The Dorr Township Plan Commission meeting had to be moved to the auditorium because of the size of the crowd.
by Joseph Schultz
The Dorr Township Hall had a bit of a circus feel Tuesday night for the Planning Commission meeting.
The meeting room inside quickly filled with the “Torches and Pitchforks” group of residents opposed to a Microsoft data center, as well as other members of the media.
Outside, the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics group was out front soliciting signatures for a ballot proposal to ban money from corporate contractors giving money to political candidates.
Shortly after the meeting started, Fire Chief Gary Fordham asked Plan Commission Chairman Dan Beute for a recess to move the meeting to the auditorium to accommodate the sizable crowd.
Once inside the auditorium, Beute made a statement that he had reached out to State Rep. Rachelle Smit for help and input with the data center issue. Smit replied that legislation regulating data centers would not go anywhere in the State Legislature this year.
Smit wrote in a letter to Beute that Public Act 181 gives data centers a tax break to incentivize data centers to locate in Michigan. There is talk in Lansing to force tech companies pay for the electricity they use, and to protect water utilities, but no legislation has been proposed as yet.
Public comment started with Beute calling on each person who filled out a slip to address the commission. Each made comments to commissioners, who listened respectfully.
Most concerns were about use of electricity, and water. Local residents say they are worried that electric rates will go up, and that the water will get polluted. Issues about noise and lighting also were brought up by assembled citizens.
At one point during the meeting a resident asked if the commissioners were going to answer questions about the data center. Beute replied that they would not because they do not know what Microsoft plans to do with the land it purchased. Beute said that when the purchased took place, Microsoft expressed a desire to build a data center, but no formal plans have been submitted to the township. So any answer commissioners would give would be mere speculation.
Despite the large and passionate crowd, the meeting proceeded in an orderly fashion. Everyone expressed themselves in a civil and respectful manner. After the meeting, the residents filled the foyer, making plans to keep their concerns before the township officials.
