Data center opposition hijacks town hall

FORT MADISON – A group of about 60 people hijacked a town hall Monday night originally set to gather input around regulations on high impact projects in Lee County.
The Lee County Board of Supervisors planned three meetings in September, the first of which was at Fort Madison’s Newberry Center Monday.
The other two are set for Donnellson on Sept. 22 at the Pilot Grove Savings Bank Community Room, and the third at Keokuk’s Heritage Center on Sept. 24. All meetings start at 5 p.m.
In Fort Madison, the meeting quickly turned toward the proposed data center project on Burlington Hill just east of city limits, with several people asking for the county to just outlaw the project outright.
Former Fort Madison Mayor Brad Randolph said he appreciated supervisors entertaining the forums for residents, and said he had a resolution for the supervisors regarding the ordinance.
“I probably can solve your ordinance issue really quick and it’s – just say no,” he said to applause from the group.
“There’s a lot of people in this room and across the community that are genuinely concerned about what’s being thrust upon them without a lot of say in it. I’m all for technology and I’m sure everybody in here is…, but there needs to be a well-thought out process on how you approve these and where you approve them.”
He said the current location of the project is a generational change for the city of Fort Madison and the city’s landscape.
“I would not put it there,” he said. “I hear grumblings about needing money and some things to me are just not worth the money. We have to look at what cost. There’s nothing wrong with a small community staying a small community.”
Randolph wasn’t the only one advocating for the county to just say no to data center projects.
Supervisor Chuck Holmes said the county needs to proceed carefully with the ordinance and being too restrictive with it. He said if the county gets too restrictive and it chokes off economic development, the state could step in and pass legislation overriding the county’s Home Rule authority.

Rich Hoffman, a Fort Madison resident with a background in construction design asked supervisors how many used A.I on a daily basis.
He said data centers would draw heavy electricity and raise rates for everyone, without a return on the investment for users in the city.
He said the ordinance should make project owners solely responsible for the power and water needed for the project. He also brought up noise ordinances and wildlife that are being forced out due to the construction.
“We’re seeing a lot more problems with animals, and we also shouldn’t be taking away their habitat,” he said.
Supervisor Chair Ginger Knisley had to stop the meeting on several occasions to bring the conversation back to the ordinance after multiple attendees focused solely on the project being proposed by Dustin Wolgemuth of Fort Madison.
Knisley had to gavel the session back to order a couple times as people began to get full-throated about the city project and Wolgemuth personally, reminding them that the discussion was about suggestions for the ordinance itself.
Supervisor Garry Seyb said the county has very few restrictions on what property owners can do with their own property.
“What I’m about is a good neighbor policy. What the board is trying to do with an ordinance is trying to draft a law, to say if we’re going to have something done, these are the limitations in doing that,” he said.
He also said Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission is working with the county to help guide the county with information for the board’s decision. The county has also retained legal counsel to represent the county’s best interests in creating solid legal foundations.
“We want to try to get ahead of the curve, it’s not here yet, but rather than something sneaking up on us,” Seyb said.
He said some things he’s taking notes on for consideration include noise, power, water, emissions, setbacks, appearances, heights, floor areas, and how to define what a data center is.