Residents urge transparency on data centers; local businesses call for stronger code enforcement

Multiple residents used the citizen-participation section of the meeting to press the commission on the proposed data-center moratorium and to demand better information from city leaders.

Rob Morris said he believed a pending executive-session land matter in the county was tied to a 160-acre tract and urged that the question of allowing large-scale data centers inside Shaune be put to voters. “Discussion and consideration of having a vote of the people to decide whether Shaunie will allow large-scale data centers inside city limits,” Morris said, adding that any ballot question should be explicit about water and infrastructure access.

Other commenters expressed economic and environmental concerns. Edwina Butler Wolf told commissioners residents fear higher electric bills and increased strain on water systems: “that would raise a lot of people's electric bills and looking at the water usage and right now our citizens are struggling…paying their water bills,” she said. Cindy Burgerer asked for clearer public information about what a moratorium means and suggested the commission consider ordinances addressing panhandling, including permit or prohibition options.

Separately, contractor and business-advocacy concerns surfaced: Joey Ward said business owners report inadequate inspections and described cases where inspections took place only after walls were closed, creating compliance and safety worries. The speakers asked the commission both for more civic education about complex projects and for targeted enforcement to support future growth.

The commission heard these comments ahead of a staff-led presentation and ultimately adopted the moratorium the speakers had urged. The record shows the city received no formal data-center applications at the time of the meeting; staff and commissioners said they will use the moratorium to develop regulatory clarity and public outreach before projects move forward.