Pine Island City Council adopts new public input policy amid data center debate

PINE ISLAND, Minn. (FOX 9) - A growing list of Minnesota cities are grappling with the idea of a new data center coming to town.

In one community near Rochester, the debate had gotten so heated at a recent city council meeting, new decorum rules for public comment had to be adopted. 

Plus, the mayor of Pine Island also abruptly resigned this week.

Pine Island data center debate

The backstory:

There has also been an ongoing legal battle over a proposed data center in Pine Island that has been linked to Google.

In the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy’s (MCEA) lawsuit against the city and developer, the nonprofit organization argues the environmental review is inadequate. 

In the latest in the case, a judge has granted the MCEA’s request to temporarily halt construction as it plays out in court.

What they're saying:

Community members raised concerns over a proposed data center at a Pine Island City Council meeting in April.

"The narrative you’ve been selling that it is too late to stop the data center development in Pine Island is not true," a resident said speaking to council members.

At one point, the meeting grew tense, leading to a council recess.

Now, in the wake of the clash between city officials and residents, Mayor David Friese resigned this week. 

According to the resignation letter submitted Monday, he wrote, "as my position at work continues to grow, the needed attention and service to the city is impacted."

Last month’s meeting also prompted the city council to adopt a new public comment policy Tuesday, including limiting public input to 20 minutes total, and listing no "name-calling" as one of the rules for decorum.

What's next:

Council member Vernon Pahl will temporarily fill the duties of the role until a new mayor is appointed.

The next hearing in the lawsuit is a scheduling conference set for Thursday.