Gilroy Councilmember challenged on Amazon data center funding and transparency
A letter to the editor challenges Gilroy Councilmember Kelly Ramirez's claims about Amazon funding local data center infrastructure, asserting that ratepayers are shouldering the costs for water infrastructure. The author also criticizes the City of Gilroy's lack of transparency regarding a crucial water supply assessment document and the councilmember's handling of public records, alleging potential legal violations.
A letter published in the Gilroy Dispatch challenges statements made by Councilmember Kelly Ramirez regarding an Amazon data center project in Gilroy, California. Ramirez had claimed that Amazon (AWS) would independently fund all necessary infrastructure for the data center.
However, the author cites confirmation from Valley Water Public Information Representative Jose Villarreal and Valley Water Board File 25-0665, stating that a $3.76 million water infrastructure project is funded by the Water Utility Enterprise Fund, which is supported by ratepayers in Zone W-5, including Gilroy, San Martin, and Morgan Hill, rather than Amazon. The letter argues this funding mechanism for recycled water infrastructure, inaccessible to potable-only ratepayers, may violate California's Proposition 218.
Further criticism is directed at the City of Gilroy's transparency, as a key document—the AKEL Engineering Final Technical Memorandum, which forms the basis for the data center's water adequacy findings—has not been produced despite seven Public Records Act requests. The author also highlights Councilmember Ramirez's public admission of deleting constituent emails based on tone, raising concerns about open records violations and governmental accountability.