Findlay City Council Hears Discussion on Data Centers
BY CAREY MORGAN
FINDLAY - With a packed city council chamber, several citizens spoke to voice their objections to data centers in Findlay. Concerns included potential environmental damage, health risks, and the often secretive nature of how data center projects develop.
Findlay City Council held a lengthy discussion during the April 7 meeting, and politics was clearly on display. With the mayor absent, Council President David Murphy became Acting Mayor, and Councilwoman Coleman became President Pro Tem. Many said Coleman did a good job directing the flow of the meeting. being respectful to council members, frequently asking if others had comments on legislation before moving on. She also allowed respectful applause from the audience, which remained controlled and brief. Some in attendance argued a contrast from the previous council president, who regularly gaveled and yelled at citizens in chambers and threatened a closed session if disruptions continued.
There was extensive discussion regarding a letter Mayor Christina Muryn included in the council packet outlining her ideas for regulating data centers. After some confusion, Councilwoman Kensinger motioned to move both the letter and new moratorium legislation to the Strategic Planning Committee. Several members of the administration, along with other council members, clarified that Planning and Zoning would be a more appropriate venue to discuss the mayor’s data center plan. Kensinger was also advised to separate the requests, leaving the data center moratorium legislation for a separate discussion.
When the moratorium legislation was brought forward, Kensinger again attempted to move it to committee. However, the purpose of the moratorium is to give council up to a year to study and discuss the future of data centers in Findlay. In a 6–4 vote, council rejected the motion to send the legislation to committee.
Councilman Phillips explained that, due to the urgency of rapidly developing data center contracts, it would be prudent to pass the moratorium immediately by suspending the rules. That motion was also rejected, with the majority voting no.
Ward 7 resident Evan Boehler spoke about potential health concerns related to data center water cooling systems. Boehler also informed council that he is a lead petition circulator for Ohio Residents for Responsible Development, a group seeking to ban data centers in Ohio through a ballot initiative.
Anne Cole, a resident of Ward 2, spoke about what she described as “backdoor” processes used as data centers move into cities and townships. She expressed concern that similar activity may be occurring near the north end of Findlay, in Allen Township. With the city pursuing rapid annexations, Cole raised concerns that annexation could be used as a pathway for data centers to enter the city.
Additional topics that drew residents to the meeting included plans for a 400-unit apartment complex proposed for the former Shady Grove Golf Course property. Two residents spoke about increased traffic and infrastructure strain on a street already experiencing congestion and flooding concerns. Residents again expressed concern about the transparency of the golf course sale without public notification.
Findlay City Council meetings can be viewed on the Findlay Ohio YouTube Channel.
