From taxes to data centers: Where Eden Prairie Council candidates stand
Candidates for Eden Prairie Mayor and City Council discussed their positions on various local issues, including data centers, at a recent forum. Most candidates acknowledged the city's existing proactive ordinances designed to manage data center impacts on water and electricity. They also emphasized the need for public engagement and sustainable development practices for future data center projects.
Candidates for Eden Prairie Mayor and City Council convened for a League of Women Voters forum on September 17, addressing key city issues ahead of the November 3 election. Among the topics discussed were tax levy management, economic development, housing affordability, and the presence of data centers within the city.
Regarding data centers, a primary point of discussion, mayoral candidate Ron Case and council candidate Dirk Tedmon both opposed a ban, noting the city's proactive measures to establish ordinances aligning data center operations with Eden Prairie's climate goals and Aspire 2040 plan. Tedmon emphasized the importance of these regulations for energy and water conservation, while Case highlighted the city's effort to learn from other municipalities. Council candidate Tony Arndt also expressed enthusiasm for data centers, explaining their pervasive nature in modern infrastructure and the potential for new technologies to mitigate environmental impacts, such as water recycling.
Other candidates expressed more cautious or open-minded views. Brad Canham suggested exploring various sustainability methods to protect natural resources from data center impacts. Incumbents Mark Freiberg and Kathy Nelson, along with candidate Greg Lehman, articulated a desire to learn more about potential threats and benefits, with Nelson stressing the need for cities to carefully examine data center effects on community resources before granting access. Lehman also noted Eden Prairie's potential lack of space and resources for larger data centers, despite supporting proactive ordinances. The candidates also unanimously agreed that the city should not interfere with federal immigration enforcement.