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Residents raise concerns about data centers' water, power and local jobs in public comment
Summary
During public comment, a district resident warned the board about potential data-center impacts — limited local long-term jobs, heavy water and electricity demand — while other commenters highlighted community events and operational frustrations with sign-up procedures.
Several residents used the public-comment period to raise concerns and promote community activities. Tim Martin of District 2 urged caution about permitting data centers in the county, warning about high local water use, major electrical demand and the likelihood that specialized jobs would be filled by outside workers rather than county residents.
"These data centers will promise jobs, and the initial construction will certainly create a lot of jobs. But once the structure is built, very few people are actually required to run these facilities," Martin said, adding concerns about water usage for cooling and regional generation capacity needs. Other commenters promoted local events (including an upcoming Valentine's dinner and dance) and raised procedural issues with public-comment sign-ups.
Board members thanked residents and encouraged continued engagement; staff noted that studies such as the ongoing Clay Road study and other project-specific analyses would provide additional data to guide decisions on transportation and land-use impacts.
