Data Center Debate: Hermantown’s Comm. Dir. Talks Public Process
HERMANTOWN, Minn. — The city of Hermantown’s communications director, Joe Wicklund, talked to FOX 21 Wednesday about concerns surrounding a proposed data center and the way the city is or is not including the public in the process.
“We protect the environment so well in Minnesota with robust environmental standards. That has not changed. What has changed is these types of products, these types of proposals. Data centers feel they can put forth a project that goes and meets those standards. And if they can, we should give them all the opportunity to design something that that they think meets that mark, and then go through a regular public process,” Wicklund explained.
Mayor Wayne Boucher also agreed with Wicklund and told FOX 21’s Dan Hanger over the phone that he is “sad” people are afraid and have “misconceptions” about the proposed data center.
But he and Wicklund believe the city and councilors are following the correct governmental process when it comes to interested developers.
Click the video below watch the full, unedited conversation with Wicklund:
Wicklund acknowledged how data center opponents felt at the council meeting Monday when councilors did not discuss the data center and only unanimously voted to approve the item at hand — a land zoning change at the proposed site.
Wicklund said that during normal developer dealings, the public’s first look at a project would have happened during Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning commission meeting when the developer’s first permits would be recommended or not recommended for council review.
But because a petition was filed by at least 100 residents to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, the data center permits were removed from Tuesday’s agenda until the city can answer the petition within 15 days.
Wicklund said the city has done its part on the environmental process to meet state standards and said the city will now explore another environmental process to make sure it in fact meets state standards.
“Whether we’re talking about a car dealership with a big parking lot, whether we’re talking about the Miller Hill Mall, whether we’re talking about a data center, whether we’re talking about an expansion on our airport, all of those things that have significant impacts should have significant regulations and expectations. Now we have another step in that process, and we look forward to meeting,” Wicklund said.
The data center proposal would be the city’s largest development in its history. While the name of the developer has not been released yet, it is a U.S.-headquartered Fortune 50 company.
Wicklund said all the work that has gone on behind the scenes is all about exploring what can or can’t happen while protecting investors proprietary information until an actual proposal is ready to move forward into the public process.
“So now is when the public really is a chance to grade the homework of the developer, because it’s finalized. Hey, this is what I am dreaming about building. This is what the project does. Here’s the things that are different and it doesn’t do around water or energy or wetland impacts. Here are the things that it does do. Let’s weigh those out and see if they’re a good fit,” Wicklund explained.
Wicklund said he expects the city to be “thorough and thoughtful” when answering to the Environmental Quality Board and the petition.
The next time the data center’s permits could be up for discussion is at the next planning and zoning commission’s agenda on Nov. 18, which would officially begin the public process.
Click here for the city’s Q&A page on the proposed data center.
