Jesse Brown addresses concerns about Indianapolis data center development

Indianapolis City-County Councilor Jesse Brown delivered a strong address during a public hearing on data center development, highlighting a perceived failure of government at various levels to serve constituents.

Brown criticized the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), which he acknowledged as a group of qualified land-use professionals, for allegedly ignoring clear requests from constituents to ban data centers until satisfactory regulations are in place. He indicated that many residents believe the body is "deeply corrupt," a sentiment he found difficult to counter after observing proceedings where hundreds of constituents, including those in an overflow room, had to wait behind developers and lawyers.

The Councilor also pointed out that the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) staff reportedly failed to adhere to the body's rules by providing only six days' notice for an agenda item. Furthermore, he stated that a unanimous resolution from the City-County Council had been ignored. Brown urged the MPC to "adopt a data center moratorium now" and called for Mayor Hogsett's staff to engage in genuine public conversations in every township before attempting to introduce new ordinances, emphasizing the need for "all power to the people."