Public pushback dominates Palo council meeting on data centers
Palo City Council held a contentious meeting where residents voiced significant opposition to a proposed data center ordinance, raising concerns about water, energy, noise, traffic, and farmland. Despite the public pushback, the council voted 4-1 to approve the ordinance's second reading, moving it closer to adoption.
Emotions ran high at a recent Palo City Council meeting as community members vigorously debated the city's proposed data center ordinance. Residents expressed strong opposition, raising concerns about potential impacts on water usage, energy demands, noise, traffic, and the loss of agricultural land. The council had previously delayed the ordinance's second reading to gather more public feedback.
During the discussion, some community members argued for stronger protections within the ordinance and demanded a direct public vote on any future data center projects. Conversely, a local data center owner challenged claims regarding water use and backup generators, asserting that the public's understanding of data center operations was flawed. Palo City Council member Darren Stoltenberg also shared his observations from visiting data centers in Des Moines, noting their minimal audible impact.
State Senator Charlie McClintoch spoke in favor of the ordinance, emphasizing that data centers are an indispensable component of modern infrastructure, indicating that their presence is inevitable. Despite the heated debate and public pushback, the Palo City Council voted 4-1 to approve the second of three required readings for the ordinance. City leaders clarified that even with the ordinance advancing, any future data center project would still be subject to separate applications, development agreements, and additional approvals before construction could commence.