The body of elected officials could have voted on the development agreement plan and the tax incentive agreement in Monday's evening session, but this action was continued until City Council's Dec. 2 meeting. Tuesday's vote on whether OG&E would power it is the only public vote regarding the data center.
Mayor Will Joyce wrote on his Facebook page six days ago, "This vote is independent of the other two issues; the tax incentives and development agreement can still go forward even if the franchise vote doesn't pass. And even if the franchise vote passes, the other two agreements could still be rejected."
Proponents for the new business spoke in favor of the economic boon Stillwater will experience, the fact that OG&E would likely be better to serve such a complex and that the people of Stillwater will have a better quality of life should even the first two phases be built under the TID. Those who spoke against the data center are discouraged by the prospect of their land and views being marred by an industrial complex, wildlife being endangered and their quality of life being disturbed by the development.
Crystal Hayes, who lives on Richmond Road and has a calf ranch, said, "While it is extremely admirable for your vision to create and generate and breathe millions of dollars into the very life of Stillwater, it's only created sadness and heartache for me personally."
Hayes asked council members if any of them lived under high voltage power lines, and she also said she has a problem "taking the words of a billion dollar company," that can cause "more harm than good."
Her comments concerned on her rural way of life, saying she did not want it to disappear because of development. She argued against it, she said, because, "I'm standing up for the disappearing wildlife and the habitat for the deer and the turkey and the dove, the bobcats. And I'm here to stand up to stand up for my livelihood."
Shad Hagan said he doesn't live near the proposed data center and said he is not opposed to the development but said he thought there should have been more community discussion, and so he voted no for OG&E to support the project. He said the process "feels kind of rushed, like a car sale, you know, 'We're having this hearing right now and everybody go vote tomorrow.'"
Stillwater residents Roger Gose and Robin Cornwell have been engaged in the community discussion regarding the city's plan since a public dialogue began. Cornwell has repeatedly mentioned her concern for clean energy and feels confident at this point that the city and OG&E and the company can deliver a promise for this down the line. She said she feels confident to support the project with OG&E as the provider.
Gose remarked on the economic benefits and said he visited a data center and drove around it hearing nothing but his car to be able to comment on noise concerns.
"I couldn't hear anything from the data centers. There was absolutely no noise except the road noise from my car," he said.
Tony Bowman was at the City Council meeting and took his public time for comments on behalf of Rhonda Markum, county commissioner District 3. The commissioner was engaged on Monday evening at the fairgrounds in a meeting where 200 people had gathered, along with state elected officials and others, to protest the use of eminent domain in future energy projects in Payne County.
"I'm here tonight to represent the constituents of Payne County District 3 that have some concerns to the north and to the east about the noise and the change of the skyline," Bowman said.
He said constituents have talked to Markum's office about the data center.
"They thought it was school land so they thought it would always be the same, which I understand. The concern after phase 2 are the bigger transmission lines that would come across people's property to the north and from the east," he said.
Voters were in favor of OG&E providing services for the data center, so if the project continues to move forward, that could mean the creation of a 3% annual franchise fee that would amount for $4.5 million per year for two phases or $80 million per phase over 25 years, so $160 million, which is separate from PILOT or community betterment payments.
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