May 12, 2026 County Council

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:05]

GOOD EVENING. CHAIR CALLS THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY 26015. I'D ASK YOU TO PLEASE JOIN US FOR STANDING WITH THE PLEDGE, FOLLOWED BY THE OPENING PRAYER BY COUNCIL MEMBER BENNETT. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. LORD, MAKE US AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE. WHERE THERE IS HATRED, LET US BRING LOVE. WHERE THERE IS INJURY, LET US BRING HEALING. WHERE THERE IS DESPAIR, LET US BRING HOPE. AND WHERE THERE IS SADNESS, LET US BRING JOY. GRANT. GRANT THAT WE SEEK TO CONSOLE RATHER THAN BE CONSOLED, THAT WE SEEK UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS RATHER THAN TO BE UNDERSTOOD. THAT WE SEEK TO LOVE RATHER THAN TO BE LOVED. FOR IT IS WHEN WE GIVE AND WE RECEIVE, AND IT IS WHEN WE FORGIVE THAT WE ARE FORGIVEN. HELP US TO BE AND DO THESE SIMPLE THINGS. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN, AMEN, AMEN. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS. WE HAVE NONE.

CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS. APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS. WE HAVE NONE.

[Additional item]

LET'S MOVE THIS FORWARD AND ALLOW THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO HAVE A FULL BOARD. THANK YOU.

SO WITH THAT SAID, AS I SPOKE WITH MISS MILLER THIS AFTERNOON, I ASSURED HER THAT HER NOMINATION WOULD GO THROUGH 100%, THAT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD SUPPORT HER. HER REPUTATION STANDS ALONE. MY ISSUE FOR NOT PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT IS THAT WE HAVE RULES AND PROCEDURES THAT WE FOLLOW WHEN WE'RE PUTTING THE AGENDA TOGETHER. THE DEADLINE FOR THE AGENDA WAS THURSDAY, AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE KNOWS THAT HE COULD HAVE EASILY SENT A MOTION OVER YESTERDAY TO GIVE US A LITTLE MORE TIME TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. BUT IF IT'S THE COUNCIL'S WILL TO MOVE IT FORWARD, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT. IT TAKES ONE MORE THING OFF OF NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA, MISS ROBERT. YEAH, I'M GOOD WITH MOVING FORWARD. I JUST ACTUALLY I SAW WE WERE AT AN ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT, AND SHE ADVISED ME THAT SHE WAS GOING TO COME IN PERSON NEXT WEEK FOR THAT. SHE HAD RECEIVED A CALL THAT THAT WAS THE DAY FOR IT. SO I'M SURE SHE WOULDN'T MIND BEING APPOINTED A LITTLE EARLIER. SHE KNOWS I AM A BIG SUPPORTER OF HERS. I THINK SHE IS. WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING SHOULD BE ON THE BOARD BECAUSE OF HER EDUCATION BACKGROUND. SHE'S BEEN A PRINCIPAL. SHE KNOWS HOW TO BUDGET MONEY FROM BEING A PRINCIPAL. SO SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST PERFECT CANDIDATES FOR THAT POSITION. NO, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. MR. MR. BENNETT I ALSO SUPPORT MISS MILLER AND THINK SHE'LL DO A FANTASTIC JOB ON THE BOARD. I JUST WISH SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN THE ROOM AND TO BE RECOGNIZED IN A PUBLIC SPACE. I THINK IN DOING IT IN THIS MANNER, WITHOUT, I'M ASSUMING, WITHOUT REACHING OUT TO HER, TO LET HER KNOW SO THAT SHE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AT ROBS HER OF THAT MOMENT. AND I THINK THAT'S DISAPPOINTING. BUT ALL THAT BEING SAID, I SUPPORT HER NOMINATION. I COULDN'T AGREE

[00:05:04]

AND AGAIN WE'LL REACH OUT TO MISS MILLER. MAYBE SOMEONE CAN TEXT HER NOW AND LET HER KNOW.

SO I ALREADY DID. OKAY, GOOD, GOOD, GOOD, I SAID, ARE YOU LISTENING? WELL, CONGRATULATIONS. AGENDA NUMBER SIX. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS. WE HAVE NONE. SEVEN APPROVAL OF

[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

LEGISLATIVE DAY 25014. MAY 5TH 2026. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? THERE BEING NO CORRECTIONS, THE MINUTES STAND APPROVED. EIGHT. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF

[9. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS]

INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ROBERT EMHOFF, BOYLE, BENNET RILEY AND JANE GIORDANO. AN ACT TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS SUBSECTION A AND SUBSECTION C OF SECTION 28-2 SERVICE BENEFITS OF ARTICLE ONE. PENSIONS OF CHAPTER 28 FIRE, AMBULANCE AND RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS OF THE HARTFORD COUNTY CODE, AS AMENDED, TO ADJUST THE BENEFIT AMOUNT AND GENERALLY RELATING TO FIRE, AMBULANCE AND RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS. PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON TUESDAY, JUNE 9TH, 2026 AT 6 P.M. IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS. BILL 26-011 ZONING DATA CENTERS AS INTRODUCED. INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE AT THE REQUEST OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. AN ACT TO ADD NEW SUBSECTION J TO SECTION 267-8 ZONING CERTIFICATES OF ARTICLE TWO ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF PART ONE STANDARDS OF CHAPTER 267 ZONING OF THE HARTFORD COUNTY CODE, AS AMENDED, TO EXPRESSLY PROHIBIT THE PERMITTED USE OF DATA CENTERS IN ANY ZONING DISTRICT AND GENERALLY RELATED TO ZONING.

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON TUESDAY, JUNE 9TH, 2026 AT 6 P.M. AND THESE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

[10. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS]

[00:10:02]

[11. CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS]

SPECIAL PAYS MAY HAVE A MOTION. COUNCIL PRESIDENT I MOVE TO APPROVE BILL 26-00 3RD MAY HAVE A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. SECOND TO APPROVE BILL 26003. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT, I MRS. EMHOFF OR MRS. ROBERT I MRS. EMHOFF, MR. GIORDANO I MR. RILEY, MRS. ROSADO, MR. BENNETT I. THROW ME OFF. ARE YOU OKAY? WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER. THE SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. ONE ABSENT BILL 26003 IS HEREBY APPROVED.

[12. ENROLLMENT OF BILLS]

WE HAVE NONE. 14 NEW BUSINESS WE HAVE NONE. 15 COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS.

[15. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS ]

I GET MY NOTES STRAIGHT HERE. I'M WILBUR BROWN PIERCE. I'M HERE TO SHARE MY THREE EVENTS OF A WEEK AGO, GOOD AND BAD. MY FIRST WAS A VISIT TO DOCTOR BOSSI FOR AN INJECTION IN MY RIGHT HIP TO RELIEVE CHRONIC PAIN. THAT WENT VERY WELL. NEXT I CAME BACK HOME AND PICKED UP BETTY. WE DROVE TO JARRETTSVILLE FOR A NICE LUNCH AT THE CREAMERY AND THEN ON TO THE FURNITURE STORE. WE MET. WE MET THE CO-OWNER WHO WE HAD SEEN ON TV. HE DID A GREAT JOB ON TV AND BOUGHT A LOUNGE CHAIR TO REPLACE THE ONE THAT WAS DILAPIDATED. THAT WAS GOOD NEWS.

THEN WE DROVE HOME. BAD NEWS. AS WE TURNED INTO OUR DRIVEWAY, WE SAW A STRANGE CAR PARKED IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DRIVEWAY AND THEN OFF IN THE DISTANCE BEHIND OUR BARN, WE SAW A TRESPASSER WALKING TOWARD US. WHAT'S GOING ON? WHO KNOWS? WE DO NOT LIKE PEOPLE SNOOPING AROUND OUR PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY THINK IT'S OKAY. I INVITED A TRESPASSER INTO HER HOME AND FOUND SHE WAS A £0.03 PERSON ON A MISSION. SHE HAD PARKED HER CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DRIVEWAY AND SNOOPED AROUND LATER TO FIND OUT THAT HER CELL PHONE WAS DEAD AND SHE COULDN'T GET IN HER CAR TO RETURN HOME. WE INVITED HER INTO OUR HOUSE AND THEN CHATTED A MINUTE, AND THEN I RETURNED HER TO HER PROPERTY. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE SNOOPER SINCE.

YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER, BUT YEARS AGO WE HAD AN UNWANTED PERSON WHICH HELD ME HOSTAGE. THEY SHOT THROUGH OUR DINING ROOM WINDOW TO A DEPUTY OUTSIDE. THEY SHOT THROUGH OUR KITCHEN WINDOW TO A DEPUTY BEHIND OUR BARN. WE DON'T LIKE UNWANTED PEOPLE ON OUR PROPERTY. OVER A YEAR AGO, I GATHERED A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS AND A DUMPSTER FROM MARYLAND PORTABLE CONCRETE. WE CLEANED UP A HOME IN OUR COMMUNITY. GREG WHITE DONATED A DUMPSTER AND I PAID THE OUTRAGEOUS TIPPING FEES. LATER, A NEIGHBOR ASKED ME IF I WOULD DO THE SAME THING FOR HIM. I

[00:15:01]

OKAY. CAN YOU CAN YOU GIVE YOUR COMMENTS TO MISS DIXON? YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND WE'LL DISPERSE THEM AMONGST COUNCIL MEMBERS. MR. PIERCE. YES, I UNDERSTAND YOUR BROTHER IN LAW PASSED AWAY. YES HE DID. FRED, MY BROTHER IN LAW. MY CONDOLENCES. HE WAS 93. HE LIVED IN A FERRYMAN ENTIRE LIFE. HE WAS ALSO MY BEST MAN. HE WAS MY SISTER'S HUSBAND AND MY WIFE'S BROTHER, SO WE WERE PRETTY WELL CONNECTED. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. I WAS LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ZIP CODE, PLEASE. CRAIG TILLMAN 21014.

LET'S MAKE IT BRIEF. I I'VE LIVED IN HARFORD COUNTY FOR 63 YEARS ALL MY LIFE, AND OVER THE LAST EIGHT, TEN YEARS, I'VE SEEN HARFORD COUNTY TRANSFORM INTO SOMETHING I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD. THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF HIGH DENSITY, LOW INCOME HOUSING THAT'S BEEN POURING INTO OUR COUNTY, AND I THINK IT'S DRAWING DOWN ON THE QUALITY. IT'S GOING TO DRAW DOWN ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE. ULTIMATELY, FOR A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS. AND AND WHAT'S FRUSTRATING IS, IS I THINK THAT IT'S. THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS ARE COMING THROUGH WITH A LOT OF MONEY BEHIND THEM. AND I'M CONCERNED THAT OUR LOCAL POLITICIANS ON THE RECEIVING END OF A LOT OF THIS MONEY BY THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MONEY OF DOLLARS TO PUSH THROUGH FROM DEVELOPERS AND THEIR COMPANIES AND THEIR ASSOCIATES TO PUSH THROUGH THIS, THIS, THIS HIGH DENSITY HOUSING THAT'S HURTING OUR COUNTY AND REALLY GOING TO TAKE A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON OUR COUNTY DOWN THE ROAD IN PERPETUITY. AND I THINK OUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES ARE SEEING THE SHORT TERM GAIN OF THIS PAYOUT OR BUYOUT TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THESE DEVELOPERS AND EVERYBODY ELSE TO, TO, TO LET THIS HAPPEN TO OUR COUNTY. FORGOING, FOREGOING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF THEIR NEIGHBORS. IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING. I'VE HEARD FROM ONE LOCAL POLITICIAN LATELY, RECENTLY, THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET GOVERNMENT MONEY, SO MUCH OF SO MUCH OF THAT MONEY HAS TO BE A PERCENTAGE HAS TO GO TOWARD LOW INCOME, HIGH DENSITY HOUSING. WELL, I THINK WE JUST SHOULD DRAW THE LINE BECAUSE IT'S NOT HELPING OUR COUNTY, THE QUALITY OF OUR LIFE. AND WHAT SCARES ME MORE THAN ANYTHING, THAT'S GOING TO BE PENNIES COMPARED TO WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIKE, THIS DATA CENTER, THESE DATA CENTER PROJECTS. I KNOW IT'S COMING UP IN THE FUTURE, BUT THE GOOGLE MONEY, THE MICROSOFT MONEY, ORACLE OPEN AI, THIS IS HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

THEY'RE GOING TO PASS DOWN THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES, THROUGH OUR POLITICIANS, TO CHANGE THE BUILDING CODES, TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS HAPPENS IN OUR BACKYARDS. AND THIS IS THIS IS GOING TO BE DEVASTATING FOR ALL OF US. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE LOOKED AT WHAT THESE DATA CENTERS DO. IT'S A 24 HOUR, AROUND THE CLOCK, SEVEN DAY A WEEK, LOUD HUMMING NOISE WITH BILLOWING BLACK SMOKE RIGHT IN THE BACKYARDS OF RESIDENTIAL PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS COUNTY.

AND OUR OUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES HAVE ALREADY SHOWN US THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE OKAY WITH TAKING MONEY. TENS OF THOUSANDS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS FROM LOCAL DEVELOPERS TO RUIN OUR COUNTY. AND WHEN THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY. THIS IS A HUGE FIGHT HERE. THIS ELECTION CYCLE IS SUPER HOT RIGHT NOW. IT'S SUPER HOT BECAUSE THESE POLITICIANS THAT ARE GOING TO BE WHOEVER'S ELECTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE, PRESIDENT, COUNCIL, ALL THESE GUYS, ALL THESE GUYS ON THE COUNCIL, THEY'RE GOING TO BE FIGHTING LIKE CATS AND DOGS TO

[00:20:01]

IT'S COMING. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME PAT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ZIP CODE PLEASE. MATTHEW BROWN 21015. WELL, THAT GENTLEMAN IS NOT WRONG. IT IS.

MR. BROWN, HOLD UP JUST A MINUTE. PLEASE. ONE SPEAKER GO AHEAD, MR. BROWN. THE GENTLEMAN IS NOT WRONG. IT IS A HOT TIME, ESPECIALLY IN THESE POLITICS. I'M ONE OF THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO SPEAK ON RIGHT NOW IS LAST WEEK THERE WAS THE HAVERTY GRACE ELECTION. AND FOR A COMMUNITY THAT HAS ABOUT 12000 MEMBERS, ONLY 1400 SHOWED UP TO VOTE. THEIR CIVIC DUTY, THEIR GREATEST ABILITY TO IMPACT THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIFE. THEY DID NOT TAKE THE TIME TO DO SO. 11%, ROUGHLY 12. AND SEEING PEOPLE HERE IS GREAT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN UNIFIED ON THIS TOPIC WHEN IT COMES TO THE DATA CENTERS AND PRESERVING THE IDENTITY OF HARFORD COUNTY, BUT WE NEED THAT LEVEL OF ENERGY CONSISTENTLY. WE NEED THAT PARTICIPATION AT ALL TIMES. AND I'M NOT ASKING FOR EVERYONE TO SHOW UP EVERY WEEKLY COUNCIL MEETING. NOT EVERYONE'S CRAZY LIKE THAT. THAT'S JUST ME. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DIRECTLY IN CONTROL OF US. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO VOTE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO VOTE ON THE COUNCIL. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADJUST AMENDMENTS, REFERENDUMS, ETC. THAT'S THE POWER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND IN THIS ELECTION CYCLE, THE ONE THING I'M FOCUSING ON MORE THAN ANYTHING IS MOBILIZATION. WE HAVE 260,000 PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS COUNTY. ROUGHLY 200,000 VOTERS. AND IN THE LAST COUPLE OF ELECTION CYCLES, WE'VE BARELY MANAGED TO HIT 50%. PEOPLE WILL SCREAM INTO THE VOID, HIDE BEHIND ANONYMOUS VOICES, AND NOT COME HERE OR GO TO THE BALLOT BOX AND ACTUALLY MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD.

SCREAMING FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN DOES NOT MAKE YOU COURAGEOUS. IT MAKES YOU CRAZY.

I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE RIGHT NOW HAVE A LEGITIMATE DISTRUST OF THEIR COUNCIL, A LEGITIMATE TRUST OF THEIR GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE THEIR VOICES AREN'T BEING HEARD. BUT THAT ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO THEIR OWN ACTION. COME TO THE POLLS. REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNCILMEN. THEY'RE HUMAN TOO. AND THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY HAVE CORRECT AND TRUSTED PROGRESS IS YOU HAVE TO BE PART OF THE SYSTEM, PART OF THE MESSAGE. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IN MODERN TIMES AND THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA STORIES, FRAMING, OPTICS, EVERYTHING MAKES IT HARD TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AND SIFTING THROUGH DOCUMENTS OF GOVERNMENT. LET ME TELL YOU, IT'S BORING TO SOME, ENJOYABLE BY OTHERS. AND IF YOU NEED SOMEONE TO, YOU KNOW, ARTICULATE WHAT THEY ALL MEAN, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FOR. THAT'S THEIR JOB. THEY CHOSE TO BE HERE, THEY CHOSE TO BE ELECTED, AND THEY WILL CHOOSE TO GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED. I BELIEVE ULTIMATELY IN THIS ELECTION CYCLE, REGARDLESS OF WHO WINS, I WANT AT LEAST 75% OF THE VOTER TURNOUT. EVERYONE MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD. I CAN'T EXPECT EVERY SINGLE ONE TO SHOW UP TO THE POLLS. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE ABSENTEE BALLOTS, MAIL IN BALLOTS. YOU HAVE ALL THE MEANS TO REALLY MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD. EVEN IF I DON'T WIN, I WILL STILL BE HERE BECAUSE I HAVE A PASSION FOR HERE. AND I HOPE YOU GUYS FROM SEEING EVERYONE HERE, YOU GUYS CLEARLY HAVE THAT PASSION. JUST MAKE IT DOCUMENTED. MAKE IT HEARD. BE THE FACE OF HARFORD COUNTY. YOU REALLY WANT TO BELIEVE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M REPRESENTING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BROWN. AN BLOCKER FOLLOWED BY DIANE ALVAREZ AND JEFF BECK. GOOD EVENING MA'AM, NAME AND ZIP CODE, PLEASE. EXCUSE ME. AN BLOCKER 21085. MY NAME IS ANNE BLOCKER. I AM OBJECT TO THE SITING OF A DATA CENTER ON MOUNTAIN RANCH GOLF COURSE OR IN ANY OTHER GREEN SPACE IN HARFORD COUNTY, PARTICULARLY THOSE SPACES NEAR RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES, FARMS, FORESTS, PARKS, OR ANY LAND AREA IN HARFORD COUNTY THAT DRAINS INTO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. I TAUGHT THIRD GRADE FOR 25 YEARS DURING ONE OF OUR INTEGRATED UNITS TITLED INVENTION AND INNOVATION, WE DEFINED TECHNOLOGY AS THE

[00:25:05]

WHAT REAL WORLD PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HYPERSCALE AI DATA CENTER ON BEAUTIFUL RURAL LAND ADJACENT TO HOMES, PARKS, FARM STREAMS AND FORESTED LAND.

HOMELESSNESS, INEQUALITY. HUNGER WILL IT KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFER OR CLEANER? MORE PLEASURABLE? WILL IT MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS? WILL IT RELIEVE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY FOR FAMILIES IN OUR COUNTY? HOW DO HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS LIKE THE ONE BEING PROPOSED AT MOUNTAIN BRANCH IMPROVE HUMAN WELFARE? THEY DON'T. THEY INCREASE THE WEALTH AND POWER OF THE BILLIONAIRES WHO OWN THE AI INDUSTRY AND THE GREEDY, HEARTLESS LANDOWNERS. I'M A GARDENER. I'M HAPPIEST WITH MY HANDS IN THE SOIL. AND WHEN THE ONLY SOUNDS I HEAR ARE THE BIRDS AND THE BEES AND THE LEAVES AS THEY. AS THE WIND RUSTLES THEM THROUGH THE TREES. AND MAYBE AN OCCASIONAL LAWN MOWER. AI IS POWERFUL, INSCRUTABLE AND UNCONTROLLABLE. ARE WE WILLING TO ALLOW THIS TECHNOLOGY TO THREATEN OUR HUMAN EXPERIENCE, OUR SOLACE, OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WILL HAVE US BELIEVE THAT DATA CENTERS AND AI ARE CRITICAL TO NATIONAL SECURITY AND GLOBAL DOMINANCE. SOME OF OUR LOCAL LEADERS MIGHT BELIEVE, PERHAPS, PERHAPS BASED ON A PROPAGANDA WEBSITE AUTHORED BY THE OWNERS OF MOUNTAIN RANCH GOLF COURSE, THAT DATA CENTERS WILL BRING HUGE ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO THE STATE OR THE COUNTY AND GENERATE ZERO IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF RESIDENTS IN HARFORD COUNTY. BUT AS WE HAVE SEEN WITH OUR OWN EYES AND HEARD WITH OUR OWN EARS, OUR LEADERS LIE. SO DO BIG CORPORATIONS. SO DOES AI, SO DO WEBSITES, AND THEY ALL LIE WITH IMPUNITY. WILL OUR LIVES BE SIMPLER AND BETTER WITH THE HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER IN OUR COUNTY? NO, THEY WILL BE WORSE. DATA CENTERS ARE LOUD AND INTRUSIVE. THEY ARE GLUTTONOUS IN THEIR USE OF WATER, POWER AND LAND. AND I KNOW THEY'RE NOT HERE, BUT TO THE MOUNTAIN, TO THE OWNERS OF MOUNTAIN BRANCH BLOCKER. PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. MY NAME IS DIANE ALVAREZ 21078. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO TONY G. DELEGATE TONY G FOR MAKING THIS UNNECESSARY, BECAUSE I CAME HERE TO SPEAK ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPOINTMENT. AND AND I NOW NO LONGER HAVE TO DO THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO TO YOU AND, AND ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO SUPPORTED GETTING OUR POSITION FILLED, WHICH HAS BEEN VACANT FOR WAY TOO LONG. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ZIP. JEFFREY BECK TWO 1085. JOPPATOWNE THIS COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING, BY THE WAY. NICE TO BE HERE AGAIN. I MISSED YOU LAST WEEK. THAT WAS ON ME, NOT YOU. THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN GIVEN A GIFT. YOU GUYS HAVE A HUGE DECISION IN FRONT OF YOU. IT'S GOING TO GREATLY INFLUENCE NOT ONLY YOUR OWN POLITICAL CAREERS, BUT THE ENTIRETY OF HARFORD COUNTY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. PRIOR COUNCILS AND PRIOR ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE BEEN FACED WITH SIMILAR CROSSROADS, AND THEY FAILED. I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS DON'T FAIL. RIDGELY'S RESERVE IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE. DOWN IN JOPPATOWNE FIVE YEARS LATER, STILL POLLUTING THE FOSTER BRANCH AND THE GUNPOWDER RIVER. AND THAT'S JUST ONE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. IMAGINE THE DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT A DATA CENTER ON 273 ACRES POTENTIALLY COULD. DO. YOU GUYS HAVE THAT GIFT? COUNCIL HAS MANY FUNCTIONS, BUT YOUR TWO BIGGEST FUNCTIONS ARE BUDGET OVERSIGHT AND ZONING. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE BUDGET.

I'LL BE HERE TOMORROW TO ZONING OVERSIGHT AND ZONING REGULATIONS. SECOND BIGGEST THING YOU GUYS HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER AND A BIG AMOUNT OF CONTROL OVER KEEP THE DATA

[00:30:01]

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH OUR SUPERINTENDENT INTERVIEW PROCESS THAT WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF. I AM ON THE COMMUNITY BOARD FOR THAT AS WELL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING US A FULL DECK TO PLAY WITH. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND STAY TUNED. I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE GOT RID OF THE LAST GUY. JUST HAD TO SAY THAT FOR THE RECORD, HE KNOWS I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT DATA CENTERS THOUGH. Y'ALL, THIS IS SO SERIOUS. I THINK THIS IS MAYBE THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT WE'RE GOING TO FACE. I DON'T KNOW, IN THE LAST IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS IN OUR COUNTY. I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE THE LARGEST DATA CENTER IN THE STATE BEING BUILT IN MY BEAUTIFUL RURAL DISTRICT. IT IS SO APPALLING TO ME THAT ANYBODY WOULD THINK THAT THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE LOCATION TO BUILD AN INDUSTRIAL PARK. I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE EVER DRIVEN ON 152, BUT THAT'S NOT THE LOCATION FOR MORE CARS. WE'RE ABSOLUTELY MAXED OUT. WE'RE DONE. WE DON'T WANT IT. WE DON'T NEED IT. DO NOT BRING IT. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND I, I DON'T WANT TO BLOW YOUR MINDS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A WITHDRAWAL OF MR. BENNETT'S BILL. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BAN PUT IN PLACE AS AN EMERGENCY PIECE OF LEGISLATION. YOU MIGHT KNOW THAT WE DO THAT ALL THE TIME IN ANNAPOLIS, AND USUALLY IT'S NOT ACTUALLY AN EMERGENCY. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. IT DESERVES TO BE EMERGENCY LEGISLATION. THE DAY THAT YOU VOTE ON IT, THE DAY THAT YOU SIGN IT IS THE DAY IT GOES INTO EFFECT. WE DON'T NEED TO WAIT OR DELAY OR HAVE OVERLAPPING BILLS. WE NEED ONE BILL. WE NEED A FULL BAN AND IT NEEDS TO BE EMERGENCY LEGISLATION. YOU CAN DO IT IMMEDIATELY. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANY OTHER COUNTY WHO MIGHT TUNE INTO THIS TO DO THE EXACT SAME THING, BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED THESE PROPERTIES BEING EATEN UP BY GIANT INDUSTRIAL PARKS AND LOUD, NOISY, ENVIRONMENTALLY DAMAGING DATA CENTERS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT. AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THOSE WHO WHO BACK UP THIS ISSUE AND SUPPORT THIS ISSUE. AND WITH THAT, I WILL RETURN THE REST OF MY TIME BECAUSE I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO DO THIS JOB. GOD BLESS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME IS IT? GOOD EVENING BRIAN. TONY 21085. WITH OUR LAND, OUR HOME, OUR HARFORD.

SO IT'S KIND OF HARD TO FOLLOW UP. LAUREN. SHE DID A GREAT JOB. WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY SECOND THAT FOR THE EMERGENCY LEGISLATION FOR THE EFFECTIVE DATE TO BE IMMEDIATE. WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO DO TONIGHT THOUGH, IS, IS EXPRESS SOME SOME FEEDBACK REGARDING THE COUNCIL'S POWER AND THEIR ABILITY TO ACT WHEN IT COMES TO A BAN FOR DATA CENTERS. ONE OF THE ENCOURAGING THINGS WE SAW EARLY ON IN THIS BATTLE, WHICH IS REALLY ONLY BEEN GOING ON FOR PROBABLY THE PAST MONTH, IS SOME RETICENCE OR HESITATION BY THE COUNCIL REGARDING A FULL BAN. THAT'S WHY I THINK INITIALLY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A MORATORIUM. WE HAVE RETAINED LEGAL COUNSEL, MICHAEL MCCANN, WHO'S PRETTY WELL KNOWN IN THE ZONING AND LAND USE AREAS. HE'S A VERY, VERY WELL ESTABLISHED ATTORNEY. I'M AN ATTORNEY MYSELF. SO WHAT I THOUGHT I WOULD DO IS SHARE WITH THE THE CROWD HERE AND ALSO PUT IN THE RECORD THE LETTER THAT MR. MCCANN SENT TO THE COUNCIL EARLIER TODAY REGARDING SIMPLY THE THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S AUTHORITY TO PASS A BAN AS PROPOSED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. THE OFFICE REPRESENTS OUR LAND, OUR HOME, OUR. HARFORD, A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION THAT, IN JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS HAS GATHERED THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS IN ITS OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED DATA CENTER AT MOUNTAIN BRANCH GOLF COURSE. WE FULLY SUPPORT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S PROPOSAL TO BAN DATA CENTERS OUTRIGHT IN HARFORD COUNTY. WE SHARE MR. CASTELLI'S CONCERNS REGARDING THE MANY POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF DATA CENTERS, AND ALSO SHARE HIS BELIEF THAT A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM, AS PROPOSED IN BILL 2605, WILL SIMPLY HAVE THE EFFECT OF CREATING A LEGISLATIVE PATHWAY FOR SUCH CENTERS. WE DISAGREE, RESPECTFULLY, THAT THE REGULATIONS FOR DATA CENTERS USES ARE NEEDED. THAT WAS THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE MORATORIUM, POTENTIALLY. I ALSO WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO QUESTION THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAS THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO PASS THE BAN PROPOSED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. AS YOU KNOW, THE EXPRESS POWERS ACT GRANTS HARFORD COUNTY THE AUTHORITY TO ENACT LOCAL LAWS RELATING TO THE ZONING AND PLANNING IN ORDER TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE PUBLIC SAFETY, HEALTH AND

[00:35:05]

THANK YOU. FOLKS, IF I MAY. WE DON'T ALLOW APPLAUSE. I LET IT GO FOR A WHILE. LET'S JUST STOP AND WE'LL GET THROUGH OUR COMMENTS. WE UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT RIGHT BEFORE MINE. ONE MORE, ONE MORE, ONE MORE. BRIAN, WE'RE GOING TO STOP IT NOW. WHAT THE HECK? JUST A MOMENT. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. IS THIS BRIAN WITH A Y OR BRIAN WITH AN I? BRIAN WITH A Y'ALL, RIGHT? GO AHEAD, SIR, LET'S JUST BE COMPLETELY HONEST WHEN DISCUSSING WHY THE DATA CENTER DEVELOPERS IN THIS GOLD RUSH SPEED TO MARKET INDUSTRIAL BOOM WANT TO COME INTO OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR COUNTY FOR THEM. IN THEIR EYES, IT'S THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE AND THE ONE IMPACT THEY NEVER DISCUSS OR ADDRESS IS THE IMPACT ON THE HOMES AND THE FAMILIES. I HAVE MET HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT TONIGHT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ABOUT ONE PARTICULAR FAMILY. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, AN OLDER HOME ON STOCKTON ROAD WAS RECENTLY PURCHASED BY A YOUNG FAMILY. AS I WAS KNOCKING ON DOORS ONE AFTERNOON, ONE AFTERNOON TO RAISE AWARENESS, I DECIDED TO STOP BY TO VISIT THIS NEW NEIGHBOR. I RANG THE DOORBELL AND A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS WORKING IN THE BACKYARD CAME WALKING AROUND THE HOUSE. HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF AS JOSH. I INTRODUCED MYSELF AND I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE PROPOSED DATA CENTER PROJECT POSSIBLY GOING IN HIS BACKYARD.

HIS NEW HOME BACKS UP THE MOUNTAIN RANCH GOLF COURSE. HE TOLD ME HE HAD NO IDEA, AND WITH A CONCERNED LOOK ON HIS FACE, HE ASKED, WHAT'S SO WRONG WITH DATA CENTERS? HE HAD NO IDEA. I SIMPLY TOLD HIM SOME OF THE FACTS, AND I ENCOURAGED HIM TO DO SOME DIGGING ON HIS OWN.

BUT TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ME, HE WAS FRUSTRATED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES AND TO BE HONEST, I FELT GUILTY FOR RUINING HIS DAY AND HIS WEEKEND. HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT HE WAS FRUSTRATED BECAUSE IN THE LAST SEASON OF HIS LIFE, HE GOT MARRIED. HE'S BEEN WORKING HIS OFF TO FINALLY SAVE UP ENOUGH MONEY TO MOVE FROM THE CITY AND PURCHASE SOME LAND. AND A HOME IN THE COUNTY WHERE HE CAN START TO RAISE A FAMILY IN A CLEAN, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT. THE NEXT DAY, I DROVE BY THAT FAMILY'S HOME. FOR THE NEXT WEEK, I DROVE BY THAT FAMILY'S HOME. THERE WAS A LARGE SIGN IN THE FRONT YARD. AND NO, IT WASN'T A IMHOF SIGN OR A STEPHANIE FLASH SIGN. IT WASN'T A VINCENTI SIGN OR A BOB CASSILLY SIGN. NO, THIS MAN HAD OTHER ISSUES THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT. THE SIGN SIMPLY SAID IN LARGE PINK LETTERS ACROSS THE FRONT YARD, IT'S A GIRL. THAT FAMILY. IS EXACTLY WHO WE'RE FIGHTING FOR IN THIS BATTLE. AND THAT FAMILY IS EXACTLY WHO, AS OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU ARE WORKING FOR.

AND WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND CONSIDER THE NEXT GENERATION AND VOTE TO KEEP THESE TOXIC DATA CENTERS OUT OF OUR COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU BRIAN.

MICHAEL OAKES, FOLLOWED BY JESSICA RILEY HAMMOND AND DIANE SADOWSKI. GOOD EVENING SIR.

[00:40:09]

CARROLL CURRENTLY HAS A BAN ON DATA CENTERS. I APPLAUD ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR MOTIONS TONIGHT.

LAUREN, I APPLAUD YOU. I'LL COME DOWN AND PAT YOU ON THE BACK. I WAS GOING TO TALK AS A CITIZEN, WHICH I AM, BUT WITH THREE MINUTES. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU AS ONE OF THE LEADING CANDIDATES FOR REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND. IF YOU CAN HOLD OFF WES MOORE AND HIS PROPOSALS FOR FIVE DATA CENTERS IN MARYLAND. CURRENTLY, HE WANTS TO SEE 50 BY ELECTION.

THINK ABOUT THAT. MY POSITION IS, IF I'M ELECTED GOVERNOR, DATA CENTERS WILL CEASE TO EXIST IN MARYLAND. EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT WATER. WHEN THE BUCKETS DRY AND YOU SEE THE BOTTOM, THEN WHAT? WHEN YOU GO TO TURN THE SWITCH ON AND YOU HAVE NO POWER, THEN WHAT? BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'VE DONE CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH AND THIS IS WHAT DATA CENTERS BRING TO YOU. CONCENTRATED POLLUTANTS, 20% DENSITY. WHEN THEY CLEAN THEIR SYSTEMS OUT, THOSE POLLUTANTS ARE BIOCIDES THAT KILL ALGAE AND BACTERIA THAT ARE GOING TO END UP IN YOUR RIVERS AND YOUR LAKES AND YOUR BAY. AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE AN ALGAE BLOOM? WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED THAT MANY TIMES. THE CLEANING AGENTS ARE CORROSION INHIBITORS, THINGS LIKE PHOSPHATES, NITRATES, MOLYBDATES, AND AZOLES. THESE ARE ALL HEAVY METAL MATERIALS THAT CAUSE CANCER, BRAIN CANCER, LUNG CANCER, LIVER CANCER, INTESTINAL CANCERS, BREAST CANCERS. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT UNLESS YOU STAND UP AGAINST DATA CENTERS. THE HEAVY METALS THAT ARE GOING TO BE INCLUDED IN ALL THIS ARE COPPER, ZINC AND LEAD.

THIS IS NOT HYPERBOLE. THIS IS FACT THAT YOU COULD LOOK UP IN ANY SEARCH ABOUT THE REAL DOWNFALL OF DATA CENTERS. THE HIGH TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS ARE SALTS AND OTHER CONTAMINATED MATERIALS THAT BECOME VERY CONCENTRATED, AND THEY GO TO YOUR LOCAL TREATMENT PLANT TO TRY AND FILTER SOME OF THESE THINGS OUT, AND THEY CAN'T FILTER ALL OF THEM OUT. SO YOU GET 20% CONCENTRATED MATERIALS THAT GO BACK INTO YOUR WATER SUPPLY, AND EVERYBODY HERE GETS TO DRINK FROM THAT WATER SUPPLY. SO. I GUESS. I CAN'T PLACE ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON THE BAD THINGS OTHER THAN POWER AND WATER THAT DATA CENTERS ARE GOING TO DO. AND IF YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT IN A MORE SERIOUS TERM, THINK OF LOVE CANAL, NEW YORK. DOES ANYBODY FAMILIAR WITH THAT? MR. OAKS, PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE AND ALSO THINK ABOUT HINKLEY, CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU. YOU BET. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. MY NAME IS JESSICA RILEY HAMMOND TO 1015. GOOD EVENING. I DIDN'T PREPARE ANY ANY COMMENTS FOR THIS EVENING, BUT I JUST WANT IT TO BE KNOWN THAT I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT A BAN ON DATA CENTERS.

I MEAN, I'M NOT GOING TO GO OVER THE SCIENCE AND THE CONCERNS BECAUSE THEY'VE ALL BEEN MENTIONED SO MANY TIMES ALREADY. AND I DEBATED WHETHER I WAS EVEN GOING TO SPEAK THIS EVENING, BECAUSE I KNEW SO MANY PEOPLE WERE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME SUBJECT WITH THE SAME VIEW. BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO BE IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL AND NOT SLOW DOWN THE MOMENTUM, NOT STOP SPEAKING OUT, BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO TAKE TIME AND WE NEED TO BE ENGAGED THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS. I DEFINITELY SUPPORT TECHNOLOGY, BUT ABSOLUTELY NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MA'AM. OH MY GOSH. OH, THERE'S GRANDMA. WHAT? HEY, LISTEN, I GOT A NEW DO FOR

[00:45:02]

I'M HERE TONIGHT IN STRONG SUPPORT OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S PROPOSAL TO SAY NO TO DATA CENTER CAMPUSES HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. YOU ALREADY KNOW WHERE I STAND PERSONALLY ON THIS. THIS ISSUE IS BIGGER THAN POLITICS. IT'S BIGGER THAN INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, DEVELOPERS OR NEGOTIATORS BEHIND NEGOTIATIONS, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. THIS IS ABOUT PROTECTING THE CHARACTER, ENVIRONMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. THE PEOPLE OF HARFORD COUNTY HAVE SPOKEN CLEARLY. RESIDENTS DO NOT WANT MASSIVE INDUSTRIAL SCALE DATA CENTER CAMPUSES BUILT ON OUR FARMLANDS, OUR GREEN SPACES OR NEAR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE MOVED HERE BECAUSE HARFORD COUNTY IS NOT NORTHERN VIRGINIA. WE VALUE OPEN LAND, AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, RURAL HERITAGE AND QUALITY OF LIFE. A MORATORIUM IS NOT ENOUGH. A MORATORIUM SIMPLY DELAYS THE FIGHT. AND WE HAVE A FIGHT. IT KICKS THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD AND CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPERS TO REGROUP, NEGOTIATE, LOBBY HARDER, AND EVENTUALLY PUSH THESE PROJECTS THROUGH PIECE BY PIECE. TEMPORARY LEGISLATION BECOMES A BARGAINING TOOL, AND ONCE THE DOOR IS OPENED EVEN SLIGHTLY, IT BECOMES HARDER AND HARDER FOR RESIDENTS TO PROTECT WHAT WE HAVE LEFT. HARFORD COUNTY SHOULD NOT BECOME A TESTING GROUND FOR SPECULATIVE DEVELOPMENT THAT BENEFITS OUTSIDE CORPORATIONS MORE THAN THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY LIVE HERE. WE'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. PROMISES ARE MADE ABOUT TAX REVENUE, TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT, BUT RESIDENTS ARE LEFT WITH ENORMOUS POWER DEMANDS, STRAIN ON INFRASTRUCTURE, INDUSTRIAL NOISE, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND PERMANENT CHANGES TO THE LANDSCAPE. WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS RIGHT NOW IS CLARITY AND LEADERSHIP, NOT POLITICAL INFIGHTING. RESIDENTS ARE TIRED OF WATCHING ELECTED OFFICIALS ARGUE WITH EACH OTHER WHILE DEVELOPERS CIRCLE OUR COUNTY LOOKING FOR LEVERAGE POINTS.

THIS SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT WHO GETS CREDIT POLITICALLY. IT SHOULD BE ABOUT LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ELECT YOU OR REELECT YOU. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS TAKEN A CLEAR POSITION. NO DATA. CAMPUSES IN HARFORD COUNTY. I URGE THIS COUNCIL COUNCIL TO STAND WITH THE RESIDENTS AND SUPPORT STRONG, DEFINITIVE LEGISLATION. NO LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS OUR FARMLAND, PRESERVES OUR GREEN SPACES AND PREVENTS THESE INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS FROM TAKING ROOT HERE. PLEASE DO NOT SETTLE FOR DELAYS, COMPROMISES OR HALF MEASURES THAT LEAVE THAT DOOR OPEN LATER. LISTEN TO YOUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE. PROTECT HARFORD COUNTY BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. THANK YOU. CHRISTINE HEISEY, FOLLOWED BY GARNER, LIDDY AND BILL MONTANARI. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME AND ZIP. CHRISTINE HEISEY 21047. I AM HERE ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS. LIKE SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE, I'M GLAD THAT YOU ARE TAKING SOME STEPS TO MAKE SOME BETTER DECISIONS ABOUT THIS, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY WHO DEFINITELY DO NOT WANT THIS HERE. I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 64 YEARS. I GREW UP HERE. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL COUNTY. THERE WAS A LOT MORE FARMLAND, AND WE'VE WATCHED DEVELOPMENTS GO FROM HERE TO THERE AND BACK AGAIN. WE'VE LOST WATCHED INDUSTRY COME IN. WE'VE GIVEN UP MUCH OF THE COASTLINE, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY SAD. AND NOW HERE WE ARE LOOKING AT A DATA CENTER OVER MOUNTAIN BRANCH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST GORGEOUS AREAS IN THE COUNTY. JUST SOME OF THE THINGS BECAUSE MAYBE PEOPLE WATCHING MAY NOT KNOW SOME OF THIS, A DATA CENTER IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF 27 PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL FIELDS STRUNG AND LINKED TOGETHER. THEY ARE NOT A WAREHOUSE. MAYBE THEY'RE THE SIZE OF ABOUT 42 WALMART SUPER

[00:50:02]

THEY SAY THEY BRING JOBS ON AVERAGE, MAYBE 20 PEOPLE. THEY HAVE CLEANERS, THEY HAVE SECURITY, AND THEY HAVE A HANDFUL OF IT PEOPLE TO MANAGE THEM INSIDE. THEY DO BRING JOBS DURING THE CONSTRUCTION. BUT BEYOND THAT, IT'S BASICALLY A WASTELAND. THEY USE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF POWER. I DON'T HAVE NUMBERS ON THAT. THEY TAKE UP ABOUT 500 TO 1000 ACRES. WATER USAGE. AN AVERAGE PERSON USES 70 GALLONS A DAY OF WATER. I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A LOT. A DATA CENTER USES 14.5 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER. IT'S A LOT. EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME. JUST A MINUTE, MISS ALLEGY. IF I HAVE TO CALL HIM DOWN ONE MORE TIME. WHOEVER. AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS, BUT WE GOT TO KEEP THE PROPER DECORUM IN THIS CHAMBER. WE HAVE ONE LADY RECOGNIZED TO SPEAK, NOT ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE. MA'AM. THANK YOU. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE COUNTY WOULD GET SIGNIFICANT. GIVE THE DEVELOPER SIGNIFICANT TAX BREAKS BEING PAID OUT OVER 20 YEARS. THEY SAY THERE'S NO TAX IMPLICATIONS TO RESIDENTS. BUT THAT TYPICALLY IS NOT THE WAY THAT THAT WORKS ELECTRICITY WISE. THEY USE MASSES OF MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY, WHICH WE REALLY ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT. AS FAR AS FUTURE PROJECTIONS GO FOR DATA CENTERS OVERALL, CURRENTLY, THERE'S A HUGE, HUGE, HUGE PUSH FOR US NOT ONLY TO USE AI, BUT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DATA CENTERS. AND AS WE'VE SEEN YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH WITH ANYTHING THAT HAS THIS TYPE OF PUSH, IT FALLS OFF. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MALLS THAT ARE EMPTY. WE SAW RITE AID GO THROUGH A TREMENDOUS EXPANSION AND THEN JUST COLLAPSED. SO WHERE IS THIS GOING TO GO AND WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT AT THE END OF THAT? 20 YEARS WHEN WE MAY OR MAY NOT EVEN NEED IT, BECAUSE TECHNOLOGY WILL CHANGE, THE NEEDS WILL CHANGE. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THIS HUGE BUILDING THAT HAS JUST TOTALLY WIPED OUT WHATEVER THAT BEAUTIFUL AREA HAPPENED TO BE. I JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE. AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL ENVIRONMENT. PEOPLE IN LOUDOUN COUNTY WHO LIVE NEAR THEM FIGHT THEM TOOTH AND NAIL. THEY'RE UGLY. THEY'RE BRIGHT BUILDINGS, THEY'RE BIG, THEY'RE LIT UP. THERE IS A CONSTANT HUMMING FROM THE REAL ESTATE STANDPOINT. AS I'M A REALTOR, NOBODY'S GOING TO WANT TO LIVE NEAR IT. AND YOU'RE GOING TO WATCH AN EXODUS FROM THE COUNTY.

I DO HAVE SOME PICTURES FOR YOU, IF I COULD HAND THEM OFF. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IT'S UP MOUNTAIN BRANCH. THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ZIP. GOOD EVENING.

GARNER LIGHTY TWO 1047. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TONIGHT. I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF HARFORD COUNTY. IT FEELS GOOD. I WANT TO ECHO, MR. BROWN SAID. I THOUGHT THAT WAS PERTINENT. LAUREN DID A GREAT JOB AND BRIAN WITH HIS NEIGHBOR JOSH. JOSH WAS US 30 YEARS AGO. WE STRUGGLED TO FIND A HOUSE WITHIN OUR PRICE RANGE, HARFORD COUNTY AND IT WAS INTENTIONAL BECAUSE OF WHAT THIS COUNTY OFFERS. IT'S THE GREEN SPACE, THE LAND, EVERYTHING ABOUT IT, THE PEOPLE. WE COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER PLACE TO HAVE OUR CHILDREN GROW UP. AND THIS IS IN DIRECT CONTRAST TO EVERYTHING THAT WE EXPECTED THAT THIS COUNTY WOULD PROVIDE US. I'M NOT AGAINST TECHNOLOGY, I AM. I'VE BEEN IN THE TECHNOLOGY FIELD ALL MY LIFE, BUT THIS SEEMS VERY DISCONNECTED FROM WHAT HARFORD COUNTY IS. SPECIFICALLY, THAT PART OF HARFORD COUNTY REPRESENTS. THIS DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A PARTNERSHIP. IT FEELS LIKE EXPLOITATION, EXPLOITATION OF OUR LAND AND OUR RESOURCES, ALL FOR THE BENEFIT OF A VERY SELECT FEW PEOPLE. NOBODY IN THIS ROOM FOR SURE. THE QUESTION ISN'T CAN IT BE BUILT HERE? BUT IS THIS WHAT WE CHOOSE TO BECOME? BECAUSE IF WE ALLOW THIS, THEN THIS SETS THE PRECEDENT FOR FUTURE DEVELOPERS FUTURE INDUSTRY TO THEN PICK

[00:55:01]

AIRTIGHT CAN'T BE DONE. PERIOD. FULL STOP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. JOE EXAVIER, FOLLOWED BY EVELYN BISCHOFF IN REED NEUBAUM. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME IS IT JOE XAVIER TWO 1047 ABOUT THREE.

I LIVE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILES AWAY FROM BRIAN AND BRIAN AND JUST WANT TO KIND OF LOOK AT THIS WITH A WORD OF CAUTION. I MEAN, EVEN IF THE DATA CENTERS CAN FULFILL THEIR PROMISE ON WHAT THEY TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE WATER OR THE ENERGY AND THE EMISSIONS AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING, THE LOCATION ITSELF IS STILL THE WRONG LOCATION. MOUNTAIN BRANCH LOCATION IS THE WRONG LOCATION FOR THAT DATA CENTER OR FOR ANY DATA CENTER. SO WITHOUT TAKING UP ANY MORE TIME, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S A WRONG LOCATION. EVEN IF IT WAS THE PERFECT DATA CENTER AND MET ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS, STILL THE WRONG LOCATION. ALSO WANTED TO ASK JUST A QUESTION. I'M NOT SURE IF ANYONE HAS AN ANSWER FOR IT. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME MOVEMENT TO HAVE THE ARMY'S DATA OPERATIONS COMMAND PUT IN ABERDEEN, ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS AND JUST WAS WONDERING IF A BAN WOULD IMPACT THAT LOCATION. BUT THAT IS ALL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. MY NAME IS EVELYN BISCHOFF AND I'M IN ZIP CODE 21047. I AM HERE TO TALK TO YOU GUYS TODAY ABOUT ALL OF OUR CONCERNS AND TO JUST INTRODUCE MYSELF. MY NAME IS EVELYN BISCHOFF. MY FAMILY MOVED TO FALLSTON 11 YEARS AGO TO A HOUSE BUILT IN 1973. WE MOVED TO HARFORD COUNTY TO RAISE OUR KIDS IN A CLOSE KNIT COMMUNITY WITH PLENTY OF OPEN SPACE AND RURAL AREAS. MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS CARE DEEPLY FOR ONE ANOTHER AND WHAT IS BEST FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST ONE. ALLOWING THESE MEGA CENTERS TO BE BUILT WILL DESTROY THE VERY REASON SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE IT HERE. OUR RURAL AGRICULTURAL

[01:00:01]

SO WHY DO WE NEED 5000 AND GROWING MORE DATA CENTERS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY? LIKEWISE, WE ARE BEING ASKED TO PAY OUR SHARE OF TAXES. WHILE THESE CORPORATIONS RECEIVE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF TAX BREAKS. IS THIS FAIR? THE IEA PROJECTS GLOBAL DATA CENTERS COULD USE, COULD USE, COULD REACH THE 945 TERAWATT HOURS BY 2030. THAT IS MORE THAN JAPAN'S CURRENT ELECTRICAL USE. ON MAY 4TH, 2026, THE NORTH AMERICAN ELECTRIC RELIABILITY CORPORATION ISSUED A RARE LEVEL THREE ALERT DUE TO LARGE ELECTRICAL LOADS. THIS IS A GRID WATCHDOG SOUNDING THE ALARM. WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION. OUR WATER. WHO FILLS THE CLOSED LOOP? WHERE DOES THE WATER COME FROM? WHO PAYS FOR IT? HOW MUCH POWER IS NEEDED TO GET IT? THERE'S INDIRECT WATER CONSUMPTION TO THINK ABOUT AS WELL ON GAS. WHO PAYS TO RUN THE LINES AND WHO DECIDES WHERE THEY RUN THROUGH ON NOISE? I HAVE NOT SEEN A SINGLE SOLUTION TO KNOW TO HOW THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED. HOW DO WE DECIDE HOW CLOSE IS TOO CLOSE? HOW LONG CAN A PERSON, DOG, HORSE OR OTHER LIVING THING BE EXPOSED TO THE CONSTANT BARRAGE OF NOISE WITHOUT PROTECTION FROM SAID ATTACK? AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE MAIN QUESTION IS WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO HAVE THIS IN YOUR BACKYARD? THAT'S IT. THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING SIR.

GOOD EVENING. I'M DOCTOR REED NEUBAUM 21085. SO I'M A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER RIGHT HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. I'M ACTUALLY NOT SO DIFFERENT. HEY, I'M NOT OKAY. I'M NOT SO DIFFERENT THAN JOSH OVER ON STOCKTON ROAD. APPARENTLY, I DRIVE BY. I DIDN'T KNOW HIS NAME WAS JOSH, BUT I'M MY FAMILY AND I LIVE LESS THAN A HALF A MILE AWAY FROM MOUNTAIN BRANCH GOLF COURSE. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT THE MORE I'VE LEARNED, THE MORE MY CONCERNS ARE HAVE EXPANDED BEYOND ONE PROJECT OR ONE LOCATION. I'VE DEDICATED MY LIFE TO HELPING PEOPLE LIVE HAPPIER, HEALTHIER LIVES. A CORE BELIEF OF MINE IS THAT HEALTH IS THE PRIORITY. WITHOUT YOUR HEALTH, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. SO THERE ARE LOTS OF CONCERNS BEING DISCUSSED. BUT BEFORE WE GET LOST IN THE DETAILS, I THINK WE ALL NEED TO ASK OURSELVES A SIMPLE QUESTION WHAT SHOULD COME FIRST IN THESE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS? AND FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR, AND I'M TALKING IN THE DC, A SPECIAL PRESENTATION, THE RELEASE DEVELOPERS DOCUMENTS AND A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION, I MEAN, EVEN EVEN THE PUBLIC AND THE COUNCIL AFTER THOSE THINGS ARE AS WE'RE GETTING MORE INFORMATION, THE CONVERSATION SEEMS TO BE BEGINNING WITH INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMICS. OF COURSE, PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH ASPECTS, BUT I THINK THAT HOW WE'RE STARTING OR HOW THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE STARTED SO FAR ARE A BIT BACKWARDS.

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT NEED TO COME FIRST. THOSE TWO ARE SO DEEPLY CONNECTED, AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE. NOT THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AN UNIMPORTANT PART. BUT AND I'M NOT STANDING HERE EITHER CLAIMING THAT WE ALREADY KNOW EVERY IMPACT THESE FACILITIES MAY HAVE, BUT THERE ARE ENOUGH CREDIBLE QUESTIONS AND FORESEEABLE RISKS IN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD JUSTIFY A BAN. THE NOISE ISSUE THAT GETS UNDERSTATED AS A NUISANCE.

[01:05:04]

BUT I GUESS I JUST PROPOSE A HEALTH FIRST FRAMEWORK. WHEN EVERYONE THINKS ABOUT THIS. IF HEALTH IS NOT THE PRIORITY, THEN ALL OF THE ECONOMIC GROWTH IS REALLY THE PRICE TAG ON OUR HEALTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. JACKIE JOHNSON, FOLLOWED BY LINDA STEIN, FLINT AND CHRISTOPHER BLOCKER. GOOD EVENING MADAM NAME AND ZIP. JACKIE JOHNSON TWO 1087. WELL, WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON HERE. HARFORD COUNTY IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE WITH ITS FARMLANDS, OPEN SPACES, PARKS AND FRESH AIR. A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND RAISE A FAMILY AND EVEN PLAN A VEGETABLE GARDEN AND JUST HAVE A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN. BUT APPARENTLY THERE ARE SOME WHO DON'T WANT US TO HAVE THAT. SOMEONE ON THE COUNCIL INVITED THE DATA CENTER ALLIANCE REPRESENTATIVES TO SPEAK AT THE APRIL 14TH MEETING. IT APPEARS THE WHOLE SCRIPT FOR THE MEETING WAS PLANNED. THIS WAS MADE OBVIOUS WHEN COUNCILMAN BENNETT IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO PUT FORWARD A 90 DAY MORATORIUM ON THE DATA CENTER. SINCE THE PRESENTATION, WE HAVE ALL RESEARCHED DATA CENTERS AND FOUND THEM TO BE HARMFUL TO HUMANS, ANIMALS, FARMS, LAND, WATER AND AIR EVERYTHING THAT SUSTAINS LIFE. WHY AREN'T THE GLOBALISTS PUSHING BACK AGAINST THESE DATA CENTERS FOR THE HEAT THEY PRODUCE? HARFORD COUNTY COMMUNITIES HAVE UNITED TOGETHER TO FIGHT AGAINST DATA CENTERS, NOT JUST AT MOUNTAIN BRANCH, BUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY. SO ONCE THE EMAILS, POSTS, AND PHONE CALLS STARTED COMING IN TO THE COUNCIL FROM RESIDENTS PUSHING BACK, THE COUNCIL CHANGED THEIR STANCE ON THE DATA CENTERS AND ALL STATED, I'M AGAINST THEM. WAS IT JUST A RELUCTANT AGREEMENT TO APPEASE ALL OF US KNOWING YOU COULD LOSE THE UPCOMING ELECTION IF YOU CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR THEM? TONIGHT I COME BEFORE YOU STANDING UNITED WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REQUEST THAT YOU WITHDRAW THE MORATORIUM AND JUST ASK YOU TO SAY NO TO THE DATA CENTERS IN HARFORD COUNTY. THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE HONEST AND KEEP YOUR WORD THAT YOU TRULY ARE AGAINST THE DATA CENTERS. THIS SITUATION HAS BROUGHT PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS, BACKGROUNDS, AND ZIP CODES TOGETHER. DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS AND INDEPENDENTS.

NO ONE ASKS OR CARES WHICH PARTY EACH OF US SUPPORT. WE ONLY CARE WHO WAS WORKING WITH US AND FOR US IN THIS FIGHT. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME AND ZIP. HI, MY NAME IS LINDA STEIN.

FLINT. I'M TWO 1015. I FIND IT INTERESTING. HOW MANY OF YOU ALL STILL CONTINUE TO DENY THAT THE HARFORD TRANSPORTATION PLAN IS ACTUALLY ABOUT THE HARFORD TRANSIT LINK FACILITY REPLACEMENT BEING DONE WITH FEDERAL FUNDS. THE BUILDING HAS A LEAKING ROOF MOLD AND CAN'T PROPERLY SERVICE ALL THE BLUE COMMUNITY PUBLIC BUSSES. COUNCIL PRESIDENT HAS FULLY AGREED IN THE PAST WITH THE. FOR THE SEVERAL YEARS. AND YET, HE CONTINUED, HIM AND THOSE WHO CONTINUE WITH HIM. THEY CONTINUE TO SEND US ALL THESE MAILERS SAYING NO TO A $65 MILLION BUS EXPANSION. COME ON! STOP THE MISINFORMATION. THERE IS NO MASS TRANSIT BEING PUSHED.

IT IS NOT BRINGING IN OUTSIDE PEOPLE FROM BALTIMORE TO HARFORD COUNTY. THIS IS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FACILITY THAT IS ON ABINGDON ROAD, THE SAME FACILITY USED BY THE BLUE BUSSES THAT GET CITIZENS WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION TO THE GROCERY STORES, MEDICAL

[01:10:02]

THAT IS NOT LEADERSHIP. THAT'S BULLYING AND CAUSING UNNECESSARY DIVISION. I'M HAPPY THAT YOU SUPPORTED TONY. IT TAKES REAL LEADERSHIP TO STAND UP AND INTRODUCE THAT, TO HAVE BANNED HIM, NOMINATED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN TONIGHT. THERE IS NO PREVIOUS RECORD OF MAKING SURE IT'S ON THE AGENDA BY THURSDAY BECAUSE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD, COUNTY EXECUTIVE CASSILLY ANNOUNCED THE NOMINATION OF LILIANA TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.

AND AT 2 P.M. THAT AFTERNOON, YOU UPDATED THE AGENDA TO HAVE IT ON THE THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING THAT NIGHT. SO THERE IS. THERE IS ROOM FOR. MODIFICATION OF YOUR RULES DEPENDING ON THE THING. SO. BUT THANK YOU, TONY. I APPRECIATE THAT FOR TAKING CARE OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD. BUT I ALSO HAVE TO LAUGH WHEN I READ ABOUT COLLABORATION OVER DIVISION, REAL LEADERSHIP, PROTECTING WHAT MATTERS MOST. YEAH. WHAT MATTERS MOST IN THESE FLIERS IS SENDING MISINFORMATION. THE SAME PEOPLE PUSHING FOR A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS TO EXTEND THE TIMELINE TO GET THROUGH THE ELECTION, INSTEAD OF PUTTING A DEAD STOP TO IT. LIKE THE BILL THAT COUNTY EXECUTIVE CASSIDY, THAT ACTUALLY SAYS NO DATA CENTERS. HE STOOD STRONG AND HE'S TAKEN LEADERSHIP. WE SAY NO TO THE GROWING NUMBER OF DATA CENTERS OF SOLAR FARMS THAT DO NOTHING TO FIX OUR ELECTRIC ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE STATE CLOSING DOWN OUR POWER PLANTS AND BUYING ELECTRICITY FROM OTHER STATES. HARFORD COUNTY SAYS NO TO DATA CENTERS AND NO TO SOLAR FARMS. INSTEAD OF THAT MORATORIUM, WHICH MERELY DELAYS THINGS, JUST PUT COUNTY COUNCIL BILL THROUGH AND STOP IT NEXT WEEK. THERE IS NO REASON TO DELAY THAT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING SIR. MY NAME IS IT CHRISTOPHER BLOCKER. ZIP CODES 21085. SO I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THE SURPRISE, THE DATA CENTERS OR THE AI CAMPUS. AS THE SUPER RICH GUYS OVER AT MOUNTAIN BRANCH WOULD HAVE US CALL IT. I'LL TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT. BUT SO YEAH, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK ABOUT WHY DATA CENTERS ARE BAD OR WHY AI IS BAD. WE ALL I'M ACTUALLY VERY IMPRESSED BY THE AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE THAT EVERYBODY HERE HAS ABOUT DATA CENTERS. BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT, WE ALL KNOW HOW BAD THEY ARE, AND IT IS FRUSTRATING THE AI STUFF. AS A COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR, I HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE WRITING PAPERS WITH AI, AND THAT REALLY BUMS ME OUT. BUT WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS, IS, IS REALLY ABOUT WHO GETS TO MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS THAT AFFECT ALL OF US. IF YOU VISIT HARFORD ENERGY.COM, YOU WILL FIND A WEBSITE LAUNCHED BY THE OWNERS OF MOUNTAIN BRANCH VASSILAKOPOULOS. LUCKILY, WITH THE HELP OF A STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS FIRM, GIVEN ITS IMPRESSIVE BREADTH AND DEPTH, IT'S THE BEST WEBSITE MONEY CAN BUY. THE PURPOSE OF THE WEBSITE IS TO CONVINCE US THAT BUILDING A DATA CENTER AT MOUNTAIN BRANCH GOLF CARTS IS IN OUR BEST INTERESTS. IT IS FULL OF MANY CLAIMS MEANT TO COUNTER THE NARRATIVE THAT DATA CENTERS ARE DESTRUCTIVE. BUT I WOULD URGE ANYONE WHO OPPOSES THE DATA CENTER TO IGNORE THESE CLAIMS AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON WHAT BIG TECH AND THE OWNERS OF MOUNTAIN BRANCH STAND TO GAIN, AND WHAT WE STAND TO LOSE, NOT JUST IN TERMS OF THE DATA CENTER ITSELF, BUT IN TERMS OF OUR DIGNITY. THE WEBSITE IS FULL OF INSULTINGLY, ALMOST COMICALLY DECEPTIVE LANGUAGE MEANT TO PLACATE A PUBLIC THAT IS FRANKLY OUTRAGED. THE FIRST ABSURD CLAIM IS THIS EVERY MAJOR TECHNICAL DECISION WAS DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE HERE. IT SEEMS AS IF THEY WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE DOING THIS DEAL, WHICH WILL MAKE THEM MILLIONS OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF THEIR HEARTS, LIKE A CHARITY PROJECT. HOW INCREDIBLY KIND.

LET'S NOT FORGET THE ONE DECISION THAT WASN'T MADE TO PROTECT THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE HERE. THE DECISION TO BUILD THE DATA CENTER. AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE REASON WHY THAT DECISION WAS MADE. MONEY. LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY. IF YOU PERUSE THE WEBSITE UNCRITICALLY, YOU WOULD ALMOST BELIEVE THAT THE VESSEL ACCOMPLICES ARE PLANNING TO BUILD A COMMUNITY GARDEN AND ORCHARD AND ORGANIC DAIRY FARM. THE DATA CENTER IS DESCRIBED AS A LOCALLY OWNED AI CAMPUS, DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP IN HARFORD COUNTY WITH THE STRICTEST ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS IN MARYLAND AND REAL RECORDED COMMUNITY BENEFITS. MAKE NO

[01:15:06]

[16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS ]

I HAD THE HONOR OF ATTENDING THE NATIONAL POLICE WEEK POLICE UNITY TOUR. IT ARRIVED AT THE HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SOUTHERN PRECINCT, FOLLOWED BY A WREATH LAYING CEREMONY HONORING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN THE LINE OF DUTY.

THERE ARE MANY, MANY CHAPTERS TO THIS POLICE UNITY TOUR. THE ONE THAT COMES THROUGH HERE IS THEIR NINTH CHAPTER, WHICH STARTS IN PHILLY, AND THEY DRIVE OVER. THEY RIDE OVER 100 MILES ON THEIR BICYCLES DOWN TO DC. AND THIS IS TO HONOR THOSE OF OUR OFFICERS WHO WE'VE LOST IN THE LINE OF DUTY. WHAT'S REALLY HARD BUT HEARTWARMING, IS TWO OF THE RIDERS THIS YEAR ARE TWO OF OUR FALLEN OFFICERS KIDS. ONE IS A HARFORD, NOW A HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICER, AND ONE WHO IS VERY, VERY CLOSE WITH THE HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND THEY TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF HER. BUT IT IS A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT THAT NO ONE WANTS TO HAVE. BUT IT WAS REMARKABLE. AND SO IF YOU GUYS GET A CHANCE TO FOLLOW THEM ONLINE, THEY DO COME THROUGH EVERY YEAR. SO IF YOU GOT STUCK IN TRAFFIC ON. I THINK IT WAS MONDAY. YEAH, WE APOLOGIZE, BUT WE PROMISE IT WAS FOR A REAL GOOD CAUSE. AND THESE BIKERS WHO ARE NOT DAILY ATHLETES ARE LITERALLY BIKING FROM PHILLY TO DC. SO PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH THEM. UPCOMING EVENTS. JUST A REMINDER, REMINDER THAT NEXT ABINGTON COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE THURSDAY, MAY 14TH AT 630. THE ABINGDON FIRE COMPANY, ALSO THE ABINGTON FIRE COMPANY WILL BE HOSTING THE ANNUAL FLEA MARKET THIS THIS SATURDAY, MAY 16TH FROM 8 A.M. TO 1 P.M. THIS YEAR'S EVENT WILL FEATURE MORE THAN 25 VENDORS AND IS ALWAYS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COME TOGETHER, SHOP LOCAL AND SUPPORT OUR VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS EMHOFF. MR. JORDAN. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. SO IT'S NOT JUST THE DATA CENTERS, IT'S THE POWER LINES THAT WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING. MOST OF YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW, BUT WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING THESE POWER LINES. IF YOU LOOK AROUND, YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY'RE EXPANDING OR TRYING TO EXPAND THESE POWER LINES SO THEY COULD RUN MORE POWER LINES SO THAT THEY RUN THEM FROM PENNSYLVANIA DOWN TO VIRGINIA TO, TO FUEL THESE, THESE DATA CENTERS. SO WE'VE, WE'VE FOUGHT WITH THE, THE BGE

[01:20:04]

THEY HAD TOLD ME IT WAS SIX MILES THAT YOU CAN HEAR THAT. AND THE HUM. WHAT I'M ALSO WORRIED ABOUT IS NOT ONLY THE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND HERE, BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE ANIMALS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE THE FARMS AND EVERYTHING. AND ON OUR FOOD SUPPLY THAT WE BUY LOCAL, WE SAY BUY LOCAL. THAT'S GOT TO AFFECT THEM AS WELL. SO JUST, JUST TO KNOW WE ALL ARE FIGHTING, WE ALL LIVE HERE. YOU KNOW, WE ALL WORK HERE, PLAY HERE. WE DON'T WANT THEM EITHER.

SO, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THIS BAN IS STAYING PUT AND THE GOVERNOR DOESN'T TRY TO CHANGE ANYTHING ON US. SO I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY HE WANTS TO HAVE MORE DATA CENTERS OR WE DON'T WANT THEM. SO ANYWAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY SPRING NATIONALS. ANYBODY EVER SEE A HYDROPLANE BOAT RACE? THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THEM DOWN AT FLYING POINT MARINA. IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT EVENT SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. FREE ADMISSION, MUSIC, FOOD TRUCKS. ALSO SUNDAY'S THE TASTE OF HARTFORD VEGAN MANOR. AND THEN IF ANYBODY HASN'T BEEN THE 250. TOUR IS OVER AT THE AMERICAN LEGION, IT'S PHENOMENAL. IF YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GO OVER, THERE'S GOING TO BE THERE FOR A COUPLE DAYS. GO OVER AND SEE THAT. AND THEN FINALLY, MY MY CHARTER AMENDMENT. THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 28TH. SO. 2626, SORRY, MAY 26TH. SO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS COME FILL THE CHAMBER AND WE GET THE PUBLIC GETS TO TALK ABOUT THAT. AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE THAT MIGHT BE IT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S NOT IT. NO YOUR YOUR SOAPBOX CARS RIGHT. WHAT SOAPBOX CAR SUNDAY. SO. OH YEAH. THE THE DERBY THE BEL AIR DERBY IS ON SATURDAY TOO. SO IT'S A FULL SLATE OF SUNDAY OR SATURDAY. SUNDAY I THINK SUNDAY. OKAY. GOOGLE IT. MR. RILEY. TONY. IT'S TUESDAY. I JUST HAVE JUST TWO THINGS. WE ARE NOT ONLY FIGHTING DATA CENTERS, WE'RE ALSO FIGHTING THE SOLAR PROJECTS, AS TONY SAID. AND WE HAVE ONE ON CHROME HILL ROAD. I'M DOING THE BEST I CAN SINCE IN MY DISTRICT TO FIGHT THAT. THAT PROJECT. I'M SUBMITTING LETTERS TO THE MARYLAND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION. ALSO, I KNOW I APPRECIATE DELEGATE ERICKSON COMING HERE TONIGHT. APPRECIATE YOU SPEAKING WITH US. SHE'S A GREAT SUPPORTER OF GETTING RID OF THESE SOLAR FARMS AND DATA CENTERS. AND IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE YOU TONIGHT, ERIN. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. MR. BENNETT, HELLO. GOOD EVENING. IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH EVERYONE. YOU KNOW, IN KEEPING THE MORATORIUM AND THE BAN BILL, BOTH ON THE AGENDA. AS OF NOW, PART OF THE POINT OF THAT IS PREVENTING A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE. YOU DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO GO WRONG. AND THEN WE HAVE NOTHING. AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT TO CONSIDER. TO THE DELEGATES POINT SHE BROUGHT UP DURING PUBLIC COMMENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER READING THE BILL. AND YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, WE, AS A COUNCIL, FIRST READ THE BILL ON FRIDAY WHEN IT WAS SHARED WITH ALL OF US AFTER THE AGENDA WAS SET AND PUBLISHED, I REALIZED THAT THE BILL WAS NOT A PIECE OF EMERGENCY LEGISLATION, WHICH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN AROUND THREE YEARS AGO WHEN WE HANDLED WAREHOUSES, WE MADE THAT BILL A PIECE OF EMERGENCY LEGISLATION SO THAT IT WOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE EFFECT. AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WAS REACH OUT TO MISS ALLEGY, OUR COUNCIL ATTORNEY, AND ASK IF WE HAVE A LEGAL JUSTIFICATION TO DO SO, BECAUSE THAT WAS A BIG CONCERN OF MINE THAT WE WOULD BE LEADING INTO AUGUST WITHOUT ANYTHING IN PLACE. SO THAT'S

[01:25:01]

[01:30:03]

AND THAT IS A GREAT PROGRAM. ALL OF THOSE CHILDREN ARE SET UP FOR COLLEGE AND KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. AND THEN I WAS WHERE I WAS WITH WAS BIKE FROM WORK DAY. THAT WAS AT THE EDGEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY. AND THAT'S TO CELEBRATE RIDING BIKE, BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.

AND SO THAT WAS TODAY. BANG. TIM, SHE TEXTED BACK, THANKS YOU ALL. SHE WILL BE HERE NEXT TUESDAY. SHE DID TELL ME SHE WAS IN A MEETING AND THEN HER PHONE STARTED BLOWING UP. AND SO SHE FIGURED IT OUT. AND THEN THIS WEEKEND, WE HAVE NOT ONLY THE SPRING NATIONALS IN OUR AREA, BUT WE HAVE THE FLOTILLA AT THE GUNPOWDER RIVER, AND THAT IS AT 9:09 A.M. AT MARINER POINT PARK. AND THERE ALSO IS FOR THE SPRING NATIONALS. JUST SO EVERYONE'S AWARE, THERE WILL BE A SHUTTLE BUS BECAUSE PARKING IS AT THE LOCAL ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL.

[17. BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT ]

BUT I WILL SAY I WILL TOUCH ON THE ARC NORTHERN CHESAPEAKE REGION'S GALA FRIDAY EVENING.

AS YOU KNOW, THE ARC SUPPORTS ALL OF OUR CITIZENS THROUGHOUT HARFORD COUNTY WITH DIFFERENT DIFFERING DISABILITIES. AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY A GREAT EVENT, EXTREMELY WELL ATTENDED, OVER 400 IN ATTENDANCE, AND THEY RAISED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT NIGHT. BUT IN CLOSING, JEANNIE AND I WISH TO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF FRED MITCHELL AND JOE PAFF, WHO BOTH RECENTLY PASSED AWAY. JOE PAFF SERVED AS OUR DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY FOR 15 YEARS. PRIOR TO THAT, HE WORKED IN BALTIMORE COUNTY AS A DIRECTOR FOR PARKS AND REC FOR 20 SOME YEARS. AND THEN AFTER RETIRING FROM PARKS AND REC HERE IN OUR COUNTY, HE SERVED ON THE CEDAR LANE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. FRED MITCHELL WAS A STRONG FAMILY MEMBER IN ABERDEEN AREA. HE WAS A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY. HE SERVED ROTARY FOR OVER 50 YEARS, NEVER MISSED A MEETING. EXTREMELY WELL KNOWN IN THE FARMING AND CANNING INDUSTRY. STRONG MEMBER OF GROVE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO KEEP ALL OF THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF. WITH MITCHELL AND PAFF IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. WITH TH

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.