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Residents speak on mobility-scooter safety and data-center concerns during public comment
Summary
Residents thanked council for considering mobility-scooter safety and urged caution on data-center development; one resident said data centers risk limited local hiring and privacy concerns and asked the city to 'do its homework.'
Multiple residents used the public-comment period to raise accessibility and land-use concerns. Jamie Kirkendall (S8) thanked council for considering mobility scooters and related safety issues: "I wanted to thank you for considering my request with mobility scooters for disabled like me and addressing my safety concerns."
Kirkendall also criticized data-center proposals in nearby townships and warned Sunbury against repeating mistakes she described at the state level, arguing that large projects may not deliver local jobs and could introduce privacy or law-enforcement concerns. "I don't see the need for a data center, and I don't see a need for it in the backyards of our neighbors," she said. Her comments were echoed by other residents who asked the city to continue reviewing technical and economic impacts ahead of any local approvals or ballot measures.
Council acknowledged the comments and scheduled a special meeting on Aug. 27 for technical presentations on data centers, including land-use, noise and economic-impact topics. Consultants MKSK and HGC will be engaged to provide independent analysis.
