Chillicothe — Council made no decisions on the data center issue, and the audience was of moderate size in their regular quarters – but one statement from council and two from the public were voiced about the subject.
Fifth Ward councilman Greg McKeever read a statement about listening to experts and not social media. Dawn Zar and Portia Boulger returned to the mic from previous council sessions, in part to respond to McKeever.
Hear all three in the below videos.
Councilman McKeever provided the text that he read:
“For the last four months residents from our city and county have come before council to voice their concerns and opposition of a possible data center being constructed on the old paper mill site. Concerns of large power usage, water consumption, wastewater treatment, excessive noise levels and environmental impact that this data center may create in and around our city. This topic has sparked a large amount of negative comments on social media from local residents. This council has heard your emotional pleas in opposition of a data center.
“We have also heard from our City’s Utilities Director, Water Plant Supervisor and residents that have worked and those who are currently working at the paper mill site. These people have a different perspective on the possible construction of a data center. The city’s utilities director and water plant supervisor has projected little to no city supplied water level loss to our residents if a data center is constructed. This opinion is based on the paper mills pumps, wells and power generators supplying the bulk of the paper mills past and future needs. A resident who has been working at the mill since 1994 and oversees the mill’s utilities, power, steam, wastewater, and pneumatic air usage has provided their insight of the current and future needs of the mill. They also project little to no impact of residential power supply and city supplied water.
“I feel we should strongly consider the voice of our city utilities director, water plant supervisor and those residents that work at the mill day in and day out. They are the subject experts in this matter. This council’s decision must be based on facts provided by those individuals who have direct knowledge of the paper mills operation. Not those who are basing their opposition from social media posts and emotions.”
“Gregory McKeever
Utilities Committee Chair
5th Ward Council”
Dawn Zarbakhsh said she ‘took umbrage’ at McKeever calling some of the opposition to the data center emotional, and that her concerns are based on research and facts.
She pointed out pro-data center conspiracy theories like the supposed need to build data centers to stay ahead of China.
Zarbakhsh said data centers are being pushed onto communities without time for them to figure out what is best, and she doesn’t want to be “gaslit” about them.
After a frequently emotional turn at the microphone in the September 28th council session, Portia Boulger explained her frustrations.
She said she was emotional because she cares, and is concerned about how council meetings are being run – including what she said was the incomplete form of council’s agenda, and the apparent inability of council and the clerk to do their job.
She criticized the executive session that council went into on September 28th, and that the council minutes do not show who voted to go into it.
Boulger also wanted to know when the Planning Commission meets and where (presumably because it would regulate data center zoning).
Council sessions are usually live podcasted and archived. This session can be viewed on their YouTube or Facebook accounts.
