Neighbors press council on data-center proposals; Bosley calls for transparency and possible task force
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Summary
Residents raised concerns about proposed data centers' local impacts — water, power use and tax abatements — and Council President Bob Bosley and attendees urged clearer disclosure and suggested a task force to study impacts before approvals proceed.
Several attendees at the Sept. 20 MECANA meeting pressed Council President Bob Bosley and fellow neighborhood leaders about proposals for data centers on the city's south side and in other neighborhoods.
Residents said they want clear answers about power and water consumption, backup plans and whether employees will park on nearby streets. Speakers said earlier data-center proposals in Indiana had been accompanied by limited information and that the lack of transparency had frustrated neighborhoods.
"What I think many people focus on is the tax abatement components, for example. And thinking that the tax abatements are forever — those tax abatements are generally 10 years," Bosley said, describing one trade-off councils weigh when evaluating data-center proposals.
Community members urged the council to demand baseline data about electricity and water use, potential noise or vibration impacts, and to require developers to meet with neighborhoods. One attendee suggested the council form a task force before more proposals arrive; another pointed to a task force formed in La Porte County as a local example to study impacts in advance.
Bosley said he has been reluctant to take a firm public stance without fuller information but that impact fees, transparent capacity and neighbor engagement are key questions the council must answer.
"It's weighing out what is that impact," Bosley said. "Until we have some assurance on what it's going to do to residents around in terms of escalating costs, impact on water, it's difficult to support."