Apr 07, 2026 Board of Commissioners

[I. OPENING]

[00:00:13]

EVERYONE TO OUR. TUESDAY, APRIL THE 7TH, 2026 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING. IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS, WE'RE. WE'RE VERY HONORED TO HAVE PASTOR DAVID CROSS FROM THE GRAY HILL CHURCH OF GOD THAT'S GOING TO GIVE OUR INVOCATION. AND AFTER THAT, WE HAVE A PLEDGE TO THE FLAG AND. AND I'M GOING TO ASK COMMISSIONER JONES TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG. SO IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE RISE. PASTOR DAVID, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND GIVE THE INVOCATION. LET'S PRAY. GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER, I THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY THAT YOU'VE BLESSED US WITH. THIS IS THE DAY THAT YOU HAVE MADE, AND I CHOOSE TO REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT. AND FATHER, I PRAY, LORD, THAT HARMONY WOULD BE HERE TONIGHT IN THIS MEETING. I PRAY THAT THE WORDS THAT ARE SPOKEN AND IN THOUGHTS IN OUR HEARTS AND OUR INTENTS ARE PLEASING TO YOU. AND FATHER. I PRAY GOD THAT YOUR WILL WOULD BE DONE. WE PRAY THESE THINGS IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD AND OUR SAVIOR, CHRIST JESUS. AMEN. AMEN. FLAG. 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. RIGHT. THE

[III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA/MINUTES]

SECOND. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. NEXT IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE TROUP COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOARD MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD ON MARCH THE 17TH, 2026. DO I HAVE A MOTION? THEY BE APPROVED. A MOTION. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED.

AND FINALLY, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE TROUP COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CALL MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD ON MARCH THE 31ST, 2026. DO I HAVE A MOTION? THEY BE APPROVED.

RIGHT. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

[IV. Citizens to Address the Board]

THIS BRIDGE. THIS ROAD IS A VITAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNITY I SPEAK OF IS NONE OTHER THAN THE COMMUNITY OF NEW HARMONY AS WHICH THE CHURCH IS ALSO NAMED NEW HARMONY. IT IS SUCH A VITAL PART BECAUSE THAT IS AN ACCESS BY WHICH OUR PASTOR AND OTHER WORSHIPERS. LEAVE. COMING TO SERVICES FOR NEW HARMONY OFF OF GEORGIA HIGHWAY 18. WE ALSO ARE

[00:05:01]

AND AS TO WHAT WE HAVE SAID, BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY NEED IT. WE WANT IT. AND WE WOULD MOST DEFINITELY LIKE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE IT OPEN, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE USED SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROWN OFF, CAN'T GET TO THE CHURCH AND CAN'T GET TO THE BUILDING, AND THEY SEE THE SIGNS AS ROAD CLOSURE. THEY TURN AROUND AND AS RECENTLY AS JUST ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AGO, WE HAD A FUNERAL. THE PROCESSION WAS LED BY A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY DEPUTY. THE DEPUTY TOOK THE PROCESSION ROUND J HALL ROAD AND DOWN ADAMS ROAD, ONLY TO GET THERE TO SEE THIS SIDE OF ADAMS ROAD WAS BLOCKED BECAUSE OF THE BRIDGE CLOSURE. THEREFORE, THE PROCESSION WAS LATE FOR THE FUNERAL SERVICE HAVING TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK AROUND GEORGIA, 18 SHOEMAKER ALL BACKED DOWN. GERARD HALL AGAIN. BACK DOWN SHOEMAKER IN ORDER TO REACH THE CHURCH. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO COME AND HOPE YOU HEARD US. AND I HOPE IT DOES NOT GO IN VAIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. OKAY. THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC COMMENT TIME. SO MY UNDERSTANDING OF AGENDA ITEMS BROUGHT UP, WE CAN REQUEST RECOGNITION FOR FIVE MINUTES. I'M SORRY. FOR RECOGNITION OF WHAT NOW? REQUEST RECOGNITION IS YOUR DISCRETION FOR THE DOCUMENTS. I APPRECIATE IT, BUT WE HAVE A VERY LONG TIME TONIGHT, AND SO I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GRANT THAT TONIGHT. ALRIGHT. THE NEXT NEXT

[V. Special Business]

[00:10:02]

HILLIARD, YOU'RE UP FOR THE FAMILY TREATMENT COURT EMERGENCY GRANT AWARD. WE'RE JUST REQUESTING TO ACCEPT THE DOLLARS. I THINK THE FIRST ONE IS IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,940.

THERE IS NO GRANT MATCH REQUIREMENTS. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. HEARING NONE, THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE FAMILY TREATMENT COURT EMERGENCY GRANT AWARD. DO I HAVE A MOTION? WE APPROVE. SO MOVED. ALL RIGHT. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. SECOND ITEM IS THE CONSIDERATION OF THE DRUG COURT EMERGENCY GRANT AWARD. THAT AMOUNT IS $3,813.

THERE IS NO MATCH REQUIREMENTS. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. IF NOT, THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE DRUG COURT EMERGENCY GRANT AWARD. DO I HAVE A MOTION? WE APPROVE. SO MOVED. RIGHT. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

MOTION IS CARRIED. IS THAT ORDER? ALL RIGHT. JASMINE, ARE YOU UP? THE NEXT TWO ARE YOURS OR OKAY. DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND JUST PRESENT THOSE REAL QUICK. SAME AS HILLS.

ACTUALLY THEY ARE. THE FIRST ONE IS OUR DUI COURT EMERGENCY GRANT. IN THE AMOUNT OF $11,163, AND THAT WILL BE USED FOR DRUG TESTING AND COMMUNITY SURVEILLANCE SERVICES FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAM. AND THERE IS NO MATCH REQUIREMENT FOR THIS GRANT.

OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. IF NOT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE DUI DRUG COURT EMERGENCY GRANT AWARD. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. ALRIGHT. NOT CAMILLE.

SECOND. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. AND OUR FINAL ITEM IS A MENTAL HEALTH COURT EMERGENCY GRANT AWARD. SO THE MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY COURT GRANT IS FOR $15,120. THERE'S ALSO NO MATCH. AND THIS WILL BE USED FOR OUR TREATMENT SERVICES FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS WITHIN OUR PROGRAM. ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE, THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT EMERGENCY GRANT AWARD. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED, MR. CHAIR. ALL RIGHT. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT ITEM.

I'LL INVITE UP CHIEF WHITNEY AND ZACH STEELE TO CONSIDER THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS. GOOD EVENING, CHIEF WHITNEY, MYSELF.

BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR A COUPLE MONTHS NOW TO REFIT AND REPLACE SOME OF THE OUTDATED PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT PERTAINING TO FIREARMS AND TASERS AND A LOT OF ASPECTS. SO WE'RE REQUESTING PERMISSION TO COVER THE PURCHASE OF 110 FIREARMS. THE CHIEF WHITNEY CAN TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH, AS WELL AS 12 TASERS THAT'LL BE SPLIT AMONG THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE AND THE TROUP COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. AND THIS WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH AN OPERATIONAL BUDGET AMENDMENT FROM THE MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR EMS THAT WE'VE NOT SPENT THIS YEAR. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF PEO THAT WILL HAVE TO BE CUT ON THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT WILL BE 135,657 AND $0.28. THAT COVERS ALL OF THAT. AND WE WERE REQUESTING A BUDGET AMENDMENT OF 150,000 FROM THE EMS LINE ITEM INTO WHERE SONIA ALLOCATES IT, WHERE WE CAN SPEND ON UPDATING, UPGRADING THESE. AND I'VE BEEN KIND OF THE SUPPORT FEATURE IN THIS, BUT I'LL CERTAINLY LET CHIEF WHITNEY DISCUSS ANY OF THE SPECIFICS RELATED TO THE. THE EQUIPMENT, IF NEED BE. EXCUSE ME. FIRST OF ALL, THE PRIMARY REASON IS FOR STANDARDIZATION. WE CURRENTLY CARRY 40 CALIBERS. STANDARDIZATION FOR LAW

[00:15:02]

PLUS, THE WEAPON THAT WE CURRENTLY ARE CARRYING HAS NOT BEEN UPGRADED AND BEING DISCONTINUED. SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND PARTS FOR IT. 40 CALIBER AT ONE TIME WAS THE STANDARD, BUT NOW IT'S MILLIMETER CAN CARRY MORE CAPACITY. IT'S EASIER ON RECOIL, EASIER OF USE FOR INDIVIDUALS. IT'S GOING TO HAVE A REAR MOUNTED SIGHT ON IT AS WELL, WHICH WILL INCREASE ACCURACY. IT'S JUST THE STANDARDIZATION. WE'VE GOT TO IMPROVE WHAT WE'VE GOT. WE'VE HAD THESE WEAPONS FOR OVER 20 PLUS YEARS, SOME OF THEM, AND WE NEED TO GO TO THE NINE. IF WE WANTED TO LOOK ABOUT UPGRADING THESE 40 CALIBERS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, THERE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE SOME MILLING AND PROCESS THAT WOULD TAKE A LOT MORE WORK THAN, THAN WHAT IT'S WORTH, WE CAN GET WHAT WE WOULD BUY NEW FOR PROBABLY LESS THAN WHAT WE'D HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THESE UPGRADED IF WE COULD FIND PARTS FOR THEM. SO THAT'S THE THAT'S THE REASON. ALSO, THERE WILL BE A TRADE IN CREDIT FOR OUR CURRENT WEAPONS OF $33,955.

THAT WILL GO TOWARDS THE BASELINE OF THAT TOTAL COST. SO THAT WOULD COME OFF THE 135 YES, SIR. AM I DOING THIS? I PUT EVERY OFFICER ON THE SAME. IT WOULD. ADDITIONALLY, 105 OF THOSE WEAPONS ARE GOING TO GO TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THAT WOULD GIVE US SEVEN IN RESERVE, BECAUSE IF WE HAVE AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING, THOSE WEAPONS HAVE TO BE CONFISCATED AND HELD FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME BY THE INVESTIGATING AGENCY WOULD BE THE GBI. WORST CASE SCENARIO. I HAVE FOUR OFFICERS INVOLVED. THAT'S FOUR WEAPONS SECONDARY SERVICE ON THAT, RIGHT? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT.

IF NOT, THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE REQUEST FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THEIR WEAPONS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, MR. CHAIR. ALL RIGHT. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? HOLD ON ONE SECOND. OH, SONYA. I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE MOTION IS CORRECT JUST FOR YOUR. WELL, IF YOU WANT TO ADD THAT, WE'RE GOING TO DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR $150,000. THAT WOULD BE GOOD. YOU MENTIONED IT IN THE DETAILS, BUT YOU CAN ADD THAT TO THE MOTION. OH, ADD THAT TO MY MOTION THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF THOSE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. DO I HAVE A MOTION? DO I HAVE A SECOND? THANK YOU. YEAH. OH, YOU ARE SECOND. OKAY. I'M SORRY. AND WE'VE ALREADY VOTED.

SO THE VOTE IS FOUR ZERO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT IS APPROVED. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL OKAY.

MR. CHAIRMAN, BACK TO YOU FOR MOVING. WE DON'T DO THE LANDSCAPING. SORRY. LANDSCAPING.

APOLOGIZE. YOU'RE RIGHT BACK TO YOU. PASTOR J. WE DISCUSSED THIS THIS MORNING. IT'S APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ACTUAL INSTALLATION TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT WITH SOUTHERN OAKS LANDSCAPE COMPANY. WHO IS WHO DID ALL THE LANDSCAPING AT OAK AND PINE ROAD PARK? AND THIS IS KIND OF THE LAST PHASE OF THAT THAT WE APPLIED FOR TWO PLUS YEARS AGO.

AND AS, AS I SAID THIS MORNING, WE RECEIVED A $50,000 GRANT WITH NO MATCH. AND THE PROJECT OR THE REQUEST TO APPROVE IS FOR $49,550. SO THERE'LL BE NO MONEY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE COUNTY. IT'LL BE COMPLETELY FUNDED BY THE G DOT GRANT. AND THAT, AGAIN, IS FOR LANDSCAPING ALONG STATE ROUTE 109, ROANOKE ROAD. THAT'LL START AT THE THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER HIKING TRAILS AND GO ALL THE WAY TO BEFORE THE BRIDGE. SEVEN DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE BEDS TO BEAUTIFY AND ENHANCE THAT SECTION OF 109 J. THIS MORNING YOU SAID THAT THE MAINTENANCE FOR THIS WOULD COME OUT OF THE OLD MONEY, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. AND ARE WE JUST DOING THE THE ISLAND, THE BEDS THEMSELVES OR WILL WE DO THAT WHOLE THE ISLAND AND THE BEDS THEMSELVES, THE REST WILL BE STILL CORRECT. WOULD BE JUST TYPICAL ROADSIDE MAINTENANCE. LIKE I SAID, THERE'S MORE.

EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE PRETTY MUCH HEAT TOLERANT. CORRECT. LOW MAINTENANCE. IT WAS IT WAS INTENTIONALLY SELECTED FOR THAT REASON TO MINIMIZE THE MAINTENANCE. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. IF NOT, THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE REQUEST. THE RECRUIT APPROVED THE REQUEST TO INSTALL THE G DOT R E B C LANDSCAPING GRANT PROGRAM TO BE USED AT PINE ROAD PARK. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM ON

[VI. Public Hearings]

[00:20:03]

SO CERTAINLY MONDAY MORNING STARTED CALLING FOLKS AND ASKING QUESTIONS. WHAT WHAT IS THE STORY ABOUT A DATA CENTER IN TROUP COUNTY? THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW. AND I FINALLY FOUND SOMEBODY THAT KNEW THAT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY HAD APPROACHED THE CITY OF LAGRANGE AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE IDEA OF, WOULD THEY ANNEX THAT PROPERTY INTO THE CITY? I THINK EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM IS NOW VERY WELL AWARE THAT DATA CENTERS REQUIRE POWER AND THEY REQUIRE WATER. OKAY. THE COUNTY HAS NO BASICALLY, THE COUNTY DOES NOT OPERATE A WATER SYSTEM. WE HAVE WATER IN SOME AREAS OF OUR COUNTY THAT IS MOSTLY MAINLY PUT THERE BY THE CITY OF LAGRANGE. THE POWER IS GOING TO BE SUPPLIED BY SOME POWER COMPANY. IT COULD BE CITY OF LAGRANGE, IT COULD BE GEORGIA POWER. YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE THE. BUT THAT IT NEEDS POWER. SO THAT PROJECT WAS I MEAN, IT WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE CITY OF LAGRANGE. BUT IF YOU KEPT UP WITH IT, YOU NOTICED THAT THE CITY OF LAGRANGE DENIED THE REQUEST TO ANNEX THAT PROPERTY INTO THE TO THE CITY. OKAY. SO THAT KIND OF THREW IT BACK.

WELL, WHAT WOULD THE COUNTY DO? AND MUCH LIKE MANY STATES, MANY STATES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, THEY WERE ALL OF A SUDDEN FACED WITH THE IDEA OF THE DATA CENTER. AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW AGAIN, THEY DIDN'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT WHAT WAS REQUIRED. AND SO FROM A COMMUNITY STANDPOINT, WE HAVE ZONING PROPERTIES ARE ZONED. YOU MIGHT LIVE ON LAKESIDE RESIDENTIAL, YOU MIGHT BE IN COMMERCIAL. YOU KNOW, THERE IS A ZONING MAP THAT SHOWS WHAT BUSINESSES COULD GO IN THERE. AND SO WHAT WE DID, WHAT THE COUNTY DID AND THE CITY DID ALSO WAS WE BOTH VOTED TO PUT A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS. AND I WANT MY ATTORNEY TO BASICALLY GIVE ME THE NOD.

WE CAN'T BAN BUSINESSES, OKAY? WE HAVE TO. WE CAN'T TELL A FACTORY THAT YOU CAN'T COME TO OUR TOWN. WE HAVE TO USE ZONING RULES AND REGULATIONS, FOLLOW THOSE. AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK, WELL, WHY CAN'T WE JUST VOTE THAT WE DON'T? WE AS TROUP COUNTY DON'T WANT A DATA CENTER. UNFORTUNATELY, IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. AND SO WE VOTED IN A MORATORIUM TO ALLOW US THE TIME TO GO THROUGH OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS, TO LOOK AT WHAT WE HAD IN PLACE TO ADDRESS ANY POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT MIGHT COME TO THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S THE WAY THAT'S THE RULES THAT WE FOLLOW, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. WE DID A MORATORIUM FOR 90 DAYS. OUR ATTORNEYS AND OTHER PEOPLE WORKED ON THOSE RULES AND REGULATIONS. WE EXTENDED IT ANOTHER 90 DAYS TO GIVE US MORE TIME. I WANT TO SAY THAT WE WORKED WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE TROUP COUNTY AT ANTI DATA CENTER COALITION. WE WE'VE TAKEN RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THEM. I QUICKLY PASS THOSE OVER TO OUR ATTORNEY, OUR ZONING PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS. AND SO WE HAVE EXTENDED THE MORATORIUM THREE TIMES. WE'RE IN THE THIRD 90 DAYS RIGHT NOW. BUT THERE COMES A TIME THAT YOU HAVE TO BRING THIS KIND OF TO A CLOSE. YOU HAVE TO PREPARE AND PRESENT YOUR ZONING ORDINANCES TO THE

[00:25:03]

THEY'RE STORED. AND THERE IS A GREAT NEED TO STORE THAT DATA. BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, EVERYBODY DOESN'T WANT IT IN THEIR BACKYARD. SO I WANT TO SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A LONG PROCESS NOW FOR WHAT'S 90 TIMES THREE, 270 DAYS. WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO IT THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A PROCESS OF TRYING TO WRITE OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS SO THAT WE COULD ADDRESS THAT. IF ANOTHER DATA CENTER CAME TO LAGRANGE, THAT WE WOULD WE COULD ADDRESS THAT IN THE LOCATION AND THE ZONING. I WANT YOU TO KNOW ONE OTHER THING TOO. THAT'S REAL IMPORTANT. IF THE C, D, AND X IS A PIECE OF COUNTY PROPERTY, WE HAVE VERY, VERY, VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER THAT. OKAY. JUST THE WAY THE RULES ARE WRITTEN. SO WE HAVE TO WORK AND WE TRY TO WORK WITH OUR CITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER. AND THEY KNOW OUR CONCERNS ABOUT DATA CENTERS, AND WE LISTEN TO THEIR CONCERNS. SO WE CAN'T JUST OUTRIGHT BAN IT. IF THEY ANNEX IT, THEN THE RULES BELONG TO THE THAT JURISDICTION AT THAT TIME. BUT BUT LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A VERY DILIGENT PROCESS OF TRYING TO WRITE THE BEST RULES THAT WE CAN. WE'VE SOUGHT ADVICE FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN FACED WITH THIS. WE HAVE LISTENED TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ANTI DATA COALITION GROUP. SO TONIGHT, ALL WE'RE DOING TONIGHT WHEN IN ITEM NUMBER THREE IN PUBLIC HEARING IS WE'RE GOING TO HEAR THE FIRST READING OF THOSE ORDINANCES AND THE RULES. WE'RE NOT VOTING ON A PROJECT. I ASSURE YOU THERE IS NO PROJECT. THERE IS NO PAPERWORK ON ANYONE'S DESK TO APPLY FOR A DATA CENTER IN TROUP COUNTY ON AND PARTICULARLY DOWN ON BARCLAY ROAD. OKAY. I WANT TO ASSURE YOU OF THAT. LET ME SAY ONE OTHER THING. I'M NOT GETTING ANY KICKBACKS EITHER, OKAY? SO I WON'T GO ON THE RECORD. THERE ARE NO INCENTIVES FOR ALL OF US TO APPROVE. WE ARE CITIZENS JUST LIKE Y'ALL IN THIS COMMUNITY, SERVING TO REPRESENT YOU AND DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN. AND WE WATCH THAT. I LOVE TROUP COUNTY. I'M PLANNING TO LIVE HERE. I WANT THE BEST FOR IT. SO I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN ALL OF THIS ALSO, AND I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO FAYETTEVILLE AND TOUR THE OUTSIDE OF THE DATA CENTER THAT'S BUILT THERE IN FAYETTEVILLE. I HAVE SEEN IT, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE UP TO FAYETTEVILLE AND RIDE BY AND SEE ONE FOR YOURSELF, SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. OKAY. THE CHAIRMAN, I WANT TO TELL YOU OUR ORDINANCES FOR THE UNINCORPORATED TROUP COUNTY. THAT'S RIGHT. MAKE THAT CLEAR.

YEAH. THAT IS THAT'S WHY I SAID IF THEY IF IT'S ANNEXED INTO THE CITY, IT'S THE CITY'S RULE.

BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST READING THE ONES FOR THE FOR THE COUNTY, FOR THE. THAT'S RIGHT. I'LL GIVE ANY COMMISSIONER AN OPPORTUNITY. IF ANYONE WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING, THEY'RE WELCOME BEFORE WE GET INTO IT. BUT I WANT TO ASSURE Y'ALL THAT TONIGHT. BECAUSE IF THERE'S A LOT OF YOU SITTING HERE AND YOU THINK THAT WE'RE FIXED TO VOTE ON A PROJECT TONIGHT, WE'RE NOT. OKAY. SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE DISAPPOINTED AND SIT HERE, YOU KNOW, FOR ANOTHER 45 MINUTES AND THINK THAT WE'RE VOTING ON A PROJECT. WE GENERALLY I MEAN, WE GENERALLY READ OUR ORDINANCE, HAVE TWO MEETINGS WHERE WE READ OUR ORDINANCES, AND THEN WE VOTE ON THOSE. OKAY. SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO CLEAR THAT WITH EVERYONE AND MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT. AND SO IF THERE'S NO COMMENTS FROM UP HERE ON THE PODIUM, THEN I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO MISS RUTH AND WE'LL MOVE DOWN THE AGENDA. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. GOOD EVENING. THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS ON

[00:30:04]

THAT REALLY APPLIES TO THE APPLICATION PROCESS. WE ALSO REDEFINED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PLACEMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATION FACILITIES IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, WHICH YOU CAN FIND ON PAGE FOUR. OH, WE ADDED A PARAGRAPH TO ADDRESS THE SETBACK FOR MONOPOLE TOWERS.

THIS LANGUAGE WAS GIVEN TO US BY DAVID DYER, THE CONSULTANT FOR ALL NEW CELL TOWERS. AND LASTLY, WE UPDATE, AS I SAID, UPDATED APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR PLACEMENT OF NEW FACILITIES ON PAGES 7 TO 12. THESE WERE IN THE OLD UDO AND NEEDED IN ALL ORDINANCE AND NEED TO BE TRANSFERRED BACK INTO THE NEW ORDINANCE. THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS AND PLANNING COMMISSION HAD A 4 TO 0 VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT. OKAY, IT IS THE FIRST READING AND VOTE ELIGIBLE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS, MISS RUTH? OKAY. HEARING NONE, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. SO THIS IS WHERE WE GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST. SO IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AGAINST THIS AMENDMENT FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS ANTENNAS AND TOWERS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORWARD. OKAY. IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT IS IN SUPPORT OF THAT AMENDMENT, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORWARD. ALRIGHT.

HEARING NONE, THIS IS THE FIRST READING. IT IS VOTE ELIGIBLE. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

JUST READING A LITTLE BIT. JUST A MINUTE. MR. CHAIR. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TAKE A LITTLE TIME AND READ THROUGH THIS ONE. I SECOND THAT, OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OH, NEXT ONE IS THE TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE UDO ITSELF. WHILE REVIEWING THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, IT IS FOUND THAT SOME CHANGES WILL NEED TO BE MADE. THE SPACE DIMENSIONS TABLE. WE UPDATED THE REFERENCE NUMBERS TO MATCH THE LANGUAGE THAT'S BELOW THE TABLE. AND ALSO REDEFINE THE ROAD FRONTAGE REQUIREMENTS. WE WENT BACK TO THE OLD UDO AND CORRECTED THOSE ROAD FRONTAGE REQUIREMENTS. THE SETBACK REQUIREMENTS. OKAY, THE NEXT ONE IS THE PERMITTED USE CHART. WE DID A FURTHER SPLIT ON THE SELF STORAGE INTO TWO CATEGORIES, WHICH IS THE PERSONAL SELF STORAGE UNITS AND RECREATIONAL VEHICLE SLASH BOAT STORAGE. WE'VE PLACED THEM IN LIMITED COMMERCIAL AND INTO HEAVY COMMERCIAL. AND THEN ALSO ON THE RECREATIONAL BOAT STORAGE, WE ADDED IT INTO LIGHT INDUSTRIAL. SO THEY HAVE THREE DIFFERENT ZONING DISTRICTS THAT THEY GO INTO. AT ONE POINT, EVERYTHING WAS ON THE SELF STORAGE AND IT DID NOT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. SO WE SPLIT IT OUT ON THE LIVESTOCK SECTION. WE HAVE SOME TYPOS. WE CORRECTED THOSE. OKAY. AND ON THE COMMERCIAL USES, WE ADDED SUPPLEMENTAL REGULATIONS THAT WILL GOVERN WILDLIFE GAME PROCESSING. UNDER SECTION 10.15, WE ADDED PUBLIC OR PRIVATE AGRITOURISM DIRECTIONAL SIGNS.

LANGUAGE. AND LASTLY, IN THE DEFINITIONS, WE ADD THE DEFINITION OF BREAKPOINT TECHNOLOGY. WHILE GAME PROCESSING. I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER ONE AND SEWERAGE SYSTEM.

THIS IS THE FIRST READING AND IT IS VOTE ELIGIBLE. MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M GOING TO MAKE A

[00:35:05]

I, I AGREE WITH YOU. THAT'S GOOD. AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY APPROVED IN THE UDL WHEN IT WENT THROUGH. WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO TAKE BABY STEPS WHEN SOME OF THESE THINGS CAME UP.

YEAH. OKAY. SO THANK YOU. AND WE, WE NEED TO DO THE PUBLIC HEARING. DOUG, THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME. YOU'RE WELCOME. I KNOW WE'LL IT IS I UNDERSTAND YOU COME ON, COME ON. YEAH. WHY DON'T YOU COME OUT SO THAT THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY WE GIVE EVERYONE TO SPEAK? THAT'S FOR OR AGAINST. SO I'M GOING TO OPEN UP WITH THOSE THAT ARE AGAINST AND ALLOW MR. DOUG ROBERTS TO MAKE HIS COMMENTS FOR US. IT IS THIS ONE. YES. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. AND THEN ARE WE GOING TO GET TO TALK ABOUT THE. I'D LOVE TO GIVE YOU A MAP IF YOU COULD, A LITTLE LATER ON, IF YOU COULD PULL THIS UP. JUST TO CLARIFY, REITERATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT. THE POWER LINE IS NOT REALLY CONDUCIVE TO HELP PEOPLE VISUALIZE WHERE THINGS ARE. IT'S ZONING OVERLAYED WITH THE AQUIFER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR DATA CENTERS. YES.

NEXT. ARE WE. YEAH, THAT THAT'LL BE THE DATA. THAT'LL BE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.

YEAH. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. YEAH. RIGHT NOW WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THIS RIGHT NOW. YEAH, YEAH. DOUG, IF YOU WILL, YOU HAVE TO. THE CAMERAS AND ALL ARE ON US. PEOPLE AT HOME WATCHING. YEAH. BUT THEY THE ONES THAT WANT TO HEAR IT SO THEY CAN, THEY'LL, THAT'S ALRIGHT. THAT'S, I'LL, I'LL, I WILL DEFINITELY. OKAY. MY NAME IS DOUG ROBERTS. I LIVE ON THE GRAY HILL SCHOOL ROAD. I RUN RABBIT FARMS. I HAVE A NONPROFIT CALLED THE GRAY HILL SCHOOL FARM, WHERE WE HELP PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO BETTER THEIR LIVES WITH, WHETHER IT'S SEWING OR AGRICULTURE, OR PROVIDE COMPOST AND SEEDS AND JUST HELP PEOPLE TO. I'M A PROPONENT OF LIVESTOCK AND GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD AND BEING MORE RESILIENT AND KEEPING THE ZONING WHERE IT IS. AND YOU SAID SOME THINGS THAT DISTRESSED ME A WHILE AGO, SO WE'LL GET TO THAT LATER. ALL RIGHT. TEN HENS. IS LUDICROUS. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT EGGS FOR YOUR FAMILY, YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THREE ACRES, MAN. AIN'T NOBODY EVEN GOING TO HEAR YOU. ROOSTER ON THREE ACRES. COME ON. SO THAT'S UP THAT SIGNIFICANTLY AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. GIVE ME A RECOMMENDATION. LET'S SEE. YOU HAD THREE DIFFERENT WHAT ARE THE THREE CATEGORIES OF FOUR CATEGORIES. HOW MANY ACRES YOU BROKE IT DOWN INTO 3 OR 4 DIFFERENT. THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO LOOK AT IT. YEAH. IT'S THREE ACRES OR GREATER. THREE ACRES ARE GREATER. NO RESTRICTIONS ON THIS TYPE. OKAY. VERY COOL. OKAY. GO TO THE TWO ACRES OR ONE, TWO, THREE. LOVE IT. OKAY. LOTS. 1 TO 3 ACRES. SMALL LIVESTOCK SUCH AS HENS, RABBITS, GOATS, SHEEP AND MINIATURE PIGS MAY BE KEPT NO MORE THAN EIGHT LIVESTOCK TOTAL AND SHALL BE PERMITTED IN PROPERTY THIS SIZE AND RANGE. NO MORE THAN TEN HENS, SO 1 TO 3 ACRES. SO YOU GOT MORE THAN TWO ACRES? ONE ACRE. MY GOD, MAN, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE JUST SOMETHING TO

[00:40:03]

THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO CONTINUE. IF Y'ALL LET ME ASK THIS REAL QUICK. THIS IS A LARGE ROOM. WE, WE HAVE A PRACTICE OF. PEOPLE CAN COME FORTH AND SPEAK. IT'LL BE MUCH BETTER IF EVERYONE WOULD COME TO THE FRONT AND MAKE. BECAUSE THEY'RE RECORDED, THEN IT'S NOT JUST THAT WE WANT TO FOLLOW MY RULE, BUT WE'RE RECORDING THE THE SPEECHES NOW. SO THANK YOU. AND I'LL GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE BACK. YES, SIR. Y'ALL WANT TO COME BY AND LET ME KNOW? OKAY.

THANK YOU. AND WE'LL DO THAT ALSO. YES, SIR. DOUG, IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A RECOMMENDATION OF 1 TO 3 ACRES. ALRIGHT. 200. THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU GO. THAT'S WHY WE GOT IT. LET'S MOVE ON BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT THIS THING. LET ME RUN THE MEETING. I'LL BE AT HIGH, I CAN'T. ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. THAT WILL WE, WE WILL TAKE THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION. NOW IF ANYONE IN THE BACK THAT RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORWARD AND GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. YES, MA'AM. MY NAME IS CAROLINE LANGFORD. I LIVE IN TROUP COUNTY, ALSO OUT IN THE GRAY HILL AREA. I LIVE OPPOSITE THE INTERSTATE THERE ON SANDTOWN ROAD, WHICH IS A DEAD END. THE OTHER SIDE OF WARNER ROAD, GABBYL ROAD AREA. OKAY. I'VE GOT 40 ACRES OF LAND. I HAVE SHEEP, CHICKENS, TURKEYS, RABBITS. SOMETIMES I HAVE QUAIL, I HAVE DIFFERENT ANIMALS. I ALSO OWN A HORSE. OKAY, SO YOU'RE GOING TO TELL ME THAT I CAN ONLY HAVE TEN HANDS ON 40 ACRES OF LAND? YOU KNOW, MY ANIMALS FREE RANGE DURING THE DAY. MY CHICKENS DO. THEY'RE LOCKED UP AT NIGHT BECAUSE WE HAVE COYOTES. IF YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE HAWKS COME OUT, THE CHICKENS KNOW TO RUN AND HIDE. BUT I'M TELLING YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE TEN HENS, YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO GET SIX EGGS ON AVERAGE. IF YOU GET SIX EGGS AND IN THE WINTER TIME YOU MAY NOT GET TWO EGGS FROM TEN HENS.

NOW, WHETHER YOU GOT A ROOSTER OR NOT, AND YOU'RE REPRODUCING, I UNDERSTAND ON AN ACRE OF LAND, YOU'VE GOT A NEIGHBOR RIGHT UP ON YOU. YOU DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO A ROOSTER CROWING AT 4:00 IN THE MORNING. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHEN YOU OWN 2 OR 3 ACRES OF LAND, THAT OUGHT NOT BE A PROBLEM. IF IT IS, MOVE YOUR ROOSTER. MOVE YOUR PEN SOMEWHERE ELSE. LET'S BE REASONABLE PEOPLE. BUT YOU'RE SAYING THERE I CAN ONLY HAVE EIGHT SHEEP OR EIGHT GOATS.

I MEAN, IF YOU'VE GOT TWO. TWO DOZ AND THEY HAVE TWINS EACH, YOU GOTTA SELL YOUR DOZ. YOU GOTTA SELL SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU'RE OUT OF WHAT YOU'RE PERMITTING. THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE. YOU FEED YOUR FAMILY, YOU'RE FEEDING YOUR NEIGHBORS. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A PICNIC OR A HOLIDAY, COME ON PEOPLE, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL. OKAY, WELL, THAT ONE RIGHT THERE SAYS THREE OR MORE ACRES. TEN. THREE MORE. THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.

THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO CONTINUE BEFORE WE STARTED ALL THIS. I MEAN, AM I MAKING SENSE OR AM I JUST THE ONE THAT'S CRAZY HERE? NO, YOU MAKE SENSE. BUT YOU GOT TO EXPLAIN TO WHERE THEY ARE ON THE STREET. THAT'S AWESOME. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND. WELL, SOME PEOPLE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH THAT THEY CAN AFFORD TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND BUY EVERYTHING, BUT I'M NOT. WE LIVE ON SOCIAL SECURITY AT MY HOUSE, SO WE RAISE OUR FOOD, WE RAISE OUR EGGS, WE RAISE OUR VEGETABLES, WE RAISE MOST OF OUR MEAT. SO YOU GUYS NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT BEFORE Y'ALL START PUTTING A WHOLE LOT OF LIMITS ON PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE THAT WANT TO SPEAK? I'VE KIND OF I THINK I'M IN THE AGAINST SECTION. SO IF YOU'RE SPEAKING FOR OR AGAINST JUST JUST SOME CLARIFICATION. OKAY.

THANK YOU, MISS RUTH AND ALL YOU GUYS FOR THE JOB. YOU DO THESE DRAFTS, AS YOU SAID, YOU GUYS, THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING THEM UNDER ADVISEMENT AND READING THROUGH THEM BEFORE YOU VOTE ON THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S COMMON SENSE AND THAT'S NOT THAT COMMON ANYMORE. BUT BACK UP. I'M GREG FETTNER, I LIVE IN GRAY HILL, ALSO NEIGHBORS OF DOUG OVER THERE.

[00:45:03]

THE DRAFTS OF THESE NOTICES ARE WHERE ARE THEY AVAILABLE FOR US? TO REVIEW THEM ALONGSIDE YOU, SO THAT WE COULD VOICE TO OUR INDIVIDUAL CHAIRPERSONS OUR THOUGHTS. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU ASKED DOUG FOR A RECOMMENDATION. YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET THAT TO YOU GUYS. Y'ALL TAKE THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING THROUGH IT AND DISCUSS IT. IS THERE IS THAT AVAILABLE TO US ONLINE OR THESE ARE ACTUALLY PUBLISHED ON THE AGENDA, MISS VALERIE SHOWING YOU, I GUESS, OR JAMES IS OKAY, SO YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND GET THE, THE MARKED UP VERSIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE AND YOU CAN READ THROUGH THEM AND, AND CALL AND TALK TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT IT. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. YES. OH, IF COULD YOU PLEASE, PLEASE. I KNOW YOU GAVE US YOUR NAME, BUT I THINK YOU SAID. GREAT. HIRO, CAN YOU GIVE US THE NAME AND THE ADDRESS FOR THE. GREG VENTNER, 424 GRAY HILL SCHOOL ROAD. OKAY. THANK YOU SIR. ALL RIGHT. AGAIN, I THINK I'M IN THE AGAINST COLUMN. ALRIGHT. ANYONE ELSE WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK AGAINST. RIGHT. ANYONE THEY'D LIKE TO SPEAK FOR. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. AND LET ME SAY THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR, FOR GIVING US YOUR OPINIONS. THAT'S HOW WE WRITE THESE THINGS. SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING TO THAT. AND WE WILL GO BACK AND, AND CONSIDER WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.

I THINK I HAD AN EARLY EMOTION THAT WE MAKE A MOTION THAT WE CONTINUE THIS. ALRIGHT. CAN WE JUST GET IT THIS AFTERNOON? AND SO I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE IT. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.

OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. SO WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU ALL A LITTLE LATER. DATE WITH NUMBER OF SHEEP, HENS, ROOSTERS. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SIR. LET US KNOW ABOUT THE. THAT'S. THAT'S THE PLAN. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. MR. AUSTIN, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE NEXT ITEM. DATA CENTERS. SO DRAFT AMENDS THE TROUP COUNTY UDO TO ESTABLISH COMPREHENSIVE ZONING REGULATIONS, SUPPLEMENTAL USE STANDARDS AND DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR DATA CENTERS, CRYPTOCURRENCY MINING FACILITIES, AND DATA MINING FACILITIES WITHIN UNINCORPORATED TROUP COUNTY. I WANT TO FIRST START OFF BY SAYING THAT WE SEPARATED THE SIZE OF THESE DATA CENTERS, SMALL BEING LESS THAN 5000FT■!S OF FLOOR SPACE, AVERAGE BEING 5000 TO 100,000FT OF FLOOR SPACE, AND HYPERSCALE BEING 100,000FT■!S OR MORE. AGAIN, THESE CLASSIFICATIONS WILL ENCOMPASS DATA CENTERS, CRYPTOCURRENCY FACILITIES, AS WELL AS DATA MINING FACILITIES. ALL THREE TYPES OF FACILITIES ARE CLASSIFIED AS INDUSTRIAL USES AND REQUIRE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SMALL SCALE FACILITIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SPECIAL USE APPROVAL IN BOTH LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND HEAVY INDUSTRIAL.

AVERAGE AND HYPERSCALE FACILITIES ARE RESTRICTED TO THE HEAVY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.

ONLY SOME KEY DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. MINIMUM PARCEL SIZE FOR ALL FACILITIES, 25 ACRES.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITIES ALL FACILITIES MUST BE CONNECTED TO PUBLIC WATER FOR SEWER SYSTEMS. PUBLIC SANITARY SEWER IS PREFERRED. AVERAGE AND HYPERSCALE FACILITIES MUST CONNECT TO PUBLIC SEWER IF AVAILABLE. A DECENTRALIZED SEWER SYSTEM MAY BE PERMITTED THROUGH A SPECIAL USE PROCESS ONLY WHEN PUBLIC SEWER IS NOT REASONABLY AVAILABLE, AND SMALL SCALE, SMALL SCALE FACILITIES MAY USE DECENTRALIZED SYSTEMS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. POWER AS YOU STATED BEFORE, POWER GOES THROUGH THE POWER COMPANIES. THEY. WE DO REQUIRE APPROVAL FROM THE POWER COMPANY STATING THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SUPPLY THEM WITH POWER BEFORE THEY ARE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THE BUILDING PERMIT BUILDING AND DESIGN. SITE DESIGN. MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS 75FT. SETBACKS 300FT FROM ALL PROPERTY LINES FOR ALL PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS, ACCESSORY STRUCTURES, UTILITY SUBSTATIONS AND 150FT FROM PUBLIC ROADS OR RIGHT OF WAYS FOR PARKING LOTS. SENSITIVE RECEPTORS ALL STRUCTURES MUST BE PLACED A MINIMUM OF 1500 LINEAR FEET FROM SENSITIVE RECEPTORS. THAT INCLUDES RESIDENCES, SCHOOLS, DAYCARES, HOSPITALS AND PLACES OF WORSHIP PARKS. ALL STRUCTURES MUST BE ORIENTED TO MINIMIZE VISUAL IMPACT FROM PUBLIC STREET AND SENSITIVE RECEPTOR AREAS, AND MUST INCORPORATE APPROPRIATE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. AS FAR AS NOISE LEVEL GOES, COMMUNITY NOISE LEVEL IS CAPPED AT 60DB AT SENSITIVE RECEPTOR PROPERTY BOUNDARIES AND 70DB AT NON SENSITIVE RECEPTOR BOUNDARIES. BACKUP GENERATORS WILL BE LIMITED TO TESTING FROM 9 A.M.

TO 5 P.M. ON WEEKDAYS, AND A QUARTERLY NOISE ASSESSMENT REPORT BY AN INDEPENDENT, INDEPENDENT ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT IS REQUIRED. BUFFER SCREENING AND LANDSCAPING 300 FOOT VEGETATIVE BUFFER REQUIRED ADJACENT TO SENSITIVE RECEPTORS. 75 FOOT BUFFER FOR NON

[00:50:03]

DECOMMISSIONING IS TRIGGERED WHEN A FACILITY CEASES PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS FOR 180 CONTINUOUS DAYS. SMALL SCALE FACILITIES ARE REQUIRED TO POST A ARE NOT REQUIRED TO POST A BOND BY DEFAULT, BUT THE COUNTY MAY REQUIRE DECOMMISSIONING PLAN AND ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL ASSURANCE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. VIOLATION ENFORCEMENT. WE PULLED THIS FROM THE UDO CONSTITUTES THAT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICE MAY ISSUE STOP WORK WORK ORDERS WITHOUT, WITHOUT HOLD OR SUSPEND BUILDING PERMITS AND WITHHOLD CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY OR COMPLETION. REPEATED OR MATERIAL NONCOMPLIANCE MAY RESULT IN MODIFICATION, SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF APPROVALS, AND THEN THE DEFINITIONS THAT WERE ADDED FOR THIS ORDINANCE UNDER THE UDO WOULD BE THE AVERAGE TECHNOLOGICAL FACILITY, COMMUNITY NOISE EQUIVALENT LEVEL CRYPTOCURRENCY, CRYPTOCURRENCY, MINING, CRYPTOCURRENCY MINING FACILITY, DATA CENTER, DATA CENTER, ACCESSORY USE, DATA MINING, DATA MINING FACILITY, ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION, FULL BUILD OUT, HYPERSCALE TECHNOLOGICAL FACILITY, PHASING PLAN. SMALL SCALE TECHNOLOGICAL FACILITY, SENSITIVE RECEPTORS AND UTILITY SUBSTATIONS. ANY QUESTIONS? I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. YEAH. IN JUST A MOMENT WE'LL GET TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO AT THIS MOMENT FOR THE COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE? AUSTIN, DID I THE HYPERSCALE IS THAT 100,000FT■!S, THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OR MORE OR MORE? AUSTIN, WHAT PAGE WAS GOING THROUGH AND I, I CALLED IT, BUT WHAT PAGE ARE YOU ON WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WATER AND THE SEWAGE. AND JUST GOING THROUGH. I SAW IT AND I WAS WANTING TO YOU WOULD BE LOOKING FOR PAGE NUMBER FOUR. OKAY. STARTS JUST ABOUT AT THE TOP. IS THAT IS THAT. SPECIFIC ON CITY WATER, LIKE IN IN SEWAGE SYSTEM? LIKE I SAID, NOT A SEPTIC SYSTEM, BUT A. CITY SEWAGE TYPE SYSTEM IS THAT, IS THAT STATED LIKE THAT? OR IS IT LIKE A SEPTIC SYSTEM? OR MAYBE IF YOU PUT A DRILL WELL IN, YOU COULD HAVE WATER LIKE THAT. I WANT ALL OF THAT ELIMINATED. I WANT IT TO BE ON A CITY WATER AND CITY SEWAGE. IS THAT STATED LIKE FOR WATER IS. IT IS STATED THAT. FOR WATER IS STATED THAT ALL FACILITIES MUST BE CONNECTED TO A PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIER. WELL IS NOT. AND YOU GOT THAT FOR SEWAGE TOO INCORRECT. WE HAVE SEWAGE IS WE ALLOW FOR A DECENTRALIZED SEWER SYSTEM. YOU MAY NEED TO PUT IT IN LAYMAN'S WORDS WHERE EVERYBODY WILL UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW. SO WHEN YOU GET READY TO EMBARK. OKAY. AND THEN I HAD SOMETHING ELSE THAT WHEN YOU WENT BY, I WANTED SPECIFIC, LIKE WHAT IS JOINING IN? I MENTIONED LIKE THE HOUSES OR WHATEVER COULD BE NEXT TO IT.

AND I FORGOT WHERE IT WAS AT. BUT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IT AND WE'LL. SO FROM THE HOUSES IS WHAT WE CATEGORIZE AS SENSITIVE RECEPTOR RIGHT. SETBACK REQUIREMENTS ARE 1500 LINEAR SQUARE FEET FROM LINEAR FEET FROM A SENSITIVE RECEPTOR, WHICH INCLUDES THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, PLACES OF WORSHIP HOSPITALS. AND IS THAT STATED IN. I COULDN'T SEE WHERE HE WAS NAMING THOSE THINGS OFF THOSE UNSTATED BOTTOM ON PAGE 22. I GOT THIS KIND OF LANGUAGE I WANT WITH SIMPLE WHERE YOU CAN READ IT IN. I KNOW I'M A GRADUAE FOR IT TO BE SIMPLE AND

[00:55:07]

OKAY. I JUST WANT TO GET OUT AND VISUALIZE THAT. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? TO THE HOUSE. AND THAT IS IN JUST A MOMENT. WE'LL ASK EVERYONE TO COME UP AND GET IN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THAT'S ALRIGHT. I'LL DO THAT. OKAY? OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? ALRIGHT. HEARING NONE THEN THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING. PUBLIC HEARING. SO I'LL GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY. LET'S DO IT THIS WAY THIS TIME. ANYONE IN SUPPORT, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. ALRIGHT. HEARING NONE THEN, IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT LIKE TO COME AND SPEAK IN, SPEAK AGAINST ANY OF THE THESE RULES PROPOSED ORDINANCES, THEN YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORTH AND GIVE THOSE IF YOU'LL GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. HI, GUYS. CINDY HUTCHINGS 912 SOUTH WILLOW CREST WAY. I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW THAT BY NOW. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WILLING TO WORK WITH US. I MEAN, GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND SERIOUSLY, THESE GUYS HAVE WORKED WITH US AND I DO NOT BELIEVE ANY OF YOU ARE ON THE TAKE. SO CLEAR THAT UP RIGHT NOW. GET A HAND FOR THAT.

YEAH, PLEASE DESERVE IT. THEY DESERVE IT. WON'T GET MUCH. THE ONLY COMMENTS I REALLY HAVE ON THE ORDINANCES, WHICH YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB ON, YOU GUYS REALLY DID LISTEN TO US AND I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB. YOUR ORDINANCES ARE MUCH STRONGER THAN CITY OF LAGRANGE, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE 1500 FOOT SETBACK CHANGE TO 1500 FOOT SETBACK FROM THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY LINE, RATHER THAN JUST THE ACTUAL RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE ON THE PROPERTY LINE OR SENSITIVE RECEPTOR STRUCTURE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE A RETURN BACK TO THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING PLAN THAT HAD THE REQUIREMENT FOR HYPERSCALE TO BE ON CITY SEWER, AND ALSO STILL PUSHING FOR THAT BAN CRYPTO ENTIRELY. AND I DO HAVE SOME MORE ORDINANCES THAT ARE ACTUALLY CURRENTLY BEING USED IN MUNICIPALITIES IN GEORGIA AND GEORGIA THAT I CAN SEND YOU FOR THAT, THAT ARE IN EFFECT AND ARE HOLDING UP LEGALLY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO DO A BIT OF A REBUTTAL ON COMMISSIONER CREWS, WHAT YOU STATED ABOUT YOUR PHONE. WE NEED DATA CENTERS BECAUSE OF OUR PHONES. WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT HERE TONIGHT, THE REASON THIS IS ALL HAPPENING IS BECAUSE OF DATA, BECAUSE OF HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS. AND THOSE ARE MONSTROUS FACILITIES, THE LIKES OF WHICH, YOU KNOW, GEORGIA HAD REALLY NEVER SEEN BEFORE UNTIL THE LAST FEW YEARS.

THEY'RE THE ONES THAT REQUIRE AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF POWER AND IMMENSE AMOUNT OF, IN SOME CASES, WATER, DEPENDING ON THE COOLING SYSTEM USED, THEY REQUIRE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT GREATLY DAMAGES THE SURROUNDING AREA FOR MILES AND MILES AROUND. SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND THE HYPERSCALERS ARE BEING BUILT PREDOMINANTLY TO TRAIN AND INFER ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. SO IT'S REALLY A VERY DIFFERENT ANIMAL THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. SO TONIGHT I'M GOING TO BE READING FROM TWO DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS ACTUALLY COUNTY DOCUMENTS, THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE. UDO IS A REGULATORY DOCUMENT THAT COMBINES VARIOUS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS INTO A SINGLE COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK.

AND ALSO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. THE TROUP COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS TO BE USED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND POLICY STANDARDS FOR FUTURE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND ANYBODY IN THE COUNTY CAN PULL THESE UP ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE. AND AUSTIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING ME LOCATE THAT TONIGHT. OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN STATES TROUP COUNTY IS A VIBRANT COMMUNITY THAT PROMOTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BALANCED GROWTH, PROTECTS NATURAL, CULTURAL AND

[01:00:06]

THEN WE HAVE SECTION B16 RELATIONSHIP TO COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND CHARACTER MAP. THIS IS WHAT TIES IT ALL TOGETHER. THE TROUP COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, CONSISTING OF THE CHARACTER AREA MAP, IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED AS THE OFFICIAL POLICY OF THE COUNTY CONCERNING FUTURE LAND USES AND SHALL SERVE AS A GUIDE REGARDING THE APPROPRIATE MANNER IN WHICH PROPERTY SHALL BE ZONED IN THE COUNTY. NO REZONING OF PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY SHALL BE DONE IN A MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH THE CHARACTER, AREA, MAP AND RELATED POLICIES OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SO AT THIS STAGE, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE CHARACTER AREA MAP SHOWS THAT THE AREA BETWEEN WHITEVILLE, BARTLEY AND HAMILTON ROAD, SOUTH OF 85 IS LISTED AS SUBURBAN MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY IN THE CHARACTER AREA MAP. SO SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL. SO THEN IN SECTION B24, SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT SAYS THAT THIS ZONING DISTRICT IS INTENDED PRIMARILY FOR MEDIUM DENSITY, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL USES WHERE OVERALL DENSITIES ARE ALLOWED TO BE SERVICED BY SEPTIC SYSTEMS, INDIVIDUAL WELLS AND OR COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS. SO SINCE HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS REQUIRE SO MUCH ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE BUILD OUT OVER AND ABOVE A TYPICAL, EVEN A TYPICAL INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION, MANY MUNICIPALITIES HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT THEY GO INTO HEAVY INDUSTRIAL ZONING, WHICH I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED WITH YOU GUYS, AND YOU HAVE THAT IN YOUR CURRENT ORDINANCE DRAFT. SO LET'S SEE WHAT WE HAVE UNDER THAT HEAVY INDUSTRIAL ZONING CATEGORY, PURPOSE AND INTENT. THIS ZONING DISTRICT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED FOR HEAVY INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING USES IN THE COUNTY THAT ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE LOCATED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS. KEY POINT THERE, SUCH AS A SUBURBAN AREA. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, BASED ON OUR OWN UDO AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, OUR FUTURE PLAN FOR OUR COUNTY FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS, I BELIEVE IT IS. THAT WAS APPROVED JUST LAST YEAR. HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS DO NOT BELONG IN TROUP COUNTY. THANK YOU. DON'T BELONG HERE. IF YOU DON'T MIND. DOUG, ONE MORE TIME FOR THE RECORD. NAME AND ADDRESS. MY NAME IS DOUG ROBERTS. I LIVE AT 279 GRAY HILL SCHOOL ROAD AND WEST POINT, GEORGIA 31833. IS THAT WHAT YOU NEEDED? THAT'S IT. ALRIGHT. HI. WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE OUR FIRST TIME WE TALKED LATELY. ACTUALLY. HE GAVE ME A LOAN THE FIRST TIME. WE TALKED WAY BACK WHEN HE WAS A BANK MANAGER AND HE PAID IT BACK. THAT WAS GREAT. I PAID IT BACK. CAN WE GET THAT MAP UP? JAMES, PLEASE DON'T SAY NO. PLEASE. IT'S IT'S A IT'S A IT'S A U. OH. WHAT YOU GAVE HIM A WHILE AGO. IS THIS A MAP OF REAL QUICK? WHAT WHAT IS THIS, A MAP OF THE. IT IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE JUST SAID. IT'S YOUR YOUR ZONING MAP. OH, OKAY. YOU WANT THE STATE. I MEAN, LIKE

[01:05:01]

CHARACTERISTIC. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. YOU WANT THE WHOLE COUNTY? YES, SIR. WE HAVE. OKAY.

WE COMPILED, WE COMPILED AN OVERLAY OF THE AQUIFERS. YEAH. THE PROPOSED. AS PUBLISHED IN THE PAPER. THE PROPOSED WHERE THE POWER LINE IS GOING AND THE ON TOP OF YOUR ZONING MAP, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS WHICH HE JUST MENTIONED HERE. AND SO IT'S, IT'S JUST A, A COMPILATION KIND OF SHOWS EVERYBODY WHERE THINGS ARE AND IT WILL SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THERE WAS A LOT OF ROSY SHIVERS RODE ON GRAY HILL AND IT WAS BARTLEY ROAD IN GRAY HILL. DIDN'T REALLY QUITE TOUCH THE BARTLEY ROAD. ROSY ROAD WAS A LITTLE LUCRATIVE BECAUSE UNLESS YOU GUYS PUT A POWER LINE AND IT WOULD SHOW THAT THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO GO. WHAT WE'RE MORE CONCERNED WITH THERE IS THE PROXIMITY TO LAGRANGE AND WEST POINT THAT COULD COME OVER THE HIGHWAY INTO GRAY HILL, INTO OUR AQUIFER, INTO OUR LANDFILL. THAT'S THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE STIRRED BY YOUR YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR ZONING PLANNING GUY SAID, IF YOU, IF YOU DISTURB THE OLD LANDFILL, THAT IT'S A LOT OF TROUBLE. AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE RICK SCOTT AND JAMES THREAD THRILL, THRILL, KILL AS OUR TWO COMMISSIONERS FOR GRAY HILL. AND BOTH OF Y'ALL ARE. WHAT IS THE WATER BOARD THING THAT Y'ALL ARE ON FOR THE STATE OR THE REGION? YOU GUYS WERE ON A COMMITTEE FOR WATER. WHAT IS. COME ON NOW. WE'RE NOT ON THAT. YEAH, I HADN'T BEEN THERE. NO. NO WATER COMMISSIONER NO WATER BOARD, WATER BOARD, THE WATER BOARD. AND YOU GUYS ARE ON. YEAH, WE'RE NOT ON IT. WE'RE NOT ON THE WATER BOARD. WERE YOU EVER ON IT? NO, CUZ IT WAS MY INFORMATION THAT YOU WERE. OKAY. WELL, I WENT ON THE WATER BOARD. ALRIGHT. OKAY. DID YOU EMAIL HIM THAT I CAN'T SEND IT FROM YOUR PHONE, BUT DOUG, LET ME LET ME ASK YOU THIS. I MEAN, OUR ORDINANCE SAYS THAT THEY WOULD BE CONNECTED TO A CITY WATER OR MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM.

SO CAN YOU TIE THAT? IF YOU CAN. WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO TALK. CAN YOU TIE THAT TO THE AQUIFER? WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT AN AQUIFER? YES, YES. AND WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS A BETTER WAY TO DO THINGS. OKAY. WE HAVE ON THE TOP CORNER TOP UP THERE WHERE HOGANSVILLE IS, IS WHERE THE WATERSHED STARTS AS IT'S IN BLUE ON YOUR MAP, THE BLUE LINES, AND THEN IT COMES DOWN AND THERE'S SEVEN DIFFERENT AQUIFERS, BUT FOUR OF THEM ARE THE MAIN ONES. THAT GOES FROM BIG SPRINGS ALL THE WAY DOWN MOUNTAIN. BIG SPRINGS COMES DOWN THROUGH IT KIND OF SKIPS ROSEMONT, BUT IT'S STILL UNDERGROUND THERE, BUT THEN IT POPS BACK UP AT THE UPPER END OF GRAY HILL, AND THEN IT POPS BACK UP AT THE LOWER END, NORTH GRAY HILL AND SOUTH GRAY HILL, WHICH WE GOT THE TWO DIFFERENT COMMISSIONERS HERE FOR. AND THEN A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN. WELL, ON YOUR ZONING MAP, IT IS PREDOMINANTLY 99% OF IT IS EITHER AGRICULTURAL OR IT IS SINGLE USE, SINGLE FAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY OR AGRICULTURAL.

AND. YOU SAY THAT IF WEST POINT DOES IT, WE AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. YOU KNOW, IF LAGRANGE DOES IT, WE. SO, MISTER ATTORNEY, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO. INSTEAD OF THE LAST TIME I HEARD YOU SAY SOMETHING, IT'S LIKE I'VE NEVER. YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN. YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN. IT WAS AT THE GRAY HILL MEETING. THEY SAID, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF. I CAN TELL YOU I'VE NEVER. IT WASN'T IT WASN'T YOU. I'M SORRY, BUT IT. BUT YOU WOULD BE THE ONE TO HELP US OUT HERE. I'VE NEVER. THE QUOTE FROM WAS I'VE NEVER HEARD OF. IF A CITY TRIED TO INCORPORATE IN THE COUNTY, MIGHT'VE BEEN YOU, REX, THAT A CASE WHERE THE CITY DID NOT PREVAIL. NOW, WHETHER THAT'S TRUE OR NOT. SO WHAT TEETH DO WE HAVE TO KEEP THE. OKAY, I KNOW YOU'RE GIVING ME THAT QUIZZICAL LOOK. ALRIGHT. IF I HAD TO MAP, IT'D BE EASY. BOYS. I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU CAN'T PUT A DISK DRIVE IN AND PUT IT UP ON THE SCREEN. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT DO PEOPLE DO HERE WHEN HOW DO YOU BRING SOMETHING TO YOU? JUST SAY WE'RE GOING TO HEY, BUT WHAT? I THINK WE FOLLOW YOU. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CITY ANNEXING INTO THE COUNTY. OKAY, THAT'S YOUR QUESTION. WE GOT YOU. GO AHEAD. YEAH. SO BASICALLY 85 RUNS DOWN ON THE WEST SIDE OF 85 IS WHERE

[01:10:03]

THEY'RE GOING UP WARNER ROAD WITH THE MAIN. THAT CROOKED ROAD WITH A CURVE THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN RIDE ON THE MOTORCYCLE. YOU KNOW, YOU AND YOU GOTTA GO AND PUT A WATER LINE UP AND THERE'S A SWAMP THERE AND THERE'S A AND THERE'S A, A AN OLD DUMP THERE. AND SO MY IDEA IS YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO PUT A ROAD THROUGH THERE AT THE KEY INTERSECTION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. BUT I WANT TO KEEP INDUSTRIAL AND MULTI-USE RESIDENTIAL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIG APARTMENTS AND THINGS AND ANY INDUSTRIAL OUT OF THE AGRICULTURAL ZONES AND THE SINGLE USE ZONES THAT YOU'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED. BUT IT'S GOING TO IF WEST POINT IS PUTTING THAT WATER LINE UP THE WARNER ROAD TO THE NEW TRUCK STOP THING, TRUCK PARKING THING, I KNOW THERE'S BIGGER PLANS HERE AND DOWN THE ROAD. WE'D RATHER WORK WITH YOU THAN AGAINST YOU. WE WANT. BUT IF WE CAN HAVE A GREEN ZONE THAT THAT CROSSES WHERE THE RAY IS. RIGHT THERE. WHERE GRAY HILL AND ABBEVILLE ON EACH SIDE OF THE. SO IF WHATEVER INDUSTRIAL IS GOING TO PUT THERE, MAKE IT A VERY GREEN THING LIKE THE RAY AND THE ANDERSON'S ARE. I'M NOT.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM. SO. BUT IT'S ALREADY THERE. WE CAN GET A WHOLE BUNCH OF REALLY GOOD PUBLICITY IF WE SAY, OKAY, YEAH, WE'RE DOING THIS BIG LONG THING, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE RESIDENTS THERE AND THE AGRICULTURAL AND THE AND WE'RE GOING TO PROTECT OUR AQUIFERS. AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE LAKE, WE GO ALL THE WAY OVER THERE THROUGH GABBYL, AND THERE'S THIS HUGE 300 ACRE PARK DOWN THERE THAT USED TO BE. FOR CAMPING ONLY, AND THEY CLOSED IT DOWN. I MEAN, WE COULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE BEACH, YOU KNOW, FROM THE FROM THE TOP OF THE MAP WHERE THE WATERSHED IS ALL THE WAY THROUGH OUR AQUIFERS, ALL THE WAY TO THE BEACH. AND IF WE COULD MANAGE THAT SUSTAINABLY AND ETHICALLY, I THINK WE'D GET BIG POINTS FOR OUR COUNTY. DOUG, LET ME SAY, RESPECTFULLY, WE GOT TO CENTER THIS ON THE ORDINANCES TONIGHT FOR DATA CENTERS. WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SPEAK.

SO IF YOU CAN BRING IT TO THE THIS, I THINK YOU SHOULD MAKE A MOTION OR CONSIDER. FIRST OFF, ANYTHING CLOSE TO THE AQUIFER, SAY 5000FT FROM THE AQUIFER. ABSOLUTELY KNOW WHETHER IT'S A ANOTHER CITY COMES IN OR WHATEVER, OR DON'T SELL THAT LAND. DON'T GIVE IT TO THEM, YOU KNOW, FIND A WAY NOT TO GIVE IT TO THEM. MR. ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, WELL, LET ME SAY THAT WE HAVE A WATER REVIEW BOARD, AND IT MIGHT BE MOST APPROPRIATE THAT YOU COME AND TALK WITH THEM AT SOME POINT MORE ABOUT THIS. WELL, THEY WANT TO HEAR IT TOO. SORRY.

THEY WANT TO HEAR IT TOO. WELL, SORRY. OKAY. WELL, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER MEETING FOR THAT. BUT TONIGHT WE REALLY NEED WE'VE GOT TO. WEE WEE AT RESPECT TO EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, I, I KNOW I WE NORMALLY HAVE A THREE MINUTE RULE AND I DON'T TRY TO ENFORCE THAT, BUT WE'VE GOT OTHER PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SPEAK. AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET YOU TO THE RIGHT RESOURCE THAT COULD HELP YOU REAL QUICK HERE. FIVE FEET FOR THE AQUIFER, RIGHT. NOTHING INDUSTRIAL IN THE ACT. YOU KNOW, LET'S LET'S KEEP THE LINE THAT YOU DREW, YOU KNOW, FOR GRAY HILL AND GABBYL AND LET'S KEEP IT AND START PROMOTING THINGS

[01:15:03]

SO JUST BY CHANGING WHERE THE ENTRANCE SUPPOSEDLY IS. BASICALLY THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT IS SOMEHOW SOME WAY SOMETHING HAS GOT TO BE PUT IN PLACE THAT THESE, THESE TOWNS CAN'T JUST ARBITRARILY ANNEX AND DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO THERE. AND THERE IS SOME LEGISLATION BEING TALKED ABOUT AT THE STATE LEVEL. IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A STATE MATTER, BUT THERE HAS BEEN BEGUN TO BE SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, THAT ISSUE RIGHT THERE THAT YOU BROUGHT UP. HOW DO WE PUSH IT? CONTACT YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS. OKAY, THAT'S EASY TO DO. I GOT A BIG MOUTH. WE CAN HELP YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS AMELIA SHERIDAN. I LIVE AT 1649 HINES ROAD. I DON'T HAVE A COMMENT, BUT MORE SO A REQUEST FOR CLARITY BEFORE THE READING OF THE ORDINANCE. YOU MADE AN INTRODUCTION, AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO PENDING APPLICATIONS WITH TROUP COUNTY FOR DATA CENTERS. IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE MOST WELCOME. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE ON THE ORDINANCES. AGAIN, AS CINDY SPOKE, THEY ARE STRONGER THAN WHAT THE CITY HAS PROPOSED. WE DO APPRECIATE THAT AS I LIVE IN UNINCORPORATED TROUP COUNTY. MY NAME IS LESLIE SIMS. I LIVE AT 336 BIRCH CHAPEL ROAD WITH MY HUSBAND, COREY. WE RESIDE IN THE GRAY HILL AND ROSEMONT COMMUNITY. SOME OF WHAT I'M SAYING YOU'VE ALREADY COVERED. I APPRECIATE THAT. I'M GOING TO SAY IT ANYWAY BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT IT IN THE FUTURE AND. AND ANY TIME THAT YOU MAY BE IN A REZONING STATE OR WHY WE NEED TO KEEP THESE ORDINANCES STRONG. A LOT OF YEARS OF PLANNING WENT INTO BUILDING OUR FOREVER HOME IN THIS AREA, AND WE DIDN'T BUILD IT WITH THE INTENTION OF SELLING IT ONE DAY. THE TOUCHES OF OUR HOME HIGHLIGHT OUR FAMILY HERITAGE AND REPRESENT MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF OUR FAMILY THAT HAVE LIVED IN LAGRANGE AND TROUP COUNTY. MY FIREPLACE HEARTH IS BUILT WITH BRICKS FROM THE WEST POINT MILL WHERE MY FAMILY WORKED. MY MANTEL IS FROM MY GRANDMOTHER, MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER'S BARN FOUNDATION BEAM, AND OUR STAIRCASE IS LINED WITH PHOTOS OF GRANDPARENTS AND ANCESTORS WHO WERE ALL PROUD RESIDENTS OF TROUP COUNTY. WE PUT A FAMILY BIBLE IN THE CENTRAL, MOST WALL

[01:20:01]

CAN YOU SEE IT? TAKE A SIP OF MY WATER. I CAN ONLY GET IT FROM THE WELL. IT'S COLD, CRISP AND CLEAN AND WE WANT TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. ALL OF THAT IS AT RISK BY DATA CENTERS, AND THE FEAR THAT WE HAVE IS SO LOUD IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN'T SLEEP. THEY HAVE A POTENTIAL TO CHANGE EVERYTHING ABOUT HOW WE LIVE. IF ORDINANCES ARE NOT KEPT STRONG ENOUGH NOISE, WE KNOW THEY PRODUCE NOISE. AND YOU'VE COVERED SOME OF THAT, BOTH HIGH AND LOW PITCHED. HUMS AND VIBRATIONS. A POLITICO ARTICLE FROM MARCH OF THIS YEAR HIGHLIGHTS NOISE POLLUTION AT A DATA CENTER IN STERLING, VIRGINIA, WHERE RESIDENTS WERE TOLD HOW BENEFICIAL THE DATA CENTER WOULD BE FOR THEIR TAX BURDENS AND TO INCREASE THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE. THOSE SAME RESIDENTS NOW ARE SUFFERING FROM INSOMNIA, HEADACHES, DEPRESSION AND RESPIRATORY ISSUES, WHICH HAVE ALL BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO THE NOISE AND VIBRATION FROM THAT DATA CENTER.

THE NOISE LEVEL EXCEEDS 90DB AND CAN CARRY FOR MILES. OSHA COMPARES THAT LEVEL OF NOISE TO THE SOUND OF A FREIGHT TRAIN. I DON'T WANT TO SIT ON MY PORCH AND HEAR THAT A HARVARD STUDY OF THAT SAME SITE ESTIMATES THAT RESIDENTS THERE WILL EXCEED $31 MILLION IN MEDICAL BILLS DUE TO THESE COMPLICATIONS. IN THIS YEAR, OUR ORDINANCES NEED TO BE STRONG AND THE DISTANCES NEED TO BE FARTHER. 1500 FEET FROM MY HOME IS NOT IS NOT FAR ENOUGH. I'M A RUNNER. 5280FT IS A MILE. GET IT FURTHER AWAY. WATER. WE KNOW DATA CENTERS NOT ONLY CONSUME COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF WATER FOR THEIR COOLING PROCESSES, THEY PUT CHEMICALS IN THERE TO MAINTAIN THEIR EQUIPMENT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ALGAE GROWTH AND OTHER GROWTH THAT PREVENT MOLD AND ALGAE AND THE ORDINANCES NEED TO, AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE SEWAGE, THEY CAN'T HAVE RUNOFF OR TREATED WATER THAT GOES INTO OUR STREAMS AND WETLANDS, ANYTHING THAT'S MADE TO KILL ALGAE AND MOLD PUT THAT INTO A STREAM. ALSO AT A HIGH TEMPERATURE. IT THROWS OFF THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM. THE BBC. YES.

THE BBC IS DOING AN ARTICLE ON WATER CONTAMINATION IN MANSFIELD, GEORGIA, USA, CAUSED BY A DATA CENTER FOR THESE VERY ORDINANCE. FOR THESE VERY REASONS, PLEASE PROTECT OUR WATER. I LIVE IN THE GRAY HILL COMMUNITY AMONG AQUIFERS AND ALSO NESTLED BETWEEN THREE CREEKS. CONTAMINATING AND DEPLETING GROUNDWATER IS FOREVER, AND IT'S IRREVERSIBLE.

IT'S WHAT WE DRINK BRUSH OUR TEETH WITH WATER. OUR GARDENS GIVE OUR CHILDREN, PETS AND LIVESTOCK. IN FIVE YEARS. I WANT TO SAY THAT YOU'D STILL COME HAVE A DRINK OF WATER OUT OF MY. OUT OF MY. WELL, WE LOVE OUR HOME IN OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE DO NOT. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT DATA CENTERS COULD CAUSE US TO LOSE NOT ONLY THE INVESTMENT OF OUR HOME, BUT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH COUNTLESS AMOUNTS OF RESEARCH TO SHOW THE DETRIMENT THAT DATA CENTERS HAVE HAD ON CITIES AND COUNTIES LIKE OURS. WHAT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH IS STATEMENTS FROM RESIDENTS NEAR DATA CENTERS WHO ARE GLAD THOSE DATA CENTERS WERE BUILT. I WASN'T ABLE TO FIND ONE ARTICLE OR STORY ABOUT A COMMUNITY WHERE THE VOICE OF THE CITIZENS PRAISED THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A DATA CENTER IN THEIR TOWN.

SHORT TERM TAX RELIEF IS NOT ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY FOREVER LEVELS OF DETRIMENT. DETRIMENT AGAINST THE WILL OF CONSTITUENTS. I ASK YOU TO REMEMBER TODAY, AND I'LL WRAP IT UP THAT EACH OF YOU ARE ELECTED BY YOUR FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND THE CITIZENS WHO PLACED YOU IN A POSITION OF TRUST TO UPHOLD OUR VALUES AND REPRESENT OUR VOICES. WE PREFER NO DATA CENTERS AT ALL, BUT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE REQUIREMENT FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT. THANK YOU FOR ANY DATA CENTERS, SIMILAR, OR PROJECTS SO THAT NOTHING CAN SLIP IN UNDETECTED. ALSO A STRONG SET OF ENFORCEABLE PARAMETERS. SOME OF THEM ARE HERE TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT OUR LOCAL RESOURCES DURING PLANNING, CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION AND DECOMMISSIONING.

PROUD TO HEAR THAT IN THERE. DON'T FORGET ME. DON'T FORGET US AND WHAT WE'VE SAID TODAY.

I'M NOT EXAGGERATING WHEN I'M SAYING THAT WE'VE LOST SLEEP OVER THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING EVERYTHING WE'VE BUILT AND WORKED SO HARD TO EARN. WE ARE GENERATIONAL CITIZENS OF TROUP COUNTY, AND I PRAY THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE ARE IN OUR BEST INTEREST AS YOU'VE COMMITTED TO BY BEING ELECTED. I PRAY THE BURDEN AND DUTY OF PROTECTING YOUR CITIZENS IS AS HEAVY ON YOU AS THE BURDEN WILL BE ON US. IF YOU ALLOW DATA CENTERS AND SIMILAR PROJECTS NEAR OUR HOMES, WE SHOULDN'T BE THE ONLY ONES LOSING SLEEP. SINCERELY, THE SIMS FAMILY AND GRAY HILL RESIDENTS. COMMISSIONERS. HOW ARE YOU, MR. JONES? HOW ARE YOU? I TOLD YOU

[01:25:12]

WE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WATER SHORTAGE AND CONTAMINATION, AS WELL AS INCREASED PRICES AS DEVELOPMENT ENCROACHES OUR AREA, AND AS WE BEGIN IMPLEMENTING CONSERVATION FOR WILDLIFE, SPECIFICALLY THE BOBWHITE QUAIL, WHO HAS LOST 80% OF THEIR POPULATION SINCE THE 1960S, THEY'RE ON THE NEAR THREATENED LIST. WE WONDER HOW DATA CENTERS WILL AFFECT THEM AND OUR EFFORTS IN CONTINUING THEIR SPECIES, AND IF OUR EFFORTS ARE WORTH CONTINUING. LILY HILL FARM, WHERE I'M AT, IS IN A BUSINESS TRYING TO GET RICH. IF THAT WAS THEIR GOAL, THEY SURE WOULDN'T BE IN AGRICULTURE. THE OWNER'S HEART BEHIND IT ALL IS TO SAVE HER FAMILY'S FARM. FROM 2019 TO TODAY, THEY'VE WORKED ENDLESSLY, AS MOST IN AGRICULTURE DO, TO BUILD UP THE FARM WITH A SLIGHT GLIMMER OF HOPE TO SAVE IT. AND I WILL NOTE, THIS IS NOT IN MY SPEECH NOTES, BUT THEIR LAND'S BEEN IN THE FAMILY SINCE THE 1960S DATES BACK TO THE 1800S AS WELL.

SO GENERATIONAL TROUP COUNTY CITIZENS, THIS ISN'T JUST THE STORY OF LILY HILL FARM, THOUGH.

THIS IS THE STORY FOR SO MANY FARMERS. AS YOU SAW TODAY, DOUG. AGRICULTURE, EVEN LESLIE OVER HERE, ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST, AMERICA LOSES 2000 ACRES OF FARMLAND EVERY DAY TO DEVELOPMENT AND NONAGRICULTURAL ISSUES. THAT'S OVER 700,000 ACRES PER YEAR.

AND AS AGRICULTURAL AVAILABILITY LAND AVAILABILITY DECLINES, THE POPULATION CONTINUES TO INCREASE. BY 2050, GLOBAL AGRICULTURE MUST PRODUCE 60 TO 70% MORE FOOD TO ADJUST THEIR FOR FEEDING THE INCREASED POPULATION, PUTTING THAT INTO ACREAGE. THAT'S OVER 1.5 BILLION. YES, WITH A B ACRES OF LAND, APPROXIMATELY 77% OF THE CONTIGUOUS US STATES. TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO PRODUCE FOOD, WHERE DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO COME FROM? PERSONALLY, I DON'T WANT OUR ENTIRE FOOD SYSTEM TO BECOME SOLELY DEPENDENT ON OTHER COUNTRIES. YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME? A COMMISSIONER IN TROUP COUNTY, GEORGIA, MARGARET MEAD, A AN ANTHROPOLOGIST, SAID THIS NEVER DOUBT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL, COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. INDEED, IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS. YOU CAN START RIGHT HERE IN TROUP COUNTY BY STANDING UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT AND FOR THE FUTURE OF THE TOWN, THE COUNTY, THE STATE, AND THE NATION. THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS MORE TO ME THAN AGRICULTURE. MY FAMILY IS MY LORD AND SAVIOR. I'M GOING TO SHARE A FEW WORDS WITH YOU BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE IN HOLDING OTHER BELIEVERS ACCOUNTABLE. I DON'T IF YOU'RE THERE FOR THE CITY OF LAGRANGE MEETING, I DON'T CLAIM TO BE A PROPHET, SO DON'T BE SCARED. AND I DON'T THINK GETTING ROWDY IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE CONCERNS. I'LL BE READING FROM FIRST PETER 410 THROUGH 11 AS EACH AS EACH HAS RECEIVED A GIFT, USE IT TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER AS GOOD STEWARDS OF GOD'S VARIED GRACE. WHOEVER

[01:30:02]

REGARDLESS OF YOUR FAITH OR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, YOU'VE BEEN ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE, SO CHOOSE TO REPRESENT THEM WELL. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SORRY BROTHER. YOU CAN BE NEXT, MAN. YOU'RE NEXT. MY NAME IS GERALD CASH. I LIVE AT 59 TURKEY POINT COURT. I'M HERE TO EVERYBODY OFF. COME ON WITH ME. ALL RIGHT. NUMBER ONE, I'M RETIRED AIR FORCE. OVER 33 YEARS. I WORKED FOR THE D C M A. Y'ALL NEED TO LOOK THAT UP. I'VE BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE.

OKAY? I KNOW I DON'T LOOK LIKE MUCH, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, I KNOW HOW THIS WORKS. HE'S SITTING UP THERE AND HE'S HOLLERING CITY, COUNTY. I MEAN, CITY WATER, CITY SEWAGE MARINE.

BROTHER, YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. HE'S TELLING YOU THEY'RE GOING TO ANNEX. I MOVED FROM COUNTY TO COUNTY DOWN HERE FOR THE LAKE. I HAVE A WHALE. I DON'T WANT MY WHALE GONE. OKAY, MA'AM, WITH THE STOP DATA CENTER SHIRT, YOU KEEP SAYING HYPER CENTERS. LOOK AT THE CONTRACTS. READ BETWEEN THE LINES. I USED TO DRAG RACE. WE WON BY BEING BETWEEN THE LINES.

THESE GENTLEMEN. AND EVERY BODY THAT COMES DOWN HERE WANTING TO BUILD A DATA CENTER OR READING BETWEEN THE LINES. WHY DO YOU THINK A SMALL WAS 0 TO 5000FT■!? THAT'S LIKE A 500 TO 1000 SQUARE FOOT HOME. AND THEN THE MEDIUM IS 5000 TO 100,000FT■!S. COME ON PEOPLE, IT AIN'T THE HYPER CENTERS THEY LOOKING AT YOU FOR. IT'S THE MEDIUM BASE. I HAVEN'T EVEN FOLLOWED THIS.

AND JUST FROM MY KNOWLEDGE AND WORKING FOR THE US GOVERNMENT, I CAN TELL THEY'RE HERE TO GET YOU IN THE MIDDLE. THEY'RE HERE TO GET YOU. HOLLER ABOUT THE HYPER CENTERS, AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO ROLL THEIR BUTT IN HERE AND THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE YOUR LAND. THEY'RE GOING TO ANNEX YOUR LAND, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD 5000 200,000FT■!. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO.

I WORKED FOR THE AIR FORCE FOR OVER 33 YEARS. I WORKED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AGENCY WITH THE GOVERNMENT. THAT'S WHAT I DID FOR A LIVING. I WAS MADE TO SCREW YOU PEOPLE. I'M JUST BEING HONEST AND SITTING HERE LISTENING TO THIS. AND I LOVE YOUR QUOTES AND I LOVE YOUR STATISTICS, BUT YOU GOTTA READ IN BETWEEN THE LINES BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO SCREW YOU. I MOVED HERE THREE YEARS AGO BECAUSE I LOVE THIS LAKE. I'VE BEEN COMING TO THIS LAKE SINCE I WAS BORN IN COWETA COUNTY IN 1965. I LOVE THIS FREAKING LAKE. AND I NOW HAVE A HOME ON THE LAKE, AND I'VE ONLY HAD IT FOR THREE YEARS. I HAD TO SELL TWO HOUSES IN COWETA COUNTY TO AFFORD A HOUSE ON THE LAKE, AND NOW THESE PLACES ARE GOING TO ROLL IN HERE. THEY'RE GOING TO ANNEX YOUR PROPERTY INTO THE CITY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU KEEP SAYING. CITY WATER, CITY SEWAGE, THE PLACE DON'T REALLY PRODUCE THAT MUCH SEWAGE. WHAT'S A 500,000 GALLONS OF WATER OUT OF YOUR LAKE AND OUT OF YOUR CITY WATER? IT'S IN A RECYCLER. AND THEN ONCE THEY RECYCLE IT AND THEY CAN'T USE IT ANYMORE, JUST LIKE THE GENTLEMAN BACK THERE SAID, THEY PUT THE CRAP BACK INTO YOUR WATER AND THEN THEY SUCK MORE OUT. THAT'S GOING TO DEPRECIATE MY WELL. MY WELL IS 165FT DEEP. I LIVE. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT TILL I MOVED DOWN HERE AND BOUGHT THE PLACE OUT OF STUPIDITY. BUT I LIVE IN A

[01:35:01]

BUT NO, YOU PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING AT THIS AND THEY'RE REALLY FOLLOWING THIS, MA'AM, YOU THAT'S BEEN HERE YOUR WHOLE LIFE. I HAVEN'T, I'VE BEEN HERE THREE YEARS. I'LL PACK MY AND I'LL MOVE ON. EXCUSE MY FRENCH, MA'AM, DO YOU WANT TO STOP THAT SENTENCE? YOU GOT TO START READING BETWEEN THE LINES, BECAUSE I'M TELLING YOU, THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO SCREW YOU. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT THEY WANT TO USE. AI, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. 5000 TO 100,000FT■!S. THEY WON'T EVEN PUBLISH THE AMOUNT OF WATER THEY TAKE FROM YOU, BECAUSE OTHER AGENCIES CAN TURN AROUND AND KNOW WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT KIND OF DATA THEY'RE MINING BECAUSE OF THE WATER USAGE. SO YOU'RE TALKING, THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO YOUR PLACE, THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD, AND THEY'RE GOING TO PRODUCE 500 JOBS FOR THREE YEARS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TEN PEOPLE WALKING AROUND THERE FOR THE REST OF ITS LIFE. THIS AIN'T HELPING US. COME ON. I'M A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY NOW. I WANT TO FIGHT THIS CRAP TO BE CAREFUL. THIS REALLY AIN'T FOR Y'ALL. IT'S JUST SO THAT THEY HEAR SOMEBODY THAT HAS WORKED ON THE OTHER SIDE. I'VE BEEN PAID TO SCREW COMMUNITIES. I'VE BEEN PAID TO SCREW COUNTRIES, AND I HAVE DONE IT FOR THE US GOVERNMENT. AND I'M TELLING YOU, THAT'S WHAT THE DATA CENTERS ARE DOING TO YOU. YOU GET A GOOD JOB. THAT'S ENOUGH. IF YOU GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

MY NAME IS JOSEPH CALDWELL, JUNIOR CITIZEN OF LAGRANGE, GEORGIA. MY, MY PEOPLE COME FROM CALAMVALE, GARBERVILLE AND ALL AROUND HAIL FROM ALABAMA ABOUT 104 YEARS AGO. I'M THROUGH WITH THAT NOW. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DID IN YOUR RESEARCH FOR THESE ARE SALESMEN THAT'S COMING INTO OUR CITY, YOU KNOW, AND WANT TO HELP US OUT. LAST TIME I'M 73 YEARS OLD. LAST TIME I LOOKED AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I DIDN'T SEE THAT LAGRANGE, GEORGIA, TROUP COUNTY AND SURROUNDING. I DIDN'T SEE THAT WE WAS DESPERATE. I AIN'T I AIN'T NEVER KNOWN THAT WE WERE DESPERATE FOR NO MONEY. NOTHING TO EAT OR NOTHING ELSE. BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS HAD PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR US. I'M SAYING THAT SURPRISED US. PEOPLE THAT WORKED UP HERE IN THE CITY, THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY DID. THEY DIDN'T DRUM UP THIS AND THAT AND THAT. WE DID THIS, BUT WE WEREN'T DESPERATE. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO SELL OUT, UNDERSTAND, TO ACCOMMODATE SOMEBODY ELSE.

AND DAYDREAMING WHAT THEY WANT TO BRING US. THIS, OUR COUNTY, THIS IS OUR CITY. WE AIN'T GOT TO GIVE IN TO NOTHING. Y'ALL DONE A GOOD JOB. HELP THE CITY TO GET STRONGER AND THEY ORDERS ANYTHING. SO IT'LL BE LIKE THE COUNTY AND GET STRONGER. AND THANK THE PEOPLE. UNDERSTAND WHO COMING UP HERE AND TELLING THE TRUTH. Y'ALL GOT ENOUGH SUPPORT FROM ALL THESE PEOPLE.

YOU GOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE, AND YOU GOT ANOTHER ENOUGH TECH PEOPLE, Y'ALL THESE SMART PEOPLE TECH TO GIVE Y'ALL ALL Y'ALL NEED TO DO WHAT Y'ALL GOING TO DO RIGHT FOR US? BECAUSE REMEMBER NOW Y'ALL OUR NEIGHBORS, Y'ALL OUR BROTHER BLACK, WHITE OR CHERISHED, RIGHT? THEY SAID WE IN THIS TOGETHER, WE DON'T KNOW. BUT I TELL YOU THIS, WE HERE TOGETHER BEEN HERE. SO Y'ALL KEEP WORKING FOR US, HELP THE CITY TO GET STRONGER FOR US BECAUSE IT'S EVERYTHING. OKAY THEN TO GO. I KNOW Y'ALL GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING CUZ I'M A. I'M GOING TO BE HERE UNTIL GOD TAKE ME AWAY FROM HERE. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME. MIGHT NOT BE HERE NEXT WEEK, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? Y'ALL GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE Y'ALL GOT FAMILY HERE. Y'ALL LOVE HIM, RIGHT? SO I'M ON, I'M ON. Y'ALL DO THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU SIR. SIR, I APPRECIATE IT. HEY, I'LL DO IT. I'M I'M LEVI. WOODY. I LIVE AT 620 WALDROP ROAD, WEST POINT, GEORGIA 31833. I'M A PROUD MEMBER OF TROUP COUNTY. MY FAMILY'S BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME. WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT. I DIDN'T SEE ANY ANYTHING OR. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S CLOSE TO DATA CENTERS. MY SON GOES TO SOUSAINES LEARNING CENTER RIGHT THERE ON THE OXFORD ROAD. THAT'S LESS THAN A MILE FROM WHERE THE PROPOSED DATA CENTER WOULD BE ON THE HARRELSON'S PROPERTY. THE THE HUMMING NOISE AND EVERYTHING, THE DECIMALS THAT IT CREATES. I JUST DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE SAFE FOR THAT TO BE THAT CLOSE TO THAT, THAT SCHOOL

[01:40:07]

IF, IF WE COULD JUST GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF ON THE, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SIDE OF IT, WHERE WE KNOW OUR KIDS ARE TAKEN CARE OF FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

DULY NOTED. HELLO, MY NAME IS LARRY GAGE. MY ADDRESS IS 708 JOHNSON ROAD IN HOGANSVILLE. SO, HEY, I APPRECIATE YOUR OPENING COMMENTS, MR. CHAIRMAN, AND EVERYONE. I APPRECIATE THE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DONE ON THIS SO FAR. AND SO I MOVED FROM COWETA COUNTY DOWN TO HOGANSVILLE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. WE BOUGHT RETIRED AND WE BOUGHT OUR WHAT WE HOPE IS OUR FOREVER HOME. SO. ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS WITH DATA CENTERS IS LIKE, LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COMMENTED SO FAR IS WATER USAGE. I SPENT 47 YEARS IN THE MEAT AND POULTRY BUSINESS AND IN THAT, AND I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TREATING OUR OWN WASTEWATER, AND IT WAS OUR OWN COMPANY'S EXPENSE TO DO THAT. AND IT WAS MONITORED BY BY COWETA COUNTY. THEY WOULD THEY WOULD DROP IN UNEXPECTED AND AND DO DO CHECKS ON OUR WATER. AND ONE THING THAT I DID NOT SEE IN UNLESS I JUST MISSED IT IN THE LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE WAS WAS WASTEWATER TREATMENT. AND I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT THAT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ENTITY THAT THAT POTENTIALLY MOVES IN HERE. ALONG WITH THAT, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME VERY STRICT GUIDELINES ON THE BYPRODUCTS THAT THAT THESE DATA CENTERS PRODUCE. OKAY. IN THE MEAT AND POULTRY BUSINESS, IT WAS FATS, OILS AND GREASES. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS IT WAS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP THOSE DOWN UNDER ACCEPTABLE LIMITS. SO I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE SOME SOME LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THAT WOULD PUT THE BURDEN ON THESE THESE, THESE ENTITIES TO TREAT THEIR OWN WASTEWATER. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WELL WITHIN EPA GUIDELINES. AND I THINK I THINK WE NEED TO TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND FIND OUT JUST WHAT THESE BYPRODUCTS ARE. NOW, THE ONE THAT I'VE SEEN THAT'S THE MOST PREVALENT IS NITRATES. AND NITRATES IS A CARCINOGEN. OKAY.

IT'S JUST RECENTLY, IN FACT, MARCH 31ST OF THIS YEAR, THERE WAS A AMAZON IN 16 OTHER, 16 OTHER ENTITIES WAS ENTERED INTO A SETTLEMENT WITH PEOPLE IN MORROW COUNTY, OREGON. OVER OVER NITRATE CONTAMINATION OF THEIR WATER AND. AMAZON AGREED TO A $25 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH NO ADMISSION OF WRONGDOING. OF COURSE, NOW TO SOMEONE LIKE AMAZON WITH WITH A WITH A A NET EARNINGS LAST YEAR OF $77.7 BILLION, $25 MILLION IS NOTHING. THAT'S JUST A COST OF DOING BUSINESS. AND I HATE TO SEE US GET GET CAUGHT UP IN IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT. SO SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO, TO CONSIDER PUTTING SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT THAT WOULD ADDRESS THIS, THIS WASTEWATER WASTEWATER TREATMENT. OKAY, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT. HELLO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS HEARING, I APPRECIATE IT. MY NAME IS RACHEL WILLIAMS. I LIVE AT 503 JEFFERSON STREET, LA GRANGE, 30240. I HAVE LIVED HERE IN TROUP COUNTY SINCE 1997. I GREW UP IN RURAL HARFORD COUNTY, JUST NORTH OF HERE IN THE GLEN COMMUNITY. THAT'S LIKE SOUTHWEST HER COUNTY RIGHT ON THE ALABAMA LINE. AND I AM HERE TO ASK YOU TODAY TO EXTEND THAT MORATORIUM AND TO TIGHTEN EVEN FURTHER THE ORDINANCES THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON FOR DATA CENTERS. AND I JUST LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU A COUPLE OF OF CONCERNS OF MINE. WHEN I WAS A CHILD IN THE 1980S, LIVING IN GLEN, OUR WELL WAS DRYING UP.

THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN GETTING UP IN THE MORNING AND GETTING READY FOR SCHOOL AND TURNING ON THE TAP. AND SANDY GROSS WATER COMES OUT AND WELL, EXCEPT WHEN YOU TURN ON THE TAP

[01:45:05]

PROPONENTS. THEY PROMISED INCREASED TAX REVENUES, A HANDFUL OF JOBS EVENTUALLY. AND.

BUT THE REALITY IS. WE'RE GOING TO INDUSTRIALIZE OUR RURAL COUNTY HERE IN GEORGIA, HERE, HERE IN GEORGIA, THERE'S A LOT OF RESOURCE THERE, RESOURCES DEPENDENT. THEY'RE. THEY'RE NOISY. ALL THIS HAS BEEN COVERED. THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF WATER BEING USED EVERY DAY.

THEY HAVE BACKUP POWER SYSTEMS, DIESEL GENERATION, DIESEL GENERATORS, AND WHICH DEGRADE LOCAL AIR QUALITY. I THINK IT'S WHAT'S GOING ON IS THERE'S A BUBBLE IN THIS IN IN IN IT'S GOING TO IT'S GOING TO POP. THERE'S PRIVATE EQUITY FOR INVESTMENT. MONEY FOR DATA CENTERS IS DRYING UP. AND WE'RE RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT RISK OF IMPROVING APPROVING PROJECTS FOR INVESTORS WHO WILL RUN OUT OF MONEY AND, AND WITH A POTENTIAL OF HALF BUILT HUGE BUILDINGS, WHICH ARE EYESORES. FINAL POINT I'M GOING TO MAKE IS. THESE FACILITIES, THE TECHNOLOGY IT IT'S IT ADVANCES SO FAST THAT THE SIZE AND SCALE OF THESE FACILITIES. THERE'S A

[01:50:07]

AND I MEAN, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IS THERE IS THERE A DEFINITION OF DECOMMISSIONING WHEN WHEN THEY PULL OUT, EVENTUALLY THEY WILL PULL OUT WHAT WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE HUMONGOUS BUILDINGS ARE LEFT. THEY'RE JUST VACANT. AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T REPURPOSE THAT. YOU CAN'T MAKE A YOU CAN'T HAVE A FACTORY IN THERE. I MEAN, A VERY DIFFICULT TO REPURPOSE THESE BUILDINGS.

SO I, I URGE YOU ALL TO CONTINUE ANOTHER MORATORIUM, REVISIT ALL THE LANGUAGE IN THIS IN THIS DOCUMENT AND TOUGHEN UP THE LANGUAGE. LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS NOT LEFT HOLDING THE BAG FOR A BOOM AND BUST INDUSTRY. AND THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, JAMES TOMPKINS. I LIVE AT 1105 LOWER BIG SPRINGS ROAD. I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT HOW ORDINANCES AND STUFF WORK AND ALL THAT STUFF, BUT I DO KNOW THAT I WORK IN A CITY THAT HAS DATA CENTERS AND NEXT TO A CITY THAT HAS DATA CENTERS AND MORE PLANNED DATA CENTERS, I THINK THERE'S 20 ACROSS THE SOUTH FULTON AREA, AND THERE ARE TWO IN UNION CITY CURRENTLY, WITH ANOTHER ONE SLATED. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 1,000,000.5FT. YOU KNOW, THAT GENTLEMAN SPOKE ABOUT THE SMALLER, NOT THE MEGA STRUCTURES AND STUFF. BUT I CAN TELL YOU NOW, MY CONCERN IS Y'ALL PUT THESE ORDINANCES IN PLACE. NOW, WHAT HAPPENS DOWN THE ROAD WHEN Y'ALL ARE VOTED OUT OR YOU RETIRE, SOMEBODY ELSE COMES IN. NOW WE START CHANGING ALL THESE ORDINANCES TO ALLOW SOMEBODY TO SNEAK IN THE BACK DOOR WITH DATA CENTERS, EVERYBODY HERE, AND I'M SURE THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS COUNTY THAT DON'T WANT DATA CENTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT GREED TAKES OVER IN OUR CITY THAT I WORK IN.

ORDINANCES WERE CHANGED AND AND AND AMENDED TO ALLOW THE THE INFLUX OF THESE DATA CENTERS.

TROUP COUNTY IS PRETTY RURAL. I'VE LIVED HERE FOR TEN YEARS. I DON'T KNOW HARDLY ANYBODY THAT LIVES IN TROUP COUNTY BECAUSE I WORK ALL THE TIME, BUT I LOVE IT HERE. MY. MY FAMILY IS HERE AND I WANT TO STAY HERE. WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE PROPERTY TO BUY HERE. AND I'M SURE OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE HERE TOO, TO KEEP IT NICE. BUT WHAT'S THE WHAT'S TO SAY THAT DOWN THE ROAD. ORDINANCES CAN'T BE CHANGED AND AMENDED TO ALLOW THESE FOLKS TO COME IN AND DRAIN US. AND EVERYBODY HERE ALREADY KNOWS EVERYTHING IS EXPENSIVE AS IT IS. THE CITIZENS THAT WE SEE COMPLAIN TO US ALL THE TIME IN OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS ABOUT THE PRICE OF POWER THAT HAS GONE UP BECAUSE OF INCREASED DEMAND. HOW DO WE HAVE THAT TO WHERE IF Y'ALL ALLOW THEM AND THEY MEET ALL THESE THESE THINGS THAT WE KEEP IT POWER BILL AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN TROUP COUNTY. IT ALL COMES FROM THE SAME PLACE, GEORGIA POWER, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S JUST MY CONCERN. LIKE I SAID, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND EVERYBODY THAT'S COME UP BEFORE ME AND SPOKE PRETTY MUCH HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. BUT I WANT Y'ALL JUST TO CONSIDER THE FUTURE AND THE RULES THAT Y'ALL MAKE AND, AND HOW THEY CAN BE CHANGED BY OTHER PEOPLE THAT GET IN YOUR POSITION. MY NAME IS KATRINA HONNOLD. I LIVE AT 381 SOUTH RIVER RUN DRIVE AND TECHNICALLY HOGANSVILLE, BUT IN UNINCORPORATED TROUP COUNTY.

AND ACTUALLY, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF MANY PEOPLE FROM NORTHERN TROUP COUNTY HAVE SPOKEN TONIGHT FROM YOUR DISTRICT, I BELIEVE, SIR. BUT I KNOW THIS AFFECTS ALL OF TROUP COUNTY, NOT JUST PEOPLE THAT LIVE SOUTH AND WEST. AND THERE. I NOTICED WE DID TALK ABOUT DECOMMISSIONING. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE IN THE DECOMMISSIONING OF THE SMALL CLASSIFICATION OF SITES, IT SAID IT WASN'T REQUIRED TO HAVE A DECOMMISSIONING PLAN ONLY. IT COULD BE REQUIRED IN SPECIFIC CASES OR AS REQUESTED. BUT IT'S REQUIRED FOR MEDIUM SIZE AND HYPERSCALE SIZE. AM I CORRECT ON THAT? I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR ALL THREE SIZES.

THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION. AND. REALLY, I AGREE WITH VERY MANY THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE

[01:55:02]

YEAH, OUR GOES UNTIL JUNE 14TH. SO WE'VE GOT THAT'S WHY WE'RE KIND OF DOING THIS, WORKING ON IT NOW. WE'VE GOT MORE TIME. EXCUSE ME, WE'VE GOT MORE TIME TO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS BECAUSE I DO FEEL LIKE THERE ARE LARGE SECTIONS OF THIS LANGUAGE THAT JUST NEED TO BE TIGHTENED UP. IT DOES NEED A, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM PLANS, LIKE YOU SAID, FOR WHEN OTHER PEOPLE ARE IN OFFICE FOR, YOU KNOW, THESE BUILDINGS LAST 5 TO 10 YEARS. THESE DECOMMISSIONING PLANS NEED TO BE TIGHTER BECAUSE THEY MAY, YOU KNOW, PAY THE MONEY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS MONEY SET ASIDE, WE'RE GOING TO DECOMMISSION THESE BUILDINGS, BUT THEN WE STILL HAVE THESE BUILDINGS SITTING THERE. AND LIKE ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE SAID, MANY, MANY FUTURE IMPACTS DOWN THE ROAD WITH WATER, WITH ALL OF THOSE THINGS. BUT THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS TONIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HI. HELLO. MY NAME IS RITA ALSOBROOK. I LIVE AT 543 HUNT ROAD, LAGRANGE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL Y'ALL OTHER THAN I AM. I AM AGAINST DATA CENTERS FOR THE REASONS THAT THE POLLUTION THEY PUT OUT, THE THE THINGS THEY DESTROYED, THE WATER THEY CONSUME. I'LL TELL YOU THIS, LAST NIGHT I WAS TALKING TO MY SON. HE CALLS ME EVERY NIGHT. HE LIVES IN IOWA. AND HE TOLD ME, HE SAID, WELL, I'LL CALL YOU TOMORROW EVENING, MOM. AND I SAID, WHAT TIME? AND HE SAID, WELL, WHAT DOES IT MATTER? I SAID, WELL, I'M GOING TO BE AT A MEETING ABOUT A DATA CENTER. HE SAID, OH, MAMA. SO THEN WE STARTED TALKING AND I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE ONE THAT WE HAVE GOING IN ON PEGASUS. HE TOLD ME, HE SAID, MOM, BEFORE THAT DATA CENTER GOES ONLINE, I WANT YOU TO GO TO EITHER PALMER PURE OR CALLAWAY BLUE AND START HAVING YOUR DRINKING WATER DELIVERED TO THE HOUSE. YOU SEE, YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR 160 FOOT DEEP. WELL, WE'RE OLD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OLD. WE'RE RETIRED. WHEN WE BOUGHT OUR PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE STILL USING BORED WELLS. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE STILL BORING. WELLS.

WE HAVE AN 80 FOOT. WELL, THIS THING STARTS. THESE THINGS START SUCKING UP ALL THE WATER.

WE WON'T HAVE WATER. WE'LL HAVE TO GO TO. WE'LL HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. ANOTHER THING I WORRY ABOUT. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU WERE LIVING HERE WHEN LIVE OAK BURNED. DATA CENTERS HAVE A LOT OF BATTERIES, A LOT OF BATTERIES. I REALIZE WE HAVE DURACELL FACTORY HERE IN LAGRANGE, AND THEY HAVE TONS AND TONS, MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF BATTERIES. JUST OODLES AND OODLES OF BATTERIES. LUCKILY, WE HAVE NOT HAD A FIRE AT THAT FACTORY, BUT WHEN LIVE OAK BURNED, THAT SUCKER BURNED FOR DAYS AND YOU COULD SEE IT FROM. WHITESVILLE, GEORGIA. Y'ALL KNOW HOW FAR WRIGHTSVILLE IS FROM LAGRANGE, BUT YOU COULD SEE THOSE FLAMES FROM WRIGHTSVILLE, GEORGIA. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? DO WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO HANDLE A FIRE AT A DATA CENTER? NO. THE WATER DOING DEPUTY CHIEF? ABSOLUTELY NOT. YOU KNOW, I YOU KNOW, THE WATER CONSUMPTION, THE POLLUTION THAT THE THINGS PUT OUT, THOSE THOSE ARE THOSE ARE REAL CONCERNS. I AGREE WITH MOST OF THESE PEOPLE HERE WITH THINGS THEY'VE SAID. I JUST HOPE Y'ALL DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE PEOPLE. AND I HOPE WHATEVER INFLUENCE YOU HAVE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT ANNEXING PROPERTY, I HOPE Y'ALL WILL PULL WHATEVER WEIGHT YOU HAVE

[02:00:03]

THEY'LL DRIVE UP THE RESIDENT UTILITY BILLS TO PAY FOR THE NECESSARY POWER GRID IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STATE. JUST THREW AWAY A CHANCE TO PROTECT US FROM THAT LAST WEEK, WHEN THEY DIDN'T PASS A BILL AT THE HOUSE. BUT IN THE BIGGER PICTURE, AND I AM NOT A DATA CENTER SUPPORTER, BUT IN THE BIGGER PICTURE, AT LEAST, DATA CENTERS PERHAPS PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT FOR MULTIPLE BUSINESSES AND CUSTOMERS FOR MULTIPLE COMMERCIAL USES LIKE E-COMMERCE AND CLOUD COMPUTING. IT'S A SLIGHTLY BIGGER ENTERPRISE, AND IT HAS A CHANCE OF PRODUCING SOME BENEFIT. FOR SOME PEOPLE. CRYPTO MINES ARE NOT LIKE THAT. THEY ARE DEDICATED SOLELY TO CRYPTO MINING, AND THEY BENEFIT ONLY THE OWNERS OF THE CRYPTO MINE. SO I HOPE YOU'LL THINK HARD ABOUT JUST RULING THEM OUT ALTOGETHER. THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT IS INCLUDING SOME LANGUAGE ABOUT A COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT. THE MEGA TECH COMPANIES AND THE CRYPTO OWNERS DEVELOP THEIR PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY ARE COUNTING ON HUGE RETURNS. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THOSE COME BACK TO THE COUNTY IN THE FORM OF DOLLARS THAT ARE DIRECTED TO THE COMMUNITY. IMPROVEMENT. IN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR TAX AND FEE REVENUES THAT THEY WILL OWE US. THIRD THING, IF YOU COULD PLEASE INCLUDE SOME LANGUAGE TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS IN OUR INEVITABLE POWER AND WATER OUTAGES. WE ALWAYS HAVE THEM.

DATA CENTERS DON'T WANT THEIR OPERATIONS TO GO DOWN, EVER. THEY'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THEY SUPPORT BANKING. THEY SUPPORT HOSPITALS. THEY CAN'T DO WITHOUT THEIR OPERATIONS, AND THEY'LL PUSH HARD TO HAVE OUR REGULAR REPAIR CREWS TEND TO THEM FIRST WHEN THERE'S AN OUTAGE, BECAUSE IT'S EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO PUT THEIR BACKUP SYSTEMS INTO ACTION. AND WE DON'T LIKE THEIR BACKUP SYSTEMS EITHER. BUT THAT'S THEIR OWN PROBLEM. OUR RESIDENT SAFETY SHOULDN'T TAKE A BACK SEAT TO THE DATA CENTERS PROFITS. PLEASE INCLUDE SOME LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE THAT ENSURES THAT THE RESIDENT EMERGENCY REPAIRS COME FIRST. DON'T LET THE DATA CENTERS CUT TO THE HEAD OF THE LINE. MAKE THEM WAIT THEIR TURN. AND FINALLY, I HOPE YOU ALL WILL THINK JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FACT THAT DATA CENTERS ARE AN AWFUL LOT LIKE RABBITS. THEY JUST MULTIPLY EVERYWHERE. WHEN ONE LAND PARCEL IS REZONED FOR A DATA CENTER, ALL THE NEIGHBORING LOTS ARE NO LONGER DESIRABLE FOR RESIDENTIAL USE, BECAUSE WHO WANTS TO LIVE NEXT TO A GIGANTIC WAREHOUSE, BUZZING AND CLANGING 24 HOURS A DAY WITH SECURITY LIGHTS THAT BLOT OUT THE STARS IN THE NIGHT SKY? NO ONE WANTS TO STAY THERE, BUT NO ONE WILL BUY THOSE LOTS EXCEPT OTHER DATA CENTER OPERATORS OR OTHER BIG INDUSTRIAL USES. THE NEIGHBORS SELL OUT AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED IN VIRGINIA. IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE RESULT, YOU ALSO CAN LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME. SADLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PROPOSAL FOR A DATA CENTER ON HIGHTOWER ROAD FROM A GROUP CALLED FGI. THAT CENTER WOULD OPERATE AN ISLAND OF ABOUT 437 ACRES, WHICH IS OFFICIALLY INSIDE THE HOGANSVILLE CITY LIMITS, EVEN THOUGH IT ISN'T CONTIGUOUS WITH ANY OF THE REST OF THE CITY. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS IT'S COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY COUNTY LAND, WHICH IS IN YOUR JURISDICTION. ALL THEIR NEIGHBORS HAVE NO VOTE IN THE CITY OF HOGANSVILLE, WHOSE COUNCIL CONTROLS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROJECT, THEY CAN ONLY COME TO YOU. ONE OUTSIDE CORPORATION HAS ALREADY ASSEMBLED 600 ACRES JUST SOUTH OF THE FGI PROJECT, AND THE NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN FIELDING CALLS AND INQUIRIES FROM INDUSTRIAL BROKERS SINCE AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST FINALLY

[02:05:01]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HI. MY NAME IS CECILIA. I LIVE IN TROUP COUNTY. FIRST, COULD YOU GIVE US YOUR ADDRESS? OH, SURE, 753 AZALEA DRIVE. THEY JUST SAID THAT THEY'RE LIKE THERE'S NO CONTAINMENT. LIKE AS FAR AS A FIRE START. THERE'S NO WAY TO CONTAIN A FIRE AT THE DATA CENTERS THAT LIKE, THAT'S BANANAS TO ME THAT IT'S EVEN BEING BUILT IF THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE OR WHATEVER. BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M HERE. I'M JUST HEARING ABOUT THAT. IT'S VERY SHOCKING. I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU GUYS LIKE, WE ONLY HAVE ONE EARTH AND THAT'S FOR EVERYONE TO SHARE. AND I KNOW THAT THAT THIS IS A SOCIETAL THING. IT'S NOT JUST A LAGRANGE THING. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT MIGHT BE TOO FAR GONE. WHO KNOWS? WITH ALL THESE DATA CENTERS GOING UP AND LIKE WHAT MAY HAPPEN, YOU CAN LITERALLY GO AND ASK AI WHAT WILL BECOME OF HUMANITY IF THIS KEEPS UP AND IT SAYS THAT IT WILL DESTROY US.

AND, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO STAND FOR SOMETHING AND WE HAVE TO STOP AT SOME POINT, WE MIGHT JUST BE LITTLE OLD LAGRANGE, WHATEVER. BUT TO ME, THIS IS MY HOMETOWN AND I WANT TO BE PROUD OF IT. I THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHERE I HAVE NOT BEEN VERY PROUD OF IT AND I'VE DEFENDED IT ANYWAY. AND, YOU KNOW, I LEFT AND I CAME BACK AND I THINK I FIGURED OUT THAT MAYBE MY PLACE IS TO BE HERE IN LAGRANGE, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I SHOULD BE HAVING TO RUN AWAY FROM. AND I REALLY HOPE THAT THAT YOU GUYS SEE, LIKE WE MIGHT NOT SEE TODAY, TODAY OR TOMORROW OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE, OR YOUR GRANDCHILDREN MIGHT NOT EVEN SEE THE REPERCUSSIONS THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE EARTH IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF IT TODAY.

AND WE DON'T MAKE A STAND AGAINST THESE DATA CENTERS, BECAUSE ONE DAY WE'RE GOING TO BE SICK AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TIRED, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE NOWHERE TO TURN. AND LOOK, WE'RE GOING TO TURN AROUND TO TRY TO FIND MEDICATION FROM NATURE, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANYTHING LEFT. AND THEN AT THAT POINT, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE, WHAT WOULD WE DO? AND I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THAT. AND I DON'T KNOW WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE DATA CENTERS TO START WITH. THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN GO BACK AND GET RID OF THESE. BUT JUST THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY HAVE ONE EARTH. THANKS. THANK YOU. HELLO. I'M PROBABLY ONE OF THE OLDEST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM. WHERE DO YOU LIVE AND WHAT'S YOUR NAME? MICHAEL JOHNSON. I LIVE ON 15 THORNTON STREET. GOOD. THANK YOU. 77 YEARS OLD. WHERE'S THE CALLAWAY FOUNDATION IN ALL THIS? WHERE DO THEY STAND? AND HEARD NOTHING FROM NONE OF THEM.

THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO BUILT CALLAWAY GARDENS. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO. WHO? MY GRANDMA HAD PLANTS ON HER PORCH. HE SHE COULD TAKE HIM DOWN THERE. AND CALLAWAY TOOK CARE OF HIM. THEY USED TO TAKE CARE OF US. THEY SHOULD BE HERE. WE SHOULD BE HEARING FROM THEM. THEY USED TO RULE THIS CITY. DIDN'T USE THIS TIME. HE CAN'T COME BACK NOW. DOUG, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS. IF IT'S ABOUT THE DATA CENTER. ABOUT THE DATA CENTER? I WROTE IT DOWN. IT'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING NEW. GOTTA BE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE HARD. SOMETHING NEW ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS. OKAY, ALRIGHT. HOW HARD WOULD IT BE FOR YOU GUYS WITH ALL THIS MONEY COMING IN TO DO WATER? WELL, TESTING COUNTY WIDE BEFOREHAND, YOU HAVEN'T TESTED MY WELL. HAS ANY TESTED ANY? WE DIDN'T. WE DIDN'T TEST WELLS. NO, WE DIDN'T TEST. WE DIDN'T TEST INDIVIDUAL WELLS. WE DID THE AQUIFER REPORT OVER THE WHOLE COUNTY. WELL, YOU DIDN'T TEST MY. WELL, WE DIDN'T. WE? AND WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO TEST OUR WELLS AHEAD OF TIME AND THEN PERIODICALLY TEST THEM DURING THE BUILDING, AFTER THE BUILDING. AND LET'S KEEP A TAB ON THIS, YOU KNOW, AND THE SECOND ONE IS, WHAT ABOUT INSTEAD OF DATA CENTERS, SINCE YOU CAN'T BAN A BUSINESS, HOW ABOUT EXPANDING THIS A LITTLE TO ANY, ANYTHING THAT IS GOING

[02:10:02]

STATE LAW, STATE LAW? WELL, THEN YOU GUYS AS WELL AS US NEED TO BE WORKING TO STOP THAT.

OKAY. MY SECOND POINT IS IF THESE CENTERS USE THIS MUCH WATER AND THEN THEY WANT TO PUT IT BACK INTO THE COUNTY, BACK INTO THE WATER SYSTEMS, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD WHEN THEY PUT IT BACK. WHY CAN'T THEY RECYCLE THAT WATER AND USE IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN INSTEAD OF PUTTING IT BACK OUT THERE FOR US TO DAMAGE PEOPLE? LIKE, I WORKED AT DURACELL FOR 20 SOMETHING YEARS. I WORKED WHEN MERCURY WAS FLOATING AROUND ALL OVER THE FLOOR. THEY SAY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. I KNOW IT DID. I SAW IT, I WORKED WITH IT, PEOPLE PLAYED WITH IT ON BREAK IN THEIR HANDS. I WORKED WITH GRAPHITE. IT WAS SO BAD THAT YOU COULD SLIDE ON IT. YOU COULDN'T WALK FOR IT. YOU HAD TO WEAR SPECIAL SHOES TO KEEP FROM FALLING DOWN IN IT. YOU WALK THROUGH IT, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO TOUCH A THING AND YOU'D COME OUT WITH GRAPHITE ON YOU.

SO I KNOW THAT WHOLE AREA IS CONTAMINATED. YOU BRING IN THESE DATA CENTERS. THAT AREA IS GOING TO BE JUST AS CONTAMINATED. SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BUNCH OF AREAS HERE THAT CAN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE WITH IN OUR COUNTY. THAT'S CAN'T BRING ANOTHER COMPANY IN THERE BECAUSE THEN THEY'RE TAKING ACCEPTING THE LIABILITY FROM THAT AREA. SO IT'S JUST GOING TO BE AN EMPTY BUILDING. EVEN IF YOU TEAR IT DOWN, YOU CAN'T USE IT FOR ANYTHING ELSE. YOU GOT TO GO DOWN WHAT, 2 OR 300 FOOT TO GET RID OF ANY CONTAMINANTS IN THE GROUND JUST FROM THE DURACELL BATTERY COMPANY. IF YOU WERE TO RECYCLE THAT AREA, I MEAN, THEY THEY GIVE US BACK THEN THAT WAS 30 YEARS AGO, 40 YEARS AGO NOW, I GUESS THEY TOLD US WHAT WAS IT, 180 FOOT THEY'D HAVE TO DIG DOWN IF THEY WANTED TO PUT ANOTHER PLANT IN THERE. THEY'D HAVE TO PAY FOR EXTRA. YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO BE EVERYTHING. THE THE CONCRETE, THE BLOCKS, THE IRON, THE METAL THAT THE PLANT'S MADE OUT OF OVER THERE.

IT'S GOT TO BE SPECIALLY DONE AWAY WITH. CAN'T BE JUST A LANDFILL BECAUSE EVERYTHING THERE IS CONTAMINATED. THE DIRT WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN UP. SO IS THAT THE SAME THING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH DATA CENTERS? YOU KNOW, SOMETHING BIG TO CONSIDER. AND IF THERE IS A WAY FOR THEM TO RECYCLE THAT WATER, SHOULDN'T THAT BE SOMETHING THAT TROUP COUNTY SHOULD THINK ABOUT? MAKE THEM RECYCLE THEIR OWN WATER. ONCE THEY DRAW THAT WATER FROM US, MAYBE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WATER EVAPORATES. YOU BURN UP SOME OF IT, WHATEVER. BUT THEY'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO TAKE SO MUCH MORE ONCE THEY GET THAT INITIAL PULL AND THEY HAVE TO KEEP RECYCLING IT. I BELIEVE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT COULD LIVE WITH, PROVIDED, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE NO WAY OF STOPPING IT. SAY YOU CAN'T STOP IT IF THEY WANT TO ANNEX, THE CITY WANTS TO ANNEX US. I MEAN, YOU GUYS SAID THAT YOURSELF, RIGHT? SO THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME KIND OF A STIPULATION WRITTEN INTO THESE DRAFTS THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, MAKE THEM RECYCLE THE WATER, MAKE THEM SOME KIND OF GUARANTEE ON WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH IT. THEY CAN'T JUST KEEP GROWING AND GROWING AND GROWING. WHEN I STARTED AT

[02:15:01]

[02:20:03]

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WATER SYSTEM THEY USE, IF THEY'RE RECYCLING WATER OR WHATEVER, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF WORK. THEY'RE USING TREATED WASTEWATER. OKAY, SO THERE IS TECHNOLOGY AND WE DO I MEAN, I THINK THE PEOPLE THAT'S MEETING WITH THEM, WE'VE NOT MET WITH ANYBODY YET. OKAY. THE COUNTY HAS NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH SOMEBODY AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. THE CITY HAS. OKAY. AND SO I KNOW THAT THEY WENT THROUGH THE PROCESSES FOR THE WATER, THE POWER AND ALL. SO ANYWAY, RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUR ORDINANCES IN PLACE SO THAT IF WE TALK TO SOMEONE, PROSPECT COMES, WE KNOW WHAT OUR RULES ARE AND WE KNOW WHAT TO ASK FOR. SO I, I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. I DON'T AGREE WITH TYING THEM UP IN COURT FOREVER AND EVER. THAT COST US A LOT, A LOT OF MONEY. I THINK WE DO OUR HOMEWORK ON THE FRONT END AND KNOW WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. THERE'S A BETTER WAY, I THINK. AND MY ATTORNEY DISAGREES. HE THINKS WE SHOULD GO TO COURT FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER. BUT ANYWAY.

SO ANYWAY, DO I HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER? LET'S CLOSE THIS OUT. WHAT'S YOUR NAME AND ANDREA 301 RIVER CLUB DRIVE. I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO DRAFTING SUCH A THOUGHTFUL ORDINANCE. THAT COVERS A LOT OF THE MAIN CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE HAVE AND IS MORE STRICT THAN JUST ABOUT ANY ORDINANCE IN GEORGIA RIGHT NOW. AND THERE ARE STILL SOME CONCERNS. BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT ON THE ANNEXATION ISSUE, WE KNOW THAT THE COUNTY HAS LIMITED, SAY, IN THE ANNEXATION OF LAND INTO THE CITY. IF THE HOMEOWNER IN THE CITY AGREE TO ANNEX IT, THEY JUST ANNEX IT. BUT THERE IS A BILL IN THE GEORGIA LEGISLATURE, SB 496, THAT ADDRESSES THIS AND COULD GIVE THE COUNTY MORE, SAY, WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING GETS ANNEXED INTO THE CITY OR THE COUNTY. SO IF ANYONE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITY ANNEXING SOMETHING INTO THE COUNTY, IT MIGHT BEHOOVE THEM TO SUPPORT FOR SB 496 TO TALK TO YOUR COMMISSIONERS AND TELL THEM TO CALL THEIR LEGISLATORS AND SUPPORT SB 496, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY WAY THAT THE COUNTY CAN DO ANYTHING IS IF THEY'RE GIVEN MORE POWER BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE, RIGHT? SO YEAH, SO IN ANNEXATION, ALRIGHT, LAST CALL, ANYONE ELSE NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON CHICKENS, GOATS, SHEEP. BUT I COULD TALK ABOUT DATA CENTERS. HOW ABOUT IT. ALL RIGHT. LISTEN, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THIS IS THE WAY WE WORK TO HONE OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARED. AS SOMEBODY SAID, DATA CENTERS ARE COMING. THEY ARE A VERY IMPORTANT PART, AND WE JUST GOT TO BE PREPARED FOR THEM AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT RULES. SO IF NOTHING ELSE, ARE THEY COMING OR NOT? EVERYBODY ELSE SAYS THAT. THE INDUSTRY SAYS THEY'RE COMING. THEY'RE COMING. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO BE NEUTRAL. OH, I MEAN, IN THE IN THE COUNTRY IN THIS COUNTRY THEY'RE. YEAH. COUNTRY THEN. BUT ANYWAY. ALRIGHT. DO I HAVE A MOTION. WE COME OUT OF PUBLIC HEARING GO AND THEN WE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. DO I HAVE THAT MOTION. WAIT A MINUTE. WHAT, WHAT WHAT Y'ALL NEED TO VOTE ON MOTION TO TABLE. YEAH. I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE CONTINUE THIS ON THE TABLE.

THE ORDINANCE. YEAH. ALRIGHT. DO I HAVE A MOTION? WE TABLE THE SO MOVED. ALRIGHT. DO I HAVE A SECOND. YEAH. I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING. WE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE CLOSE. I THINK WE NEED TO GET A LITTLE MORE STRICT. I HEARD

[02:25:02]

ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT. I HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? VALUES COUNTING.

RAISE HAND. YEAH. ALRIGHT. MOTION IS APPROVED. ALRIGHT. NOW I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. WE

[VII. EXECUTIVE SESSION]

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.