewater and operator identity. Brian Kerry told the council the community needs to be consulted earlier in negotiations and said: “We don’t want you to come to us after you’ve negotiated a contract. We want you to come to us now,” arguing against unilateral decision‑making by executive session. Sharon Woodard asked directly, “Who will build and operate the data center? Not who is the middleman. Microsoft, Amazon, who is it? Shouldn’t be a secret,” and asked whether the company will use dry cooling or water‑intensive cooling and how wastewater will be handled.
Reverend Kathleen Walker urged the council to consider the long‑term costs and water risk, saying the city should “count the cost before beginning to build” and asking councilors to reject a data center dependent on Colorado River water in a desert region experiencing prolonged drought.
Council response and next steps: Mayor Kidman repeated that the project remains at a preliminary stage, that the property is not yet zoned for a data center, and that any future approvals will go through public processes including zoning. The mayor and the city attorney said they are negotiating contract language intended to protect city interests and to include pull‑out rights if terms are not met. The agenda record notes that the city expects a public presentation by the developer’s representative, Huntley, at the council’s Sept. 24 meeting. After an executive session, the council directed the city attorney to proceed with negotiations and return a public presentation for council and community review.
What remains unresolved: the operator’s identity, definitive water‑use and wastewater plans, the final site configuration and any community benefit agreement. Councilors and residents said those details must be resolved and publicly reviewed before any zoning or final approvals.
