City Council - Special Meeting

Oh my god.

That makes me Good morning everyone. Hi patience. We were just getting more people signed up for public comment.

Yes, we have it. All right. Um, in the pledge, let's see who I need stronger glasses. Okay, Madame Clerk, I assume Miguel Martinez is online and Megan Eert.

Good morning, Madame Mayor. That's correct. We do have uh Vice Mayor Martinez and Council Member Eert online. Okay, perfect. All right. Um we are going to start this morning with the pledge of allegiance. Uh I would love for Rebecca Venus to lead us in the pledge. She's She's over there. Me? Yes, you. To the flag of the United States of America to the republic for one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right, Madame Clerk, please call the role.

All right. Good morning, Madame Mayor. We're calling role for the special Reno City Council meeting on May 14th, 2026. Council member Taylor here. Der here. Martinez here. Eert here. Reese here. She Anderson here. Shivy here. Madame Mayor, you do have a quorum of the Reno City Council.

All right. Thank you so much. We're going to start off with public comment. We do have a proclamation in support of Alzheimer's Month. And Councilwoman Dur, you're going to read the proclamation. All right. Good morning, Madame Mayor, members of the council, and members of the public that are here. I want to um provide a proclamation in honor of ALS, also known as Lou Garri's disease. And it's a special privilege for me. For about 10 years, I um served on a board of a group that did an annual fundraiser, a garden tour fully in support of trying to beat back this incredible disease. Uh so 10 years uh lots of money raised, 60,000 almost every year. And uh we have here

come on in Carol and why don't you stand right here? Thank you. Yes.

Okay. Well, I want to give this proclamation to you and I'll just read it right now. So amiotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as lugar garrick's disease is a progressive fatal neurodeenerative let me see neurodeenerative disease in which a person's brain loses connection with their muscles slowly reducing a person's ability to walk eat and eventually breathe and thousands of new ALS cases are reported every year and estimates show that every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS and someone passes away from ALS and on average ALS patients survive only 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis and the exact causes are unknown and there is no cure at this time. The exact causes of ALS are unknown and securing access to new therapies, durable medical equipment and communication technologies is of vital importance to people living with ALS. The ALS Association is the largest philanthropic funer of ALS research globally and has committed more than $154 million to support more than 550 projects across the US and 18 other countries. And finally, ALS Awareness Month provides an opportunity to increase public awareness of people living with ALS, acknowledge the terrible impact of this disease, and support research to eradicate ALS. And therefore, I Naomi do or on behalf of Hillary El Shivi, mayor of the city of Reno, Nevada, do hereby declare May 2026 ALS awareness month. And it gives me great privilege to offer this to you and also ask you if you'd like to make a few comments.

Sure. Um, I just want to say thank you. Uh, we're doing these around the country and so it's really exciting to see Reno join a long list of cities, counties, and states that are dedicated to trying to find a cure for ALS. So, thank you so much, Mayor Shivy, Councilwoman Ree, Councilman Woman Taylor, and Councilwoman Anderson, and Councilwoman Der for all that you've done. Thank you all. Thank you for what you're doing. It's really um it's really, really needed. Uh it's a horrible, horrible disease. Yes. Yes. And I will say it's a disease that affects Neadans, too. So, I'm sure there's folks in Reno today living with it that are going to feel really hopefully seen by this and that we can many people probably in this room that have been directly affected with family members, caregivers. Um, so we really really appreciate the work that you're doing.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay. Thank you. And you are welcome to take this with you. Thank you. Thank you so much. All right. And thank you for the privilege of reading that. Thank you.

Did you want to get a quick picture? Well, I'm sure this is a cause they also care about. These are lots of caring individuals. Yes. See, they're rooting you on. See, you ready? One. He's making you feel like a Kardashian over there. All right. Thanks so much.

Um, okay. All right, Madam Clerk, we're going to head into general public comment.

Thank you, Madame Mayor. Today's first item is opening public comment. It should be noted for those in attendance that comments are to be addressed to the mayor and council as a whole. Comments heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the council's agenda. Council may not take action upon any matter not agendaized on today's agenda. When you're called on for public comment, please state your name for the record and begin speaking. The timer will begin when you've stated your name and you will be afforded three minutes. For those participating in chambers in account in accordance with council rule 6.3.11 while in this room, please be respectful. Disruptive behavior from audience members like clapping, yelling, whistling, etc. which impede the meeting may result in a warning issued by the presiding officer. If this behavior continues, you may be removed from chambers. If you're an attendee in the Zoom meeting and would like to pick public comment, please raise your hand at this time. All right, Madame Mayor, for item A3, we do not have any general public comment registered at this time. We did receive three comments which were general in nature and those have been provided to the Reno City Council and are available to the public on reno.govmeings.

Okay, we're on item A4, approval of the agenda. All right. Um, before I approve, do you have any notes? Good morning, Madam Mayor. I apologize. We did end up having some hands raised for item A3. Okay, then I will come back to our city manager after we hear those comments. Thank you. Our first Zoom attendee is Laura Summers, followed by Lauren Huffman, followed by Casey Elliott. Oh, I think they raised their hand, but now have decided that they want to wait for B1. Okay, but we still have Casey Elliot. All right. Good morning, Casey. Can you hear us?

Good morning. I can hear you. Can you hear me? Yes. Go ahead. Okay. Okay. I just want to be sure this is the time for the general public comment. Is that correct? It is.

Okay. So, um, as far as data centers go, um, and as far as particularly the controversially proposed extensure data center in Keystone, um, I would like to point out that the permitting process in Wo County is not mature enough to handle this sort of a facility in comparison to the rest of the state of Nevada, particularly from an air quality permitting standpoint. So, a little background in the rest of Nevada, you have to perform what's called air dispersion modeling in order to prove that the equipment that you're putting on the site is not going to deteriorate the air quality of the surrounding area. So if this data center or data centers in Wo County were to be permitted at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center or anywhere else in the state of Nevada, they have to prove through a highly sophisticated, you know, mathematical model that is proven to be highly accurate that they do not exceed the air quality thresholds of the area. And as of now, Wo County does not do that. Washer County relies on monitors throughout the city to tell if the air is currently bad, not to preemptively tell if something's going to deteriorate the air quality. So using the publicly available information in Sentra's air permit application which would be very representative of general data centers in WO I performed air dispersion modeling um because that is part of my role in what I do currently and I found that it is currently showing to emit five times the legal limit and it's affecting nearly 10,000 households in the area. So, the fact that Wo County isn't prepared to handle this sort of analysis because they currently don't require it um just goes to show that it's it's moving too fast and it's not soph sophisticated enough if the rest of Nevada does it and and we can't even do

it in the area where we have high population um and you know groups of people who would be very seriously impacted by things like NOx and SO2 and carbon monoxide side and and all of the things that these huge generators that will be operating at these data centers will be emitting um is my my technical way of saying that you know not based on emotion not based on anything else. The the air dispersion models show the air will be illegally bad if these data centers are put in in these residential areas. Um and I think sort of my final point is what is the need? We have data centers that are being put in that are a thousand times bigger out in rural areas where there aren't people who are going to be affected. So it yeah seems a little pointless to have them in the town where there are groups that are going to be seriously affected and proven by these air dispersion models to be um illegally emitting. Thank you.

All right. Thanks Casey. Laura Summers followed by Lauren Huffman. Good morning. Hi, Laura.

Hi. I'm gravely concerned about um the basin by allowing any data center development. Um the choice to open these centers and allow even the currently running ones to maintain their level of energy use and pollution um is going to have devastating effects to our entire area. Utility costs have already been rising and they will continue to rise. It's now proven that risks of cancer increase. Water shortages are inevitable. Area farmers might be forced to choose between growing the food that feeds us or shutting down due to untenable costs. And our indigenous friends and the endangered species they protect will be at even greater risk. It really doesn't stop there. Um the draw that our area has for tourists might wayne when costs do skyrocket and could cause more economic strain on the region. No one stands anything to gain from these centers except billionaire tech owners who care only about amassing even greater wealth and power. And if that's not enough, I'd love to remind each of you that this is one of the most politically unifying issues we have today. People on both sides of the aisle are recognizing the harms that these data centers are causing to their communities through both environmental concerns and the financial toll which is shouldered exclusively by the people that they harm the most. The workers that build them largely don't live here. The billionaires that own them don't live here, but we do. This is truly class and environmental warfare. You're here to serve the people, and it is the people who will remove you if you don't. So, I support a permanent ban on all data centers in Reno. Thank you. All right. Thanks,

Laura Huffman via Zoom. All right. Um, hi. Yeah, my name is Lauren Huffman and I will just be very brief. Um, I am calling for a vote in favor of item B1 to put a moratorum on data center construction without further research and restrictions, and frankly calling for a total moratorum on data center construction in Northern Nevada, water over data forever, people over billionaires forever.

Okay. If we can hold the applause in the room, please. Um, for those who have just raised their hand in Zoom, if this is public general public comment, we'll take it at this time. If this is for item B1, we're going to take that during item B1. All right, we still have art rang. Oh, sorry. Okay, that is the close of opening public comment at this time. We're moving into item A4, approval of the agenda. Okay, I'm going to hand it to our city manager. Did you Thank you, Madam Mayor. I have no changes to the agenda today. Okay. Thank you so much. Move to approve. All right. I have a motion. I have a second. All those in favor say I. I. Opposed. Motion carries.

All right. So, now we're going to head into item B1. And I am going to ask, so this is um for those of you that haven't been in chambers before, madame clerk is going to call your name and then she's going to call a second um runner up and then a third runner up. So if you are second, it would be great if you would come sit in there's two reserve chairs right up here and that really helps us streamline the process. Um because I know that all of you want us to get to a vote um and that's why you're here. So we want to make this um as seamless as possible. So I think that's helpful. And then the other thing is um I know everyone is really passionate and I think that is fantastic. Um I just want to remind some people some people do get a little intimidated if they are on either side of the item and sometimes that discourages them from coming up and speaking as well. So I just want you to keep that in mind um because we're all here together as one community. So, let's support each other and uh I look forward to a productive meeting. So,

thank you, Madam Mayor. So, we do have a lot of public comment um here for this item this morning. We've currently got about 70 registered. Um to make sure I want this one to go first to make sure

to make sure we have time to allow everyone here to speak, we ask that the speakers be concise as possible. If someone before you has already expressed a point that you agree with. You're welcome to simply state your agreement and add any brief additional thoughts you may have. We have some seats reserved up front as the mayor stated. Um I'll announce the next three commenters in line and if you hear your name, please come forward into the reserved chairs which are located in the front of the room. We do also have um a a large portion of our public commenters are still out in the lobby. We have met capacity in this room. So, we were asking that if you've made public comment to please exit the room so that we can continue the flow of public commenters to be allowed to speak. And again, um please do not clap or um cheer, no yelling, whistling during the meeting just because it impedes the ability for the next public commenters to hear their names being stated. Our first public commenter today is Gary Johnson, followed by Jacob Haw, followed by Rob Benner. All

right. And madame clerk, there's some chairs with blue. Those are reserved for staff. Staff. Okay. All right. Gary, you're first up. Good. Jacob second. Jacob Haw and Rob Benner. And then Rob will be in C3. Okay. There we go. We got it. We got it down.

All right. It's a pleasure to be here. My name is Gary Johansson. I live in Reno. and um was going to talk a little bit about data centers and my perspective on on uh the whole situation. Um a major justification given for building many huge data centers is because artificial intelligence is a national strategic priority. We are told that our country's hundreds of billions of dollars in AI investment will likely lead to the development of artificial general intelligence known as AGI. AGI is defined by Wikipedia as a hypothetical type of artificial intelligence that matches or surpasses human capabilities across virtually all cognitive tasks. Beyond artificial general intelligence, artificial super intelligence, ASI would outperform the best human abilities across every domain by a wide margin. However, the potential development of artificial general intelligence is speculative at best. An article in the May 20th, 2026 issue of the nation magazine stated that a recent survey by the association um for the advancement of artificial intelligence found that 76% of AI experts said they are dubious that artificial general intelligence will be achieved under the current paradigm which posits that AI technologies improve with increased data and computing power. If this scaling law fails to hold, it will strike at the heart of the AI industry's case for everinccreasing capacity. It will also sow real doubts concerning the fantastical levels of projected demand undergirling the current push for infrastructure expansion. Reno could find itself with a lot of unused data center buildings. We could end up being the great basin counterpart

of the hollowedout postindustrial cities of the upper Midwest. Nevertheless, I recognize it is foreseeable that Reno will be getting more data centers. Our elected officials and their staff need to address this issue in a systematic and thoughtful manner. This will take time and require extensive input from all the parties, most importantly the residents of our special city. I am asking for a moratorum on all data center applications until a common sense ordinance is in place. This ordinance will address the water, air pollution, noise, sighting, energy, and other issues associated with data center development. Any data centers built built should be built with union labor and union wages. Thank you.

All right. Thank you so much. You're welcome. Jacob Haw followed by Trey AB. Oh, I'm sorry. Followed by Rob Benner, followed by Mitchell Brown, Sylv Sylviera.

All right. Good morning, council. Good morning, Mayor. Council members and staff. Uh my name is Jacob Hos. I serve as a business manager for IBW Local 401. And I represent over 1,800 local members and their families across Northern Nevada. And we have over 500 apprentices. That's lives were changing for the youth in this community and giving them a career and an education. Um I'm here today in opposition of the proposed moratorium on the data center development in the city of Reno. Data centers are creating opportunities for working families in our community and are currently supporting roughly 4,000 jobs for electrical workers alone across northern Nevada. These workers spend their paychecks locally, support small businesses, and contribute through tax, sales tax, property taxes, and everyday spending in our economy. These jobs do not end when construction is complete. Within a couple years, electricians are typically brought back for updates, maintenance, and expansion, creating long-term sustainable employment for local workers. These projects also drive major investment into electrical infrastructure and grid modernization. The skilled electricians of IBW Local 401 are helping build the systems needed to support Northern Nevada's future growth while improving reliability and expandable capacity. A moratorum sends the wrong message to companies looking to invest in Reno and create uncertainty for the thousands of working families who depend on these jobs. We are not just building facilities. We're building a workforce that will build every facility that comes after schools, hospitals, infrastructures, and affordable housing. I believe there are ways to set policy on specific requirements for data centers within the city like a closed loop cooling system that uses less water than a residential house per year. Maybe a max size of 30 megawatts or less. Minimum distance from housing or residential requirements the developer and a way for developers to give back to the community

without putting the matorium on data centers. And I thank you for your time. All right. Thank you so much. Rob Benner, followed by Mitchell Brown, followed by Deanna Helm.

Good morning, Mayor, members of the council. Uh Rob Benner, executive secretary treasurer for the Northern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council. Uh we represent probably 7,000 plus local construction workers and growing uh because of all the work here in Northern Nevada. Um I'd like to just take everybody back to the way back machine and go back to 20 years. 2006, Reno's economy was booming. Everything was good, but we were dependent on just several industries. Since then, we have diversified this economy. Um, we've grown our base. We're we're the hot spot in the nation now for many different industries. We need to keep that going. Setting a moratorum I believe sets a bad precedent and shows that it sends a message to all these companies wanting to move here that Reno is closed for business that we don't want you. That's not true. That's not what my members want. My members want the work. My members want the jobs. That's what puts food on their table, clothes on their kids and and you know health care for our people. So to say that, you know, these aren't local jobs, that's not true. Uh little bit of personal testimony back uh back during the Great Recession. Um I was one of those affected affected workers. I spent over a year out of work. I was one of the lucky ones during that time. Con the construction industry, we lost twothirds of our construction workforce. We went from 150,000 construction workers down to 50. I was part of that 50 that was able to stick around and I was out of work for a year and that put a huge strain on my family. I don't want to see that for our members, my members. I'd also

we are in support of this. Do we want to see you know some standards put on these projects? Of course. Do we need to put guard rails on these projects? Absolutely. We are not not opposed to that. We want to see some of this stuff happen. But I think sending it putting it's putting down a blanket moratorum sends the wrong message to bit for business. At the end of the day, I want to see all these anti-data center memes and videos being posted. I want to see them being created and stored on local servers. here in Northern Nevada and not on servers in Utah. Thank you.

All right. Thanks so much, Mitchell Brown, followed by Deanna Helm, followed by Robin Palmer. Hi, Mitchell.

I'm my first time here. Um, mayor, city council members, for the record, my name is Mitchell Brown S. Vera. I'm a W two member. I'm here as a private citizen for my first city council meeting to advocate for a one-year moratorum on any new data center projects and a moratorium on annexing any land into the city of Reno for data center projects that may already be underway. I'm reminded of a Simpsons episode where the town of Springfield votes to get a Montreal. Data centers are targeting smaller towns where there are no guard little to no guard rails in place to asssure there won't be problems with water, power, toxins, noise, light, and fire. Lithium storage on site and diesel backup generators will create a toxic haz hazard when they catch fire. They will also be impossible to put out and must be kept contained. Excuse me. Does the Reno Fire Department have the resources to fight such a fire? And will the data center that is lost pay for the damages and cleanup? I doubt it. While promising to use recycled water or chemicals that are harmless to help cool servers now, will they keep asking for fresh water or even switch practices without permission? Would they sue us over and claiming that the restrictions hurt their bottom line and expensively litigate an already overbudget city? I would bet on it. Reno has been starting kind of loose and easy with allowing data centers as the Keystone project proves. When that project is finished, will we see the noise from the backup generators as a problem? Will we see the resource usage as a problem? And will we see companies that own one that own it one

or two, three years down the road start demanding even more resources and exemptions to the restrictions in place. Finally, if it were up to me, I'd want Reno to never allow data centers. Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Deanna Helm, followed by Robin Palmer, followed by Jared Witchell. Okay, Madame Clerk, we have a a mother back here. Would you come up to the clerk so I can make sure that you um that we move you up because I know you've got baby here and and she's she's doing a good job trying to trying to manage that. So, if you wouldn't mind, Madame Clerk, would you please move her up? Thanks. Okay, go ahead. Hi, my name is Deanna Helm and I too am a mother so I can appreciate you pushing her up up the chain here but thank you um madame mayor and city council members um I'm a residents of south a resident of South Reno and a member of the indivisible group here in the northern Reno northern Nevada area more importantly I'm a mother and a grandmother and I'm a self-proclaimed nature lover I appeal to you today that a morator moratorum be imposed by city council. I have no other um scientific data to provide you today as you've seen in your past meetings. However, I appeal as a citizen that you reconsider allowing data centers infiltrate the city of Reno. My concerns are long-term effects to our children growing up in data center neighborhoods. the effect on our community as water resources are required, the energy usage effect using um gas generators with gas emissions and noise pollution. Lastly, allowing data centers in local neighborhoods, Keystone in particular, should have been the first and foremost reviewed with community members and homeowners. Perhaps the city budget has a deficit and schools need to be funded. However,

developing data centers was not a mindful decision for our community and I appreciate your time and I really wish we consider a moratorum. Thank you. Thank you so much. Nicole Hubard, if we can hold the applause, please. Nicole, well that we skipped. I appreciate

Who is this? Uh, my name is Nicole Hubard and this is my four-month old son, Archer. He is the first of his line. Um, and he came home to two hounds and the five chickens that live in our backyard. So, he already has quite a lot going for him. Um, we agree with what was just said by the lovely mother and grandmother ahead of us. We don't know what his future is going to look like. We don't know what our future is going to look like if we continue with possibilities of pollution. I understand that there's a lot of things that could go to protect an add-on. We don't know what those look like. If you look at the reports coming out of Georgia, Tennessee, even Corpus Christi, things are getting polluted faster than they can keep up. Corpus Christie has already been told that they're out of 5 years worth of water after one year of having a data center. It's just not worth it. It's not worth it for him when in the future I can maybe go talk about how great it is to go have a summer day at Tahoe or Pyramid and he will have no clue because it's either polluted or god forbid drained and gone in the worst um extremes. for the comment that was made earlier about jobs. Jobs are important, but also as you drive around Reno, I've noticed there are a ton of shipping buildings meant for semis that all say for lease. So, we're building all these things, but do we have the jobs coming in for them? Do we have the businesses coming to support this? Or are we building needlessly, hoping people are going to come, hoping people are going to come lease these buildings, and then when they don't, we just have empty buildings throughout the town when we could be doing things for our own residents. Thank you so much. And with that, it's nap time.

All right, good job, Robin Palmer, followed by Jared Warchell, followed by Barry Levenson. Where does this project?

It'll be right here. I'm going to turn it over eventually. Good morning. I'm Robin Palmer, climate and community advocate. Thank you for recently directing staff to initiate writing a code amendment regarding data centers. I'm here once again to request a moratorum on acceptance of data center applications and to agendaize consideration of an extended final moratorum or ban for a future meeting soon. I anticipate it'll be about a year process to finalize a text amendment. Any data center applicant in the interim will be evaluated by the current weak code specifications and those are here. This is as updated in March of this year. In January 2024, an administrative interpretation that added a definition of data center and use specific standards into municipal code. Staff fixated on protecting the community from by regulating data center doors. As you can see in number one here, to differentiate a warehouse from a data center, data centers are limited to three doors. Under the guise of code cleanup, in a January 2025 meeting, a planner is quoted as saying, "We don't want any confusion between a building that has lots of trucks coming and going versus a data center which has very few. There's no chance you're going to build a data center and tell us

you're a data center and then change it to some kind of distribution use. End of quote. Then number two has other specifications for data center doors. That's it. In addition to these minimal data center specific criteria, data centers require a conditional use permit. A conditional use permit is not sufficient to protect our community. Sentra data center on Keystone was approved with a conditional use permit. There are several residences within 350 ft of Sentra. It's close to the river. There are it will have three large pollution emmitting tier 2 backup generators versus the cleaner tier 4 generations generators. and will emit nearly 50 tons of nitrogen oxides per year. Michael Leonard wrote in the March Nevada news and views, quote, "By the time Reno starts writing the rules for data centers, the concrete will already be dry. The walls will be up. One will be in your neighborhood and will be too late. Please, a moratorum." Thank you.

Jared Warchell. Right. Followed by Barry Levenson, followed by Jason Miller. Hello. Good morning. First time addressing city hall. Took a day off to be here. Just take your time.

Thank you. Good morning. My name is Dr. Jared Warshell. I live in the old southwest neighborhood not far from the Keystone Data Center project site. I passed by the project site nearly every day, driving to I80, shopping nearby, visiting friends, running along the river, or attending events at McKinley Art Center. Reno has been putting real effort into elevating our community by investing heavily into the neon line, the Riverside jogging path, the Arlington Bridge, Wingfield Park, and the Whitewater Park. A part of a vision for a healthier, more vibrant Reno, which I love. But that vision depends on a light a livable environment of quiet places, clean water, affordable energy. A place where people can be healthy, happy, and a part of the community. Data centers threaten that vision by operating around the clock, emitting persistent low-frequency noise from cooling systems, loud whirling from generator testing that doesn't just fade into the background, especially at night. What seems tolerable during the day becomes disruptive when people are trying to sleep. Sleep is fundamental to physical and mental health. Chronic sleep disruption increases stress, endocrine and cardiovascular dysfunction, reduces cognitive function, and it's also not evenly felt. Children and older adults are more vulnerable with kids needing consistent uninterrupted sleep for development and learning, and seniors facing higher rates of dementia without it. So, when we place facilities like this near residential areas, schools, parks, shopping, and art centers, we're not just adding infrastructure. We're creating long-term environmental stressors for our residents. Reno has now approved 40 data centers with little regulation or understanding of the cumulative impact. Each facility adds major aroundthe-clock electrical load, taking a meaningful share of electricity that the city depends on. And now Envy Energy is talking about discontinuing power to the Lake Tahoe basin for data centers in Reno. These buildings emit enormous amounts of heat into our neighborhood, creating heat island effects, driving up cooling demands, adding to climate pressures that threaten our snow pack, lengthening our fire season. Fires that have already threatened our neighborhoods and increased insurance costs. Their cooling systems, even closed loop ones, produce

blowdown that concentrates toxin and ends up in the Truckucky River polluting our ecosystems. Reno is growing because it's livable for the river, for the trails, the arts, the community, the the sense of community, not because of data centers. We've put years of investment into building a more connected, active, and healthy Reno. And it would be a mistake to jeopardize that with projects that introduce permanent noise strain on our energy grid and ecosystems without fully understanding the consequences. I'm asking you to step back and fully account for the long-term health and quality of life impacts effects of energy costs, property values, climate, and water so that what we approve aligns with the city we've been working so hard to create in favor of the moratorium. Thank you all. All right, Dr. Warfield. Warell. Warell.

Yeah. Okay. Thank you so much. Barry Levenson, followed by Jason Miller, followed by Tyler Maynard.

Hi, good morning. Mayor Shivi, council members, nice to see you all. Um, my name is Barry Levenson and I am a member of Sierra Club. Thank you for considering a moratorum on new applications for data centers in Reno. This has been a long time coming. It's been 15 months since the planning commission asked for a moratorum to allow time to develop a common sense ordinance governing data centers. As I think you're all beginning to understand, the conditional use permit is absolutely inadequate for data center approvals. Today, I would like to see a unanimous vote on this pending moratorum so that Reno can work to come up with an ordinance to protect our residents and our environment from the real risk that data centers pose. that you just heard a nice uh summary of um a common sense ordinance should address proper sighting so that we don't end up with another keystone situation with the data center cited close to residences and close to the Truckucky River. It should also include a ban on the use of backup diesel and gas generators that run 24/7 for the length of time that it takes to obtain an interconnection with Envy Energy. We are already seeing this happening in Story County and it will be a disaster for our air quality. The ordinance should also require water conserving cooling technology such as closed loop. It should require the best available diesel generator technology for emergency backup power such as tier 4 or better yet use lithium batteries. It should incentivize renewable energy, including solar panels on the roofs and the use of new renewable electricity from the grid. And the data center developers must cover the costs of all required infrastructure, including roads, sewer, water treatment, and firefighting services. Most importantly and relevant to today's meeting, this pending moratorium vote must be followed up with an agendaized

final moratorum resolution within 30 days or ideally before the election. I hope and trust that our city manager will make sure that this happens. Discussions of a moratorium should not be a political stunt that just kicks the can down the road until after the upcoming election. Please get serious about a moratorum on data center applications until a common sense ordinance is approved. Thank you. Jason Miller, followed by Tyler Maynard, followed by Armando Rodriguez. All right. Hi, Jason. Hi, welcome back. Yes,

I was here last time. My name is Jason Miller and last time we heard that there was 25 data centers. Now I'm hearing that there's 40. Have you ever thought to pause and think what's with the break neck speeds of why these data centers are coming? It's for mass surveillance. It is here and it's going to destroy not only the place that we have all come to call home. It will end up being the destruction of all of us. We need to understand why these things are coming the way that they are. if they are trying to push a $2 billion worth of profit of data centers by next year when these things have failed the last six quarters of bringing any sort of profit or revenue. It's going to be used to weaponize against the people and these cannot be built in our own backyards taking our resources. Like I said last time, this is a fight for survival and it isn't just going to stop with the people. is going after all of us. And with that being said, have a great day.

You too. Take care. Tyler Maynard, followed by Armando Rodriguez, followed by Omar Alvarez.

My name's Tyler Maynard and I'm here to talk about the data center moratorum. The community has been asking and showing out in drills for over a year now since February 2025, telling you that we need a data center moratorum. Time and time again, you have said you would bring it back to a future agenda. And a year later, as more data centers are currently being built, we are still showing up and telling you what we need. We have we have told you time and time again of the impact of data centers on what happens to be the driest state in the nation whose local water basin has been impacted by global warming and pollutants. But we also remind you that the use of this water and the planning and even the thought of building data centers completely denies the sovereignty the pyramid lake PA and the Wu wo people who have taken care of and love this land that we occupy today. The city council and the government has never consulted any of the tribes on data centers. You have never provided a seat at the table or a voice of power from tribal members when concerning data centers. The water that keeps all of us healthy and gives us life is only here today because of the long and ongoing fight of indigenous people to obtain and have a voice in their own water rights. We demand that tribal members have a say in what happens to their water more than the greedy tech industry or city council members who have little to no relationship to this land or water and only see it as a limitless resource to unload to the highest bidder. That means that the moratorum stands until tribal leaders and community members have full access and involvement in the processes of decisionmaking. We also demand that after the one and only action item today, you start the pending moratorum as soon as possible and figure out a date for the final moratorum solution before the primary election day on June 9th. There is no more time to bring this back as a future agenda. Give us concrete dates here and now. There is no more room for compromising or

delaying. All right, sir. What What's your name? Tyler. Tyler. Okay. Last name? Maynard. Okay. Thanks, Tyler. Thank you. Armando Rodriguez, followed by Omar Alvarez, followed by Deborah Galllet.

Good morning. My name's Armando Rodriguez for the record. Thank you, Harry Shivi, and the members of the council. Uh, I just want to start off with saying I agree with everything Jacob Ha said. Uh we we have a lot of members uh in our union that we represent. A lot of our members actually do work at these facilities, data centers. Uh they their livelihoods, you know, mean a lot. They have insurance. They put their kids to school. They put food on their tables. So I just want to elerate that I am with Jacob Hos and we need data centers in our town. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Omar Alvarez, followed by Deborah Galllet, followed by Ana Parado.

Uh, good morning, uh, Madame Mayor and members of the council. My name's Omar Alvarez. I also want to I'd like to ditto, uh, Rob Benner's point. Um, you know, um, all these data centers that are being built is helping us uh, put food on the table of our families, continue getting them uh, health insurance and also growing the economy. Um, thank you.

Great. Thank you. Deborah Galllet followed by Ana Parado followed by Christopher Olatterie. Hello council. Uh my name is Deborah and I'm a concern concerned constituent here to talk about data centers and specifically ask you to please vote yes on the moratorum today. I want to take you back to February 2025 when you, Mayor Shivi, rejected a moratorium and text amendment and said, quote, "We'll bring it back to a future agenda so we can maybe get there." Well, that time is here. And I hope you are all listening closely to your constituents. There's nothing more disrespectful than ignoring the voices of your constituents who have taken time off work to be here. I think most of us in this room are horrified at the actions, or rather inaction, the Reno City Council has displayed in regards to data centers. The city is facing a massive influx of data centers. And yet, the city has no clear process to evaluate them and no clear rules and regulations in place. You have had the opportunity to slow down the process and lay the groundwork for this already. For this already, and yet you didn't. So, here we are. I can see that data centers probably look like an economic boom, a source for local jobs, a driving force to bring the tech industry to town. But what I see is a get-richqu scheme where out of town investors get rich and leave the rest of us holding the bag. They'll sit pretty raking in money hand overfist while the rest of us will have to deal with health conditions we get and the inability to pay our bills because they just keep rising. Hasn't Nevada seen enough of these boom and bust schemes to actually do something different this time? Um it's insane to keep doing the same thing over and over again with no different outcome. We need you to put constituents needs over business needs. Listen to the facts that most data centers after the temporary construction jobs are done um are only going to have 10 to 20 full-time employees. There is a gross

imbalance of what resources data centers suck up and the benefits they bring. To me, one of the scarier aspects of data centers is the noise pollution. People living near these data centers will face the constant unrelenting hum of low-frequency noises these data centers emit. People report experiencing migraines, insomnia, vertigo, nausea, anxiety, and hearing loss. Are those the types of health problems you wish on your constituents? We just do not know enough about the consequences of these data centers, and we need to put a stop to their growing presence. The Truckucky River is the sacred and beautiful life source for this region and we are risking it every day as data centers continue to get built and approved. The Pyramid Lake Pyute and Wo tribes are the stewards of our land and water and it is abhorrent that no tribal leaders have been included in this process. No project or decision this big and this fundamentally altering to our environment should have ever been taken without tribal input. The sovereignty of ind of indigenous people on this land is being threatened and we must do everything we can to write this wrong. I am calling on this council to vote yes on this 30-day moratorum and then reconvene immediately and tie a final moratorum to having regulations in place. Do not punt this to regional. You have the power to do this and we need you to do it right now. Trust your constituents when we say we do not want data centers in Reno. Thank you, Anika. Anika Parado, followed by Christopher Olie, followed by Ama Star. Hello, council. My name is Anaka Paro. I'm from Treky and I moved to Reno a couple years ago. I've gotten to see firsthand how truly beautiful this area is. From the mountains and the desert to the river. I grew up in school being taught about the local wildlife, taking field trips to the river, learning about the Chucky watershed, um learning from scientists and other environmental professionals, and

observing how local wildlife rely on and feed on um and feed from the river. I understand the importance of this land not only for the animals and the micro invertebrates, but also for the indigenous peoples. Um, it is important to not only consider our needs, but the needs of the community and the wildlife we share this beautiful and unique ecosystem with. For this reason, I strongly urge you to consult with local tribal councils as the river is their lifeblood and has significant historical, cultural, and spiritual impacts. You may think that a data center uh is evidence of progress now, but what happens in the next 5 years when technology evolves again? Um, we must think about our future. You are harming local communities and wasting resources for nothing. AI is already falling short in occupational applications and is not capable of doing the work as well as people can. The question I pose for you today is what is the point of sacrificing the needs and the trust of your citizens? Um when as of now data centers show no real lasting evidence of progress. This data center will hike up prices of energy, something that is already rapidly inflating. Tahoe locals are already being forced to outsource their other to other energy companies because their current one is putting the majority of its resources into local data centers. I can't help but be concerned that we will fall into fall to the same fate. The only difference is we only have one energy company. As a growing city, we need to prioritize our current um citizens. It's extremely important that we take and a pause on the building of data centers and put those resources back into the community and strengthen and treasure it.

Thank you. Good job. Christopher O Flattery followed by Amika Star followed by Christa George.

Good morning, Madame Mayor and Council members. My name, for the record, is Christopher Ole. I am the business representative for the painters and allied trades local 567 here in Northern Nevada. and we are speaking on opposition of a moratorum. Um for that we are in favor of guard rails and stipulations on locations and resources but currently AI and data center development is a lifeblood of the current US economy. If you talk to economists without AI development and data centers we don't really have an economy going with billions of dollars being invested every day. Um right now currently all of us rely on smartphones, smart homes, smart cars. Where do you think that comes from? Data centers. So we've been building data centers for decades with Apple being built in 2012 and switch in 2016 which I've had a privilege of working on those projects. And I understand data centers in the city are not in favor of a lot of people. Um so that's why we're also okay with maybe putting up some guard rails and stipulations. These are uh jobs for skilled trades that are essential for the AI and da d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d infrastructure and we currently have members working on these data centers account for around 80% of our workforce hours and right now we currently have over 70 apprentices 70 apprentices completing their four to five year training and journeying out on some of these projects creating a stronger workforce for future projects in our region members working on data centers are making livable wages making the American dream of purchasing a home starting a family and saving for the future possible. These are local workers spending money in our local economy and building better communities in which we all live in. The building trades are not anti-data center. We are pro- jobs and pro accountability. And an overwhelming majority of data centers being built are being done by building trades unions. because these developers can trust that we are highly skilled trades trades

people and that we are the safest most productive workers available. Overall, the data centers provide Northern Nevada by strengthening our communities, creating good paying jobs, building a sustainable digital future that will diversify our local economies. A moratorum would not just put a close for business sign up for the region, but it'll also impact the lives of workers, their families relying on this industry to make a livable wage and survive through the challenges of housing costs and inflation. Obviously, there's a right way and a wrong way to build data centers, and we should demand community benefits agreements tied to permitting, PLA, local hire agreements, water efficiency standards with mandated annual reporting, renewable resource targets, workforce training contributions, and participation in regional water replenishment programs and infrastructure developments. We believe the community and data centers can grow a partnership that can benefit the city and the region creating a harmonious balance between growth and sustainability. Thank you for your time.

Am Star followed by Christa George followed by Olivia Tanager. Good morning. For the record, my name is Amika Star and I was here last meeting and I remember that you, the council, and specifically you, Bear Shivy, said that you love art and you really are wanting more artists and art to come to the city council meeting. So, I was hoping that I could bring some art today. So, this last Tuesday, the water over data alliance met with tens of people to plan how we're going to respond to data centers through public comments like this and also through art. I was not able to make it to that gathering unfortunately, but I did make some art on my own. So, this is a representation of a Laojen cut trout which are native to the trucker to the Truckucky Water Ways area as well as many neighboring waterways. However, they have been driven to critical endangerment by gross overdevelopment, destruction of habitats and pollution. But indigenous leaders, tribal leaders, organizations like river justice and water over data have helped to protect and bring these species and other endangered species to states of recovery. These fish require clean, healthy, and cold water. I believe that data centers will endanger these species will continue to endanger these species, especially those ones that will be built on the river like the Keystone data center. As other people have talked about already and I agree with, these are huge wastes of water. They produce a lot of pollution as we've seen in many other states and many other cities that are drastically losing sources of water.

I also agree with many people that said that there's not much local economic benefits. These are outofstate companies. On average after construction is done only 11 local jobs remain per facility. 11 jobs for that level of environmental destruction. This is why I believe or this is why I've written water over data because water is essential to all of us including our non-human neighbors and we do we need water. We do not need data. As such, I support the moratorum on data centers and I demand that in the next two weeks before the June 9th election, we schedule another meeting to have a permanent ban on moratoriums of space for increased transparency and continued community sharing of our voices. Uh, thank you so much.

All right. Thank you,

Christa George, followed by Oliv Olivia Tanager, followed by Trey Abney. There's that. For the record, my name is Christa George and I live at 231 Arleta Street. I just want to remind you all from last time, this is the Keystone Data Center. This is my house right here. And um after watching the February 26, 2025 council meeting, I feel that you guys are all in luck today because you get a second chance at doing the right thing. I'm asking for this moratorium to be put on data centers in the city of Reno and that it is retroactive, pausing current construction until tangible, realistic, truly transparent regulations are put into place on data centers for the safety of our resources and all people it will affect. I ask this be a two week there be a two-e update for this interim moratorum to keep current responsible parties upfront and to make sure nothing is lost in the flurry of the upcoming primary elections. Just so you know, a city of Reno conditional use permit allows property uses that are not typically permitted under current zoning, ensuring compatibility with the surrounding areas. I'm asking for the moratorium to be retroactive. The conditional use permits that were awarded to the Keystone and web data centers are lacking in their compatibility with the surrounding area. This was overlooked in their threemonth strict transparent scrutiny by the planning commission. So transparent that the Keystone data center was presented by Angela from city planning on February 26th up on that screen as approved as a seven megawatt facility. Now in recent every recent press release that Centra has put out the facility has is now going to be 12 megawws. Are the noise mitigation walls planned at the 7 megawatt level due to the noise level being too much for the area? Is that still relevant for 12 megawws? Where is

this change in the permitting? Where is it noted? I can't seem to find it anywhere. Um, supporters and developers of these data centers keep justifying this as balancing economic growth with protections. Protections for who? Obviously, not for the people living in these neighborhoods. It is well documented that the web and Keystone data centers currently being built near residential neighborhoods were permitted without real representation or consideration for the concerns of the communities they're being built in. Please use this second chance wisely. And for the union represented in this room, I hope that you are as angry as we are about the lack of government governance by the city of Reno for allowing permits for these projects without due diligence, without transparency, and without care about who it will affect our lives, your jobs. We're all on the same lake, just in different boats. Please, please take the time to do to use the moratorum to make our city safe. Thanks.

And you know that beautiful belief sign, her husband did that. Olivia Tanager, followed by Trey Abney, followed by Eloy Hara.

Good morning, council. My name is Olivia Tanager. For the record, I'm the executive director of the CR Club Toyabi chapter. We're the region's largest grassroots environmental organization representing 40,000 members and supporters across our great state. As you all know, my organization has been advocating for data center accountability since late 2024, early 2025. When I appealed the first ever data center approved by the city of Reno, the web data center, which is by almost every standard a hypers scale data center at 30 megawws, I opted to give you all an overview of the concerns that my organization had about uh data centers in the region in addition to what I believe to be a violation of the Reno master plan and other reasons related to my appeal. At every meeting related to data center since and in private meetings and through email and text messages with members of council for the last 17 months, we have worked to educate you all with examples of what other jurisdictions have done, other factual information in addition to policy recommendations. I'm really glad to see momentum from this body on this issue, but I want to briefly address mine and my organization's experience and hope that you take it to heart in navigating future issues. While we have worked hard to be good partners with you and listen to you and have only asked to be listened to and to address and for you all to address this issue with the urgency and attention that it deserved. I'm really glad that I hired a male staff member so that some members of council who seemingly weren't able to hear my voice over the last 17 months and the voices of my female volunteers were now able to arrive at the right conclusion which is that action is needed now. I only addressed that because a moratorum is useless without robust regulation adopted by this body before a moratorium ends and I'm really concerned about some of the motivating factors in this meeting today. We cannot have a moratorum with an arbitrary end date but we need to tie a moratorum to final adoption by this body of robust regulations. And again, my organization has provided you all with policy recommendations uh time and time again. But if you would like to see those again

or have any questions, please feel free to reach out and we'd be glad to address those. I know that these issues take time and consideration. But when feet are dragged, the buck is passed, while impacts start to become visible in our community with data centers being constructed blocks away from the Treky River, the community becomes rightfully concerned. And again, that's something that I've raised in public comment to you all before time and time again. And these issues do become increasingly charged. I hope going forward issues that threaten our natural resources and our environment can be addressed preemptively instead of getting to this point that we're at now. Uh but again, appreciate the progress and looking forward to a vote on a moratorum today. Thank you. All right, Olivia,

Trey Abney, followed by Eloy Har followed by Samuel Sheridan.

Good morning, mayor and council members. Good to see you. For the record, my name is Trey Abney and I'm here today representing the Nevada Data Center Alliance. I respectfully urge you to oppose the proposed moratorum on new data center projects in Reno. I want to start by acknowledging the concerns driving this discussion. Water use, energy demand, and sustainable growth. Those are valid issues and they deserve thoughtful data-driven solutions. But a blanket moratorum is the wrong tool and it comes with real consequences for our community. First, the economic impact. Data centers bring highpaying construction jobs. In fact, 80% of union electricians in Northern Nevada right now are working on data centers. They support local contractors that generate significant property and sales tax revenue. These are expensive buildings full of expensive tax generating equipment that don't increase the need for government services. In fact, some properties are now generating 100 times the property taxes they were before being developed. That revenue matters now more than ever. The reality is that Reno and local governments across northern Nevada are facing real budget pressures in the years ahead. And at a time when Reno is facing those pressures, a moratorum doesn't solve a problem. It turns away one of the few industries that actually helps pay your bills. Second, it's important to be clear about roles and responsibility. Water use and electricity are already governed by an extensive set of state and local regulations, and they are managed by entities outside of the city of Reno structure. This body's primary responsibility is land use planning, zoning, and ensuring compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods for every type of development. A moratorum shifts the focus away from that role and tries to solve issues that are already being addressed through other regulatory frameworks. Competitiveness. Reno is an active is in an active race with other regions right now. If we pause development here, these projects don't go away. They move to other parts of Nevada or to neighboring states. Once that investment leaves, it is difficult to bring it back. A mortorium sends a clear signal that Reno is closed to this sector and closed to business at the exactly the wrong moment.

The broader benefits. Modern data centers are not what they used to be. Many are leaders in water efficiency, renewable energy partnerships, and grid infrastructure investment. These projects can help strengthen our infrastructure while supporting e economic growth. A blanket moratorum doesn't distinguish between projects that meet high standards and those that don't. It stops everything. There's a better path forward. If the concern is about impact, then address those impacts directly. Strengthen permitting requirements. Set clear standards. Use the tools you already have to ensure that every project that is developed here is a good neighbor and work with neighboring jurisdictions, please, so that we have a common set of rules throughout the Truckucky Meadows. That approach allows Reno to shape this industry to meet our community values without shutting the door on economic opportunity and much needed tax revenue. This is not a choice between growth and responsibility. We can and should have both because at the end of the day, you will not fix your budget deficit by turning away a tax base. I respectfully urge you to reject this moratorum. Thank you very much for your time.

Samuel, I'm sorry, Eloy Hara followed by Samuel Sheridan. Hi, Eloy.

Good morning, members of the council. Uh, mayor. Um, so my name is Eloy Har. I am the business manager labors local 169. I represent close to um 1,900 members in Northern Nevada um union members. Um so the data centers um we have about 300 to 400 uh members working on data centers today. Um right there uh there are some apprentices, there's some journeymen uh very skilled. So, I'm going to me to uh Trey uh Abney's uh comments uh to be respectful of your time. Uh and um that's my name. Uh if anybody has any questions um or anything, uh you guys can look for me at less local 169. Um so, thank you. Thanks for your time.

Thank you so much. Samuel Sheridan, followed by Tara Dieros, followed by Evan, I'm sorry, Evan Peterson.

City Council, Mayor Shivi, thank you for meeting with us today uh to talk about a moratorum. I'm speaking in favor of a moratorum and to urge you to pursue an outright ban on data centers in the future. Um so last time I presented some data that had been calculated by members of our community and that got a good response from you guys. Um, I was lucky enough to meet with Cynthia Esparza and uh, Suzanne Groman to talk about these uh, data centers and the concerns of some members of our community. Um, so today I'm going to go over some numbers that were published in January of 2026 um, by the Desert Re Research Institute about data centers in Nevada. These aren't renown specific data centers, but it is about the 12 data centers um, data center projects outlined in NV Energy's 2024 integrated resource plan. Um so almost so the water needed to annually for the cooling of 12 data centers under the median efficiency scenario is equivalent to the water needed annually for almost 31 golf courses 11 alpha alpha farms the drinking water of more than 24,17,000 US adults and more than 27,600 US households. Um, NV Energy estimated estimates that the energy uh demand for the 12 data center project will be about 5,900 megawws. This is about 2.8 times the capacity of the Hoover Dam. So, these data centers are using a lot of power and as many members in our community have already expressed, that's very concerning for a lot of us. Um, so currently with the 40day currently with more than 40 data centers and with additional projects underway, Northern Nevada is one of the top three fastest growing data center markets in the US. Um, these are fueled by uh, President Sandival's or not President Sandaval now UNR's President Sandaval, but Governor Governor Sanderval's um,

tax incentives that were put in place for the Reno Industrial Complex. Um, so I want you to think about that a little bit. is the fact that they're being brought here because they don't have to pay taxes. Some of the people speaking in against a moratorium today have mentioned that these bring a lot to our community. But the answer is how much are they actually bringing? Um the Keystone data center, as I mentioned in the last meeting, has a 75% tax break. That's a lot to get off of taxes. If you're saying these are going to help build schools, that sort of thing, then they need to be heavily taxed. they need to actually be held accountable to that standard. Um, and additionally on some of the points made earlier in favor of data centers is jobs. Um, the fact is what happens when these are built already? What happens when they're done? Uh, the Keystone data center is proposed to employ 11 people full-time after it's built. What about the rest of them? Where do where are these jobs going to go? The fact is it's not a sustainable market. It's a market for now for these jobs, but it's not a market forever. And if we want this city to last forever, we need to address that issue. Thank you.

All right. Thanks, Kayla, Samuel. Okay. All right. I would just ask if you have spoken then um just make room because I believe there are still more people outside that want to come inside to speak. So that would be great if you let them um exchange for your seat. Followed by Evan Peterson. followed by Bryce Peterson.

Tara Datos. Um, and I live off of Keystone, so I hope you understand if my tone today isn't friendly and cheerful. I was planning to come today and present a summary of research that has been done on the public health effects of data centers. But when I started looking for the scientific papers, I realized that they don't exist because the data centers are being built before public health studies have been done. What I did find was public health researchers scrambling to quantify and model anticipated harms from air pollution, water scarcity, water pollution, noise pollution, and land use change, as well as the inequity that always comes when sites are chosen for harmful projects. So, I decided to talk instead about what I think would be a common sense approach to data center development. Some folks are calling for a temporary moratorum and asurances of good labor practices and strong environmental regulations. I feel like that's not enough to me. A common sense approach would be to realize that you have already permitted far more data centers than our environment and our people can withstand. Even though it's not on the table for a vote today, I urge each of you to think about enacting a permanent ban. I actually think the common sense approach would be to immediately halt construction on the data centers that were misguidedly permitted without considering public health risks or public opinion. This is a really weird time to be living because for the last few decades we've known that we're facing the threat of climate change and ecosystem collapse. But then we began to shift our energy use toward renewables and it started to look like there was hope on the horizon to at least slow the pace of climate change. Now all of a sudden certain elements in our society have decided it's a good idea to build AI data centers, including some that require their own dedicated natural gas

power plants and use as much energy as an entire state. It feels like we're living in a dystopian nightmare. And let me tell you, I didn't want to raise my kids in a dystopian nightmare. But what it it is crucial moment right now where local governing boards have the power to decide which direction we're going, whether we're going to take the fast track toward climate collapse or whether we're going to continue the slow progress that we've been making toward a sustainable future. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Evan Peterson, followed by Bryce Peterson, followed by Sandy Roth.

Good morning. I'm a chemistry student at UNR and I've lived in the Renowned Carson area my entire life. I call this place home. Um I'm in favor of a moratorium on the data centers um in this area. Um, I wanted to touch on a point that was made earlier about Reno being a urban heat island. Um, in a 2024 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study, um, done in conjunction with the Desert Research Institute, uh, Reno was classified as a urban heat island, which means that, uh, the heat does not disperse evenly here as opposed to natural landscapes. um because of the uh urban environment that Reno has. Um and a study done by Cambridge in March of this year um on AI focused data centers worldwide has shown a at least three degree um temperature increase in those areas locally with AI focused data centers like the Keystone data center. Um, I wish Reno to be a place where people continue to want to live. And I think factors like this make Reno unlivable uh as the future goes on. So, thank you guys for your time.

All right, good job. Is this your brother? Yeah, we're twins. Oh, you're twins. Bryce Peterson, followed by Sandy Roth, followed by Laura Wickham.

Hello, I'm Bryce Peterson. Um I'm in favor of a moratorum on data centers and a ban on data centers as a whole permanently. Um especially in agreement of um people who previously state of negative environmental impacts of data centers and also in favor of tribal leaders being involved um with decision-m on data centers. Um I currently just finished my student teaching as an eighth grade teacher and can tell you that promoting the use of AI in the classroom has a very um obvious impact on test scores in a very negative way. I've seen it firsthand and I've also seen a very negative impact on the excitement of students within our schools. Um, and I feel like promoting more data centers in our area um very much shows um that we are supporting AI which I feel like is not um in favor of building um better students in our community. Um would also like to bring up a story from um a small town in Andover, New Jersey um on the other side of our country um where they had a similar meeting to this um and the mayor Thomas Walsh ended up um after that meeting choosing to ban data centers alto together um saying that we've had some discourse over a project that we were considering for the township that may have brought quite a bit quite a bit of revenue but we hope that we also agree that no project no amount of money is worth tearing and tearing down at the seams. Um what he was saying is that um there's no specific project, no amount of money that is amount um that is better for like destroying our entire town um and our people within it. Um and I think if you guys want the community that you are all um wishing and hoping for and the one that you mentioned at the very beginning of wanting us to be one community, I think we need to have a permanent span on data centers in order to not tear us apart. Thank you.

All right. Good job. Sandy Roth, followed by Laura Wickham, followed by Blake Sutton.

Hello, my name is Sandy Roth. I'm here to speak in favor of common sense measures for data centers. Over 15 months ago, the planning commission asked you to adopt guidelines and requirements for data centers. You rejected that request even though you knew that data centers were coming to Reno. You then repeatedly promised to hold a meeting about data center requirements, but canled. So, I'm concerned that these new actions by you, including the moratorum discussion, are simply political games during a mayoral race and at a time when there happen to be no pending data center applications, especially since you have yet to have or even schedule a city council meeting to discuss and address the substance of any data center provisions. I hope you prove me wrong because the current situation is not good for Reno residents and it isn't even good for the developers coming to Reno. Regardless of the results of today's vote, I hope you continue to postpone I I hope you won't continue to postpone addressing the issues and will immediately and genuinely make good faith efforts to address data center issues with the text amendment. Not next year or four years from now or never do it now. It shouldn't be that difficult to develop and adopt reasonable measures that aren't aren't overly ownorous but that protect Reno and its residents and businesses. Other cities have done it. Reno is behind is behind the times and the concern and the current situation is not a good luck a good look. The cup process clearly is inadequate doesn't even ensure that developers disclose important information and comply with all the representations and promises they do make. We have seen applicants misrepresent their water and power use for example. The cup process doesn't ensure that data centers will not be near lakes or the Truckucky River. The process doesn't prevent unsightly and loud data centers near homes. It doesn't ensure that data centers will not use water intensive cooling methods or ensure that data centers will responsibly limit the toxic emissions from their diesel generators. It doesn't even require that data centers pay for

all their own infrastructure and city services. At a time when the city council is raising sewer fees for everyday Reno residents, you should require that data centers cover all of their infrastructure needs. Addressing these issues will not result in local workers losing their jobs. Just isn't true. So sure, vote for the moratorum, but don't do it as a political stunt or as a further attempt to delay and avoid real substantive action. Any discussion of a moratorium should not delay agendaizing, developing, and adopting an ordinance. Act now to adopt common sense requirements with a truthful and transparent permitting process. Thank you. Okay,

Laura Wickham, followed by Blake Sutton, followed by Shane Henderson. Good morning, mayor and council members. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak this morning. My name is Laura Wickham and I am with the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project or SWEP, a 501c3 organization that focuses our work on ensuring grid reliability, avoiding cost shifts for rateayers, encouraging transparency, and establishing community benefits through policy expertise. I want to start by saying that this is not an issue of being for or against data centers. These technologies are part of our daily lives as we speak, but it is about making sure we're not getting ahead of ourselves. Nevada is in the middle of one of the fastest data center buildouts in the US and Northern Nevada has emerged as one of the fastest growing data center markets in the country. No doubt projects will continue to come before city council here in Reno. And regardless of size or quantity, it's important to be prepared because the time to put structure in place is before and not after decisions are made. Nevada currently has no statute that governs how data centers connect to the grid, who pays for the infrastructure they require, what energy they must use, how much water they consume, or what they disclose to the public. Instead, these decisions are being handled through contracts, voluntary tariffs, and local zoning without consistent statewide guidance. That means local governments are being asked to make high impact long-term decisions, often without a full picture of cumulative regional effects. And once those commitments are made, they are very difficult to revisit. Across the nation, the most effective approaches share a common architecture, clear obligations for large customers, real accountability, and fewer gaps left to voluntary agreements. At the local level, that can translate into having a clear, predictable framework to evaluate projects and one that ensures a few key things. that new large loads cover the cost of the infrastructure they require so existing

residents and businesses aren't subsidizing that growth that projects are aligned with community priorities around energy and water and that there is transparency so the city and the public can understand impacts over time having that kind of clarity does not send a message that Reno is close for business sends a message that Reno is open but with a plan and lastly this is an issue that should be approached regionally Reno should not have to navigate this alone. And it's important to avoid creating a situation where developers simply shop jurisdictions based on differing standards. So, as you consider the decision before you today, I would encourage a focus less on the pause itself and more on what is accomplished during that time. Making sure the city has the tools, criteria, regional coordination, and long-term guardrails in place to evaluate projects consistently and proactively moving forward. Reno has an opportunity to lead here by setting expectations early rather than trying to retrofit solutions later. Sweep is happy to be a resource as you continue that work and thank you for your time.

Sutton followed by Shane Henderson. Miss Wickham, before you go, please um can you make sure to tell us a little bit more about sweep. You and I have had the opportunity over the last month to really work on some of these policy decisions together, but I want madam uh manager to be able to connect with you after this meeting. Um, and I'll share with her the materials that you and I have exchanged, but I want to make sure that the manager knows a little bit more about sweep before you leave.

Sure. Absolutely. SWEP is a nonprofit organization and we work regionally across several states. So, our work is primarily focused in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada as well. And we are doing a lot of data work um data center work across the region and have learned quite a bit regionally but also nationally about what states and local municipalities are doing to solve this issue. How we're working together to set up a framework that allows for new business and economic development to continue while we protect our residents and our natural resources. So I would be very happy to connect with you after this and continue our conversation.

All right. Thank you. Blake Sutton followed by Shane Henderson followed by Jess Burroughs.

Shane Henderson followed by Jess Burroughs followed by C. Mcome.

Uh, Madame Mayor, uh, council members, good morning. My name is Shane Henderson. I'm the organizer for the sheet metal workers local 26 here in Reno, Nevada. Uh data centers need a lot of what we do. Precision cooling systems, air handling units, duck work. Every one of these projects has months of sheet metal work on it and it takes real skill to do it right. The environmental improvements people are asking for and the job the trades are counting on are not in conflict. direct liquid cooling, closed loop chillers, precision air systems. Every one of those upgrades is a sheet metal job, pipe fitter job, and electrical job. Better technology means better work for us. We're not on the other side of this from the environmental community. We want clean, efficient facilities, too. We just want a seat at the table when the standards get written. Community benefit agreements with real requirements do that. A moratorum just ends the conversation. Thank you.

All right. Thank you so much. Jess Burroughs followed by C. Mcome followed by Kiki Ang.

Good morning. Um I'm Jess Burroughs with the Water River Data Alliance. We are an indigenousled grassroots coalition within the Truckucky River wershed opposing data center development in the Numu Northern Pyute and Wu Wo homelands. Um, I'm not going to talk about a lot of facts that y'all aren't going to listen to. Um, but I'm just going to talk about what I did last week and the relationship that I'm building with the land that is really questionable. Um, that I question a lot with everybody up on this DAS. So, um, last week I packed my bags and I took out on my bike and I biked up Virginia City and I biked through Fallon, through Middlegate, through Eastgate, past Austin, through the traditional homelands of the northern Pyute and the Western Shony peoples. I biked around 200 miles um because I love this place. I love the desert. I love the Great Basin. I've spent countless nights under the stars of the Great Basin, and I find myself still seeking refuge, silence, and a deeper relationship with the land here. The smell of the sage brush, the awkward romp of the antelope, the delicate beauty of a primrose, the technicolor sunsets, the hillside strewn with the purple loopin and the yellow of balsam route with the water flowing through the Chucky River to Que, the quiwi, and on the hot and cutthroat trout. They are something to hold with reverence and care. These are the relationships that the traditional stewards of these lands held with the highest priority. And these relationships are hardly being considered against the economics of data centers. I'm not interested in looking at the colonial economics and the colonial economies that have already wrecked so much havoc on the land in

this region. These lands have been torn into by mines that leave behind heaps of spent ore, the toxics of metal refining, tunnels in the earth, and piles of rubble. They have been overgrazed by cattle that were never meant for this landscape. And they have been bombed by 953 nuclear weapons. These lands have been treated as a dumping ground for the military and mining industries. And now the data and AI industry want its turn. We are all here today to stand against this legacy of violence and outright destruction on these lands. We are here today to stand against further degradation of this land and the Truckucky Wershed. Data centers do not belong here. Today we ask that you pass the moratorium on the agenda and demand that you schedule a meeting in two weeks to pass the final moratorum on data centers. a moratorum on the development of data centers until there is legislation that is fully consented to by all impacted tribes and jurisdictions which the tribes will not. We demand full prior and informed consent of all tribal nations prior to data center project approval. Include the tribes. This is your obligation and this is critical to preserving the life within this wershed. See all right everybody. All right. Hey you.

Hi everyone. How's it going? Uh my name is C. Mcomes for the record. Um thanks for having me back. Uh so I'm a representative of uh the water over data alliance. Uh we're a group that's completely opposed to data center development. Um I'm going to read you some of our um some of our tenants here. Uh we oppose all data center development within the Numu Wu uh Numu northern Pou and Wu Wo homelands including the Truckucky River wershed and beyond. Um it's because we prioritize the livelihoods and culture um of indigenous peoples which we know directly impacts the long-term habitability of the watershed uh rather than short-sighted economic gain that you've heard a couple representatives for today. Um, we demand full prior and informed consent of all impacted tribal nations prior to the data center uh project approval. Look, a public hearing like this um is not the same as meaningful consultation. Agencies often treat consultation as a box to check after a project like a pipeline or a mine has already been planned. Standard environmental justice laws are designed to regulate how much pollution is allowed. Rather than recognizing an indigenous right to zero desecration of sacred lands, the law protects property, but it rarely protects relationships with the land. And that's what we really want to protect, right? Uh we debunk the narrative that data centers development is an inevitable part of progress. Whose definition of progress? That is by no means anyone in this room, any of the nearly 200 people that signed up to speak online and the countless people outside that is not any of our definition of progress. So I think we need to redefine what progress means in that way. Uh we recognize the uh irreplaceable impact the we recognize the impact on the on the

fish and the and the river and the water. uh we believe there is no such thing as a sustainable data center or a good data center right net zero water usage is not the same as zero water usage and that's a really important thing people are going to use language to kind of manipulate talk about oh it's net zero water usage there's water usage that goes into power plants and all these things this is not net zero is not zero water usage right so we need to remember that Um, and again, we're uh, Water Over Data Alliance. You're going to hear from a couple different representatives after me, and they all have really good things to say. Thank you so much. Thanks, C.

Kiki Ang followed by Kira Rayart, followed by Autumn Harry. Hi, my name is Kiki and I am also a representative of water over data alliance and I am speaking in support of a moratorum for any future data center development and for the record I fully oppose all data center development within the Treky River wershed and beyond. While the moratorum is a necessary start, I want to ask council members to decide a date for the next agenda meeting in the next two weeks prior to primary elections. So far in this election season, we've seen how candidates claim they are against data center development. The community deserves accountability and follow-through to those claims and not empty gestures in an effort to gain more campaign votes. What we really need is to center indigenous folks who have long stewarded this precious land. One thing I hear often about data centers is that they provide jobs and are an inevitable part of progress. Um, we can look at mining booms as an example of the types of jobs that data centers bring. After all is said and done and the job of building a data center is finished. The short-sighted economic gain for a few folks will cost us everything. It will deplete the water that sustains us. It will affect the kiwi, an endemic fish that has been around for over two million years and the la and cutthroat trout which was brought back from near extinction thanks to the stewardship of the pyramid lake Pyute tribe. Waterover data alliance prioritizes the livelihood and the culture of indigenous peoples and the long-term habitability of the watershed. We acknowledge how the real consequences of data centers and AI are passed on to local communities, ecosystems, and the planet. Some of these examples includes residents paying higher utility bills and strains on our water and energy supply. We are already witnessing in real time how Envy Energy is moving electricity away from households and people and towards powering data centers. Moreover, I've been a volunteer at the North Valley's library for almost two years and I've driven past the Opidon and web data centers multiple times. Um both the data

centers are within three miles of the library. I can only imagine the level of pollution and disruptive noise that will affect not only those who are just going to the library but also those who live right next to those data centers. A great example of why a moratorum is necessary in is that the OPON data center is slated to use evaporative cooling in the driest state in the nation. This data center is also supposed to create contaminated runoff water which we don't know how it will be disposed of. How does any of this make sense to protect the future well-being of our community? I'll finish my public comment by listing water over data's demands. Yet again, we oppose all data center development within Numu, northern PAU, and Wu Wo homelands, including the the Truckucky River wershed and beyond. We demand full, prior, and informed consent of all impacted tribal nations prior to data center project approval. We debunk the narrative that data center development is an inevitable part of progress. We recognize the irreparable impact of data centers on water, climate, fish species, and communities. And we believe that there is no such thing as a sustainable data center or a good data center. Again, I'm asking city council to release the next agenda meeting by May 28th in two weeks.

Kira Rayard, followed by Autumn Harry, followed by Beverly Harry. Hi, my name is Kiri Hard and I live in Ward 2 and I'm here to oppose all data center development with the Numu and Washu home loan homelands including the Truckucky River wershed and beyond. Science and research has backed up what Numu and Washu people have known and like no currently that water is life. Sitting next to water is beneficial to our nervous systems. It lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, promotes relaxation and helps lower anxiety and depression. All of us who live in this water shed are incredibly lucky to have access to so many clean bodies of water. The water is clean because of the efforts of the Pyramid Lake Pyute tribe and indigenous water protectors. To not have all impacted tribal nations here to be part of this process shows how shortsighted these plans are, especially when they are here to save us time and time and time again. This area has already seen a mass extinction after the 1905 construction of Derby Dam. The theft of the water destroyed entire ecosystems and killed off the luck and cutthroat trout. And because of the efforts of water protectors, we now have the trout back in the river. We could avoid another mass extinction if these if we stop these data centers and their theft of water because this is another water theft situation. We can keep the best part of the city, the river safe and protected for generations to come to set a precedent that we care about the land, water, and sky more than we care about short-lived generative large languid models or LLMs disguised as artificial intelligence and all the problems it brings. Instead of investing in false futures of large language models, we should focus on investing in the rehabilitation of cottonwood forest and promoting healthy repairarian areas, the things that we can see and touch and be in community with. The things that provide us oxygen, food, joy, and life. Thank you.

All right. Thank you,

Autumn Harry followed by Beverly Harry followed by Morgan Wodsworth. Autumn Harry. Um, hi, my name is Autumn Harry. I'm a member of the Pyramid Lake Pyute tribe. Um, I identify as a fisherwoman and community organizer. And first and foremost, I'm Kiwi Takata. I identify as a Kiwi eater. Um, our identity as Numu people is directly dependent on the health of the river watershed and the paci, the fish species. Today, I speak to you as a representative of river justice and the water over data alliance to vocalize my support for agenda item B1. My ancestors and our Numa people continue to care for these lands since time in memorial without the use of surveillance and artificial intelligence. In 2024, I graduated with my masters of science and geography from the University of Nevada, Reno. My research focused on NUMA northern Pyute Place names, the retention and reclamation of place name knowledge in Kui Pa Panetta, also known as Pyramid Lake. Within my research, I work closely with my elders from my community to document their knowledge and oral stories passed down from generations before us. Our traditional knowledge systems supersede all forms of generative AI. And I just want to talk about our our names for places. Um, Kuyu Pa Ponetta translates into Kiwi standing water. Um, and directly ties back to the endemic fish species that are within Kuyu Pa. Our word for the Truckucky River is a guy hoop trout river. Um the new moon names directly reflect our connection to the lands and how the fish species relate to our livelihood. We have always referred to these lands by these names and data centers directly limit the amount of water that flows downstream and has zero benefits to the fish and to kuipa. And if the fish species disappear, our ties to the land

are severed. It was only 120 years ago when the water diversion project Derby Dam was constructed which resulted in massive water theft that led to an 80-foot decline in Pyramid Lake to the draining of Winnamaka Lake and the local extinction of the ancient Lahan cutthroat trout. The Pure Lake Pyute tribe has spent decades in water litigations to regain our water rights. And our people continue to care for the endangered and threatened fish uh fish species, the Kiwi and the Lankadro Trout, which have sustained our communities um and way of life for many, many generations since time memorial. Um these fish species cannot survive without water and increase nutrient loads coming from upstream industries. As sovereign nations, the Reno City Council has a responsibility to engage directly with the Pure Lake Pyute tribe and Reno Sparks Indian Colony. The decisions that are made at the city level expand beyond the Reno City limits and will impact indigenous and rural communities throughout the Great Basin. Um, and Reno City Council also has a legal obligation to abide by all water laws and water quality measures that are being enforced downstream on the Pure Lake Pyute reservation according to the Truckucky River operating agreement and public law 101618. Um, I'm here to advocate for our beautiful fish relatives and support a permanent ban on data centers. Thank you.

Okay. Thanks, Lee Harry, followed by Morgan Wadsworth. Beverly Harry followed by Morgan's Morgan Wodsworth followed by Josh Heert. Uh, I think it's Good morning. Um, it's almost lunchtime. I hope you guys get some lunch. Um, for the record, uh, my name is U. Beverly Harry. My daughter and I are the founders of River Justice and have have worked um tirelessly uh to clean up the the Truckucky River. And

I want to recognize and honor my late husband who was a wisdom keeper and a water protector who spent his life pre providing his teachings to native people. This part is so important. You know, we want to um exercise our our connections to to these lands and invite you out and uh to become more familiar about h how you should be coming to these spaces if you're a a visitor. Um we recognize that um these teachings that we have are our our responsibility. I hope that I can retire retire soon. And my hope is for for the LAN cutthroat trout and the kiwi to to spawn on their own because these uh systems have been dewatered. They've been drained. They've been mismanaged. And so these these waters don't don't belong to to you. They come from from from the sky. They come into to those be beautiful beautiful mountains and they uh surround um uh Lake Tahoe and and it comes down this way. All of these areas are are are fed by um seepage and waters that need to continue to be cooled all the way down to Pyramid Lake. The fish need to to spawn in cool waters. They need to live in in cool waters. They need to reside in cool waters. So during hot August nights, where are you are you middle of the the

the the parking lot? No, you're not. You're going to be standing in the shade. You're going to try and get get to a cottonwood. You're going to try and get to to to a tree. That's how fish behave. And so if I go back down memory lane back in shoot back in um 1905 was uh Derby Dam. That was the first that was ground zero for water theft within uh the United States and we're seeing um water theft that is going on with data centers right now. So, we also want to um uh make sure that um you include public law one, public law 101618 and the water quality settlement within your um ordinance and make sure that there's not direct payouts to anyone.

Thank you so much. All right. Thank you. I I know. Okay. So, it is one o'clock and it um before she goes Oh, I was trying to catch her. Beverly. Hi. I just wanted to know if I could get your contact information. Yeah, the clerk will have any um contact information from any of the speakers here today. So, if any of you all want it as well, um the clerk will have it. Thank you.

Oh, she she just said that the Oh, she'll take it. Thank you. Um, okay. I did want to address it's uh 12:00. At 1:00 we are going to take a break from 1 to 1:30. Uh, sometimes we have an attorney client, sometimes we don't, but that's one of the reasons we do it. Um, and I would just ask that some of you might have flexible schedules, some of you may not. So, if you can just ask your friends that, hey, I can be here a little bit longer. I can't. just if you could because we want everyone to get their comments on the record. Um so some people don't have flexible schedules but we want to get them moved up. So uh if they can't stay. Okay. All right. Uh I believe is this Megan?

Morgan. Morgan. Morgan Wadssworth. Okay. Morgan. I'm not on Morgan. I am not on social media that much but I just saw um I believe you came into my feed. Is that probably correct? Yes. And when I did my public comment last time, you were uh I think getting water or doing something. So, yes. Well, I I gotta tell you, I am impressed. Where do you live? Um I live in Reno. Uh I live in Megan's uh ward actually in the North Alleys. Wow. Well, I I was very very impressed. I think you give us a lot of inspiration for the future. Thank you. Thank you. Take it away. The floor is yours.

Okay. So, good afternoon, mayor and council members. My name is Morgan Wadsworth. I am a sixth generation Neadan and I was born and raised in Reno, specifically in the north valleys where I have been my entire life. Um, I am also a Democratic candidate for Congress in Nevada's second district. Um, I also come from multiple generations of hardworking Nevada ranchers, construction workers, and electricians. However, I am here once again because I was at the last meeting on this in support of the AI data center moratorum because I have to ask, why are we prioritizing billion-dollar AI corporations over actual human beings? Why are we redirecting our water, our energy, and our public infrastructure toward massive speculative AI expansion while ordinary Neadans are dealing with the costs? We are now being warned that tens of thousands of Tahoe residents could lose reliable power access by 2027 as strain on the energy grid intensifies and energy is redirected toward powering data centers instead of people. That should alarm every single person in this room. We are already seeing the impacts of projects like the Keystone data center proposal here in Reno and all the data centers being built in the north valleys um and the broader unchecked expansion happening in Northern Nevada as a whole. These facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity and water while creating relatively few permanent jobs compared to the burdens they place on our communities. That said, I do want to acknowledge the unions and the workers here today because I understand why many workers support these projects. Nevada workers deserve good paying union jobs. Right now, we are building massive AI infrastructure at a pace so extreme that companies in our state are increasingly relying on outofstate labor. Um, while Nevada families face rising energy strain, rising housing costs, and growing pressure on our water systems and our energy grids. If we're going to use Nevada's labor, land, water, and energy, then we should be prioritizing projects that directly improve the lives of Neadans long term. Which brings me to my next point. We need to have a broader conversation in Nevada about how we use our labor capacity. Right now, much of our union construction economy is tied

to large commercial mega projects like warehouses, battery facilities, and now the AI data centers. Nevada workers should not have to depend almost exclusively on speculative corporate mega projects for good paying union jobs. If we need jobs, then let's invest in jobs that have long-term sustainability and benefits for all of us. We cannot continue allowing billion-dollar corporations to come to Nevada and extract our resources while local residents and our environment absorb all of the costs. So I urge the council to support this moratorium of data centers within city limits. And like I said last meeting, I also urge the council not to take money from these AI data center companies and to seek consent from our tribal communities when making any decisions that impact our environments. Also, council member Megan, you represent my ward. Thank you for speaking out on this issue of unregul unregulated data centers for a very long time now. Thank you. All right, MORGAN.

Josh Heert followed by Katherine Barniki Barniki followed by Guadalupe Alvarez. Josh Eert. Uh Josh Abe Bear actually a Bear like a bear in the zoo. It's okay to say no relation. No relation. Okay.

Um so yeah, my name's Josh Abear. I'm actually in Devon Reese's district and thank you to all of you for this opportunity to address you. I am here in support of the moratorum on data centers and I'm not going to duplicate all the great things that have been said by people in this room about the water and the power and the issues with the river. What I want to focus on as somebody who has a PhD in physics is the heat. Every megawatt of data center is like the heat of a thousand homes concentrated in one place. And Reno is the fastest heating city in the nation. This is not an appropriate place for us to be building data centers. So regardless of all of the issues that we have statewide, what we're dealing with in Reno right now is an industry that does not belong here. These are industries. It's basically a data center is an energy, an engine for taking water and power and turning it into money and heat. Like I said last time, the money leaves the state and the heat stays here. So I just encourage you as city councilors for the city of Reno to consider the environment of this place and what the people in this city need when making your decisions here and not continue to add more heat to an environment that cannot withstand it. And we also have issues with sound and infrasound with all of these facilities and these things are going to be here forever. So, I respect our brothers and sisters in the labor unions who value these jobs and all these construction jobs, but like Morgan said, we need jobs that are more sustainable and then are not going to leave a long-term impact in our city for people for decades to come. Thank you.

All right. Thank you,

Katherine Barnicki. Followed by Guadalupe Alvarez, followed by Matthew Funkin. Thank you guys so much for letting this happy hippie call into work today and put on a tie-dye. It was like the best opportunity and it's great to see the people of Reno come out. So, uh, as a just normal citizen, what I've been doing after work is I've been going to the Keystone neighborhood and I've been knocking on the door and I just start two simple questions really open-ended. Do you know what data centers are and do you have any concerns? I don't put my opinions out there. So, I've been able to collect a lot of information. So, I'm here today as an amalgamation of community member responses. Since a significant portion of people cannot be here today, this is not a day or time that gives the majority of the public a meaningful opportunity to respond and participate. So, for the sake of whatever posterity and for the sake of whatever latigious circumstances may or may not come about, I want the following to be known and on record as you consider this 30-day ban on data center construction. One, what the people of Reno want is a full ban on data center construction until they have had their environmental impact questions answered sufficiently and in full. Until detailed data center specific regulations are in place and until the public has been given the meaningful opportunity to not only comment but participate in the permitting process. public participation. Two, building data centers in any city and in particular a dry, waterstressed desert environment is an extremely consequential decision and I can honestly report from all my door knockocking that the people of Reno feel duped. Quote, I didn't know what they were building and then I found out it was a data center. Unquote. I guess this person raising two kids and working two jobs missed the mailbox memo about the warehouse that was being built in their

neighborhood. Here's a quote from a resident living in one of the new luxury condos down on Dickerson Road. And if you know, Dickerson is a dead end. The only way out is down Dickerson to the Keystone. Uh resident said, quote, "It seems like they pushed this data center through really quickly. When I bought this place in 2020, I asked the city if they plan to build a secondary road in case of an emergency. The city said they were working on it. Well, it's been six years. There's no secondary road, but a data center went up within less than a year.

You know, three, the Telecommunications Industry Association recommends data centers be located at least a half mile away from railroads to minimize the risk from chemical spills and physical physical hazards. I noticed that the Keystone Data Center sits right above the railroad tracks. So, can the city please have some transparency and let the public know what conversation did you have between Sentra and all them? Uh, four, the Keystone Data Center is a block from three different gas stations. It is in a historic Reno neighborhood where many of the old houses use oil heating, which means large tanks of heating oil linger underground. So, we have a building of hot electronics to be cooled by large amounts of electricity and backup diesel generators in close proximity to some highly flammable materials. So, I am concerned about fire. I'm concerned about a biohazard event and what kind of emergency preparedness there is and how are you going to get people out of Dickerson safely.

Thank you. Thank you. Guadalupe Alvarez followed by Matthew Funkin followed by Johanna Ru. Will you make sure you give that to the clerk? Correct. Okay. Go ahead. Yeah. Thank you so much. Okay. Go ahead.

Hello, my name is Guadalupe Alvarez. I am a master student at the University of Nevada Reno. Um, I will be reading a public comment on behalf of my friend and water protector. Today, I want to remind you again whose lands we occupy. And I want you all to consider your relationship to the land and the indigenous communities that call the Great Basin, specifically the Truckucky River watershed, their homelands. I have the great fortune to be in community with indigenous peoples. And something I have learned from them is that water is sacred. The prayer the prayers the NMA and Wu peoples have put into the waters whether that be by Dao along the Truckucky River or Kuyu Ponada stay in the water. The prayers in these waters protect the fish and the peoples who rely on them for sustenance. The river represents longevity and life itself and has a long history of supporting habitats and communities. The cost of support, the cost of short-sighted development of data centers will do unimaginable long lasting damage for generations to come. The people of this community are not naive to the fact that the central data center being built off of Keystone will extract huge amounts of water from the Truckucky River watershed to function and cool machines. And may I remind everyone again that Nevada is the driest state in the country with the fastest warming cities. This water can never be reused or return to the water cycle because of contamination which will eventually flow downstream. The Truckucky River wershed has historically experienced water diversion and the construction of the Centra data center will continue the colonial practice of desecrating sacred waters

and violating the tribal sovereignty of the Reno Sparks Indian colony, the Pyramid Lake Pyute tribe and other indigenous communities who rely on this water. Who is responsible for signing off on the violation of sacred waters that flow through their sovereign territories? Where is the informed consent of these communities and why are their livelihoods an afterthought? In relation to item B1 on the agenda, I am writing in favor of a data center moratorum being passed. However, I urge the city council to pass a final decision for the moratorum in advance of the primary election on Tuesday, June 9th, preferably in the next two weeks. Elections come and go, but the people are here to stay, especially indigenous peoples. The decision to pass a moratorum is vital to protecting these sacred waters and indigenous communities. If this moratorum is not passed and finalized, specifically before the primary election, we will continue to show up to city council in solidarity with our indigenous relatives because water is sacred and water is life.

All right. All right. Okay. Hold on a second. We got to pause. Uh, we should have two more people up. Madam Clerk, it's it's hard to hear, so just speak a little bit louder. Who's up next? Matthew Funkin, followed by Johanna Ruiz, followed by Katherine Schmid. Okay. So, Johanna, and then Katherine Schmid. Okay. Um, I don't know if if they're here. Catherine, here. Are you here? Okay, perfect. To be told to remember.

All right, so what we're doing is we're just have these seats there available. So yeah, so you can just come on up because we're just cycling around. Okay, take it away. And I think Are you running for office, too? I am. All right, congratulations all of you. That's great. Okay, take it away.

Good afternoon, mayor and council members. Uh my name is Matthew Funkin for the record, and I am here today to urge you to pass a moratorum on AI data centers in Reno. But I also want to be honest about why many of us are frustrated uh that we were even at this point. This council had the opportunity to slow this down before approvals were handed out. Some of us raised these concerns privately. We asked for a pause. We asked for environmental impact studies, water studies, energy impact studies, and real public accountability before Reno opened the door to massive data center development. Now, in an election year, it is convenient to consider a moratorum after some of the damage has already begun. I support this moratorum, but the public deserves honesty about how we got here. Nevada is the driest state in the nation. Reno is already dealing with drought pressure, rapid growth, wildfire risk, rising temperatures, and neighborhoods that are becoming hotter and harder to live in. Every major land use decision this city makes should begin with one question. Does this serve the people who actually live here? AI data centers are not harmless warehouses. They require massive amounts of electricity. They can place serious strain on water resources. They add to heat island concerns. They require infrastructure upgrades that p that the public may ultimately help subsidize through higher rates and higher costs. And this is not hypothetical. We are already seeing the warning signs next door in the Tahoe region where roughly 49,000 Liberty Utilities customers face uncertainty because Nevada Energy is ending a power supply arrangement that provided most of their electricity. This is what happens when a massive corporate energy demand starts competing with the needs of real communities. So when people say, "Don't worry, the grid can handle it." Residents deserve more than a promise. They deserve proof because working families understand what happens when public infrastructure is redirected for to serve massive corporate campuses. Bills go up, reliability gets strained,

and communities are told to wait while billiondollar companies get served first. This technology is not going away. Artificial intelligence will be part of our future. But Reno does not have to accept a model where innovation means private profit and public burden. It has to work for the people of Reno, not just developers, utilities, billionaires, and out of state corporations looking for cheap land, cheap power, and easy approvals. So yes, pass this moratorum, but do not treat it like it's the finish line. Treat it like the bare minimum before any new data center projects move forward. Require independent environmental review. Require water and energy impact studies. Require heat impact analysis. Require transparency around infrastructure costs. Require proof that these projects will not raise costs on residents, drain scarce resources, or leave Reno holding the bag. A moratorium is necessary, but it is not enough by itself. The real test is whether the council is willing to put Reno residents ahead of corporate pressure. Not after the fact, not when it becomes politically convenient, but before the damage is done. Thank you.

All right. Thanks, MATTHEW.

Johanna Ruiz, followed by Katherine Schmid, followed by Brie Casper. Katherine Schmid, followed by Brie Casper, followed by Jordan Stone. Uh, good afternoon, council members. Mayor Shibi, uh, I have comments here, but they really do echo what a lot of people have been saying. I've been following the city council for years. I'm like pretty politically active and I volunteer a lot around town. I have never seen crowds coming out recently to these meetings. People are frustrated. Um, people feel like they're not being heard and like they're being duped. And I think it's really up to the council to start acting like Reno is worth something. Life here is good and precious. Our water, our our wild lands, our open space. It I feel like now it's being given away to private, you know, billionaires um in the name of progress. you hear our native neighbors coming before you and talking about the cost that progress has been to them. You know, I I don't need to remind everyone that what we do for our most vulnerable is good for all of us.

You know what what is going on? Um I'm here today to just say we want what rightfully belongs to all of us. clean air, a healthy river ecosystem, and real policies. We need leadership from this group. We need you to show up and write policies that protect us. We It's not happening. Week after week, there are protests down the streets. Um these things are all related. Uh and and right now, it feels like a lack of leadership. And that this isn't what I came to say, but it's what I'm saying now. Okay. Uh, we want three things. We want you to approve this 30-day moratorum in front of you on the agenda. We want a meeting date in two weeks to discuss a full moratorum. And we want we want policies in place and work to begin immediately with regional and state partners. We're stronger together to enact real policies that protect our water, our air, and people from the harms of these data centers. jobs, short-term jobs are not worth this job. These people that work have to live here too next to the noise with the increasing uh bills. You know, set policies to protect us and help us, stand for us, and represent us in a real way. Um, you know, no more duping. Yeah.

And I think that's all I have to say. Okay. Good. All right. All right. And Jasmine, I know we're not supposed to respond. I just I want everyone to know that um because there's a lot of times I just want to jump in jump in. So just know that that's sort of the process. So I'm trying to be disciplined. I'm trying my hardest. So um Okay. Good job. All right. Go ahead. Bri Casper, followed by Jordan Stone, followed by Michael glasses. Yes, they are. I love those. Where do you get those? I have to have a pair. Yeah, definitely.

All right. So, I heard Mayor Shivy mention that she liked seeing things that were art as well. So, I'm not sure how to get this on the Oh, great. I'll put it this way. No. Oh, my time's already started. Okay, great. So, I just put on here something I made that has the waterheds for the state of Nevada. Um, I also put all of the mines that are currently in the state on there and some of their requirements for water usage. Thought this might be helpful just since we've been talking about the watersheds um and jobs because jobs are not just strictly the temporary jobs for the people building data centers right now. Every single person in this building in our state needs fresh water every three days or we die. I just want to bring us back to that fact. And all of these people need water to do their job. So, I appreciate all of the union workers here today being paid to come here and give their comment, but a lot of us took our time off work to come here and stand for our jobs as well. Um, and it would be nice if they had options. If our labor workers and our journeymen had options at the union level, when you go online, all that's available for them are data centers. And it'd be nice if they didn't have to choose between feeding their family and selling out. So, to introduce myself, hello, my name is Elizabeth Bri Casper. I live in Ward 1 and I live 500 yards from the Keystone Data Center. That was put in without our notice and without our say. I'm here today to ask you to do your jobs to update the conditional use permit to safeguard our neighborhoods and the master plan that hasn't been updated in over 10 years. This is your job. This is not something that gets pushed on to regional. This is something that needs to be done right now. You need to say yes to this 30-day

moratorum. And we are all waiting with baited breath to see when you will be scheduling the final moratorum within two weeks. for this not to be a show and pony ride that you're putting on for us to for the primaries. It needs to be something that's done before the primary election to show that you actually care about your constituents. So, we desperately need this primary mtorium and we're looking forward to you scheduling within the next two weeks. Here are some of the things that we're looking for before we move forward to release any moratorum. We all are requiring environmental impact statements of the air, the water, the sound, and the odor that's not been talked about. We're looking for cultural resource assessments. And I myself am curious about site locations, the health studies that are done for these being near schools, agricultural sites, nature preserves, railroads, and highways. Right here we have the standards that have been and uh nationally recognized for over 20 years for data centers. In this ridiculously large packet, it has the definitions and it has site requirements for this information. All of the technology in these buildings have requirements for them. For us to negate those requirements is irresponsible. Thank you so much.

All right. Thank you. Jordan Stone, followed by Michael Otis Klene, followed by Alyssa Whidmark. Hello, Council Jordan Stone. For the record, do you guys like doing this these meetings right here? because I don't I don't like coming here and asking you guys to please please look out for your constituents. Not the businesses, not business. Businesses aren't people. This is people. I'm tired of coming here and asking you guys to look out for your constituents. So, I'm asking now I'm asking put a moratorium on new data new data centers. I don't even know why we're having this conversation. We had a bunch of people from uh like a bunch of electricians and HVAC workers acting like data centers are the only thing that they can build. Come on. Come on. We got to There's so many better things that we could be building for this area. We don't have any real reliable public transit, right? I don't know if anybody has tried to drive out to USA Parkway and back at any time of day. The traffic is atrocious. Let's Oh, yeah. Let's put more lanes in. That's not going to do anything. Put in some public transit for the tens of thousands of workers that work out there, right? Do something for the area instead of the businesses. Businesses are not people. All right? I understand. Oh, they generate tax revenue.

Nothing is coming back to the people who pay these taxes. All right? We got to do something for the people, not companies, who live here. All right? These AI data centers are not they're not doing anything for the people that live here. All right? They don't I was noticing these uh translators up here when we had Autumn Harry up here saying many new moo words not translatable up there only English right those don't AI up there doesn't even care about the people speaking the indigenous languages of this land all right you guys got to start at least pretending that you care about the people here, not the companies. Cuz the companies don't live here. The people live here. Would you guys rather have your legacy be something positive? All right. Look at New York City. Mayor Mom Donnie is going to go down in history for not just this country, but in the world of some of the fastest improvements for the citizens of New York City. Wouldn't you guys rather have a legacy that's more like that or would you like you're terming out? Would you are are you happy with your legacy being I brought I brought so many companies in and tax revenue or would you rather have your legacy be for the people who live here? Thank you.

Thank you.

Who's next? Our final commenter before break is Michael Otis Klene. Okay, Michael. You're good. You got this. Yeah. Well, it's hard to follow all of that. And we're right before lunch. Sorry. Thank you all for coming. Take your time. I'm so grateful to all of you. Even those that are speaking in opposition of having a moratorum, I want to have conversations with you. Let's get coffee or a beer or something. I don't care. I want to have conversations with you all. Thank you all for allowing us to have these public comment. I have never done this before in my life. I've never come to a city council meeting and given comment before. So, I'm obviously pretty nervous.

You're going to be fine. Just take your time. I'm not even going to say any of the things that I was going to come here and and have written down because it's been everyone here has done such a great job speaking about all of the things that I am passionate about so eloquently that I could never begin to cover all of the things that they have said in my own words. But what I did notice is when I was taking my stuff off and going through security, there is a plaque on the wall that lists the regulations to get into this room. Why are there no regulations or stricter regulations about having data centers in this town?

It seems pretty common sense to me. I love you all. Let's go get some lunch. All right, Madame Clerk. Um, I think I said one o'clock. Did I say I thought it was one? One o'clock. Yes. Okay. Okay. Alyssa Whidmark followed by Audrey Bcola followed by Charlotte Cox. Okay. Alyssa and then followed by Audrey BCola followed by Charlotte Cox. Okay, maybe they're here. BCola followed by Charlotte Cox followed by Beth Sutton.

Okay. And then who's next? You're Charlotte. I'm Audrey. You're Audrey. Okay. And then Charlotte Cox by Beth, are you here? Charlotte. Okay, Charlotte isn't here. Who's next? Beth Sutton. Beth Sutton. Beth, are you here? Anthony Postman. Yes, Anthony is right there. Okay. Go to Anthony and Teresa Randall. Okay. And if we did skip over you, just let the clerk know and then we'll get you back in line. Okay. Take it away.

Hello. Um, my name is Audrey Bola. I am a citizen of Reno as and a resident of W 2. I'm a poet and a musician. I am active in mutual aid and volunteer groups here in town and as well as being very active at my church. I'm here out of my concern as a Christian for our sacred environment and for the people who live in it. I agree with all my comrades who spoke earlier regarding the data center moratorium. It must be pat put in place. I would go further than many of them though. Dennis centers ought in time to be completely banned. I ask you to call for a meeting to decide on creating this ban. As others have said, these data data centers will guzzle down our water, pollute our air, increase uh sorry, raise utility costs for working families and emit a noise which causes people nausea and other health health problems. All to uphold a technology that is used for surveillance and war. The fact that a few jobs are created in this process or that it might entice some economic growth is completely morally irrelevant to this issue. In a finite world, prioritizing economic growth over life is greedy and frankly stupid. AI is not some kind of inevitable force of progress. It is only the newest tool of the rich and powerful to consolidate power in their hands. And they do not care if they ravage our communities and these lands that we live on in the process. Data center development is only the newest weapon of the capitalist colonial reign of death. We should reject it outright. All the land the United States claims to own should be returned to indigenous peoples from whom we stole it and whom and whom we continue to murder and marginalize and who have always taken care of these lands. This is the only true environmental justice. In the meantime, we ought not allow these polluting sites to be built. So I urge you to pass this moratorum within the next 2 weeks and to call a meeting regarding a potential ban in that same time frame. Water is life. Data centers are death. Thank you. God

bless you all. All right. Thank you, Audrey. Okay, Anthony, you're up next. Anthony Postman, followed by Terresa Randolph, followed by Victor Hernandez. And he's a very talented recording artist. Oh gosh. We can buy your album. Is it out now? Just on Soundcloud, right? Okay. Okay.

Uh but uh thank you council. Thank you Mayor Stevie for this opportunity. I'm moved by the passion of each and everyone here and just the time that everybody's taken to be here I think is really valuable. Um social activist and trade unionist Eugene Victor Deb said in 1918 in this high noon of Christian civilization money is still so much more important than the flesh and blood of childhood. In very truth gold is God today and rules with pitiles sway in the affairs of humanity. National trope. Our system is in the hands of the wealthy. The 1% seem to rule everything. They line their pockets and fatten their bank accounts while we struggle for health care. Food on the table, gas in the tank. What we see in Reno right now is the same trope in action. The rich getting richer, the poor getting poor. Perhaps harrowing, perhaps heartening to see that all politics may indeed be local. This is what oligarchy looks like as it roosts down right here at home and within communities like ours all throughout the country. The few the few in power, not necessarily politicians, move to benefit themselves at the cost of the public. Power seasthes beyond those elected, binds the hands of those meaning to do well with astute legal ease that may lever into codes and statutes in effort to gain, win, and profit. The owners and operators are not even Reno people. They have nothing to do with our community. They live in Boston, DC, and elsewhere. It's the brollegarchical incursion into our neighborhoods and our community. A constituency of villains. Who gets augmented and who gets diminished and at what cost? Data centers and battery storage

facilities are wholly different than the commercial businesses zoned for Reno and Wo County 50 plus years ago. The city council members then could not have ever foreseen what we are facing today. the terrible potentials that these new businesses hold for our energy supply, our waterways, our air and atmosphere, our residents, our community, our population. The fact that these businesses can work into our communities through commercial zoning and conditional use permits only shows that we are now in an era where close re-examination of zoning codes and statutes and deeper scrutiny of particularly related cups are sorely needed. With no regulatory measures in place and no reliable data from data center operators regarding water, energy, environmental effects, and disaster management and mitigation at large, I support a full moratorium on all currently approved data centers and of course new applications too. In light of current approvals for battery storage centers after overwhelming public disscent combined with already approved data centers within the county, I may be wishful in thinking that Reno and Wo could possibly lead the nation in this growing community and citizen-based fight. Please make the right decision for our people, for our community, and our environment. Enact the data center moratorum.

All right, Anthony. Thank you. Okay. Teresa Randolph. Teresa. And followed by Victor Hernandez, followed by David Murdek. Okay.

Hello. Um, thank you, Mayor Shivi, council members, staff, and neighbors. Um, I'm in favor of the 30-day moratorium on data center approvals. My expectation is that you will set a date to vote on the moratorum of a 6 months or more. Um, I believe this work should have already been done. Um, I support the researched platforms and demands from Sierra Club, Toyabi, Water Over Data Alliance, and the Reno Sparks NAACP. It is irresponsible for our city leaders to discount the fragility of the Tahoe, the Truckucky Wershed, and the importance of this natural resource to our community's quality of life, tourism, recreation, and importantly, our tribal natives neighbors way of life. Do not ignore your jurisdiction and seed this work to an unresponsible unresponsive regional authority. You do have the jurisdiction to write the code and change the ordinances. Um, as published in our town Reno in January 2025, the a city of Reno document for conditional use permit applications indicates, quote, the granting of conditional use permits will not be material materially detrimental to public health, safety, or welfare. The factors to be considered in evaluating this application shall include property damage or nuisance resulting from noise, smoke, odor, dust, vibration, or illumination and any hazard to persons and properties. End quote. This kind of misuse of conditional use permits allowing warehouses to become data centers within blocks of residences has to be acted on. The Keystone case and the city council voting to unanimously grant a permit to a second data center in north valleys after being denied by planning commission reinforces the perception that local leaders are placing developers presentations and promises to do better over community members needs for affordable housing and utilities and a healthy environment. I suggest we be

leaders in courting renewable energy industry as high value partners and I'm in favor of a total ban on data centers in our area. Here are a few headlines that I have time for from affected communities and research on the impacts of data centers and I will provide you the links. The Reno Gazette Journal March 14th, 2025 North Valley's the headline North Valley's second Reno data center approved after appeal of planning commission denial. I want to note that 14 months ago, several of you were on the record about having dates, doubts, and quote, Mayor Shivy said the council and planning commission would try to have a joint meeting to talk about data centers more in depth in the future. Fort uh from Fortune, nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents face power loss as utility redirects lines to data centers from also from Fortune. America's data centers are thirsty. Rural towns are paying the price. From tanked water pressure to stolen desert groundwater. In the first weeks of May, two data center developments, one in Arizona and another in Georgia, were caught taking public water without authorization. KPTV Oregon Fox News 12 data center strain water supply in Oregon Town already facing pollution crisis. Thank you for your time. Four more.

Do you have one more? Uh, pick a juicy one. Um, the Economic Times, Georgia AI data data center water crisis. Data centers use 30 million gallons unnoticed. Is America's AI boom quietly pushing local water systems towards crisis? All right. I just wanted you to finish up. Thank you. Thank you. Can I give you please? Victor Hernandez followed by David Murd followed by Charles Zimp. David, are you here? David, are you David? Oh, okay. David is not here.

So, he he he had to leave. Oh, okay. So, um, Madame Clerk, David is not here, so just put him on the back end in case he comes back. Go ahead, take it away.

My name is Victor Hernandez and I'm a an organizer with the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 16 um, council and mayor. Thank you for your time. Um, I've lived in Reno for 28 years. I am your neighbor. I care about the environment. I care about the mountains. My fellow union members fish, hunt, hike, camp. We love this place. We live here. This is our home. I'm here to oppose the moratorum for one very particular reason. As a construction worker, you know that you work yourself out of a job, right? The job get gets completed and onto the next one. It is the nature of the industry that you will go where the work is at. The last 10 years we in the construction industry have been very fortunate that we have been able to work close to home. When you work in your state, when you work in your county, you get to go home for dinner. You get to sit down with your kids and help them finish their homework. When the work isn't here, you are four or five hours away. You go where it's at. You can go to Arizona. If the data centers aren't here, they're going to be in Arizona or they're going to be in Idaho. They're going to get built. We have members now. You know, we keep hearing that, oh,

that's all there is. There's it's only data centers. We've talked about people that are out of town and that's because we are filled to capacity. All our local members are working. We need more people and they're coming from other states to fill those spots. When we work at home, our community grows. We build hospitals. We we build schools. We build stores. build all these things. When we work at home, we get to take our families to dinners, supporting the local economy. We get to support our little league teams. We get to coach. We get to participate in school boards, things like that. Thank you for your time and and please know that we are neighbors and I I I stand with all of you here in protecting our environment. But please also understand that workingclass people need jobs. Thank you for your time.

Thank you so much. Charles Zimp followed by Carlos Gutierrez followed by John Nickel. Okay, Carlos, you here? Is Carlos here? Okay. No, Carlos. Who's next? John Nickel. Okay, John. followed by Donald Gall senior. Don Nickel. No, you're fine. No, Charles, you're you're fine. You're fine. You stay here. I'm we're just trying to figure out who's next. Very good. Um I don't think they're here either. No, John. No, Donald. Christian D. Brown.

Christian. Okay. Right. Okay. You're fine. Perfect. Okay. Good afternoon, Mayor um and council members. My name is Charles Zimp for the record. I represent the brick layers and tile setters union um local 13 Nevada. Um uh we are here to oppose the moratorum and um we are also your friends, your neighbors. We live here. I've I was born and raised in in Nevada. Um I love our state. Um I've traveled throughout our state my entire life and enjoyed our resources. Um water is life. I I agree with everyone on that. When you think about water being used and and everything from the time that this planet was created to to what we are now, the same water's been used by everything. And that is spiritual. Um I believe that these these jobs that we're talking about um getting rid of by this mor using this moratorum is not going to better our community. It's going to it's going to hurt it's going to hurt workers. It's going to hurt our our everything that that surrounds people spending money and working here. It's going to hurt. Um I know all of our members pay for hunting permits, fishing permits, and we enjoy being stewards of the land just like our our our indigenous tribes. Um, my kids are taught to clean up after themselves, to to pick up more trash than we brought in, to to always take care of the land because it's going to take care of us. And um I believe that some of these half-hearted um um data that has been collected is outdated. I believe that um more studies should be done and um I believe that shutting down these uh data centers is a

mistake for our economy and for workingclass people um and for the future. So I appreciate all your time and I appreciate everyone here and I hope everyone has a great day and thank you for for your time. Thank you so much, John Nickel. Oh, I'm sorry. Christian Brown. Christian, followed by Laura Fallon. Laura, are you here? Okay, perfect.

Uh, hi, good morning everybody. Uh, my name is Christian D. Brown and yeah, I'm here to also discuss the 30-day moratorum being discussed or I'm here to advocate for that, but also for quickly moving forward to a final moratorum session soon. Uh this final moratorum should be put in place for not really a timebased moratorum but one that actually is about implementing higher standards and guard rails. Um and that's how we can actually get back to work on things. But uh I know that's all for the next meeting but it needs to be scheduled. Um this session was scheduled within two weeks. So I don't think it's that hard of an ask to kind of get this thing actually figured out for the final moratorum. This needs to get done. Um so why do a mortorium and stop building? Um I think a lot of you have finally caught on to the growing resentment of data centers being built everywhere across this country as many of our community members here have spoken about. Um and in many of these communities this rapid growing industry is captured many utilities and people are seeing rising electricity costs and water being consumed at over 160 billion gallons of water annually across the states. Uh these things are going up faster than anything else with some of these buildings getting larger than the size of Manhattan. um and putting a serious strain on especially rural communities uh everywhere where they're being built. Um simply put, they're being built too fast and they're being built in the middle of an AI bubble that's about to pop sooner or later. Um what's going to happen when that pops? Uh what are these data centers going to be doing once, you know, the there's not really money coming in or out of them anymore? How are they going to contribute to the community once they're all built and finished? Um, as a union tradesman myself, I don't like speaking out against jobs for my brothers and sisters. Um, I want there to be stable, good paying jobs for all of us, but it can't come at the cost of our water and health. This can't this is this is also temporary work. These data centers don't provide long-term local work. We should be and we should be building better things anyways. Um,

infrastructure, low-income housing, rail rays, anything that's actually good. I am all for highskilled and highpaying jobs. We absolutely need them. But building these data centers are honestly being led to more job loss from the from AI taking jobs. You know, these aren't we're not gaining jobs, we're losing jobs. Um it's also about who's building these and why. It's about the future they're trying to build. Um these tech oligarchs like Elon Musk, Peter Theel, Sam Alman, and all these other Silicon Valley technocrats want to enthrone themselves as tech overlords and build themselves a mass surveillance state. Because that's what this is. They're This is where they're storing all our information and how they want to manipulate us. They want our power, our water, and our minds. This needs to be combed and slowed. We don't want to get throttled for power when a data center gets power rights over us. If there was a drought, do you guys think that the water or the data centers would stop using water or would they fight tooth and nail to get everything they can over us? Um, we also need to tax them. We can't I can't believe that we're not there. They got $570 million of tax abatements this year and it's Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple. Are these guys that need tax breaks? Um, yeah. Sorry guys, I had a lot more to say, but thanks for your time.

Yeah, let's pass it and let's let's move forward. We got to keep moving forward on this. You Fallon followed by Yesen Bone. Yes. And followed by Cassandra Bum. Okay. Cassandra, are you here? Cassandra, no. Followed by Simon Marquez. Simon. Assa. Asa. Kennedy. Asa. We're gonna get one right. Asa, are you back there?

Oh, come on. Okay, perfect. Um, yes. Okay, perfect. Okay, I think we're back on track. Take it away.

Good morning, council members. Thank you for your attention. My name is Laura Fallon. I might not look like it, but due to a variety of different things, I have chronic neck and back pain multiple times a month, sometimes multiple times a week. For years now, I have been going to the same local chiropractor. With that kind of regularity, you get a feel for the people coming in and out of the door. Over the past several months, there has been an uptick in young men in car hearts or reflective yellow vests having just clocked out of a construction shift, responding to the doctor's concerns with resigned sentiments like, "Yeah, but the money's good." Men overexerting their bodies, building data centers on Silicon Valley's timelines. A pace codified in the startup ethos of quote, "Move fast and break things. The governing councils of this city and state are putting honest, hard-working people in a false bind of an all now or nothing, choosing between either breaking their bodies on two rapid timelines or not being able to put bread on the table. So today, I'm calling on this city council to not just vote in favor of a moratorum on further data center development, but to use that time to encourage the offer of incentives equivalent to those being used to attract such a rush of data center developers to other industry developers and businesses. Hospitals, research facilities, community centers, housing are just a few alternatives that could be being constructed by these same people well into the future. The people of Reno, all Neadans, deserve a living wage for dignified work, a vibrant array

of jobs to choose from. Employers across sectors competing for our valuable labor, not a new monopoly dictating that people push past their limits while the getting's good. I'm not asking for anything novel. In fact, I'm just asking the council to do its job as outlined in the city's current master plan. As section 1.2D, 2D employment centers states, "Plan, invest in, promote, and incentivize the creation and improvement of cohesive employment areas with diverse functions." End quote. I'm so glad many folks from labor are here today. You deserve a voice in this conversation and you deserve better than the false promise of choosing between a data center boom bus mining rush or nothing. You deserve a diverse long-term sustainable flow of contracts, not a single pipeline of work that dries up with the watershed. Thank you. Okay. So, Madame Clerk, we have time for two more. These two gentlemen right here.

You guys ready? Yes. And yesa B1 followed by Asa Kennedy. It's pronounced yes on B1. How tell us how to pronounce it. Yes on B1. Okay.

My name is Sky Hart. Why do you think I had to repeat it? All right. Thunder crashes and the rain falls on the mountain. And as it falls, it flows. Each drop joining together into a trickle, a rivullet, a stream, a creek, into Tahoe, the Truckucky Pyramid. If any of you, all of you have been longer been here longer than about 3 weeks, every molecule of water inside you, 60% of your body, 80% of your blood is water from this watershed. It flows from the river to the reservoirs to your water glass into you, out of you, back into the river. We are quite literally the river itself made animate flesh. As the leaves brush your cheek, it is the water of the river reaching out to you to whisper, "We are one." I believe we all want the same things. We say we want jobs, but what we want is our child's belly full. We say we want cars, but what we want is our kids to arrive safely at school, swim practice, music lessons. Data centers don't just hurt us here where they are. They are filled with precious metals mined in brutal conditions. In Australia, destroying sacred sites that had been in continuous use for 60,000 years. In the DRC, where just in March, a mine collapse in Rubaya killed 80 children working in the mines. In Nevada, too, where the man camps for mines and construction have created the missing and murdered indigenous people's crisis because of our greed and

addiction. The earth and her peoples are not to be exploited, turned into capital, used without consent. That is rape culture. The earth is alive and she is us. We are her. We live on Wo and Numu lands. The point of stating that is not lip service. It's not to induce guilt. It's an invitation to reciprocity, which is gratitude and responsibility. Gratitude to the alive now here and responsibility to this beautiful watershed and to the peoples who have stewarded it for thousands of years for the sake of the next generation and the next and the next and the next and the next and the next. So my question is do you know how to protect the water? I don't expect you to know. I am asking you all to descend from your thrones of knowing and prediction. You don't know how to protect the water. Descend. You don't know how to protect this water, but there are people who do. We are the water over data alliance. We oppose all data center development within Numu and Wo homelands, including the Truckucky River wershed and beyond. We prioritize the livelihoods and culture of indigenous peoples and the long-term habitability of the wershed rather than short-sighted economic gain. We demand full, prior, and informed consent of all impacted tribal nations prior to data center project approval. We debunk the narrative that data center development is an inevitable part of progress. We recognize the irreparable impact of data centers on water, climate, fish species, and communities. We acknowledge how the real cost of data centers and artificial intelligence are passed on to local communities, ecosystems, and the planet. We believe there is no such thing as a sustainable data center or a good data center. Okay. Thank you. All right.

Okay. Asa Kennedy.

Uh, council mayor. Good afternoon. Uh, my name is Asa Kennedy. I'm here to fully oppose data center construction um now and moving forward and to recognize our tribal neighbors down river. Uh firstly, can we take a moment to consider the fact that we as humans, we're merely guests on this planet. As good guests, it's our duty to mind our manners, be sparing with our footprints. We must recognize the Truckucky River is our life force and it has fed the people of the Paute and Wo tribes long before the region was settled. This sovereign nation must be at the table when discussing the trajectory of data centers and the risks threatening the risks they pose threatening our fragile ecosystems. Water should have minerals and zinc in it. Datas will put lead and stink in it. Don't believe the hype. Data centers are not an inevitable part of progress. They are a low to no return investment chosen by the misguided that require more energy than most places have available. There's no such thing as a good data center. There's no such thing as good anything within structure or institution that depletes resources without returning them. This is extraction and it needs to stop. Not pause. It needs to end. No more extraction. No more irreparable damage to our water, air, food sources, and communities. No more short-sighted decisions. When the jobs are long gone,

the wounds, scars, and pain linger on. We can construct plenty of other things to make to provide jobs. I'm calling for more than a 30-day moratorum on construction of data centers. Bare minimum, a moratorum should take the months, if not years required to compile the uh evidence needed to create a solid restriction and enforcement plan. I ask that you don't ignore this issue for 30 days and think that this short time will satisfy anything. We need a long-term moratorum and immediately. But even more dire is a ban on data center construction altogether. We don't need them. We don't need them poisoning our communities.

All right. Thank you,

clerk. All right, Madame Mayor. So, we are going on break and we will reconvene at 1:30.

go down to the river and and I was familiar with the automobile museum, but I never in a million years thought I'd be working here. My name is Philip McDougall. I'm the president of the National Automobile Museum. The history of the National Automobile Museum goes way, way back. So, most people know the name Hera from the casinos, but they don't know the story behind it. Mr. Hera, he had a collection of 1,400 of the most unbelievable cars. And when he passed, he didn't have a will. The community got together and they said, "You can't sell all these things. This is part of our community. It's part of our identity. We need to keep them here." They raised money to build the museum. The city said, "We're going to contribute the land if you get the money to build it." And then the Holiday Inn, who purchased all the assets of Mr. Paris collection and said if you do all that then we're going to throw in 175 cars of the total collection of 1400. So all those things came together because the community thought it was important and in 1989 the museum was opened up. We wanted to be a community partner and we are right. We have events we have older cars, newer cars. Elvis's car, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future. We have a brand new children's educational activity center. 3,000 square ft of technology for those kids and adults to get hands-on experience on how cars work, how next generation of technology was created. We wanted to be different. We wanted to embrace the community, be a community partner. We did a complete renovation and then we went out with an active campaign, not in that car mode, not museum mode, but outdoor concerts, speakers, parties, birthdays, and a whole new selection of cars. I think the biggest change is that we have a new exhibit every 60 days. It really is fun to watch how a family can come in and they'll just go in five different directions because we have something for every generation. It's not just a building. It's not just the cars that are in there. It's the people. It's the livelihoods of everybody that's around this town that keeps us going. The downtown partnership has been a

lifesaver for us. Just helping us overall in the day-to-day challenges we have. Like any business downtown, we can't make it without the security issues addressed, without the communication addressed, and it's all one big team down here. So, the restaurants help us, the uh businesses help us, everyone here. We all kind of depend on each other. And that's what we're trying to bring to the equation is another partner can help us all be a little bit stronger and a bigger community partner. Uh, I see a greater emphasis from the downtown partnership, from the elected officials, than the community leaders to get together and say, "If we really want to succeed, we have to succeed as a group. No silos. The restaurants, the businesses, uh, the the gas stations, everybody that's here has to get a common bond. Otherwise, we're not going to succeed. It's the storytelling. It's the camaraderie. And we had that not only with us and the museum, but all the local businesses downtown here. We have the same common bond and passion. Downtown Reno is the place to be. It's a family place. It has something for everybody. Come to the museum. Go to a local restaurant. You're going to feel safe. You're going to have fun. And you're going to be 15 minutes away from wherever you live. My name is Robert DS. I'm a field specialist with Rise. And this experience with Bonnie Pace and the Pathway Pilot has been awesome and tremendous. And I'll never forget it.

I'm free. Heat. Heat.

Insane.

What home means Nevada to me is is just that it's always a place that I find comfort and soulless. We travel a lot. We camp a lot and I just love coming home. Home means Nevada for so many reasons. My name is Scott Dunith and I'm the owner of the Home Means Nevada company which was formerly Reno Envy. I grew up in the Bay Area and I went to school at UNR and my thought was that I would spend two years in Reno and then I would go back home. But after the two years, I just fell in love with the place. I love the people, the community. It's just been awesome. I was talking to a friend. I was giving him my address and so I told him Scott Dunya D Reno Envy 89523. And he's like, Reno Envy? I'm like Reno Envy. So it was kind of at that moment, that was our aha moment where I realized that the state abbreviation for Nevada envy sounded like the word envy. So that's where it all started from. Think what's great about the downtown Reno community is that, you know, people believe in Reno. You know, we have something here. People really love this community as much as I do and and people really resonated with the idea of having like a local brand. Uh downtown Reno honestly has has been a challenge, but we're a small business and we've been down here since 2008. And honestly, if we can do it, you know, there's a lot of opportunity out there and we kind of wanted to prove to people that retail works. in 2012 rebranded ourselves and we went from Reno Envy and renamed our our brand the Home Meats Nevada Company. Kind of try to support the local artists in the community by bringing their products in and selling them on on their behalf. We have all sorts of great stuff. We have coffee from Glory Cloud. We have local honey. It's important for us to collaborate too with local celebrities. Christa Palmer is an Olympic athlete and we had the opportunity to partner with her and create her own authentic Christa Palmer Battlebborne t-shirt.

My name is Christa Palmer, Nevada's Olympic diver. This is a really special company to me because my roots are in Nevada. I grew up down in Carson City. I truly feel this connection between home meanings Nevada and my story. This has been a really cool partnership that I've been able to develop over the years with Scott projection of Reno downtown. I really see it opening up more doors for people to continue to get outside, continue to take their dogs for a walk and enjoy the Reno River Walk to be able to have space to enjoy those lovely afternoons. I think that's where I kind of see the progression of Reno going and for more people to enjoy what Reno is. It's truly a treasure here. People believe in Reno and we believe in Reno. There's so much opportunity and so many different types of people in downtown Reno. And the city of Reno has been great with this partnership with the visitor center. The RSCVA has been great. The collaborations that we do with the community, with the university, with Christa Palmer, Olympic athlete. It really is about a community that kind of binds us together. If we didn't have that support, we wouldn't be able to survive in downtown Reno. I have always felt like Reno's been kind of our little secret and we love to share that secret. We love to see Reno grow and prosper. Great for shopping for friends, great for gift giving. So come on down, visit us, check it out. It's been a while.

Come visit downtown Reno and see what you're missing. Do you want to make a difference in your neighborhood? The city of Reno's six neighborhood advisory boards are your chance to shape the future of your community. From parks and public safety to development projects, your voice matters. Joining an AB is easy and it's a great way to connect with neighbors and city leaders while making Reno an even better place to live. Applications are open now. Visit reno.gov/nab to learn more and apply. Get involved and help make Reno not just livable, but lovable. Hi, I'm Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran. It's an honor to connect with you as we look back on 2024, a year of innovation, strong work, and unwavering dedication to protecting our community. The Reno Fire Department reached incredible milestones, overcame challenges, and made a real impact on the biggest little city. Let's look back at 2024 and the achievements and highlights of the Reno Fire Department. 2024's wildland season tested our region with incidents like the Gold Ranch, Davis, and Callahan fires straining resources from across the West. Although these fires happened just outside Reno city limits, our firefighters stepped up to assist while ensuring our Reno community remained well protected. In 2024, RFD deployed 264 resources to more than 100 wildland fires, contributing over 65,000 hours of work. These efforts brought nearly $2 million in reimbursements back to the department. Right here at home, we

responded to 51,737 calls for service, an increase of over 2,000 from the previous year. Our commitment to service continues to grow along with our community. The safety and training division saw impressive growth in 2024, paving the way for a stronger, more skilled team. We proudly promoted 11 captains and eight operators, hired 25 new firefighters, and welcomed five single roll EMS personnel. This year we ran two three-week fire equipment operator enginemies, one two-eek fire equipment operator truck academy, and a two-week acting captain's academy. These intensive programs help sharpen our skills and prepare our teams for any situation. We also expanded our monthly company level training sessions, introducing specialized active shooter training and wide area search exercises. And through partnerships with surrounding fire departments, we enhanced our response capabilities for wildland fires and hazmat operations. Additionally, we upgraded the training facilities at station 11 with new technology to improve the delivery of our programs, ensuring our team is always ready to meet the demands of our city. The Reno Fire Prevention Bureau experienced significant strides this year in 2024, starting with the appointment of a new fire marshal, three fire captains, and three new fire inspectors. Our team saw great success in our arson investigations, achieving an impressive 80% conviction rate, and completed over 6,000 building inspections to help keep Reno safe. For the fourth consecutive year, we hosted our dumpster program thanks to a grant from State Farm. This program helps neighborhoods in the wildland urban interface clear dry vegetation and debris, creating defensible space. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped reduce wildfire risk in our community. In 2024, we were also thrilled to receive nearly 245,000 from FEMA's fire prevention and

safety grant to develop a community wildfire protection plan. This comprehensive framework will prioritize wildfire mitigation efforts, improve emergency preparedness, and ensure long-term safety for Reno's residents and infrastructure. Keep an eye out in the coming months for ways to get involved. We're excited to collaborate with you in 2024. We work closely with our community partners to update the regional hazard mitigation plan. The plan assesses the potential impact of all prioritized hazards to the region and provides mitigation strategies and actions to reduce such risks. The update ensures the plan remains effective in addressing the evolving needs of our communities. We also prioritized firefighter health with initiatives like our fourth annual cancer screenings and the introduction of the coronary calcium scan. These proactive prevention programs are vital in detecting early markers of heart disease and cancer. Critical steps for firefighters facing heightened risks associated with their profession. Additionally, we launched a groundbreaking pilot program with the Epic Brain Center exploring enhanced mindbody performance treatments. This innovative approach supports firefighters dealing with PTSD and other mental health challenges while empowering them with improved executive function to perform at their best.

2024 was a landmark year for the Reno Fire Department Emergency Medical Services Division with 30,649 calls for service. Collaboration played a key role in 2024 as we joined forces with regional partners to strengthen our unified response to medical emergencies. We were excited to welcome our new EMS management assistant and expand our specialized training for our single role program. Ensuring our EMS team is always prepared to meet our community's high demand for advanced emergency medical services. We conducted division level training on new medical equipment, including cutting edge video luringoscope blades that are vital in life-saving situations and new medications that can be used to treat various patient presentations by our mid and advanced level providers. We also implemented a new medical charting platform, further enhancing patient care.

Reno Fire Department's support services division achieved significant milestones in 2024. enhanced vehicle maintenance and repair, increased apparatus safety, and equipment modernization. Through our apparatus replacement program, we added two new brush trucks designed for firefighting in rugged terrain and a state-of-the-art ambulance, ensuring our fleet meets the diverse needs of our community. We also enhanced operations by refining the use of fleet cameras throughout our vehicles. These systems capture critical moments during incidents, training, and daily operations, providing insights that improve safety and support crew education. Our logistics team continues to push innovation forward, adopting advanced battery powered tools on our fire engines and ladder trucks, and improve personal protective equipment. These enhancements extend equipment lifespan, improve functionality, and prioritize firefighter safety. Looking ahead, we're excited to introduce a new heavy rescue apparatus in 2025. The first of its kind for our department since 1986. As an all-risk fire department supporting many different types of incidents, this addition ensures our crews are ready to respond to any emergency, no matter the challenge.

As we reflect on 2024, Reno Fire Department has much to celebrate. from our interlocal agreement with the Reno Tahoe airport authority enabling us to assume firefighting services across all airport properties and our partnership with Truckucky Meadows Fire and Rescue which now provides automatic aid to ensure the closest resource response to emergencies no matter the jurisdiction. We're building the foundation for continued growth and excellence. I'm pleased to share that we also received the keys to 455 East Sega Street, our future central fire station. We're excited to begin serving you from this state-of-the-art facility in 2027. At RFD, we believe that being part of the community is just as important as responding to emergencies. Whether it's hosting fire safety programs, participating in local events, or building relationships with residents, we strive to be more than the first responders. We're your neighbors, partners, and advocates for a safer region. None of our work would be possible without the dedication of our team and unwavering support of our Reno City Council, state, and federal representatives. Their commitment ensures RFD is always ready to serve and protect our community. On behalf of the Reno Fire Department, thank you for your trust and support. Together, we accomplished so much in 2024, and we look forward to an even brighter and safer year ahead. Thank you for standing with us. Hello and welcome to On the Agenda, a semionthly podcast by the city of Reno that quickly updates you on actions taken uh at the most recent council meeting and checks in with various departments to keep you up to date with happenings at city hall. I'm AJ from the city of Reno's communications department alongside Reno City Manager Jackie Bryants. Hello Reno city manager Jackie Bryants. Hello, AJ. I can't believe it's been two weeks since we were last together.

Two weeks already. Uh it was a um a long night, but we're here now and everyone made it and

had a have a lot to go through. So, before we get into our main topic, parks funding, let's recap just a couple actions that were taken at yesterday's city council meeting um and talk about how our agenda order has changed. Grab a slice, hit a ride, get a rush, and roll the dice. Step into a world where Nevada's northern lights shine bright and last calls are rare. In a city that never sleeps, where the spirit of the Wild West lives on through daring rapids and rocking out goes beyond the crowds. Founded on the rebels of resilience, we aren't what you expected. We're what's coming. We don't just embrace downtown, we infuse it with life. We are a convergence of adventure, art, and taste. It's not just our city, it's our identity. The mighty Truckucky, our lifeline, and the Nevada sky as our backdrop. Downtown Reno is a tribute to our roots and a leap into the future. Discover 110 blocks of stories of residents, entrepreneurs, creators, and masters of their craft, coming together in the spirit of discovery and progress. In a city that never ceases to reinvent itself, we are the unexpected. Been a while. Downtown Reno invites you to rise with us again. What's your story? Grab a slice, catch a ride, get a rush, and roll the dice. Step into a world where Nevada's northern lights shine bright and last calls are rare in the city that never sleeps. Where the spirit of the Wild West lives on through daring rapids, and rocking out goes beyond the crowds. We are the unexpected in a city that never ceases to reinvent itself. Been a while. Downtown Reno invites you to rise with us again. What's the Pioneer Center is a nonprofit performing arts center located in the heart of downtown Reno. We are in an absolutely gorgeous one-of-a-kind

historic building right on the banks of the Truckucky River. Our building was constructed in the 1960s, so we have been open and operating as a nonprofit performing arts center for over 56 years now. I'm Denise Su. I'm the CEO of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. One of the amazing things about being a community performing arts center is our historic stage is the very first performance opportunity for so many young children in the area. Aspiring young musicians and dancers will perform their first recitals here on our stage. There is an incredible magic when all of those children come into this professional theater for the first time. The feedback we get from those children and from their parents is that it's literally life-changing for them to have those first experiences on our stage. And we know that many of those people choose to stay in this community and build their lives here in Reno as they grow. And they remember those first experiences and what it meant to them. We are quite literally in the bedrock of downtown Reno and we're not going anywhere. And we really have seen and felt a tremendous improvement since the business district has created the downtown Reno partnership. The work of the ambassadors to uh provide casual folks on the street with directions, with assistance. Uh they are the friendliest, most helpful people out in the community. The name is well-earned, Downtown Reno Partnership. We really do feel that they are partners in helping to make downtown the place that we all see in our hearts that we really know it is. They've just been an incredible asset to downtown and we've been really grateful to work with them.

My name is Adam Kates and I am the director of community engagement for the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. The Pioneer Center is the hub of the performing arts in our region right here in downtown Reno. We are the home to some incredible organizations from the worldclass Reno Philarmonic Orchestra to Arttown who brings in incredible performances from across the world and AVA Ballet Theater who present the annual Nutcracker, a tradition for so many families in Northern Nevada. The Pioneer Center is the place to come for the best of worldclass performances. One thing that I love is the way that the bar and restaurant scene has just exploded over the past decade or so. And many of those incredible restaurants and bars and establishments are right here in downtown Reno. They're right across the street. They're right down the block from us. And it's been really wonderful to have a central gathering place like the Pioneer Center that is also able to engage with many of the restaurants and bars in our region. As the footprint of the city continues to push outward and more incredible folks learn about and want to be part of and want to live here, the heart of Reno remains right here along the river in the core of downtown. This is that unique identity of the city and arts and culture have that unbelievable ability to weave into the fabric of the identity of a city. It's through bringing so many different folks together for so many different kinds of experiences. All authentic, all genuine, all designed to bring you together and uplift each other and to explore what it means to be human together through the arts. There is no limit to what that can do to change people's lives and to enrich a city well into the future. So, whatever the future has in store for Reno, arts and culture are a critical part of our identity. They always have been and they always will be. We at the Pioneer Center, together with all of our friends throughout the arts and culture community here, we will continue to evolve and adapt and explore new ways of making connections. And all of that will

continue to happen right here in the heart of downtown along with the other amazing organizations that make up this area with us. Downtown Reno is where the best of the performing arts live.

Downtown Reno is alive with arts, culture, and entertainment. My name is Par tools and I am the CEO and founder of Tools Development Company. I grew up in the Bay Area in Middle Park and I moved to Reno in 1994. met a pretty girl and chased her down and uh got married and decided to put down roots here and uh ended up being a really vibrant place for us to not only do business but grow a family and it's been a a wonderful decision. I've always had the desire to start my own business and in 2016 started to development company with the goal to focus on all product types of real estate but with extra effort downtown. We bought a portfolio of office buildings with the uh goal to redevelop those buildings and really try to push downtown Reno into its next level. We also did that with Midtown. We bought a portfolio of retail buildings, turn that into what is now a very vibrant area. People always ask me, Reno the next Portland, is the next Austin. My response has always been, we're Reno. We have this really interesting quilt. I love the fact we're not trying to turn it into somewhere else, but that we're allowing it to evolve in its own really unique way. Private investment in downtowns. It's hard, but it's also incredibly rewarding. Downtown Reno's really got a nice platform for additional mixeduse development. We have a good foundation of retail, good foundation of office, good residential, arts and culture. We have a river that runs through it. It's important for us to move where the market is telling us to go, but also to be more than just financially worthy. I

think it's important to take a longer term view when you're redeveloping and trying to obviously not only making returns for your investors, but also making more social returns for the community itself. I think we have a collaborative culture here. We're part of the fabric of this community. These businesses are our friends. You know, we don't have big commutes. People want to be together. We'll never leave Raiden. this office portfolio and the Midtown portfolio right before co I've seen the vibrancy of downtown. It hasn't been hurt as bad as it could and now we're prepared to continue to move it forward with with good development. It's easy.

Okay, are we ready? Okay, that'd be great.

Perfect.

All right, we have a quorum. So madame clerk we are going to get back to the meeting. So, and I think you're have been taking a poll basically, right? Good. Okay, that's great. Um, okay. Hold

Madam clerk, are we ready to go technology-wise? We are. And we do have a vice mayor online as well. Okay. I'm going to make a motion to allow Miss Der to serve as the vice mayor in the room in Madame Mayor's absence. Okay. I have a motion. Second. Okay. Motion a second. Any other questions or comments? Hearing none, a call for the question. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. All right.

Okay. So, we're reconvening the meeting at 1:46. And at this time, Council Member Eert is absent. All right, going back to our list, we are on Cullen McInness, followed by Jacob Kamacho, followed by Sick and Tired. Man, I should have come up with a funny name, too. Um, good afternoon, Madame Mayor, members of the city council. My name is Cullen McInness, and I'm an organizer with the Sierra Club Toy Chapter, and I've lived in Reno my whole life. I'm here along with so many other members of the community because I am tired of seeing unfettered data center development in our city. We all saw how the community showed up two weeks ago and how concerned Renoites are about the environmental and public health impacts that data centers can have on our lives. I'm encouraged by all the people who are showing up for our city and I hope that the council will show up for us as well. We can't afford to fail in this moment to prioritize our communities and landscapes over the profits of data center developers. For over a year now, the Sierra Club has been advocating for a moratorium on new data centers until common sense regulations are in place. We have sent out our draft ordinance to all of you and what we are calling for is reasonable and addresses concerns about transparency, impacts to water and air quality as well as community benefit agreements. I won't go into detail on that now as 3 minutes isn't nearly enough time to do so. Instead, I'm going to focus on why our current process is completely insufficient and why the city needs to adopt our ordinance and finally take leadership on this issue. Supporters of unfettered data center development will say that the conditional use permitting process is sufficient and that there is no need for the city to adopt an ordinance. I think the fact that a data center was approved mere blocks from the Truckucky River is evidence enough that that is not true. The Truckucky River is a lifeblood not just of our city but our entire region. It is a source of our fresh water, countless recreation opportunities, and a thriving repairarian habitat that local flora and fauna rely on to survive. If it's important enough to campaign on, it should also be important enough to protect from the threats of data centers. That's why our ordinance

includes language on sighting and avoiding neighborhoods in sensitive habitats. Currently, data centers are basically treated like a warehouse or any other industrial use of land by our planning commission and council. But it is clear that this new unprecedented buildout of these data centers needs to have specific considerations and rules around the development and approvals. That's why we've been asking for for over a year now. We need the city to adopt an ordinance and to give us the guardrails to protect us from the devastating impacts that these centers can have. Those impacts are well documented and you are aware of what has happened across the country when there are no regulations in place. On April 22nd, this council directed staff to begin drafting updates to the development code around data center uses. We want to continue to be engaged in that conversation and make sure that changes to our city code actually address the community's concerns. These regulations need to be strong and actually go far to protect our river, our people, and our public health. After this pending moratorium passes today, we need a final moratorium to come soon after. And the end date for that moratorium shouldn't be tied to a random amount of time or until the elections are over. No, we need a moratorium to be in place until the city adopts a comprehensive ordinance regulating data centers. In this moment, we need our leaders to step up. Don't forsake your responsibility to us and pass the buck to regional. We know that the regional planning agency does not have the power to mandate regulations to local municipalities. We need you to do the jobs that we elected you to do and adopt a comprehensive ordinance at the city level. This needs to include the input of all the stakeholders, the tribe, Sierra Club, and other community members. not just industry and to protect the landscape and people of this city. Thank you council members for hearing me and thank you specifically to council members Derer and Eert for their consistency on this issue.

Jacob Kamacho sick and tired followed by Anna Millle followed by Mark Plubell.

Hi I'm sick and tired for the record. Uh, I'm also worried about the our democracy for the record. Uh, my name's Jax Hart. I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada in the Truckucky Meadows on the ancestral land of the Numa and Wo people. Uh, ever since I was little, I remember driving around Reno. Well, riding around Reno and trying to imagine what places looked like before there were buildings and electrical lines. And, you know, that could have been informed by, you know, trying to see the sunset or the stars. These kind of universally beautiful experiences that even our sky is polluted by all of this infrastructure and lighting. Uh, but I didn't have to live very long to start just having to remember what Reno used to look like.

Um, because sorry uh because as I've lived here, I've seen marshes in uh Demani Ranch and Hidden Valley turned into developments. I've seen lakes killed and drained. I've seen entire mountains eaten. All of this precious habitat turned into developments and mines. As I've connected with the Northern Nevada Pyute people and learned more about the river and its history, I have learned how much our river has also been damaged in the decades and century that we have existed here as settlers. Please stop continuing this history. Save our river. Understand that all water should be portable and all water is sacred. I have honestly lost all faith in our democratic process. All of the people running to replace perfect hair Hillary just want to make money off of exploiting the people and land near Reno. You don't listen to the people that represent. You don't listen to the people that you represent. You represent people like Q& Construction and Penium Construction, both owned by the same family, who donate heavily to your campaigns. Both of our mayoral candidates are heavily donated to by these construction companies and the people in orange earlier work for these construction companies. Uh data centers don't present any long-term benefit to the the city economic, health, spiritual, and they don't they won't benefit you either. They just steal through cost socialized electrical bills and destroy our water. And we don't make tax money from them because they have huge tax abatements. Please turn our city around. Return to posterity where democracy and the river thrived and city council listened to their constituents and not their corporate donors. Thank you

Anna Miley followed by Mark Plubal followed by Georgina Wetzel. Madame clerk. Anna. Anna and Georgina. Okay, you're Anna. Mark. Mark. Okay, perfect. And Georgina. Perfect. Okay. Hi. My name is Anna Mihi. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you. Um, as I've been listening in this room, I've been keeping mental track of each group's motives and needs, and I have understood all of them, except those of those permitting the data centers. Um, I'm not very good with stats, but I am pretty good with conflict and emotion. And in a conflict where there is a large power dynamic such as this one, um all of these people have been very open and vulnerable at doing research and bringing their needs and for safety to you. But we don't have any transparency on the needs of those permitting the data centers. Um, the indigenous people have spoken about their need for safety of their water, of their fish that they get their identity from, of all of our water. The laborers have spoken for the need of their financial safety, which I'm confident that the city could provide in some other way without exploitive data centers, perhaps with some less tax abatements. Um, the public in the neighborhoods have spoken for the need of their safety, to not have massive fires on Keystone, for example, or to not be bothered by outrageous levels of noise once this thing is completed, and for their autonomy to decide that these things are not warehouses. A data center should be permitted as a data center because it's a data center. It's not a warehouse. Um and all of the onus is on us but there is no focus and no scrutiny and no lens looking into who is permitting these things and why. What are their individual personal motives as people as humans for wanting these things in our communities and I would like to have some way for that to be out in the open.

So that is my ask. All right. You still have another minute left. Do you want to? This is my first time talking and I prep nothing else. Okay. Good job. Thank you. Mark Plowed by Georgina Wetzel followed by Virginia Lamore. Larore.

Yep. Thank you very much. Uh thank you mayor, city council, and uh uh staff. My name is Mark Plubel. I'm representing uh 700 members of the Heat and Frost Insulators, Local 16 of the Northern California and Northwest Nevada. Um we also are affiliated with the building trades of Northern Nevada. I appreciate the concerns of everybody who's spoken today. I understand where they're coming from. Um we care about the environment. We are a green construction trade involved in energy conservation. we which reduces energy usage uh by insulating piping and equipment and requires heating and cooling that requires heating and cooling functions. Um a moratorum on data centers will negatively affect many lives. These projects typically are built union because of the magnitude and expertise needed. Over the last 10 years or so, our membership has grown substantially in Northern California. Project like these enable these workers to continue working where they live and bring opportunities to others to join the apprentichip programs and the job of construction does not end with initial build. There is constant maintenance going on in these facilities. Uh the individuals who come into the trades include young people out of school, women, minority, indigenous people and those previously incarcerated trying to change their lives. This career path has changed people's lives. Not everyone wants to continue higher education and would there be a job for them if they did? They come to us as individuals but become part of a union family. We take care of each other. The trades provides health coverage which takes the burden off the public system, excellent wages so members can provide for their families and pension plans so they can live uh and retire in dignity. Our union recently did a a job site visit of over se 600 jobs in northern cal northern Nevada. I'm sorry. Uh I work with my

brother Victor Hernandez who spoke earlier. He's from Reno. The jobs we saw would keep about 25% of our members who live here working if that's all the work there was. So we'd have 75% of our members even having to go to California or other states if if these data centers weren't around. The money earned by these projects comes back to the community over and over. Sometimes we try to solve problems by create and create worse ones. For example, in California, two refineries closed over the past two years uh because of an unfriendly business uh atmosphere costing many good jobs, raising fuel costs and having oil shipped to California from places where there is no standards. Um a moratorium on such projects like these uh damage the community and sends a message that Nevada does not want to do business. This is not progressing. It's going backwards. I hope you will all vote down a moratorum and allow the project to go forward thoughtful gu with thoughtful guardrails which will protect water and the environment. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much. Georgina Wetszel followed by Virginia Larmore followed by Jackson Mendelson.

Hello. Um this is my second time um providing public comment in my life and the first time was I think two weeks ago at the first um when this last happened. Anyways, um I am very um sympathetic to anybody who desires a job because jobs provide money and money provides the ways that we live. Um I see data centers being presented as the only option over and over again. And I think that's that feels almost by design by how overwhelming it feels that we must have them. We must there's no other option. Um that doesn't feel like diversification. I think that there was a representative from the data center alliance who presented this development as diversification of interests. That feels pigeonholing. That feels like an inflated sense of importance and the only way forward. I think there's always options. and it necessitates creativity. So if data centers are the only option, I think creativity is gone. I think there's a lot of options out there. Um, I would also like to push back on a lot of the um the assumption that we we don't know enough about the impacts of high intense highintensity energy centers. We we do know a lot about the environmental effects of concentrated infrastructure.

And it is naive to me to think that we still need more information when a new highintensity infrastructure model is introduced into the market. It's also not that new anymore. We're going on five years, six years where we we see the effects already um from other places. So to constantly push it saying we need more information, we need more information. How much is how much? what's what what information is good enough? Um what what is the the goalpost for the success of these data centers in our community? What does that look like? Does that look like lower crime rates? Does that look like less struggle for people to put food on the table? because in neighboring communities who have data centers for longer, we haven't necessarily seen that. So, I think that it's a good idea to refocus what success in government and community looks like and remind ourselves that there are a lot of options out there. This is not the only one. Um, campaign funds can come from a lot of different places. Jobs can come from a lot of different places. And we are neighbors, but the people who own these companies are not our neighbors. Um, so I think that we're on the same side here. I I really genuinely do. Um, I just think that we all need to refocus what priorities are and work together towards that instead of limiting ourselves to one industry.

All right. Thank you so much. Virginia Larmore followed by Jackson Mendelson followed by Jordan Wyrick. A gold mine, a modern-day gold mine is how generative AI and the data centers supporting the industry have been described. Well, Nevada knows a thing or two about gold mines, don't we? Good afternoon, Mayor Shivy and council members. My name is Virginia Larmore and I'm a mother, a small business owner, and I'm on the leadership team of Indivisible Northern Nevada. My family moved to the mining town of Eureka in the mid 1800s to seek their fortune. It's important to keep in mind that this is a conversation about gold and the mine, AI, and the data centers. The data centers are the husk, the housing, the poorly regulated, greed-driven industrial drill into our natural resources because that's mining. And here we stand on the precipice of the new wild west while the literal relics consequences of the old west are in our backyard poisoning our air with radon and our earth with the fire danger we face from clear-cut old growth forests and our water supply with mercury and other costic chemicals. Is it poetry or spirits twisted humor that we're in this position now? The bones of our tormented history dangling ominously in front of our faces as we debate our future mistakes. Unregulated, greed-driven industry resulted in thousands of men burning alive in underground fires, carbon monoxide poisoning and silicosis, gas explosions, cave-ins and roof falls. In Nevada, owners of these mines were literally called silver kings. unregulated, self-reported, greed-driven

kings who ended up automating many jobs later on, which robotics and AI combined is also doing for many of these union jobs. All across the nation, communities are coming to councils such as this, local, regional, to have their voices heard, to beg for our children's futures, to implore our elected representatives not to believe the false promises from the AI industry's overpaid lobbyists. Will it be your child's face or mine that is scraped from the internet and plastered on AI generated sex abuse material? Will the tech hub this council fought so hard to build Reno into dissolve in three years or five? The tech industry is no longer hiring. Computer science jobs are stagnant. That's not speculative. That's now. Go ask recent UNR grads how they're fairing. This industry is self-regulating. This industry polices itself. This industry is insulated by billionaires and giant law firms they employ. Approvals have consequences. Mining has consequences and consequences last generations. In the mid 1800s, my family immigrated to Nevada to seek their fortune in mining. Did they find it? No. Because profits over people is a timehonored tradition of American capitalism. What they did do is plant roots in one of the most beautiful regions on the planet. They came here searching for gold and never realized they'd found it.

All right. Thank you, Jackson Mendelson, followed by Jordan Wyrect, followed by Wendy Bvoli Baroli via Zoom.

Hello, council. My name is Jackson Mendelson. I am a field technician from Nevada Seismological Lab at UNR and work firsthand with our environment and natural hazards in every corner of our state. I live in Ward 1 and I'm here in favor of a moratorium for restricting and regulating data centers. I'm born and raised here in Reno, Nevada, and I'm very passionate about this state and the preservation of our public lands. And I've seen firsthand how the effects of draining our natural resources recklessly can affect our ecosystem and our day-to-day life. Nothing is more important than our public lands and the resources they provide like the Truckucky River wershed. I live less than 100 yards away from the Keystone data center right off right off of Artemis Way and I'm going to be directly affected by this data center's energy and water consumption and I'm not looking forward to the new wakeup call of cooling fans even when we put these rules and regulations in. How will we ensure these corporations adhere to them? any corn any corners being cut any corners being cut won't just be directly felt in my community but everybody from the tribal community to the local businesses that make Reno what it is I understand realistically to in this day and age that we have to adapt and learn to work with technological advances but it's important to note that these rules and regulations are not the answer the true answer to the data data center solution is to ban them statewide our public lands are for us not to be sold off for profit Please consider a memorandum. We are begging you. Get tribal input. Prioritize the environment. Prioritize your community. Not the pockets of people in charge who don't even call the state home. Thank you.

Thanks, Jackson.

Jordan Week followed by Wendy Baroli via Zoom followed by Art Rangel via Zoom. Okay. Hi. Hi. Hi. Um, this is my first time doing this, so Okay, just take your time. Breathe. Oh my gosh, it's so nerve-wracking. You think after seeing like 60 people do it, it'd be But you got a lot of people here rooting you on, so you're you're going to be fine. So, just take your time and cross. Don't don't overthink it. Just I'll try not to. Okay. Okay. Hi. Uh, my name is Jordan Wea and um this morning Hold on one second.

That's okay. Okay, we're we're gonna start over. Okay, go ahead. You got this. Okay. Hi, I'm Jordan Weiss. Um, this is my first time doing this. And um this morning when I heard about this meeting, I was like, "Oh yeah, that'll be so fun. I'll just show up at 9:45. It'll be quick in and out." Did not. first timer, right? Um, so I have this little note that I was like, these are some things that just for like reference, do I get to play with this? Yes. Go ahead. Um, this was my little note right before I left my house. And then as I'm listening, here's more notes. Here's your note after.

Here's the note. Yeah. And then as this is happening, I'm like, "Oh my gosh, this is insane." And I've realized truly that there's not enough time for me to address all the concerns that I have and why I have those concerns. Uh but what I will say is that I understand how important the trades are. Uh my father was a part of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners for almost his entire career. I understand that without labor workers, we would not be in this building right now. Um I would also like to state that I'm not politically active. I don't have facts or numbers or data to prove my point. Um, I'm not involved with a group or an organization. And like I said, this is my first time being here. Um, what I am is a 26-year-old woman who calls Northern Nevada my home. I want a future. I want a family. And I want a life here in this state. Um, and I fear that with the rise of data centers, that will not be possible. Um, I'd like to bring attention to Hinckley, California. Uh, back in the 70s, there was a uh, well my gosh, what is it? It was, yeah, water polluted by PG&. Um, it's still polluted to this day. So,

many, many years later.

Um, that was actually polluted by the water in their cooling towers for their gas systems. Um, which is starting to sound a little familiar to me. Um, the workers that built that power plant got to leave and they got to go home when the work was done. But the pink people of Hinckley, California were the ones that ended up with the birth defects, the cancer, and other health issues. P Genie was later sued for over $330 million, but that doesn't undo the damage that was caused. Um, I understand that I'm just one person, but I know that there are other people like me that don't completely understand. We don't have the backing for everybody to to stand here and to call into work and say this is what I want, but I want a family and I want a life. And if one power plant can do that to a town in California, it is haunting to think what 40, 50, whatever. There's been so many numbers that are thrown around that could do to our town. And I've already been run out of one state for the damage that was done there. And I can't afford to be run out of another. Jordan, right?

Give her a round of applause. You made it, Jordan. I made it. You got it. You got it. On my way to work. All right. Wendy Baroli via Zoom, followed by Art Rangel via Zoom, followed by Nona Perry via Zoom. Okay. Good afternoon. Can you and can you guys hear me? Hi, we can. Thank you.

Fantastic. Um thank you council for once again uh doing what you said you would do and that is hold this meeting on um just a moratorum to really stop step back and think about what we need to do. Um I think everyone else has done a very good job of covering the issues but what we are missing is actually kind of the um the ugly part of what data centers actually are and these aren't cloud computing computing data centers. We're talking about data centers that are AI generated um to be the next industry and that's what they continue to tell us. However, here are some statistics. As of today, the number one replacement risk by industry is manufacturing at 58%. Now, we go to Nevada's statistics. Number four on our highest level in Northern Nevada is manufacturing. Nevada is centrally located in the western market, making an ideal place for manufacturing and distribution. Nevada is home to more than 1700 manufacturing farms. The manufacturing industry accounts for almost 5% of the state's total output. This total output was $ 8.1 billion. The top manufacturing sector se sectors in Nevada include food, beverage and tobacco products, fabricated metal products, non- metallic, mineral products, computer and electronic products, electronic equipment, appliances, chemical manufacturing, plastics, etc. The manufacturing industry of Nevada employs consistently and regularly in Northern Nevada almost 40% here in our area. If we go back to the AI statistics for right now, manufacturing AI replacement W risk is 58%. I understand what the trades are saying. I used to be a representative for the laborers. My father is a retired electrical

contractor. The reality is is 7,000 workers over 400,000 residents um is not a good statistic if that's how we're making this decision. What I'd hope will happen is that this moratorum brings us further to why we need to stop put real brakes on it. It doesn't say that we are bad for industry or we our Nevada is closed for business. And any industry that thinks that we want because we want to stop and put guard rails on it and consider the people who actually live here as bad for business is not the kind of business we want in our region. Thank you. Art Rangel via Zoom, followed by Nona Perry via Zoom, followed by Ju Jude Flegler.

Can you hear me? We can. Thank you.

Okay. I wish I could be as eloquent as as a lot of these speakers. Uh Art Rangel for the record uh at this point in time data centers are a necessary part of modern business. The question should be where should they be allowed? What is their cost and what is their economic benefits? Regarding cost, the question is how much energy is used and who pays for that energy? How much water is used and how much how's that water treated before it's re-entered into our water system? What is the potential health risk relative to noise and emissions regarding benefits? How many permanent jobs are created? How much money is generated that stays in Reno before it is distributed to other taxing agencies? And the last thing is who will gather the information to answer these questions? As a retired city planner, I can tell you I do not think our city of Reno development services planning staff has the expertise to answer these questions as evidenced by their recommended approval of the Keystone data center and a 30-day moratorum. The city should hire a firm with national or international expertise in data centers to do this work, but you may not have the money to do the budget to do that. So, absent that, some of the testimony gathered today and on April 22nd uh at the city council meeting showed that certain community members, some from UNR, seem to really know this subject very well. Maybe the city should have a citizen advisory panel to help in this endeavor. Also, the moratorum should last at least until the end of November relative to the alleged loss of construction jobs. There's more than enough development in our region to keep the trades busy. More than one speaker in opposition to the mortorium said data

center workers are being imported from other states. So, I don't think it's going to hurt our local uh workers. Thank you for your time. All right. Thanks, Art. Nona Perry via Zoom, followed by Jude Flegler, followed by Tara Webster. Hello, my name is Nona Perry. Can you hear me? I can. Can you hear us? Yes. Thank you. Okay, go ahead. So, I I live in War 2 and I'm 75 years old this year.

I live a mile from the Keystone Data Center that's being constructed. I'm four generations Nevada. My great-grandfather was in Mason Valley. My grandfather was from Mina. My father and mother taught school in Hawthorne. And uh

both my mom and dad went to UNR. I went to UNR and so did my grandfather when I think it was just a a girl school. I think you had a lot of fun. Um I am for a serious moratorum on more data center construction in our entire area and I'm very much uh opposed to doing things without really thinking them out. Um, I can't help but think about the Sutro Tunnel, which is in our history here in the state of Nevada, and the hype to quickly build the tunnel to move water out of the silver mines in order to make the most profit. By 1878, the whole system of the tunnel was obsolete as the commtock had had its heyday and the investors moved on, including um Sutro himself who moved to San Francisco and ran for mayor, leaving the whole system just like I feel AI will leave these data centers useless. Uh, I live within 300 feet of the UP the UP train tracks and I hear the train go by a whole bunch of times a day. Uh, rendering speaking to one another a system of just waiting it out until the train goes by. And from what I understand, the worring sound of the data centers doesn't stop and go like the train. It's consistent 247. And the mitigation is to build thick walls. And I don't even know if this has been studied enough to say that that works. And what happens if uh you know there's a a system failure or there is one of those fires or whatever happens is the sound going to be treacherous for us? And um also I feel like if AI is so wonderful and it can do so much and it

is supposedly um whoring by us uh intellectually and leave us in its tracks, why can't it be asked to make data centers totally safe and environmentally positive for us? Why don't we just ask AI if it's so wonderful and not just be so deep into the money that can be made? The money, the money, the money. I can remember before the freeway and I can remember before McCarron and I can remember before the train trench and the building you're in right now, my father worked in when he was in college in the uh early 40s. My mom worked at Beltell right across the plaza. And when I stand down there and I look up at the bank and I look up at Beltell, I think, gosh, I' I've been in the state for so long and I love it so much. My parents didn't even know each other then.

And uh I have a little family, but I feel like I'm mighty. It's just me and my two daughters on the whole earth. And I want to stand for Nevada, and I want to stand for what's right. And I don't think that these data centers being built quickly are a good thing at all. I think they need to be studied and they need to be studied long term before they're like the SRO tunnel and they're all built and nobody's there. Thank you. Thank you so much. Where um Mina is. How many of you know where it is? Mina, Nevada. Mina. How do you say it? Mina. knows. Do you know where it is?

Yes. Yes. It's fascinating. I was just learning all about it. So, I just that it's fascinating. Jude. Okay. Followed by Tara Webster, followed by Daniel Jenkins via Zoom.

Um, hi, my name is Jude. I've lived in Nevada my whole life and I'm going to speak in opposition of data centers. Um I want to start with a quote from Mark Twain. Uh you know he traveled a lot and um he traveled to the Sea of Galilee in um Nazareth which is if you read the Bible is where Jesus gave his sermon. And he said um he said that it pald in comparison to Tahoe. And he just brought up Tahoe because it's the I guess the best lake he'd ever seen. Um, I was actually in Tahoe this weekend on Mother's Day and there was a man there was talking to his family and he said, "Isn't Tahoe man-made?" And it's not. It's definitely not man-made. Um, data centers are man-made. No one could make Tahoe. Um, except our mother earth. Very disrespectful on Mother's Day. Um, I think so. That's that's these are the people who are coming to our region. They don't even know what they're looking at. They look at Tahoe, they think it's like Disneyland or Christmas Town. They don't know any of the history of it. Um, and they don't respect it and they're they're not water protectors. Um, and so that's the beginning of the Truckucky Wershed is Lake Tahoe. And the end of it is Pyramid Lake. Um, and Pyramid Lake is the terminal end of the wershed, which means that it doesn't drain into the ocean, which means that everything that ends up in Pyramid Lake stays in Pyramid Lake. All the trash stays there. Um, and before settlers, the the system was very balanced because there were fish in the water that would eat all the trash. But they're now being endangered because the amount of trash in the water is overwhelming. Um, and they're keystone species with with the kuyui and the sucker fish, which means that if they die that the entire ecosystem will collapse. Um, so it's very crucial that we protect this water because as I said, it doesn't drain into the ocean. This is all the water that we have in this area. there's nobody who lives in central Nevada for a reason because there's no water there. Um, and

if we build data centers there, we still have to transport the water, which um takes even more energy. Um, and another question I have that I don't know if you know the answer to this is like what kind of data do they want to store on these servers? Um, is it data worth preserving? Is this knowledge that we want to keep? Um, I want you to imagine a future far in the future hopefully when we run out of water and there are a few of us left and all where we have is these data centers standing like giant mausole mausoleiums that we can't access because we won't have internet or Wi-Fi either. Um, I know that you think that data centers are the new frontier, but you're actually already standing on the frontier because supposedly we're celebrating 250 years of America this year, but Nevada's only been a state for 162 years. Um, Mark Twain was actually here during the territory days, just to put that in perspective. He was here before we were a state. Um, and I I'm asking you to be water protectors. I'm inviting you to please be water protectors. And if you don't want to, please give sovereignty over the land back to indigenous people because they governed this land for thousands of years and they did a good job taking care of it.

Jude, um, it sounds like you really like you really like history, huh? You really like history. Yeah, I I got my undergrad in history. I was a historian. Yeah. Well, I love that because I think a lot of us take away some of the things that we don't know about history and so Yeah. Very very good. My MSW I'm trying to apply what I learned to social work. Even better. That's fantastic. Yeah, you got it. All right. Good job, Tara Webster, followed by Daniel Jenkins via Zoom, followed by Jessica Osgard.

So, we've got Okay, Jessica's coming up. Go ahead. All right. Well, I had good morning on here, but we are now in the afternoon. So, good night.

Good uh even good Yeah, good afternoon, mayor and council members. Uh my name is Tar Webster. I live in Ward 5, and I'm the policy manager for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. As the fastest warming city in the country, Reno has experienced an intense record-breaking heat wave. The temperature reached 92 degrees this past weekend, setting a new daily record. Uh to top that off, the record low winter snow pack is setting the stage for a dangerous fire season. And so my question to you is, do we really need to add fuel to the fire by depleting our watershed for the sake of data center growth? Let's not forget the corporate interests hyper the uh the hyperskll data center that was just approved in Utah sets a terrifying precedent for what we can expect in Nevada on our indigenous lands. Without a ban moratorium or strong regulations in place, what are you going to say when sharks like Kevin Oly come knocking on Reno's door? It's troubling enough that data center uh that data center tax breaks are siphoning the revenue distribution that Reno receives from the state. And not to mention that data centers are fueling the next wave of generative AI and bringing more surveillance to our community as data center data storage for flat cameras. We're facing an environmental justice and health equity issue in our community. We live in one of the most unique and beautiful states in the country and hyperscale industrial projects are popping up in our backyards. The monstrosity that is the Sentra data center on Keystone sits just above our precious Truckucky River, two blocks away from where my childhood home was. And less than a mile from my current home, where I raised my son and the parks that he plays in bought my house. That wasn't my plan to have a data center in my backyard. So, any project that is adding pollution to our drinking water and putting stress on our energy grid, consuming uh all of our resources without community benefits should definitely be a concern to everyone. We should be the ones who are deciding if data center growth in our indigenous lands and in our neighborhoods is really what we need for public interest moving forward. We want clean energy projects

that have strong environmental regulations and labor standards. And we support a long-term moratorium until we have policies that focus on transparency, privacy, and accountability to the public. Thank you. All right. Thanks, Tara. Daniel Jenkins via Zoom, followed by Jessica Osgard, followed by Kira McKenzie. Good afternoon. Am I coming through? Yes.

Uh, good afternoon, city council. I'm Daniel Jenkins. Um, most of what I had planned to say has been hit on by other supporters of this moratorum. I really want to take a look at the arguments for the data centers that have been made. Some of these were around jobs, uh, keeping our city diversified, both people in industry. And this is coming from my perspective of, you know, my dad is a machinist. Uh, he was traveling two weeks out of the month, three weeks out of the month every year growing up and back for a weekend. I get that that sucks and that you, you know, everybody in the trades here would definitely prefer work that's closer. uh but we have to weigh that against the impacts against the community and I want to highlight here that you as city council are responsible for planning that means you have to engage with these matters in a strategic manner and strategy is never short-term when you're strategizing for a city your election cycle is not the length of time that you need to be considering doing that is obscenely selfish and self-interested and that is the point that is being raised by folks who are calling for this decision and for longerterm decisions before the primary. We don't care about your job security over our physical health and safety. Now, quick note on the data centers as was mentioned before. Uh somebody said that this type of facility has been around for a long time. If you look closely, this is kind of like comparing a Honda Civic and an F1 car. AI data centers use about six times the power per rack over a traditional data center and they consist of hundreds or thousands of racks. Comparing the two is really a false dichotomy and you know for example like a Honda Civic is street legal here in Reno. However, a full Formula 1 car would not be. And then construction work does end.

You know somebody said they work themselves out of a job. So, when does the end of this construction work happen? You know, is this going to require more data centers to keep these people employed? What is what is the upper limit here? Are we going to have to wait until we're all choking on the exhaust of these systems and our water is completely poisoned? And I I also heard closed loops closed loop systems mentioned. And I'm not sure that folks fully understand how an industrial scale facility works. things break, pipes leak, systems fail, parts of the system need to be shut down. And I heard these exact same arguments about the Dakota Access pipeline when there was a big uh movement to not route that through indigenous lands. I'll note that that pipeline failed and had a leak of hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil in under a year from when it first started operation. I would challenge anyone here that supports the development of data centers to actually put their professional licenses and reputations on the line if they believe that these closed loop systems will never fail and will never need additional inputs. I hope that you support this uh moratorium and further action against data centers in the future. Thank you.

All right. Thank you

Jessica Osgard followed by Kira McKenzie followed by Nicole Anagaposis via Zoom. Okay. Hello, members of the council, Mayor Shivy. My name is Jessica Osgard. Um, I'm a recent graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno, where I got my bachelor's degree in environmental science and with an emphasis in conservation and restoration. From that alone, you can probably tell that I'm here in support of the moratorum against data centers. This is my first time speaking out in something like this, but it is not something I am willing to look away from. My family moved here when I was 7 years old. And when we first arrived to the state, I hated the desert. I know what these developers think when they look into our open lands. They think it is a blank space with nothing but sage brush and theirs for the taking. But to myself and all my fellow local residents, we know this could not be more wrong. This land belongs to the indigenous peoples, to the native wildlife and plant life, to us as citizens. My years spent living here have fostered a deep love and appreciation for our state and its desert beauty. We do not want data centers. No one does. Those in the union do not want data centers. As many of them noted, they too want to value and protect the environment. What they really want is a sustainable job market for laborers, and we all do. But I do not support anything that destroys the very natural wonders and beautiful public lands that have made this place worth living in, that have made this a place that I love to call home. I want a job, too. I have a degree in environmental science. But instead of investing in progressive infrastructure to support the union or conservation efforts to support someone with my background, we are building a system that will continue the negative environmental feedback loop we have been aware of for decades. I don't just mean the data center on Keystone which will directly impact our societal and home

lives but the larger ones in the great expanse of the northern Nevada desert and these will destroy our watershed rapidly. I want you all today to choose life. Vote in favor of a moratorum on a data center development affected immediately, even better down the line. Vote for the ban of further development of data centers in our state. Uh, choose our environment, choose our health, choose your people, choose climate progress. Please, we need to heavily restrict these data centers. At the very least, allow pause in order to gather accurate data on their impact and be transparent about this. Beyond that, we all know these water guzzlers have no place in the driest state in this country. After passing the moratorum, again, I beg for a further ban on data centers in the state. The lack of due process for permitting these data centers in our land has been despicable. And even with restrictions, my education in environmental science leads me to seriously question that these monstrosities can be a sustainable option for our state under any circumstances. But the studies need to be conducted to recognize and prepare for the true consequences. I've been so proud to come from a state that prioritizes the protection of our waterways and desert ecosystems. to come from the state with the most public BLM land, a city with the cleanest partially urban river I've ever seen, and a place where the Lanson cutthroat trout was legendarily revived on the brink of extinction. I cannot bear to let these gifts be destroyed. Please sign the moratorium against.

All right, thanks

Kira McKenzie, followed by Nicole Anagapas via Zoom, followed by Emily Walsh via Zoom. Hi, I'm Cara McKenzie. I'm a third generation Renoite. I've got kids, so they're fourth generation. Um, I want to start by saying 50,000 people in the Tahoe area are losing their power company. 5,000 people in Oregon are now being forced to drink bottled water due to these closed loop systems. They poison the groundwater and they also use tons of water anyway because of evaporation. The poison water seeps into the drinking water and our crops. Utility prices are already outrageous. You cannot move forward without studies on what this will do to our beautiful landscape. What is it for? AI slop making our children dependent on programs that make them less thought independent surveillance. What is it? Why do we need this? The residents near these data centers have no say in what will um in that they will have to listen to horrible low decimal hums constantly that will make them sick. Reno is one of the most uh Reno and most of Nevada has sun 340 days out of the year. We have one of the best locations for solar power. To use power from the grid and to deplete the best drinking water I have ever tasted to cool these systems is just lazy. If these data centers are absolutely necessary, they should be located ne they should not be located next to residential neighborhoods and we should be utilizing the plethora of natural sunlight we have and the majority of the year and power these centers with the use of uh batteries the rest of the year. Who's getting p

kickbacks? More hospital visits, toxic air, unusable drinking water sounds like sounds that are unbearable. steal our res resources and hike up utilities. We need to be a community that protects our land and our citizens rights. Only 11 jobs will be created for the Keystone Data Center. Not caring what happens to the people you represent and what they have to say is a good way to get yourselves voted out. And it's also horrible karma. There's a small town in America, Fesus, Missouri, that has protested the data center and their city council did not listen to them. The city council people were then voted out the next election cycle. Don't be one of those people. Thanks,

Nicole Anagapas via Zoom, followed by Emily Walsh via Zoom, followed by Kamal Abuhan via Zoom. Hello uh Nicole Anagapus for the record and um yeah the industrial revolution and its consequences really have been a disaster for the human race. Huh. Um as you may not know or may know uh I am not from Reno originally. I actually uh had the privilege of living in Appalachia for some years and I have seen firsthand what the scars of extractive and exploitative uh boom and bust industries have on the legacy of a people when they leave. And I mean like actual literal scars as well as disease, destroyed ecosystems, and obliterated futures. to the union members who showed up today to advocate for what one of them called their ability to pursue the so-called American dream. Uh that dream will dry up and dissipate with the rest of your children's drinking water if this cancerous rapid construction of these data centers in our community continues. How will you be able to afford your own energy bill if you and your family are also paying for Sam Alman's and Peter Teals? These data centers are not some neutral or inevitable occurrence. They are man-made and thusly can be unmade, prevented, and dissolved. It is important that we all take the time here today to examine and fundamentally challenge what is at the core of this clash between communities like ours and the expansions of AI data center projects around the country. Moratoriums are symbolic and symbols don't replace reality. Um the reality is that the path that we are on will continue to poison our water, destroy the land, and cause irreparable harm to us as well as our human and non-human neighbors. I ask that you concede to the demands of the folks with the water over data alliance after you move forward with this proposed moratorum and immediately schedule your following meeting within the two-week time frame they suggested

before the primary elections take place. Those of you on that side of the disas are so lucky that you have constituents that are here politely asking you to do the right thing and who are coming forward with wonderful suggestions and asking you to meet them somewhere where they can have a real conversation with you where you can provide for them like you're supposed to. It's your job, right? Um because I mean the other alternative is I guess them just writing maybe strongly worded letters.

Did we lose her? No, she's still on. Okay. Okay. Emily Walsh via Zoom followed by Kimal Abuhan via Zoom. Hello. Can you hear me? We can. Thank you.

Perfect. Thank you. My name is Emily Walsh and I'm a resident of Ward 6 in uh the southern part of Reno. And I'm here today to speak out against uh data centers and encourage the city council to please adopt the moratorum and then really study what these impacts are going to be. What you're hearing today from all of these people who are in opposition isn't even a sliver of the true outrage and fear that exists. And that fear is very founded. Um Envy Energy recently had their public um look at the IRP filing, the integrated resource plan, where they look at how much load we have right now, how much load we are going to have, and what resources we need to serve that load. and they're looking at gigawatts upon gigawatts of new load being brought in and it is being very much driven by these data centers. What a lot of people don't really know and when there was public comment at that uh event was that Envy Energy isn't in control of approving or denying data centers. They are bound by their obligation to serve to serve people and data centers and anything else that comes to Nevada as the monopoly power provider. You are all the people who make those decisions about if those data centers can come. You guys are the ones that approve uh the planning and zoning and can override you know the city planning commission. And so it is on you and it is your onus to make sure that this doesn't happen and to make sure that we aren't going to build out thousands of megawatts, gigawatts upon gigawatts of infrastructure that may end up not being used and then we all of the residential rate pairs are the ones that are going to be stuck with it. There is an undeniability that data centers are coming, but they don't have to come here

and we don't have to be the communities that shoulder their burdens and take all of the negative effects that come with those data centers. Thank you.

Kamal Abuhan via Zoom, followed by Chelsea G via Zoom.

Hi everybody. Uh for the record, Kamal Abuhan, I'm here again and uh we are here again and thank you uh for allowing all of us to uh voice our concerns. Um okay, so these data centers and uh and everyone's concerns. I'm going back to Pythagoras. Uh we all know the Pythagorean theorem. We understand that Pythagoras had phil philosophy about the four elements being fire, air, earth, and water. And of course, we're talking about water right now. I mean, water as being the mainstay for our uh our existence. And so, it's a big concern. I talked last time about a closed system. After listening to everybody, you know, it's interesting. There's a lot of different uh concepts about what a closed system is. The way I see a closed system, you fill it up once and you're done. You don't do anything else. That's it. No interaction at all. It's a closed system. Truly closed system. We haven't reached that technology yet. I've also been following the lithium ion battery installation by our by our uh power uh our our substations and I didn't hear anything about seismic retrofit at all. So I was like man it feels like you know it feels like we we just not quite there yet. So that's why I support the moratorum. We you know studies need to happen. We need to review these and uh you know when we're dealing with fire right I mean where are the jobs going right we're talking about automation now true intramotal speaking we're in a place where it's easy to move north south east and west let's go back to pythagorm and the four the specialty of the number four let's move to the earth you know when

you install a system like this close to the proximity of the uh of residential area there's a frequency that is transmitted in uh and it's in in the form of sound. It's going through the earth and people are hearing these things. So zoning is an issue. We look at water. We've examined that already. We need to make sure the water is usable for us. We are in the dry state in in the in the nation. We just this water business, you know, we just can't have this. And then of course we're uh you know, we're looking at the air, right? So, these power systems require an interaction with the air and uh there's some level of pollution that's going to be introduced into the air that we breathe. We're all outdoors folks here. I'm out I'm here in Pedmont riding my mountain bike. It's dry already. Most of the areas that have water are dry already. It's dry. So, I have to carry more water. I can't use my uh I can't use my filter anymore. So, a lot of the basics are, you know, not met. So I'm I'm glad that you're doing you're considering a moratorum just to do at least exercise as smartly as we can. I see lithium ion batteries as to tomorrow's asbestous by the way and we all know where that went. Thank you so much everybody. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Chelsea G via Zoom followed by Ezra Rambo followed by Natasha Weston. Hi all. Can you hear me?

We can. Thank you. score. All right. For the record, my name is Chelsea Garren. I live in Ward 4 and I agree with every other commentator and I understand the concerns of union members with um pausing momentarily or a forever pause slashb on data centers. My perspective comes from working in corporate securities where I work directly with private companies and investors, investor funds, other LLC's, developers, whatnot. It is literally a gold rush of who can put the most money. And I'm talking about several million dollar up to several hundred million dollars worth of investment in these private companies who are not going to be taxed, who secured a tax abatement. how this city, this county, and this state is hurting for tax monies for the simplest of jobs to fund road maintenance, most most notably around here. I find it to be poor governance to be handing out tax abatements while these companies have ample money from investors directly hoping that they're going to find the unicorn that's going to make them bank on those investments. As part of my role in corporate securities, I have also processed reduction in force with companies who are AI focused uh

who let go a lot of their companies because of their own AI product. And these are tech individuals. And someone had mentioned previously that tech is pretty much on a hiring freeze at the moment due to AI. So that's not acceptable. uh the fact that we have union workers who do need jobs, who are using their bodies to build these developments, who aren't going to have a longlasting several year job secured for them, but rather a temporary single year, two-year, maybe three year, but it's temporary and they're giving up their bodies for this. Someone mentioned going to chiropractor and seeing how many workers there are. Um, I don't see any benefit to data centers that we are getting returns on as a community. We aren't getting tax monies for it. Yet there's ample several million dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars being raised, seed rounds, A rounds, B rounds, uh, so on and so forth. they are not being taxed appropriately and that doesn't even touch on the resources that this state doesn't really have and they're already limited as things heat up. It's already close to 90 degrees and who was it?

Okay. Uh some organization here Chelsea had mentioned that is um a Hey, um, Madam Clerk, Ezra Rambo, followed by Natasha Weston, followed by Maro Gil.

Good afternoon, council. My name is Ezra Rambo for the record. And today, I want to give my two cents on this uh, situation here. So I am of the Numu tribe in Bishop, California, what is uh previously known as Py Hanadu, but what is currently known as Owens Valley. We were robbed of our water primarily. I know our tribe, the Pyute people as a whole, but specifically in the northern Pyute, we gather around large bodies of water. specifically my tribe. It went to the Mono Lake originally called Kutakica or Kutapatiota. We lived and cherished and still do the resources and the animals and whatever else comes with that responsibility. We tended to it for thousands of years. We tended to it before everybody else, everyone else in this room whose ancestors came here either by a ship or a plane. You would not know what that is like. You would not know what that is like to garner such a history and tradition around your own resources and your own livelihood here at least. So I come in support of the uh moratorum. I wish for further action to be taken uh amongst the data centers. I wish for the complete halt of the construction of these data centers as a whole. Uh but the moratorum is just the first step in the right direction and I believe as everyone else was saying it should the next meeting should be scheduled within the next two weeks. Um I was unaware that there was a re-election cycle coming up but I suppose that's happening but it should be happening before then. I want to say that you guys have already contributed to settler colonialism and the stealing of

resources and the stealing of water, the stealing of labor and the stealing of of what is rightfully ours as well as what is rightfully the workers who work for this city and work for this nation. I think however though it can be stopped and I think however it should be stopped while we have the time to. I know people were mentioning work and the labor unions and all that and I am completely in support of workers. I support the workers right. The workers should be entitled to the labor of their work. However, they should also be entitled to the resources that are around them in their environment. Their children should also be entitled to water, to air. How many more people are going to be put into the hospitals when the heat rises? as Reno is already one of the higher uh rising heat cities in this entire nation. I think that you guys have the power and if you had a consciousness and if you cared about your constituents, which some of your actions believe me to believe that you don't, I think if you cared, you would do what you can with the power that you have to halt the production of these data centers. Natasha Weston followed by Maro Gil f followed by Elvra Diaz.

Don't know how to follow that. I'm sorry. Um, can I get this up for just a sec? Okay.

Like that. Okay. Uh, that's how far away I live from the data center. I don't know if you can see that. Um, it's literally 453 feet away. That's how far away I live. And my apartment complex is about 50% disabled veterans that were placed there by Nation's finest, by Simpify, by the DAV. Um, my spouse is one of those disabled veterans. I am mainly concerned about both the subsonic and supersonic noises because I get migraines and so does my spouse. But I'm also concerned about the suggested and the diesel backup generators that they're going to have because data centers can't go down and we already get like blackouts and brown outs once a month maybe at least. So that area is not systemically okay for a data center to be leeching that much power off. So, they are going to install four, they said, backup generators that are diesel. And those things, um, they're big enough, they sound like a jet engine going off. I have a problem with that. My spouse has PTSD from serving this country. If there's like the sound of a bomb going off like once a day, twice a day, once a week even, okay, that's going to be hell for them. They are not going to be having a quality of life. Not to mention this the migraines that are going to just destroy it. So I am not okay with this. But I also have the same concerns everybody else does. Our indigenous brothers and sisters have made it very clear that this is going to harm them in an irreversible way. That alone ethically means we cannot build this center. We can't. Anything that would come near the Truckucky River, we can't build something that's going to leech into it. End of story. I also have

concerns about AI as a whole. I don't know why Reno is supporting generative AI LLMs because it is unethical in every sense of the word. It is trained without the permission of authors and artists. It is not a living being. It does not have the capacity to learn like a human does. Instead, it is fed stuff and then it produces slop that is quite literally copyright infringement. So, this is destroying work for artists. This is destroying work for everybody basically. And I was a union member. I local 363 right here out of Reno. Okay. I know what it's like to live on the bounce, which is, you know, on call work. I understand how handtomouth it can get. It's still you still have to stand up by your values and if you don't stand up by your values do you even belong to your union. Thank you.

Thank you. Maro Gil followed by Alvara Diaz followed by Adrian. Look at you. Patience as we say in the south. Woo child. Patience.

We say this in the south. Woo child. You got a lot. I'm going to need a hot bath after this. So, um, but man, I don't even know. I I I personally, you know, sat here cuz I really want to hear what the community is saying. Like I said, I'm I'm going say this. I'm new to this community. I only been here two and a half years. For a whole year, I sat here. I watched on a civic engagement level, right, in this community. I sat and watched. Um, but I do want to say this, right? And then I'll go into something else. My name is Maro Gild. I'm the third vice president of the Reno Sparks NACP. Hopefully here in the near future, I probably will be your president for the Reno Sparks NACP here coming soon. Um uh and I know I may get some backlash from the community bit about this, but I want you guys to understand where the NACP National is coming from this, right? Uh we are not here to stop the Keystone data center project. All right. Uh we understand that Nevada is changing. We understand our technology uh in infrastructure is coming. We understand the economic opportunity connect uh connected to these projects. We also understand what happens when communities are left out of conversation, right? Uh that's why we're asking for the structure around the growth before the growth gets here. Uh because projects this large affect real people. They affect water, energy, traffic, infrastructure, neighborhoods, right? Uh and quality of life. And across the country, communities are often told to trust the process after the decision has already been made. We believe Reno has a chance to do this differently. Uh this is why the uh NACP Reno Sparks branch is asking for two things. And what we're asking for is first the community benefits agreement, which you see here, a real framework around workforce opportunity, apprenticeship, transparency, uh environmental accountability, long-term communication with with the community. Um secondly, a community uh advisory

board, not to fight development, right? uh not to slow projects down but to create an an actually bridge between residents development developers and a city before infrastructure and disrupt begins to build because when people feel ignored tensions grows right later when people feel included projects move smoother. I also want to acknowledge that we have already provided community benefits framework to two city staff members, one city council member. We are trying to bring a solution into the room early. The NACP is not anti-growth. We are simply saying that if Reno is going to continue to become a major technology infrastructure hub, then the people living here deserve to be included in the structure of that growth. Um, smart cities build accountability before problems happen. Technology is coming. Growth is coming. The question is whether the community grows with it. Uh, and I know I got 16 seconds here. I just want to let the community know this. Everything that every community person has said in this room today is in this framework. Miss Joy sit right here right now. I can tell you right now there's a CBA agreement right now that says that she paid $9ome,000 for a home that we work with the developer. that developer would in turn would do what we call a residential buyout for her home. That means that we would have been able to work with the developer to pay her $500 some thousand for home. That's a 350 some% of value of her home. But this is what the community benefits agreement will agree with. And these are things that we can implement here. And me being in in W 6 in South Reno, I really particular I I chose South Reno because of the growth that was growing on there. And like I said, I come from out of out of Utah and right now Utah is getting hit with the same problem. And right now we are Reno Sparks and for you guys the council members here, Reno Sparks NACP is

starting to become asked as to become the tri-state area for Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado. We are being asked that. That's why it's going to be my turn to become the product president for the Real Sparks NACP to fight these issues. Uh, I want to give this to uh the give it to the clerk so we can make copies. Okay. Well, you guys already have this, so I just want to make put it on on record that that we've given it to you guys. Okay. Thank you. Alvara Diaz, followed by Adrian, followed by Damen Cole.

Buenardes Diaz. I want to say this in Spanish first and then in English. I'm the director of Letto implemented. Projech. electric energy. Foreans.

Google, Apple, Thank you. And if you want, I have this in English or you guys can translate it. You can ask Miguel Martinez who's not here to translate for you. Thank you,

Adrian. Followed by Damian Cole, followed by Megan Oerrell via Zoom.

I do not have the honor to call myself a water protector, but I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to embarking on the journey to becoming one for the land in which I have been blessed to be born on. For all of us in this room, I wonder how many of us have began our existence, our personal existence on this land that is now called Reno, Nevada, United States of America. I get to call myself a local because my parents moved here in 1990 right before I was born at Wo Medical Center. Straight into my father's hands. While this is the land that I have maintained a closeness to more than anywhere else, I don't have any historical lineage to it. I wonder how many generations of your families have lived on this land that is continuing to hold and support all of us. For those of you with generational wealth that has been built here, how much of that wealth has involved the use of this land instead of working with it? It appears to me that many of us in this room are descendants of humans that have migrated from a different geographical location altogether. How are we not prioritizing the voices, perspectives, and generational knowledge of those whose ongoing connection to the land we are currently standing on goes back over 14 millennia. The local native population, northern Paou, Wo, Western Shosonyi, descendants of people who have existed alongside Numa, Washishu, Nwayi land for thousands of years. These are the humans whose communities have the most advanced, the most informed, the most intimate knowledge and connection to the region. They have also been held and supported by this land. But the difference is they have always held and supported the land right back. And their generational wealth isn't based off of how the land

has served them because they understand more than any of us that they are part of the land. and their wealth is fused with the health of the land because they understand they are of this land. We are all the same. We are all humans. We are all made of water. But some humans have been here a lot longer than others. They should be the ones facilitating this conversation and any conversation involving our local geographical region. Period. If that had already been the case, this room would not be filled with so much opposition. This room probably wouldn't happen have have to exist in the first place. But since it does exist, designate a seat up here for a tribal elder. Designate eight more or open up the eight that already exist. Maybe then anything remotely positive would actually be accomplished. And for those of you who are worried that your pre precision material goods that have already been manufactured will go to waste if this moratorium passes. Maybe that infrastructure could be repurposed by creating housing for the constantly growing homeless population. Our neighbors, many of them indigenous to Turtle Island that will continue to die to the due to the rising temps that these data centers will no doubt contribute to. and also to fortify and support the infrastructure on many surrounding Native Red's lands. To all able-bodied uni union workers, don't worry, you'll still have jobs, likely more so if we can manage not to make the land surrounding the local watershed uninhabitable. The colonizer, legal citizens love to center themselves. Politicians love to center themselves. Able-bodied men, institutional brotherhoods, those who benefit from dogmatic westernized Okay.

No, no, it's fine. I I just want everyone to have equal time so every everyone gets the opportunity to speak. So that's all I'm asking. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Good job. 45 extra seconds. Appreciate that. Well, I I've I'm trying to give everyone overtime if you've noticed because I don't want to cut anyone off, but I want everyone to have fair time. Okay, Damian, don't you guys want us to vote? Megan Oerrell. Okay, thanks girls. All right. Um Damian, good afternoon. Take it away,

Madam Mayor. Damen Cole for the record. Um, so much of what I was about to say has been covered by the wonderful members of this community. So, I'm going to add lib. The Tahoe re the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center should be compelled to take Tahoe out of its name. They're about to cut off the energy. Nevada Energy is about to cut off the power for Lake Tahoe. That word was used as a marketing term and now they're abandoning them. I have a friend who's a senior infrastructure IT architect. Uh he's an expert on AI or LLMs. He's the guy who designed the only working framework when Obamacare rolled out and resolved a nationwide healthc care signup crisis. He lives here in town now. Made lots of money off of Bitcoin. Um I asked him his opinion about AI and data centers. His comments are so detailed. Um, I printed the log for you, but I can tell you they weren't pretty. Uh, in a nutshell, he's saying what limited benefit the city will get will be short-lived, and the long-term result will be a constant drain. There is no recurring revenue for the city. AI is not AI. It's a marketing term. It's like saying smartphone. It's a puppet, as he called it, glorified Markoff chains with a expanded context window. What that basically means is everything that we give it is turned around and repeated back to us like a puppet and then it's curated by whoever owns that AI in the data centers. It's not homegrown. I have a little AI machine at home. I can do generative machine uh machine learning. I can do this is different. They're controlling our information. So this is another gold rush, another silver rush. Like was mentioned, the speculators that financed Virginia City

in the 19th century were the San Francisco Stock Exchange. Kind of funny how history is repeating itself. This is not a real boom. This is a gold rush speculative. They are trading amongst each other these stock investments and eventually it will fall because the foundation it's like if you don't have a foundation it's going to fall. So who's speculating? Who's and when Virginia City happened the people that made the most money off of that were not the miners themselves not the workers. They were the people who sold the tools to the miners. In this case, it's Nvidia who's in bed with the Department of War and Palunteer who's made huge investments in Flock. You know, Flock, those cameras that we all voted on to I didn't vote for them to look at us, analyze the data, harvest it, sell it to third party companies who also include the federal government to circumvent the Fourth Amendment. They don't have to take out a bench warrant to look at our data just for walking around the streets. It's being sold off. The gold rush is us. We are the data. We are the gold. The product is us. They're taking advantage of us and they're plundering the land. Thank you.

All right, Damian. Thanks. Megan O Farerrell via Zoom, followed by Brier Lee McCubbins via Zoom, followed by Tara Trant Tran via Zoom. Hi there. Can you hear me? We can. Thank you.

Okay. Hi everyone. My name's Megan O. Arrow. Um, I'm a resident here in Reno. I would have loved to be at the meeting personally, but they are at inopportune times as always, so people can't really participate in their democracy. So, I'm about 10 blocks away transplanting seedlings and growing food for our community and a community project that's helping support actual on the ground work to feed people and address concerns in our community. So, if I can do this as one singular human, I believe that every single one of you has the capacity to do this, too. We have to be a little bit more forward thinking than we've been. You've had all the information in front of you. We don't need more studies. We don't need more money spent on consultants and researchers to tell us what we already know. The data centers are bad for us. They are creating temporary jobs and putting workers in conflict with other community members who need to survive as well in capitalism, which I understand and shout out to the people who are doing the community work. But we are should not be at odds with each other over something that is actually going to harm our entire community as a whole. You all already know this. We don't need to keep asking questions about whether or not this is a good idea. You need to have the guts and the courage to stand up and say that you're here to support future generations. And so what I want to encourage you to do is to meet the demands of the folks who came in earlier uh from the water over data alliance in a ban on or I'm sorry I'm in support of the moratorum for this one. And I also encourage you to do a complete ban. We do not need data centers at all. We're already overresourced in these places and you need to follow and listen to the sovereignty nations of the indigenous folks whose land we are actually on. Thank you for your time and I hope you have a great rest of your day.

Brierly McCubbins via Zoom followed by Tara Tran via Zoom.

Hi. Yes. Um, I have been with you guys since this morning. So, first wanted to say thank you to everyone who's there and hosting this. I've never talked in one of these before. Um, so I'm excited to get to share public comment for the first time and get to say that I did this. I wanted to talk to one of the industries that hasn't been mentioned yet as far as one that would be affected, um, which is our ski and outdoor sports industry. Um, I am a paraplegic. I'm a paraplegic athlete who works for a foundation here called the High Fives Foundation, which specializes in healing through sport. It gets quadriplegics, paraplegic, amputees, all kinds of different individuals who have suffered a traumatic injury back out into our waters in Lake Tahoe for wake surf adventures. They get them mountain biking in our outdoors and skiing in a variety of different ways. Um so as we enter one of the worst historical winters for the Taho Truckucky area with minimal snowfall and very little snowpack and as the drought looms and pressures all the citizens, animals and the ecosystem, we as the people oppose the construction and frankly deconstruction or destruction of our watershed and environment for the weak trade of a data center. The proposition of continuing to build these disruptive and dis destructive and destructive data centers in our local area is alarming. Um, we should not allow the forward movement of these centers as we live in a delicate area for water rights and water usage. We are blessed to have such beautiful and scenic incredible watershed like the truck Chucky Tahoe wershed and to destroy this watershed for absolutely no benefit to the local people is deeply disturbing. Um, these data centers create heat islands warming the land around them by up to 16° F making life hotter for more than 340 million people. Um, we trade our environment for financial profit and the illusion of job creation. Um, but we can't deny the beauty or trade the beauty of the Great Basin um for merely financial profit.

The ski industry and tourism industry brought in by winter sports rely heavily on the winters. Um, circling back to the High Fives Foundation, we actually had to cancel all of our winter programming this year because we just didn't have the the snow pack and the snowfall. While that snow pack isn't on the shoulders of this committee, um incurring and and forward moving climate change by putting in these centers that only accelerate that output is not going to help our winners moving forward. Um the ski industry is huge here. It's definitely a part of our tourism and definitely a part of our financial stability as a city. So we can't deny that. Um, by having these centers, we're forward moving with climate change and increasing climate change to our control and then therefore impacting our um, abilities to have healthy winters um, for all. Thank you. Thank you

Tara Tran followed by Polar Gray.

Hello, it is me Tata. Um I think you know me. Uh the reason I'm actually not in today is because I was invited on scholarship to a conference in San Antonio um about river protection and um I've had the opportunity to hear um from a lot of different people from around the country about um their protection of their own rivers. I had the opportunity to hear from the Co Koi Tekken and the Karangquin people about their own river here in San Antonio. And I heard about how they used to play in it as children and now they cannot. And their children cannot have the opportunity that they had to play in the river that they did. And the reason is because they use too much water and now they uh keep it fed with uh treated waste water and uh it's full of disease. It's full of health risks and their children will not know the the joy that they had. And I I fear the same for us. I fear for us in the Truckucky River and I don't want that for for anybody. I don't want that for anybody around the country and I don't want that for us. I don't want it for the families of the unions of of the workers for the unions that came here to speak in support of it. And I I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry that they feel that the health of their watershed that the water that they drink and is opposed to the future of their families. um that they think that uh the that if they do not put the health of their environment um uh second that they will end up in poverty and I can understand looking out on the street and seeing how the city treats poor people that fear that they must have that we all have. But I want to say to them and to you that you this may buy you dinner today, but it cannot

buy you children water in the future. It will not buy the health of their grandchildren and all the generations after us. I don't want the loss of of health of the environment of of the river of of anybody's health um anywhere. And that's why I think that closed loop data centers are not the solution because they are higher energy and the loss and the use of energy and and the use of material that it creates that is needed for those alternative types of data centers just means that we are putting that danger and that that detriment onto other people in other places. I don't propose I mean I don't I don't support just a community benefits agreement because that's just saying hey if you pay our neighborhood a little bit more money then maybe those detriments will go on to somebody else. I don't support a 30-day moratorium. I support a full ban because a 30-day moratorum I mean it takes no 30 days to do some like to do anything. What is a 30-day moratorum? I don't want that risk for people in the future. I don't want it for people downstream. I don't want it for you either. I don't want it for us.

All right. Water over data forever. Thank you.

Polar Gray, followed by Linda Cross, followed by Julia Hubard. Hello, my name is Polar. Um, thank you all for taking the time to hear us out today. Thanks everybody for coming and uh sharing your feelings. Um I'm here to speak in favor of a moratorum of data centers in Reno. I live less than a quarter mile away from the Keystone data center that's currently in construction. I had no idea what it was going to be by the time the walls were up. Um it seemed very couched in secrecy and um yeah, it was it's it's not okay. Um, I'm extremely concerned about the overwhelmingly negative environmental impact that this data center and any data centers will bring. Um, excessive heat, water pollution, air, noise, and light pollution. All things that have already been discussed by the people that came before me. Uh, our flora and fauna will be impacted. We know this. We know it's a fact. I'm really kind of confused why this is still in question and why we're considering still being irresponsible with our community and our environment. We have midterm elections in a few months and I think it's our duty to protect and respect the land we're on. Climate change is happening right now and it's getting worse every day. As was already mentioned, Reno is one of the fastest warming cities in the United States. I can absolutely understand the interest in bringing more business and boosting economic activity in the area, but data centers will uh only benefit the exceedingly wealthy who already own the facilities. Um the jobs that the centers bring are too few and too temporary. Too temporary. and the power that they demand will disrupt the power that Reno

citizens of Nevada and California depend on every single day. I think if there's something to invest in, it should be public transit. It should be affordable housing. It should be better care for our homeless neighbors. It should be community gardens. It should be youth centers. more programs and facilities that will protect and respect the environment that we live in as well as support the people in our communities to thrive. Data centers are absolutely not worth it. Thank you so much for your time. All right. Thank you,

Linda Cross followed by Julia Hubard followed by Elena Deopas. All right. Go ahead, Linda.

Go ahead, Linda.

You want me to go ahead? Oh, okay. I was waiting for her to sit down. Okay. Good afternoon, everyone. Our city manager, Jackie, our mayor somewhere, and the rest of you all. I'm here as usual for my vote against any any data centers. Uh, and just for a point of fact, I I can't remember which news carrier carried it, but the the United Kingdom banned data centers after their engineers did extensive studies and determined that the problem would be not so much well, they they went into all the things. I I don't have a copy of it, but the main reason they banned him was because they said eventually because the continued increase that would be required with the data centers, they wouldn't be be able to provide power and energy for the local people for their homes. So, just keep that in the back of your minds. And and I in case you don't know, there are 3,900 data centers throughout the United States. And that's 307% of all the world whole world uh on the centers. We don't need to be the first in everything in the US. And I understand we're just Nevada and we're just Reno here right now, but we don't need to add to it and approve it. I did find this picture. I don't know if it'll show on your screen or not. Is it coming through? That's the data centers that exist right now in the US and you can see where most of them are on the east. But it's it's not a good thing. I've been around computers since well key punching. I had to get 10,000 cards in

an hour or else I couldn't get I couldn't pass the class. This is not something that we need or have to. And the problem is is it's not just regular data centers. There's also the hypers scale ones. And the bigger they get, the more problems they are. For one thing, the health impacts. It exacerbates asthma. And there's a Piedmont study that was done that said it could have effect with cardio, plus the persistent noise and the the light pollution. There's 247 light uh lighting on the exterior of these buildings. And I had a little paper here that I uh that my computer went down. I couldn't print anything. Uh I had a little paper that showed that you had to be more than a mile away just to get away from the light pollution. And that didn't have anything to do with the sound pollution. I will pull that up at home and get it back back to the council, but it was a very excellent one. three to six miles to be absolutely away from the data centers to have no sound and but that doesn't help with the pollution and I I do run over myself and so I'm going to try be very nice and not do that today. Uh but it it's you have to it also puts the sounds in the air and and it's a constant drone as the people are saying. Lastly, I'd like to know why we don't have the approval for these things always through the city council. I am appalled that we have more than three data centers in Reno that I didn't even know about. I heard about when we were going to start downtown. So, that's just a question. That's not my talk anymore, but I think it's something that needs to be looked into because if you don't know about it and I don't know about it, who the hell is doing it?

Thank you, Linda. Who's setting these up? Thank you. Appreciate your comments, madam clerk. Julia Hubard, followed by Elena Deopause, followed by Stephen Zipkin.

Good afternoon, council members and city manager. My name is Julia Hubard and I'm the Nevada program director of Solar United Neighbors. Solar United Neighbors is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works in Nevada and nationwide to educate people about solar energy, technology, economics, and policies. We help people go solar, join together, and fight for their energy rights. Sun believes that local residents should determine if data centers are in the public interest and whether the trade-off between harms and benefits meet community goals. Elected officials and developers should respect the outcome of a thorough decision-making process. And this requires public transparency, meaningful community involvement, realistic costbenefit analysis, and enforcable policies that protect rateayers, taxpayers, grid reliability, and public health and natural resources. The current conditional use permit falls short of meeting these things. Robust regulations at the local, state, and regulatory level are critical to ensuring responsible data center development with appropriate guardrails. If the community wants to site a data center, then it should be powered by 100% new clean energy resources such as solar, battery storage, and distributed virtual power plants. And they should bring long-term tangible benefits to local residents. Residents deserve to know the full picture. The true costs, the impacts on electricity rates and grid reliability, water consumption, and who ultimately pays for the infrastructure these projects require. Developers, not taxpayers or local rateayers, should bear those costs. And if data centers are ultimately approved, they should meet strong standards powered by new new local clean energy like solar and

battery storage designed to protect grid reliability and required to deliver these tangible benefits. Now is the time for local decision makers to develop an ordinance that is informed by best practices and structured community engagement. That way we can ensure decisions are made with transparency, accountability, and public trust. If the council would like to see our recommendations on data centers, I'm happy to provide them. Thank you for your time and for your leadership on this important issue. All right. Thank you so much.

Elena de la followed by Steven Sipkin followed by George Kavos.

Hey guys, uh my name is Elena de Laas and I live in Ward One, the downtown district. Um, and it is already very very hot there. We live in a concrete jungle. We live in a food desert. And and um I'm also here as an educator. I um have studied for years now in early childhood education and that includes in adverse childhood experiences and how that affects children and their health when they become adults and how the increased uh health risks um occur as children have layered experiences. Um and I'm here with the water over data alliance. Uh we are here in solidarity of the national sweeping movement across the country. Um those of you who are saying that data centers are inevitable, they're frankly not. Half of data centers are delayed or canceled completely right now. And that is a beautiful beautiful show of what the people of this of this land are really wanting. Like people across the country and indigenous people especially are asking for these waters to be protected. Um and so that's that's the main priority here. Um, and I would also like to demand not only that this uh pending moratorum be be uh voted yes on, but also that the actual moratorium be voted on within the next two weeks. Um, you know, without as a teacher working in the downtown area, many of our children um children's families are in primarily poor neighborhoods. Um, and that's where many of these data centers have been placed and tribal communities throughout the watershed are the first to feel the environmental and health risks. Every time a child increases their their adverse experience, that is a higher chance for them to experience death earlier in life. And so what we're looking at is the reality of our population dying earlier from heart disease, from asthma. We are already seeing it in our children. I know you

know at least two children who have asthma right now and it sucks to see them struggle. Um we currently have two data centers being built right next to Black Springs. Uh many people know as Stead, but it's a historically black town that was built by black community members due to the racist policies of Reno. Um who had nowhere else to go to find a home and so they settled in in Black Springs. And we already have two data centers in that community. And that what I'm really getting at is the environmental racism that is the reality of this and how I look at children and I want the the best for their health and it doesn't matter where they're coming from. I want the best for for those children. Um they're the first to feel the impacts. Children's lungs are very small. Children's ears are very delicate. Uh the a data center is the equivalent of hearing a jackhammer in your backyard. I just walked by a jackhammer on the way here and didn't feel great. Um, these data centers are being built in working-class neighborhoods where children have to deal with that unbearable noise and it's causing hearing damage. It's causing heart damage. All of the above. Um, but we ask this decision to be made sooner than later because we believe an election uh does not matter more than these children. Thank you. Steven Zipkin followed by George Cavros follow followed by Pablo Navadoron. Hi. Uh my argument for the moratorum is pretty simple. We do not have enough water for this nonsense. We live in a desert and I would like us to pretend like we're on Dora and say that word together. Desert. Can we say it? Desert. A desert is a place that doesn't have enough water to cool a giant robo plagiarism machine. 50,000 people in the Tahoe basin have already been told by NV

Energy that their energy is going to be redirected towards our data centers. An essential utility stolen. Stolen. This is not a future hypothetical problem for if this goes too far. This is now. This is here. And for what? For Instagram videos of jacked cats joining the fire department. For images of My Little Pony characters kissing one another. I actually have an example of what our water is at stake for. Can we use the projector, please? This is fruit slop. Have you heard of this? This is fruit slop. Oh, it needs to focus. Yeah. Yeah. Look at that. Don't look away. That is why we are at risk of our energy costs being doubled and our water pressure hald,

right?

It's it's it's absolutely ludicrous. Let me get back to my my uh phone notes here. Um and I want to address the concerns of the construction employees who spoke. This is not the only construction project that could ever come to this city. And many of us who have spoken in support of this moratorum today have also been on this council's case before about building affordable housing and safer shelters for the unhoused counselors. Have we not been on your case about this? We've been on your case about this. Okay. So to those construction employees, join us in that fight and you will have your work. You will have your food on your table. Um it just we do not need these data centers and your water will be gone. It won't matter that you made money if we build these data centers. Please pass the moratorum. It is not just the the plucky group of vaguely punkl looking LGBT people who are mad at you this time. You have heard comment from members of our city with a large diversity of of backgrounds here. Unless you have a vendetta against the rest of us. Do not uh do not allow these data centers to to be built. Pass the moratorum. Um don't be the spade and neutered lap dogs of big tech like so many political bodies in this country are. And since I still have a little bit of time, I want to comment on the the rules of speaking in city council. I don't think our three minutes should begin ticking down unless every city council member is present and not texting.

George, what is it? I'm sorry. Go ahead. George Cavos, followed by Pablo Nava Duran, followed by Anton Casano Leard. Good afternoon, council members. Hi.

Uh, my name is George Cabros. I am a Reno resident. I've lived in Reno for three years. Um it is a beautiful uh place to live and and work and and play in. Um in large part uh you know that's uh due to the the snow pack we get in the mountains that feeds the Truckucky uh river uh system. Um the Truckucky River is is the lifeblood of this city and and the region. Um I want to thank you for scheduling this meeting. From what I understand, it's long overdue. Um, and I'm here to urge your support for a moratorum on data centers until such time uh that a text amendment on data centers has been adopted by the council. I I think that just makes sense. Um, I I want to commend you uh for initiating a tax amendment to the land use code on data centers. As I think we all know by now, data centers are pretty unique. Uh they use a lot of water. How much water depends on the cooling technology that they use. Uh they use a ton of electricity. Uh NB Energy has stated that it will have to double its grid by 2035 to serve uh the data center applications that they currently have. Um, these data centers often include uh also backup diesel generation which is often uh inefficient and dirty and I learned today that's the case of the uh the Keystone uh data center which is less than a mile from from my home. Um, and and this is all sort of in in the context of Reno uh being the fastest warming city in in the nation um and often having unhealthy air according to the American Lung Association.

Um and also in light of our recent snow drought. Um, I I will let you know, and you've probably seen the numbers, but the average summer high temperature in Reno has increased by 11° since 1975. Um, and I think that's something that the community needs to consider as as you move forward. Look, as policy makers, you need time, you need the information uh to take the next logical step. And the next logical step really is to give yourself some space and some time um to gather the information and gather the public input um through a a very um inclusive stakeholder and transparent stakeholder process. Um, I've heard some say that, well, we're for guard rails, but we're not for a moratorum. But it's the moratorum that actually provides the space that lets you get informed about imposing those guardrails. So um given that I have about 7 seconds left um I urge um you to pass uh the moratorum today to come back in two weeks and finalize it and then shortly thereafter um to start the uh stakeholder process on the text amendment. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much Pablo Navaduron followed by Anton Casano Lombard followed by Lorraine Watson.

Good morning guys. My name pavan current from Mexico current from Mexico moved here in Reno 25 years ago. So I want to and current n member of war three which is Miguel Martinez district. So I want to talk about why I'm support motor dare center because if give a check and balance for data center uh to be a bill on the on s we know and should not should not like should not use water air producing um use a telical to on on the resident we know the resident dare center affect the data center you look at Wisconsin look what happened in Lake Tahoe today with Aaron Ponis 5 uh 50 5,000 uh a lot of homes are being going have no power legion in 2027 that will affect and if you don't build if you don't support a D mortorium dare center a lake taco will affect not say Reno But the whole region or northern Nevada region just like Carson Fernley all kinds of stuff I want to know county will have no water and electric going roof the water bill going up something like that. So I do I do know the data center will provide job and economics short term but it needed the long term. Nope. Uh but we want to make sure make sure the job market is going going stable but I'm not for prog growth. It's a survival because

we're a try stay in Nevada to try to stay in the nation and we're a fast warmer city in the country right now. So, so think about it. If we build data center, um, we know we'll get worse and then become inhab or Las Vegas. So, so please support a motor death center and have a great day. Thanks, Pablo. Appreciate it. Um, before we go on, Mickey, can you just share approximately how many more comments we have? I'm just trying to do some timing planning. Five

about five about five comments. Okay, that's good. I just wanted to just give everybody heads up and then I'm also going to pull the board as to whether they need a you know a very short bathroom break before we begin or can you just go on your own? That's my question. So, if you could call the next folks that would be great. Anton Casano Labard, followed by Lorraine Watson, followed by Cat Olsen via Zoom.

Uh, my name for the record is Anton. Um, my last name is Leard. Um, I live in Ward 4. I have a business. I believe in Ward One here downtown. I represent both, I would think, and I represent my family. I res represent my community in Ward 4. Um I want to say don't buy the spin and please put regulations including checks and balances to hold um these data centers accountable. They are taking advantage of our base and our resources tax breaks our council and our city government is allocating and our lack of regulations. They're taking advantage of us. Um what's hap what's happening in Tahoe? Everybody's already talked about it's probably been talked to death. NV said, NV Energy says it will stop providing power to Liberty Utilities by May 1st of next year and provide more electricity to AI data centers. That's 50,000 people that got to figure out where to get their power. And it's those are our neighbors. We're next. Um Northern Nevada is one of the fastest growing data centers um in the area, right? 22% of Nevada's electricity was used for data centers in 2024. It could reach 35% in 2030. There are no meaningful federal regulations on data centers. Local governments have a lot to say. You are the local government. You have a lot to say on the buildouts across the country. Let's be the community. Let's not be the community that says yes when every other community we've seen so far has said no. Um local governments, you guys again are really the only ones who can turn down data center projects. You guys are the line of defense right now. Um um resistance to data centers is bipartisan. Unlike many political issues, if you want to fight data center buildouts, it starts here. You guys take responsibility. There are no thresholds. There are no benchmarks. There's absolutely no framework in place for these data centers to hold them accountable for the short and the

long-term effects. That's absolutely unacceptable. I ask you to vote in favor for the memorandum to add permanent regulating codes to protect our community and hold the data centers accountable. I would ask you to consider a ban on data centers in city limits. We they don't need to be here. There's plenty of Nevada. Sorry, I got more. Hold on. Sorry, I'm having a hard time turning the page. Last time I was here, I said, and I will repeat it now. We are all stewards of our environment and shoulder the responsibility to protect it. I know it's a repeat, but it needs to be said. That means we are obligated and charged to use our resources justly. So, I will close with these three questions and statements. What safeguards will you require these these companies? What costs are you willing to pre prevent from being passed on to residents? And what responsibilities are you willing to demand from these corporations asking to build here? Because the decisions you make today are and going forward will define them the community for decades. Please make them with accountability, transparency, and long-term public interest at the center. Remember, it's we the people, and you were all voted into office in office to represent us. We're speaking to you now. We have elections coming up. We will hold you accountable and vote accordingly to your decisions with our votes. My concerns are resources, our costs, our health, our future. Thank you.

All right. Thank you, Anton. Lorraine Watson, followed by Cat Olsen via Zoom, followed by Valerie Brinker via Zoom.

Try to stand as much as I can. Manina is Lorraine Watson. My name is Lorraine Watson Mu Ai Panita Dakata. I'm from Lake Fish Eaters, which is Summit Lake Pyute Tribe, which is in the very corner of Nevada West. And we are the only self-sustaining lake in the world that holds um the Han Kto trout, which is our state fish. we uh funded and did a foundation of um having our hatchery for um for Pyramid Lake and now that they thrive here and one thing about langu trout they need a very good ecosystem any one little temperature off they're not spawning they're not flowing and that's our life's way for all of us not just us Numa and Shosonyi and um Wo um one thing that I see all these union workers and all these other people and it's sad to see that I have family and friends that do work with these um laying foundations for these data centers and it's sad that they do have to. But we can pave the way. Let's have the city of council pave the way to show that we're not going to have these corporations buy us out with money. You can't eat money. We need our water. We need our resources. We need our animals, our thriving things. We also have our um our cultural ways too which we highly rely on the ecosystem of this that we also make money too. That's the only way that some of these people make money um with their creative boards with the willows and um other thing. One little thing that um destructs us that's their life way too which they've been here at time immortal. Um I'm an anthropology study. I um he seen the Winnamaka Lake,

you know, it got depleted too. And there's some of the oldest petetroglyphs in the Northwest almost in the world. We have some of the oldest pair of shoes in the world that are made from um these resources that we're talking about. Excuse me. Um like I was saying, um with Summit Lake, we do a lot of contracts and we work along with UNR Reno too. And so we also fund as tribes. And there's not just um the tribes that are on the Truckucky, there's also the ones such as um Walker Lake too that gets um the their waterways. And I recently saw that the um algae was really bad at Lahont Reservoir. I mean, how much more is algae going to go up when it's getting more heated and more and everything else? Um, I think that we need to bring the sovereignty and the trust responsibility to have the tribes at the table too because we do have contracts in place. I don't know all of them, but we also have all that stuff that's in place to for um for these other tribes and um other communities to come together, not just here in Rita, but let's have you as council pave the way. Let's show them that we can have that we're going to say no to money. You can't eat money. Thank you,

Lorraine. Thank you. And just please be assured, please be assured that we definitely plan to have um all Native Americans at the table um that are in our area that it almost goes without saying, but I understand your concern. Um Madame Mayor, you want me to continue or Okay. All right. Um, Madame Clerk, Cat Olsen via Zoom, followed by Valerie Brinker via Zoom, followed by Keith Engel via Zoom. Can you guys hear me? Okay. Yes. Thank you.

Awesome. Well, hi. My name is Cat Olsen. I'm a Reno resident from W 3. Thanks for the opportunity to speak today and a huge thank you to the community members making public comment who have been there all day. Uh, I'll be blunt. Data centers are a luxury that we cannot afford and they do not belong in our community. Therefore, I am urging city council to support this moratorum today and also to ban data centers from being built in our city. Period. By now, city council should be well aware of the catastrophic public health and environmental impacts of data centers. But I'd like to use my time to respond to the earlier comments made about data center construction bringing in jobs and about a moratorum sending the message that quote Reno is closed for business. I sincerely understand the very real concern and the real struggle to find well-paying jobs that can keep up with the cost of living right now. Personally, I want to see an abundance of sustainable, well-paying, and consistent jobs in my city, especially trade jobs where people get to work with their hands creating things instead of being stuck behind a computer screen for eight hours a day. But data center construction is not the answer to that. And there are so many other necessities that need to be built in Reno. So, I'm asking city council to seriously consider the long-term irreversible impacts of data centers post construction in relation to the jobs that are already here now and the impacts of which will also be experienced by the trade workers that are living here. I'm wondering, has city council considered what's going to happen to jobs when local small businesses can't access tap water to serve to their customers or can't afford to keep the lights on because data centers are sucking our community dry? Have you considered the bluecollar jobs that will be permanently lost because the data centers creating artificial intelligence are replacing them? And

what's going to happen to jobs when families living near data centers move away from Reno because data centers have made the air too toxic to breathe, too noisy to sleep, too expensive to run their air conditioning, and just unlivable. We know it's going to happen because in communities across the country, people are getting sick, infrastructure is collapsing, and small businesses are already going under thanks to data centers. So talk about Reno being closed for business. You know, banning data center construction in our city does not communicate that we are closed for business. It communicates that we are closed to billionaire corporations rampaging through our communities with unsustainable projects that poison our resources, steal our utilities, and steamroll the will of the people. And just wrap things up, Reno City Council does not need to wait for more information or wait to address this as a regional issue. You have the agency and the authority to protect your city with a data center moratorum ultimately a ban. So do it. Anything that is grossly irresponsible and reprehensible. And please schedule another meeting within the next two weeks to vote on a ban. The community is watching. We know the primaries will impact decision making and we are tired of being played for politics and sold out by the majority of city council.

Thank you. Thank you. Valerie Brinker via Zoom followed by Keith Engel via Zoom followed by Jake Maynard via Zoom.

Hello testing. Um my name is Valerie Brinker, honorable mayor and council members. Thank you for listening to all of our voices. Um, I am a housing provider, a small housing provider in Ward One, all within two to four blocks of the Keystone Data Center. Um, I I'm just going to try to provide a perspective that maybe some other people haven't mentioned. Um, just kind of regarding the jobs, uh, first and foremost, I do support a moratorium and hopefully a ban in our densely populated area. Um I as far as the jobs that are being touted that are being provided by these data centers, I just want to give a perspective of actually having an applicant who is a licensed and Union electrician apply for one of my apartments uh very close to the Keystone data center, but this he was working for the Google and I thought that surely his wages would be pretty good. And I have to say, he was getting paid 2250 an hour, which was less than a bakery delivery driver, a bakery truck delivery driver, a sue chef, a um bartender, and a nurse. I I I And he's working for one of the largest electrical contractors in our country, Newton. So, I really feel that the people and the jobs that are really making the money off of this are the big corporations. I don't I necessarily at least I would like to see more investigation going into really the tradeoff of these jobs because someone making $4,400 a month I don't know how they can even pay to live in this expensive city and I I don't think the data centers are really paying that them that much. I think they should be getting paid more. Um so I I just want to kind of I guess provide that perspective of maybe the jobs that these data centers are providing they're not permanent. They're not all paying well. I mean, it sounds like they make a couple dollars more an hour than a, you

know, Amazon warehouse job, unfortunately. And these are like skilled trades. Um, so I I kind of was surprised by that and I just thought I would share that very small perspective that I have. And also just want to say, you know, that yes, it's true there are veterans, you know, I've again I house some of these folks and some of them, you know, are on, you know, retired teachers, retired veterans in the neighborhood. and to have them like so many people affected by this like you know I don't want to affect the environment I don't want to you know um affect wildlife but like this is like where a ton of humans are living and we really really need to proceed cautiously if at all with these data centers. Thank you so much for your time

Valerie. Thank you. You're welcome. Keith Engel via Zoom, followed by Jake Maynard via Zoom, followed by Haiti Barza via Zoom.

Good afternoon, uh, Mayor and Council members. Thank you so much for letting me speak. Um, I know you've heard from a lot of folks in the community today, so um, I'll I'll probably be a little bit more brief. Um, just want to say that, uh, I agree with really a lot of what's been said today. Um, people have made some really great points and brought a lot of awesome perspective from different walks of life. And I think that, you know, the voices you're hearing today are those are the those are the people that that you guys serve. Um, and that's the reason that you all were elected. Um, and you know, we're the people that live here and the ones that have to kind of deal with the aftermath of these data centers and you know, the building technology and everything else. And so, um, I just kind of wanted to bring the perspective from somebody who who uses AI every day. Um, I use it for my job, personal life. I'm actually a pretty big fan of a lot of what it can do. Um, but I also see the future of the harms that it will inevitably end up causing. Um, not to mention the massive job loss that we're already seeing from it. Um, but the environmental impacts as well. And so, um, I just wanted to basically kind of let you know, um, I know that there's a lot of technologists and and everything else probably, you know, in your ear on the other side, but right now it looks like everything is we're on the cutting edge of something new and exciting and, you know, everything's really big and awesome, uh, at least from their perspective. But in five to 10 years, what they're building now, you have to keep in mind, is going to be basically obsolete, at least mostly. And that's from, you know, a technology standpoint. Um, everything's going to become better, more efficient. Um, so really what they're building now is kind of phase one. And the way this stuff works is it continues to get better and better as

time goes on. And I just don't think that Reno should be the guinea pig for this type of technology. Um it actually behooves everybody to kind of you know sit back and wait um kind of buy, you know, look to the future and basically absorb this technology once it has improved and it actually um you know you're not going to be stuck with this old obsolete building in the middle of town um that's still burning these you know really bad diesel generators and everything else. So, um, just wanted to put that out for food for thought and thanks for taking my call.

All right, Keith. Thank you. And thank you for keeping it under three minutes because we still have a little ways to go ourselves up here. Jake Maynard via Zoom, followed by Haiti Barza via Zoom, followed by Dora Martinez via Zoom. Do you see her on there? Jake, are you there? Oh, Jake. Hello. Can you hear me? We can. Thank you.

Okay. Uh, so the most apt description of what a data center is at its core is a parasite. They latch on usually to marginalized, fragile or struggling communities to use as a host. Then they take and they take and they take. They take our water, electricity, they take indigenous land. They take tax breaks. They take our time, our air, and they will take the very life out of our community. Um, they will continue to take until they have taken all that was once there. Um, there are already at least 40 data centers in our community that we know of, which again is very, very concerning. Um, and personally, if I had welcomed 40 parasites into my body, I'd at least wait to feel the effects of the first 40 before adding more. Um I I want to also you know provide a perspective um you know uh I'd expect you know the the trade unionists to recognize historic labor tragedies that uniquely occur when there is a new industry boom that inevit inevitably goes bust. This is what we're looking at with AI and with data centers. I too along with everybody who's given public comment in that room to the level that we give out free food on a regular basis. I too want there to be food on your family's tables. I also want them to have a glass of clean water there on that table, too. And I'd also invite anybody who spoke today to join us at future city council meetings to inevitably continue to advocate for new affordable and public housing to be

built. Um we have been doing that for years and we want the trade unionists to be able to be on that on our side to do that as well. We do not want data centers. Um, so, uh, like everyone else here, I'm calling for a moratorum on data centers. I do not want one more data center to be built. In fact, I would love to give people jobs in dismantling data centers. Um and you know I just want to remind everybody that elections are coming up and without this moratorum without this this moratorum without these conditions that the water over data alliance has given um if if that does not occur I I fear that those of you who are up for reelection your campaigns may be dead in the water if that occurs. So please, please, please, moratorum now. No data centers ever in our community. Thank you.

All right. Thank you, Jake. Haiti Barza followed by Dora Martinez, followed by Lilith Baron.

Hello, my name is Heidi. I want to take the time to thank you for listening to our community and I want to express my concern over the many data centers in our state. Um, working in IT, I understand the importance of data centers, but for ones that provide cloud storage and other services and not AI, which is the purpose of these new ones. And funny enough, someone already mentioned this, but I was going to talk about West Virginia and their coal industry throughout the Appalachia. This changed the nearby mountains, polluted streams and water sources, and caused coal dust and contamination to reach nearby towns. The coal industry promised jobs and a stronger economy. Yet, when looking at West Virginia today, many of these areas are still impoverished. Here in Nevada, a lot of these jobs are contract and they are mandated only to hire at minimum 10 employees for some 10-year tax abatements and 50 employees minimum for larger 20-year abatements. My hope is that we pressure these tech companies to innovate instead of simply accepting environmentally harmful expansions. Other countries, for example, are pushing renewable energy powered data centers and have even started building underwater data centers that are naturally cooled by the sea. They are also constructing facilities in cooler regions and moving toward a goal of having more than 80% of these data centers powered by renewable energy by 2030. This shows that innovation and the preservation of our planet is possible with regulation and not folding for short-term cash from these tech billionaires. And I want to end by saying that with the elections coming up, I'm playing I'm paying close attention to council members and representatives who do not support data centers in our state without proper scientific research and regulation. I will also make sure

everyone I know is informed about these candidates so they can vote accordingly. Um, thank you. Thank you, Heidi. Dora Martinez via Zoom followed by Lilith Baron via Zoom followed by Dan Morgan.

Good morning. Uh, or sorry, um, good afternoon everyone. This is Dora Martinez. Uh, council members and mayor. Um I ditto everyone what what they say about moratorum and I just want to remind everyone that um the the early voting starts May 23rd 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. all the way to June 5th. And people don't need ID, but and and also people who are um indigenous um Paou and Shony and other tribe, if they don't have a Nevada ID, you can use your tribal ID to vote. I was there yesterday doing the poll training. And Wo County, we should be proud of our county. They have a drive by voting system now. It's um American with ADA curbside portable voting unit. So if you cannot get out of the car, they you call a number and they'll bring it to you and it's secured with just necessary um protocols as the voting centers um would do. They would make sure that you are you and you can submit and you can cast your ballot. So, please exercise your right to vote and I thank you so much council people and cler madame clerk. Thank you. Have a good one.

Thanks Dora. Lilith Baron via Zoom followed by Dan Morgan.

Good afternoon troopers. Um my name is Lily Baron. Um and congratulations to everyone for your tenacity in this meeting on either side of the dis. Um I don't really know what what needs to be well I have one other thing that I think should be said but um I think public comment could have stopped at Beverly Harry reminding us all that the water doesn't belong to us. Um and I'm so grateful for her leadership and the other indigenous folks um who are letting us uh borrow their land right now. Um, I am also a member of the Northern Nevada Labor Council and a fourth generation uh, union member. It's very important to me and my family to be in union. And um, I'm a little saddened to hear uh, Brother Brener u sentiments about this and just would like to remind um, our union brothers and sisters about our history. um in the creation of things like Earth Day. Um we've always uh fought for environmental protections. And I just really quickly wanted to read a little bit of that history in case um other fellow union folks did not know because I know if you're not going to listen to uh some of these other constituents or native peoples that you are absolutely going to listen to um I view and buildings and trade. So for uh for those folks um this is in reference to a 1988 paper um research proposes that unions were a key force of the emerging cause of environmentalism. Uh the first environmental campaigns by labor came in response to the 1948 killer smog air pollution disaster outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which killed 20 people in sick and thousands. with steel workers among the victims. The United Steel Workers used its money and power to push the United States Steel Corporation to take responsibility. Um, it wasn't successful, but it drew attention from other unions, broadening

the scope for labor activism. In the 1960s, federal water and air pollution laws became the subject of conflicts between unions um and employers. Andrew J. B. uh B. Taylor, director of the AFL CIO's Department of Legislation, argued before Congress that members had a vital interest in protecting the purity of air around us, just as they have an interest in protecting the purity of America's water supply. Um, at the same time, organized labor also campaigned for the preservation of outdoor recreation and wilderness areas. This was the idea that the enjoyment of the outdoors should be for everyone, not just the wealthy, and that the wilderness preservation would benefit the American people much more than commercial exploitation by a greedy few. Um, this wilderness preservation, this right to clean air and water, these are the things that um, fellow brothers and sisters and laborers before us built our unions on. I don't want to see the funeral of what labor rights and what labor used to be at the hands of some tech billionaires that have uh slunk their ways into uh dazzled us with things like Shark Tank. So, let's remember where we came from. Thank you.

Thank you, Lily. Dan Morgan. Hello. Good afternoon, M. Good afternoon.

How are you, council? Uh, good afternoon. For the record, Dan Morgan on behalf of the Builders Association of Northern Nevada and our more than 700 members and thousands of employees that they represent. Moratoriums may sound simple. Hit pause, stop growth, take time to figure things out. But moratoriums are some of the worst public policy tools local governments can use because they create the illusion of solving the problem, but they have proven to make the problems worse. And that's especially true here in Northern Nevada. Across Reno, Sparks, and Wo County, we are facing pressure from rapid growth, rising housing costs, infrastructure demands, and economic expansion. But growth itself is not the enemy. Growth is proof that people want to live here. They want to work here, raise their families here, and invest in our region. The problem is not growth. The problem is lack of regional leadership surrounding growth. Our maring market is regional. Our transportation system is regional. Our workforce is regional. Yet too often, local governments fall into fingerpointing, territorial bickering, and political theater instead of collaboration. One jurisdiction blames the other for approving too much housing, while another blames someone else for not building enough, not building enough in infrastructure. Cities blame the counties. County blames the city. Oops. Why won't that separate? And meanwhile, residents are left paying higher co housing costs, sitting in more traffic, and wondering why leaders can't work together on problems everyone knows are regional. That is not leadership.

Leadership means planning before the crisis. Leadership means coordination instead of conflict. Leadership means understanding that growth does not stop at city limits. In Reno, if Reno restricts growth, pressure will shift to Sparks, to Fernley, to Fallon, to Carson City. If one community delays the infrastructure, neighboring communities absorb the consequences. And when government fails to coordinate housing, transportation, water, and infrastructure planning, the entire region suffers. Moratoriums are often the clearest sign that leadership has failed because they say we did not plan adequately. We did not coordinate regionally and now we are going to freeze progress while we argue about it. That is not a solution. That is surrender. And the people who pay the price are working families, teachers, nurses, police officers, firefighters, trades people, and young families trying to buy their first home. Excuse me. Nevada already has tools to manage growth responsibly, master plans, zoning authority, and what is lacking is not authority. What is lacking is the political courage to work together as a region to face these challenges. People do not care about jurisdictional boundaries. They want a home they can afford, a reasonable commute, reliable infrastructure, and opportunities for their families and children's. moratoriums do not deliver those things. Regional leaders do.

Okay. All right. Thank you.

All right, madame mayor. With that, we have no additional public comment registered at this time. For the record, we did receive 23 written or 23 comments from live public commenters today that did not wish to speak live. 23 of them were in favor of the moratorum, four in opposition of the moratorum, and one that just expressed neutral or concerned um thoughts. We also did receive um public comment on this item and I apologize it's not entered into my spreadsheet. 154 letters of support, one letter of opposition, and 22 letters of neutral or concerned expression. Okay. Is that it? Perfect. All right. Uh we're going to bring it back to the body. I actually am going to send it over I believe um to you. It's a staff report but uh we did have this on the agenda and we were ready to move forward. Unfortunately uh due to open meeting law that wasn't possible. Um but if you now have a presentation then please we'd love to hear it.

Sure. So for the record Lauren Knox, senior planner with development services. I just have a few talking points after kind of hearing what we've heard today. So first the item before you today is a pending moratorum resolution on new data center conditional use permit application requests. If council decides to move forward with the pending resolution, staff will bring forward a final moratorum resolution within 30 days. That's the process outlined in RMC. Council today can decide to approve, modify, or deny the pending resolution that was included in your staff report. If you do choose to approve the resolution, a time frame will need to be set forth with that piece as well. In any of those decision points, I really want to be clear that the text amendment has already been initiated and that work will continue regardless of the action today. For a reminder, this body directed staff to initiate a text amendment regarding data center regulations and desired that staff be involved and coordinate with the regional effort, which includes first a large engagement um effort with stakeholders and the public, a review of best practices, and this all really funnels into the creation of a regional priority report for all of us to use in our coordinated um text amendments that we'll be moving forward.

Okay. Can you just reiterate that because I I've heard a lot today that I don't think um people know like where we started. There's been a lot of history. The council has been um extremely involved. Um and you heard there were a lot of people here today that haven't been to a council meeting, probably haven't been sort of following it um versus some that have. And so, uh, just for context, um, probably good to explain to them that we were already going down this route with, um, the text amendment and what we were going to accomplish. Part of that, um, just to give background, part of that is, uh, there was a lot of concern about if we don't do it together, then we will create hardships for other jurisdictions like Sparks or the county. um because that's going to be very natural when we do something um others are going to go to another jurisdiction so that they can do that if they if we don't I guess if we don't adopt a regulation together. So that was always the thought is do it together and then we're you know we're all u watching out for each other I guess is it's the best way and we've done it many times not with just data centers uh but other initiatives and we know that it works really well. So we like to do that quite honestly when we are all um coming up with the same policy or something that we don't want to affect something uh like I said let's just say someone wants to come in the city of Reno we do not have that option then they say well Sparks has that option so let's go and take their resources um because of what we created so typically just trying to break it down um it's much better when we do it together and that's why we have regional planning And so regional planning um you have elected officials that are all on this body together. So that's what you do.

Regional significance and that's why it was actually developed so that um we could all work on regional solutions together. And so that makes a lot of sense. And then um I think there we were trying to figure out where would that policy come from. And then in the middle of all of this, we had the legislature and we thought, "Oh, good. Okay, the legislature needs to weigh in because they've done some things that we have to like other things um other I guess laws that we have to um I guess adhere to whether we like it or not because it is the law." So then that didn't happen and then regional plan said we want to be the educational piece and then you guys can make resolutions and then do it together. But I think there was always this um push to do it regionally and it's probably going to be the best uh possible outcome so that we are supporting each other. Okay. And just to add to your point, Madame Mayor, one of the the big the big impacts from data centers are regional in nature, right? Water use and energy use. Those aren't specific to Reno when there's an impact of of a data center coming into an area. So that's another reason why this body directed staff to work with regional and make sure we're a part of that big engagement effort piece.

And also, could I just say that other jurisdictions may not have the resources like water that we have. So therefore then they come to us and say we'd like to use your water all these things. So see how it impacts all of us regionally. But um anyway that was always my hope that we could do it regionally. I think we're at a point where we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can in the city and we will support our partners but um this is probably the best way to move forward. So,

and secondly to add to that kind of engagement piece and and where we're at with that regional effort. So, regional planning did kick off um this engagement effort actually just received an email yesterday that that process is starting with the stakeholder conversations moving into community conversations with the public. This ball is rolling. So, this is not something we're waiting for. It's already happening. They've engaged with the consultant. That engagement effort is happening. Um their plan at this point is May, June have a lot of those stakeholder conversations, public conversations, start developing and drafting this back uh best recommendations report July August time frame to the regional planning governing board. So just so we're kind of aware of where that process is at. I think it's some helpful context there.

And just uh for the record, when did um the text amendment was that in March? Um that was initiated April 22nd.

Okay. All right. Perfect. And then also in terms of regional in this kind of engagement effort, we heard a lot about the need to work with our tribal partners. So TMRPA, that's Treky Meadows Regional Planning Agency, has a specific policy regarding tribal coordination. It's very important to them. I am sure that they're a part of their engagement efforts and I also want to be clear that when we do get to the point that we are doing our text amendment, they are on my list. It is going to be part of our engagement strategy. So I just want to make that clear also for this body. And then secondly, I want to make sure the record is also clear regarding what we currently have approved within the city of Reno. So first, there are approximately five data centers within the city of Reno per the data centermap.com resource. So some of these data centers were developed many years ago pri

there's one that's double. It's it's a weird little second outline in there. It's in the Keystone area. There's two relatively close to each other. Okay. I um Are you going to put this up there? Sure.

So, one, two, there's two here and one there. Okay. So, is there four or five? There's five within the city limits. Oftent times when this is discussed, it's talked about Reno as a as a as a larger area, right? a lot of the the development in Story County there there's a lot of data center development happening in that area and sometimes it's lumped into just Reno proper as kind of the term there. So I just wanted to be clear with how many data centers we have here. Some of these were developed many years. Hold on. I just want the record to reflect things accurately. Count them again for me. So we have one, two, this one you can kind of see within there if you scroll in. There are two pieces in here.

I see. And then there's one more up here. Okay. So, there's one, two, three. It looks like one, but it's two underneath it. Show me the point to the one for the record that has two. This one right there. So, there's one, two, three, four, five total within the city of Reno. Correct. But just to be clear, isn't there a second one by the other one in North Valley's that's been approved that's not constructed, but

potentially? Yes. So, this is kind of what's been constructed or is active or is very close to its potential. This map basically not not the city of Reno version but the data center resource map allows people to dig in and see okay how much power is available what type of services do they offer. So if they're at that stage that they can offer a service is generally when they end up on this map. Well for Reno I think it'd be good to have two colored dots. One is either constructed or under construction and the other would be permitted but not constructed just so we fully know the full story. Yeah absolutely. So, kind of part of the the commentary piece tries to describe that. Um, it's not on this map. I I do agree.

And Miss Knox, are you able to put this into a version where we can expand on it? Like, if I look at the Reno data center map online, I can see that there's the one that's already been built on Keystone that's several years old. I think it's eight or nine years old and then there's a second one that is under construction now. So, are you able to show that here or No. Uh, we can certainly make the map a little bit differently to to reflect that piece. Yes. Okay. So, but you're saying not right now, like you can't put it up on the screen. I don't have a printout version of it right now. No, that's okay. We'll we'll get we'll get it. Okay. Thank you. Go ahead.

Um, so again, some of these were developed many years prior to data centers being reviewed as a specific use, right? I'm talking 10 to 15 years ago. For example, this one in South Reno, also relatively older. This one up here, one of these ones also older in terms of kind of our our newer regulations. Um, three of those listed are newer and have gone through our cup process. So, since we defined the data center use, recognizing that they have a much larger potential impacts than what they have in the past, we as a city have reviewed four conditional use permit applications for data centers. So, first we have the web data center that's in the North Virginia Streetstead area. Planning Commission approved of that. It was appealed to council or it was approved. We have the Opadan data center again in that same North Virginia area. It's currently under construction. Planning Commission denied. It was appealed to this body, overturned and approved. We have the Keystone data center. It's in the Keystone area under construction. Planning Commission approved. There was no appeal at that point. And then the Lumen data center in the Keystone area, it's active. That one has been there for quite a while. It triggered a conditional use permit because there was a switch over in the business license. So, that one's been functioning. It's also significantly smaller than the rest. So, I just wanted to provide that context. Make sure it's on the record um so that we have kind of a a platform to discuss this from. With that, I'm available for any questions you might have if you have any for me. You know, one thing I do think um I think it would be good to have a definition of what is a data center exactly. Um because then that way you can sort of look and quantify the um impacts um you know might look like something else to someone else. Correct.

Correct. Yeah, we we do have a definition of data centers within title 18 currently. That is again a piece that we can look at through this text. amendment process that we already have going. Um, but primarily it's it's any facility that deals with data processing, data storage, data transmitting basically. That's kind of the gist of it. But yes, it is. But what about I think um to like in size say sure you know I mean because think about it 100 square feet is going to be different than 100,000 square feet. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think that's one of the key kind of text amendment discussion pieces that we'll probably end up h having is where are those lines where there's different impacts. Okay. Yeah.

Perfect. Okay. I'm going to um start with the body and I'm going to start over to my left and then I will go down here because I don't see any green lights to the right. I see them all to the left. So go ahead, Councilman Ree.

Uh thank you, Madame Mayor and colleagues. I want to start by acknowledging that this issue uh obviously is a emotional one for many people across Reno but also across the United States. Uh people across the country I think are scared and they're angry because there's a lot going on in this space. Uh I think residents are rightly upset about emerging issues surrounding data centers. Tribal folks we've heard from today. Certainly, the Sierra Club and community members have raised serious concerns about noise, uh, water use, visual impacts, long-term benefits, uh, effect on tribes and tribal lands and, uh, fish, uh, primarily today. At the same time, our labor partners like the IBW and the business community are worried that we're sending some wrong signal about jobs and economic development. And I think it's true that both sides care very deeply about Reno's future. Uh my focus today is on finding a responsible balanced path forward that addresses real concerns and creates a practical path forward that everyone can work with. Uh that's why um at the last meeting I asked for a moratorum to be instituted. I have been on council now for seven years. During that time we have approved two small data centers in industrial areas in the north valleys. Uh I think as Miss Knox pointed out today there are it sounds like five data centers. uh two under construction, one not pulled permits, and one that is 10 years old off of Keystone. And there, as I understand it, Madam Manager, and you could confirm for me, there are no applications currently in the queue.

Confirmed. Okay. And we're legally prohibited from changing regulations on projects once they're in the queue. Also confirmed.

Power and land constraints are significant and a moratorum would create a temporary hiatus for which would allow us to develop a pathway forward that works for everyone. What we actually need are strong permanent rules. Now that we do not have regulated industries in front of us or in the queue, I think a moratorium is appropriate. That moratorium should be long enough to develop guard rails and short enough not to hurt our labor unions. I recommend we use this moment to build three practical integrated regulatory tools. I've been working with sweep who was here today about that and I'll just describe them for the benefit of my colleagues. First one is an enhanced conditional use permit checklist. Every future data center must pass a clear mandatory checklist before being accepted by the application process. This includes proper sighting buffers for neighborhoods, strict noise limits, good design standards so that we never get another highly visible Death Star building like the one off Keystone, water and power impact studies, efficiency targets, pay as your uh full pay your own way infrastructure, and potentially a decommissioning bond would be appropriate. Second, mandatory community benefits agreement should be made. Every project has to be signed a binding contract that requires real local benefits, local hiring targets for both construction and permit jobs, upfront funding and training programs for TMCC, UNR or the building construction trades, infrastructure contributions, and public dashboard for full transparency. And last uh and I'll just end here and maybe close by saying performance tied incentives approvals are only kept if the project meets annual targets on hiring efficiency payments miss targets and you lose the benefits with clawbacks for possible replications. I think these are essentially what I heard the community asking for. Yes, I think there are some people who are uh never data center uh people. I'm not sure that that's practical or realistic. Uh, but these pathways work together as one seamless system and I think we can get there. I also don't believe Reno should do it alone. So, I think that's why we've talked about the regional solutions and I'll maybe talk about those on the second round.

All right, Councilman Dur.

Yeah, thank you so much. And I just want to thank our community for coming out and speaking your truth, what you feel, what you think is right. Um, laying out a path that you think would be the best for us to follow. Um, we've heard a wide variety of opinions here today, but I really do think that they sort of center around uh a process going forward. And for those who said, well, you can't adopt a mortorium in 30 days. It's just part of our process to have a pending moratorum which which stops things from proceeding from this day forward. a pending moratorum if we approve that and then we come back potentially to adopt a longer a real moratorum or pause or whatever term you want to use but it means it stops applications. So I am for a temporary moratorum and I wanted to explain why. Um, first I want to thank my colleague for laying out uh a very elegant process uh which I think included really important touch points about enhanced conditional permits, community benefits agreements and uh performance tied to actual accountability. Um the reason I'm for a temporary moratorum is that um some of you know me from government and I've worked in government for some 40 years and a lot of that time has been spent in regulatory agencies and every so often you come across an issue which really galvanizes a community. Um here at Reno City Council I've experienced two that I recall. One was about billboards and signs and the other was about liquor especially downtown. And in each case we adopted a temporary moratorum so we could work on um regulations. Business owners that own signs and business owners in the liquor industry were not happy. They did not want any pause. But we felt that it was very important for us to step forward and adopt reasonable regulations and we had to stop the world. And why it it goes back to a

concept that I've actually had plaques on my wall and won awards for and that is it really has to do with um having a level playing field for people to operate in. When you have competitive businesses whether it's signs or liquor or data centers and people are uh working to get that business I believe it is unfair to treat some people one way and other people another way. And when I say people, I mean corporations, agencies, organizations that are trying to do something. I think it's very important when it's so competitive and we are at such a pitch point here in Northern Nevada in terms of data centers that um if we don't take an action, it's just a free-for-all. Some people were regulated, some people were not. Uh some people are going to have more significant regulations, and I just plain old don't think that that is fair. So, I think a temporary pause is very reasonable. And I'll I'll wrap up with this and come back maybe in a few minutes with something else, but at the end of the day, we've said it over and over again. I've been here almost 12 years. Our primary job is public safety. Well, a lot of what happens with data centers revolves around public safety. It has a lot to do with consumer protection, proactive planning. These are all in our wheelhouse. These are the things we're supposed to take care of and do. And we know enough from the issues around the country. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. We don't have to wait for problems to happen here. We can learn. We are all learning human beings. We can take what's happened elsewhere, apply it here with our own special twist in Northern Nevada as applicable. So, um, thank you for allowing me to comment. Um, I do have some further comments later, but I appreciate, wow, what a conversation. I will just say in it's giving me a little bit of chills, but in almost 12 years of sitting here, I've never seen an outpouring from the community such as this one.

All right. Thank you. Okay, Council Neighbor.

Yeah. Um I have a lot to say. Um, one of the things is just I want to thank everybody from the community that came out and gave um public comment and just shared um a lot of my views regarding the resources that we have here in the state and um the need to um protect the things that are special about Nevada. And um I feel a particular sense of um um ownership over what happens in my ward because of the zoning in that area and the potential for for data centers is the highest in my ward. So, I want to make sure that um we really do this right. And um I agree that a moratorum um will give us time to come up with needed um textments to add into code. If we also want to make a a cup process more um specific and have the checklist on it, that's fine, too. But we absolutely have to have something some measures in uh the code that set standards um so that my community could have assurance and know what's going to happen in their community so the larger community can know what's going to happen with our resources. And also for um developers, if if if they're going to come here and they want to be good partners and they want to be community members, they should also have an expectation of of what's going to be asked of them. Um so again, I I agree that there's probably not a way to say there's not going to be any data centers coming into the region. And I'm also

extremely aware of um the layout of the land. I have a lot of um kind of intermingling of my ward with county land. So I'm extremely aware of what happens in the county has a big impact on my city folks. We're we're a community. We don't see the boundaries. I care about all of us up there. So, I want to make sure that we put the best things in place for for my community out there. Um, I feel very protective of of our community. And also, I just want to share some things. Oh, I'll do it next next round, please. No, you have 30 seconds. No, I don't have enough time.

Do you have Can you do it in a minute? Okay. Yeah, probably. Okay. A minute. You got it.

Okay. So, um I know a lot of times W 4 has been just kind of dismissed and I know that it was zoned for the majority of the industrial planning in 2017. And it's kind of um out of sight, out of mind. And I just want to let some people know some of the things that I love about where I live. Um, Ward Four is the only ward in the city of Reno that has natural lakes. Ward 4 is the only ward in the city of Reno that has a forest in it. Ward 4 is the only ward in the city that has uh a herd of mu deer that winters there. Ward 4 is the only ward and one of only 16 places in the world that has a Weber's aacia plant. It's known as um Nevada's wild rose. It's an endangered plant species. Word forest special. We need to treat it as such and we need to stop just treating it like a place to put things that nobody wants to look at. So, I just wanted to call that out. Um, I want to protect the things that we have out there that are precious and I want to have these things there when my kids grow up to appreciate them.

Okay. Okay. Um, Councilman Martinez. Yes. Madam Mayor, can you hear me? I can. Go ahead.

Great. Thank you so much. Yeah. I also wanted to echo some of the sentiments that have been said and appreciate all the public commenters that have come out today and engaged in this conversation. And it's been over a year conversation that we've had about um data centers and large utility users and the way that we plan uh land zoning and our title 18 um codes and policies to be able to complement what we already have and looking at growth in the ways that we want our region to grow. And um I do think that in certain ways the city council does have a lot of powers to um impact the way that data centers uh come into our region. At the same time, I recognize that a lot of the decisions are outside of our control. And I understand that there are concerns from our community members about energy resources, about other natural resources, noise pollution, heat mitigation, um, and some of those concerns. And we do have the ability to directly impact some of those. and some of those are with the state or with the public utilities commission of Nevada. I have been fortunate to have conversations with folks um who are in favor or in opposition of the moratorum that we are discussing today and I think um after gathering as much information as I can and reading up on what's been happening nationwide um I feel like the text amendment that we started and I want to just echo or show appreciation to the rest of the council for approving those text amendments unanimously when we talked about uh data centers and making sure that staff was in the room and having conversations with our regional partners as we look at the development

of data centers coming into our region. And so I I just wanted to put all of that out there currently. I'm interested to hear more of what my other colleagues have to say on the dis um and what their thoughts are. But I do think that the city council has already taken a major step and laid foundational work in moving towards protecting our communities, our environment, the future of life in Reno with that text amendment and ensuring that staff is doing the necessary work for us to be able to move Reno forward in a positive way that both provides direct guidelines to developers and protections for our communities and our environment. I may have other comments on the second round, Madame Mayor, but I appreciate you recognizing me and apologize for not being there in person today. Thank you.

Fine. You're fine and I hope you feel better. Okay. I'm going to um Counciloman Taylor,

thank you. Um Lauren, I have a couple questions for you. I just want to understand um when we say moratorum what will we be doing in that time if there is a moratorum and how does it different differ than what we are doing right now at a regional level and with the text amendment what would happen in a moratorum which I'll just say right right now I'm I'm not in favor of a moratorum I think it's bad business I think it's lazy I don't think it shows leadership I think thoughtful predictable conversations with our regional partners. That's leadership and I think that's what we're doing now. But I'm prepared to be wrong. So tell me the difference between what a morium what a mortorium will do between what we're doing now.

So the text amendment that's been initiated that is going to proceed regardless unless this body tells me no we don't want you to move forward which I' I've not heard anything like that. So that text amendment which allows us to work with regional initially on this regional engagement effort and opportunity that will still happen coming back to you and through our planning commission through our NABS through community engagement with an updated ordinance on data center regulations that will all still happen regardless of a moratorum. What the moratorum would do is put a hold on anyone attempting to apply for a conditional use permit. So if they've already been in the pipeline, they've already been approved or have some level of entitlement, it's not going to impact that. What it will impact is if a new developer or a new development comes in for a data center, they cannot apply for a data center. We will not accept the application. That's what the moratorium would do.

Is there any way that without I because I'm understanding what some people are saying and I understand the concerns. You know, I'm I'm pro jobs, accountability, river, clean air, smart resources, business. Is there any way that we could say we want all applications for data center to come to council without saying the word moratorum or saying we're going to put a moratorium on them? Because I know there's some concerns about the Keystone data center and as I've said before I I live across from it too and it is a monstrosity. I I don't like it. I see it every single day. So is there a a space in between what we're doing now and if people were to come forward where we said you have to come to city council? So we could do something like that through the already initiated text amendment process. So if I hear some level of direction from council to almost bisect that process and say okay still continue on the path with this regional engagement effort try to coordinate regionally still go down that path but in the interim we want say a fasttrack right we just fasttrack something for live entertainment something similar to that have a fasttrack version where we say all data center cup applications because we already require that application come to council that is something we can definitely um consider Obviously, we can't do it right here at this at this meeting. It's not agendaized for such. Um, but that type of direction can be given. The text amendment is already initiated to kind of do something different with those regulations. So,

okay. Thank you, Lauren. I guess I'd be interested in hearing my colleagues ideas if that's something that they would entertain um in the future. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you, Lauren. I'm going to have more questions about that, but I have a few things to say first. So, I'm encouraged by the voices in our community holding us accountable for responsible protections and policy. I just want I just want you to know that the only reason that I am sitting up here is because I was in those seats 15 years ago pissed off about what this city council was doing in our community. So, I want you to know that I've listened to every word that you've said and I honor every minute that you've spent trying to get this council's attention and trying to move really good, strong policy that protects the environment and all stakeholders in the community around this issue. I came to this meeting today hoping to accomplish that shared goal in our community of responsible regulation and environmental protections related to the land use designations and ordinance around data centers without requiring a moratorum. I also want to acknowledge that there's a lot of there's a lot of noise and real legitimate concerns about what this technology enables in the world and that isn't what we're talking about today. So I don't want whatever decision gets made here today to reflect on whether or not those are good or bad decisions in any of our opinions. We are talking about whether or not enacting a moratorum is the right thing to do for the community overall um while enacting these protections for our community moving forward. Um, a moratorum offers one thing for this community and it is the admission by the members of this body that we are either unable or unwilling to lead our community through these important regional solutions and regulations together without harming the myriad of stakeholders that we've heard from today. I agree with the speaker this morning, Miss Wetzel. This shouldn't be an all or nothing decision for anyone and it doesn't have to be. We can continue the focus work of the Truckucky Meadows Regional Planning Agency together with our two partner communities to develop best practices

around designated locations, environmental protections and national or natural resource and resource and lived environment um conditions and with the talented stewardship and leadership at TMP or TMRPA for our developable region at large. When we voted on this in early 2025, I did not support the idea of a moratorum and I was very focused on the digital infrastructure aspects of large and small data centers. I was expecting and encouraged that our community decided that day that we were going to schedule a meeting for later in the year and understood that that meeting I do understand there was a lot of work that was put into a meeting that was potentially going to be scheduled and then it didn't happen. So, my assumption because I do um serve on the regional governing board at um TRMPA was that because the our regional planning commissioners had gotten Diane Vanderwell to lead the community through that conversation at the regional board, we were taking up this work at the regional level, which I think is where it should be. That's where it doesn't affect the county and city islands. we have more we have more seamless decisions and policym available at the regional level and I'll have more to say about this. I'm sorry for taking more than my aotted minutes. Um but thank you everybody for being here and thank you for the thoughtful engagement and um comments from my my peers on this board.

Great. Thank you. Okay. Uh Councilman Ree.

Thank you so much, Madame Mayor. I want to talk a little bit about my frustrations about the regional um governing board. And Miss Knox, I may have questions for you. Uh I am uh I've served on the regional planning governing board for seven years. I'm the past chair of the regional planning governing board. And uh my frustration and Miss Knox, you came to us from the regional planning governing board. So first of all, it's the pace at which the movement has happened there. It's incredibly frustrating. Uh, no one ever believed that the regional planning governing board would be making rules and that those rules would be voted upon and put in place and they would be binding. The idea was that they would be the home for a collection of opportunities. They're more science focused there. Dr. Smith is very intelligent. The people there have some extreme backgrounds, but that they would create sort of the best practices which we would then have to go back to our home jurisdictions and implement. So, Miss Knox, have I described any of that in error? No, that's correct.

Okay. And so for me, um, and what I heard, um, Miss Anderson, I think your, um, very thoughtful approach, um, somewhat resonates with me. Um, but the concern I have is about the pace of it. I I I talked to the chair, Miss Vanderwell, this week and said, "Hey, where are we? Why has it taken so long?" Because I at the regional planning government board have also said it needs to be done regionally so as to avoid the race to the bottom. It also should have been done already. Um so it's been very frustrating in that regard. Um the second thing though I I really want to talk um to my colleague from Ward One about this claim that a moratorum represents what I heard and I wrote down was laziness or a lack of leadership. What what I want to assure this community is is that I think leadership is meeting the moment and we have in the last year um really the information about data centers across this country the movement and ground swell against data centers some of it is very much fear-based as um economic conditions are declining late stage capitalism may be collapsing there are just so many things going on people are concerned about data and its uses and surveillance and they're concern concerned about wage loss. They're concerned about environmental degradation. The federal administration is a disaster. And so it's all these things that are angst about it. So I don't think either one of the things has to be binary in that way. I certainly am not a lazy person. I am the person who said that we should have a moratorum after having resisted early on because I did not think we should be regulating or trying to have a moratorum on businesses that were already in the queue. I felt that our lawyers had informed us that was not the right thing to do legally that they had entitlements and property rights to it and so but once we got past that and there were none in the queue then it was the opportunity to see is the regional planning government board going to do something they haven't so now it's on us I think madam mayor you said it be best

and maybe weren't thinking as far about it into the future but it's like if someone else is not going to act we are going to act that's what leadership is right and I don't think there's any downside today. There is a de facto moratorium going on in the state because NV Energy cannot supply power. So I know anecdotally that many entities that are looking at coming here have gone to I I serve on I Wow. That's okay. She's listening to us on an assisted hearing device.

You're okay. We all need a little wake up anyways. Um but but truth be told um because I also serve on Edon as the member of this body to Edon, I know that people come here for the purpose of scouting locations for things and they haven't been able to do anything right because they can't find land. The water is not plentiful um and expensive and also power. NV Energy is right now going through its own regulatory process. I think the state of Nevada is going to have to have a reckoning at that level. So for me uh I continue to believe that a mortorium is appropriate. I'll just say one other thing madame mayor uh because I lost a little time due to the rooster crowing. Um our uh resolution that's provided in the staff report um I think is pretty complete. The one thing I will say is it does not identify a moratorum until date. For my part, I would recommend December 31st, 2026 should be the date that the moratorum would be an enforced and it would

can Sorry, there's a Thank you for the recommendation, Council Member Ree. I'm going to have our attorney, John Shipman, explain what you can and cannot put in there. And then I have some scheduling opportunities if we get it. Says insert a date. So, I think he was inserting. Yes. Uh, for the record, John Shipman, City Attorney's Office. Um, that date can be up to 30 calendar days under code. So, um, this is just the pending moratorum. So this is to give a breather and to put push the pause button until the final moratorum could be approved. So it's the 30 days from today would be June 13th if that would be the longest you could do it for. Mr. Shipman, I guess I need to ask a clarifying question. So um are we in a moratorum today?

If if you pass this, you are you are starting you are not in a moratorum today. Well, you as soon as you pass it and it's adopted, you are in a mortorium. So, we would be in a moratorum after a successful affirmative vote today. Correct. For at least a 30-day period. Not at least, at most.

At most a 30-day period. Okay. And so, then I'll go back to you. Uh it sounds like, madame manager, um my position is and it would be my recommendation of this body that it be as immediate within that period of time. Certainly. Uh you've heard the public say they want to see it before June 9th. I'm happy to do it within 3 days of today. Uh no problem there. And then the larger one, you're saying that the longer date is not for discussion today or or you're saying it's good for staff recommendation, but maybe I can't vote on it.

No. Two different things. One, today's only allows you to have a moratorum up to 30 days. Between now and those 30 days, should the body agree to the pendum moratorum, we will have another uh single focus meeting on data centers because I don't believe it would be prudent to put it on an item as on June 3rd or June 10th. I just think that would not be prudent. So, we have a couple of dates uh the team's been working on and has looked at your calendars to propose. Should you get to a yes on this pending moratorum? Okay. So your motion can be up to 30 days which is June 13th. Well, it'll be up to whatever date you give us.

It will it would be superseded by the next resolution. Understand? And but today is not the opportunity to opine on how long a moratorium should. It is not. But today is only do you want 30 days? Do you want to stop the clock so that you can then have another opportunity to say you want a longer one or you don't want a longer one? And this is just the moratorum process that is in the code. It's the one we use for alcohol and it's the one we use for signs. Okay. You're calling on me. Go ahead.

Okay. All right. Um I too am past chair of the Chuck Meadows Regional Planning Agency, and I have been very vocal at that agency, which I've served on again for almost 12 years, uh pushing our staff there to work on data centers first to gather information. And they've put up an amazing website, and you've you've researched that website, right, Lauren? It has a lot of information. They also participated in the legislative all day discussion. Um unlike our discussion here today, they had experts come in throughout the day, probably 10 different presentations and talk about all of the issues associated with and our staff from regional planning participated in that. But one of the things is that um this is just by a design that we have to deal with. Regional planning meets every two months. We meet every two weeks. That means we meet four times more often than they do. Our meetings uh their meetings are usually about two hours. Our meetings are typically eight hours, four times longer than their meetings. We're even we're also have special meetings like we did today and we're planning to potentially in the future. So we have a different meeting frequency and a different intensity to the work that we do. Um I too have been waiting and I think that Dr. Smith who leads the agency is amazing. He's one of my most favorite people. But yet there is a builtin process that means they only meet every two months. And the second aspect is that all members, you know, you'd have to get a quorum of all members and we just haven't reached that point. It's been even difficult to get Dr. Smith assigned to this work. Frankly, I mean sometimes I've been a lone voice over there to say he needs to be working on this. So I when when we haven't made the kind of progress we need and when the issue is emergent, we've we've gone now from the fifth fastest uh area of interest to the third fastest area of interest for data

centers. I think it's incumbent on us to step up and be leaders and take action um not to wait around anymore. Like there comes a point where um you have to take action and there's a famous phrase that says something like don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. meaning right that we can't get a perfect answer and we may not have a completely uniform process with our partners but at least we are taking steps in the right direction and whatever steps we take can always be modified if we learn through regional planning that uh you know A is better than B we can always come back and modify what we've done um I also wanted to mention two more things and one of those is that I just want to make it clear to staff that You said we would not accept applications for data centers and I just want to me make sure that applies across the board all applications and that I understand where we are and our attorneys have advised me that's how I should probably phrase this

question. Sure. So that would be for all conditional use permit applications. So, business licensing, building permits for something that's already entitled, that would not apply to this because that's already within that that's already entitled, but we're talking about building um licenses, annexations, all those things. Now, just let me just finish because I have talked to our attorneys. Um would you like to say something about this because I think you can explain. I just think there's a little disconnect here. I mean, we're talking about incoming applications for data centers. You want it read broadly, correct? Thank you. uh that that that it's for all across the spectrum. It's not just for a a small piece. So, I just wanted that that was

So, let me clarify for the record because the resolution says something differently. So, um Council Member Der, should you want to make a motion, you're going to need to make an adjustment to the resolution. Well, um according to our attorneys, that would probably not be advisable, but the concept that I'm getting at would probably come back. Let's say we approve this pending moratorum. Yes. And just to be clear to everyone, it just means things stop for now till we figure out if we're going to have a temporary moratorum, an official one. At that point, it sounds like according to Mr. Shipman, we could provide any kind of clarity we need at that time. Is that correct, Mr. Shipman? Correct. Yeah. We don't have to do it here today in our pending moratorum. Right. But in a final one, we could add some some more words around this issue.

Yeah. And and it's good to say today that that's what you're looking at is kind of the broader Yeah. the I mean this this was put on the agenda quickly um and and for the next pro step in this process you want to look at it in a broad sense. Thank you. That's what I'm trying to say.

Perfect. And and just to make sure that we're super clear and we have no disconnect. The pending moratorum resolution only applies to conditional use permits. And that's the question that Lauren was answering. specifically does not apply to new business license applications, renewals or ownership changes for existing licensed businesses. But should you wish to make a change, please note that today should your motion pass, then we will agendaize it accordingly.

Yes, I am I am making everyone aware that I want this applied broadly to all aspects of permitting data centers. Okay, whatever that is. And I don't propose that I know every aspect. That's why I'm saying I just want it applied broadly. Our attorneys will help us. And I saw a potential problem with people defining it too narrowly and others defining it too broadly. And I just wanted to go on the record to say that. The last thing I want to speak to is that there are a series of issues we've talked about and I don't want to repeat those, but I want to emphasize just a few that I feel have gotten less attention than they need. One is the sighting issue and I particularly am thinking about data center zoning. So a specific category of data center zoning so that I think we could get efficiencies. Let's say we move forward with a new set of regulations. I would love to see these data centers group so we could bring in power water potentially located near our advanced purified water system so they could all have the benefit of reclaimed water instead of piping at 10 miles away maybe only one mile away. Okay. It's just an idea, but I would love to see some special type of zoning in these applications treated differently. The reclamation issue has brought up today and I think it's super important about how we decommission. I am in mineral exploration um not mining per se, but I am adjacent to mining and in mining we have put in very specific regulations about reclamation of the land and decommissioning of a mine. I think that's very appropriate. Uh we've talked about noise and then finally the electrical generation. We have to hammer that out. I've heard over and over and over from our community. Some things are very obvious. We're not going to be allocating water in the driest state in the nation, you know, wastefully. And as a state water planner former, I'm not going to sit here and say that's great. But especially the electrical, it's more

complicated. It is has more regulatory overlay. But here we can do something very simple and say you must bring your own power. Period. I mean, that's pretty simple. All right. Well, that I'll just stop right there. I got my main three points across. Thanks again, Council O'Neal.

Um, yeah. Um, um, yeah, sorry. I'm just trying to get my my list of things that I would like to see on um a text amendment for uh data centers. I agree that I think it's a good idea to have um them clustered. Um, and I know that Opidon data center, they agreed to plumb their building to be able to use affluent water in the future, but we didn't have the pipe infrastructure to get the water there from the sewer treatment plant that's in my ward. So, that would be very helpful if we could cluster these things and help build the infrastructure out to those specific locations. Um I also have um a print out of some um requirements I'd like to uh work on seeing if we can get them in place. They're regarding water uh diesel generators locations. Aesthetics is very important to me. Um particularly um knowing that we live in the fastest warming city in the country. I want to make sure that the exterior of these buildings are doing whatever they can to not increase the heat at all. Um, I mentioned earlier that my ward is the only ward with the forest in it. It also has the lowest tree canopy, which will also be getting a large portion of it removed to accommodate a new um utility corridor going through to um ironically uh bring more power in. And that area will be um cleared of all trees and kept that way permanently because um of the fire risk. And um they they will not be

burying these power lines. And it is also where the mule deer live. Um and uh yeah. So um aesthetics, noise, solar where possible, waste, payments and fees, and permitting process. So I'll make sure these are distributed to council. they've already been added to the um public record um for everyone to see and if if you stayed till the end of the meeting I can give you a copy as well. Um, but um, you know, the things I just mentioned to when I talked about the things that I love about my ward, our lakes, rather than treating them like a park like Wo Lake, we've surrounded them with warehouses. The forest, as I mentioned, is going to be disrupted severely for a utility corridor. the mule deer that are so important to the natural environment. The herd used to be over 20,000. It's now about 3,000. 50% of the deer that have been tagged have been hit and killed on the 395 since they started tagging them. The Weber's Vasia plant, the largest patch ever found in my ward, is at the center of a project that was recently approved to be reszoned away from a plan use development into straight industrial, allowing for data centers. Those changes were approved by this board as well as some of my colleagues that are also on the regional governing

board. Putting these council, do you need a minute? No, I don't.

Okay. Getting these protections in place are more important to me frankly than having a temporary moratorum to help potentially with someone's um political ambitions. Um we have to have something in place now. I cannot wait for regional and hope that their good graces will provide adequate protection. I cannot wait for the state I am asking my colleagues to support me in asking for a stricter pro process than a cup which so far has not been beneficial to my request for sustainability measures. Although to the credit of Opidon they were willing to meet with me and as they stated pump their their or pipe their building to use effluent in the future. um they've agreed to use solar to power their office space and some other sustainability measures that I just can't remember right now. Okay.

Um but these things should be the baseline. So I'm looking for help and support from my my fellow council members. I'm grateful for everyone that came today. Um, unfortunately I feel like it took something like the Keystone Data Center for people to really see how these things affect our lives. So, thank you everyone for coming. Sorry. Okay. Um, Councilman Martinez, are you there? I am here.

I'm sorry. I didn't I did not see your hand up, but please go ahead if you um have comments. Um I don't at this point. Thank you so much for recognizing me, though. Thank you. Okay. Let me know if you if you do. Okay. And then I'm going to go right back here. Councilwoman Anderson, go ahead.

Okay. So, I just wanted to go back to um when we voted on this in early 2025, I also made a very clear statement that I thought that the cup process was appropriate and an an appropriate protection in the short term while we worked on these regulations regionally. And I want to admit to you that I've learned since that that is not enough protection for these these projects. So I just want to acknowledge to you all that I've learned something in a year and a half that that process and also we don't want the cup process and that land designation to just be designated and approved for that until the end of per perpetuity. So I support um additional regulations being put on the short-term cup review and process. Um what I want to know is if we are in a de facto moratorum as Mr. Reese, you pointed out in your previous comments and as we know from all of our research since we've been looking in and being educated on data centers and their effects on our community, why are we not just doing the work right now to put short-term additional conditions on the CUP process to ensure protections right now? To Miss Eert's point, we could do this right now. We could ask our team right now to pick out a list of the things that we prioritize that we want to add to the conditions on the CUP process and that would give Miss Eert more protection in the short term and we would have we have this deacto moratorum. Why why would we hang a confusing sign on our community when we don't have to? We can just do the work. Why aren't we doing the work? Why can't we suggest things today that we could come back in two weeks? And again, I resent the fact that this is has something to do with the primary election. We don't make public policy based on when we are voting. So, I I

resent that. I resent the fact that this has been created this has created a a political issue when it's really a serious issue that we should be working on on behalf of our community. So, I just want to get that on the record. Let's do the work right now. We don't need a moratorum. We're in a moratorum naturally. Let's just be adults and get the work done. You, Councilwoman,

Councilwoman Taylor. Yeah, thank you. Um, I absolutely agree with what you're saying, Councilwoman Anderson, and I agree with what you're saying, Councilwoman Eert, too. I think that we can do the work right now, and it doesn't come with a moratorum. I I sit on regional and I believe I've let you down because I haven't said it and I don't believe any of the colleagues that I've sit with have said speed up the work at regional I from data centers. I haven't heard that from anybody to my right or anybody to my left or anybody else from any other region. Nobody has said that at regional. So that is our fault and we can do better. Lauren, my question is for you. If we get a moratorum, does the moratorum affect Wo County process?

No, it would not. Does it affect Story County?

Does it affect the city of Sparks? Does itffect affect friendly? Does it affect Line County? So everybody uses the same water, the same energy, the Truckucky River, the same Nevada energy, the same resources. Essentially, what we're saying with an moratorum is, you know what, Reno is going to act alone. We're not going to work with our regional partners. And I am in favor of everything that Councilman Ree said as far as putting those restrictions in, everything that Councilwoman Anderson said, and everything that Councilwoman Eert said. Let's do the work now. We don't have to have a moratorum. Thank you.

Okay. All right. We've gone through all of our rounds. Um just my last So, I'm going to go ahead and send it to you.

Yeah. No, I just I'll use my last minute here. Uh, one is manager Bryant. I want to just make sure that one of the comments that I heard today is addressed, which is we are all frustrated by the fact that the Keystone data center was an approval through the planning commission process but was not appealed. There has to be a way to close that loophole. Anything that is of this magnitude should have come to us. And so that is something that we've got to uh answer for. This the last thing I will say is that um you know the important work that we do is complicated by the political world which we occupy. Aside from Miss Der who is a scientist uh none of us at this body is truly qualified to have a strong opinion on each of these different things whether you use one system or another but our hope was always that the folks at the regional planning governing board would have that. Uh what I will say is that I would like moving forward for our staff to work with tribal consultation, the Sierra Club and Sweep. Sweep was the group that was here today that I've been working with for the past several weeks um about this. Um and so madame uh manager, I just want you to know that those are the things that are on my mind. Um I am uh also believe that and hopefully if we get to the motion moment that we'll talk about having this happen uh before the second meeting in June which is June 10th.

Yeah. Thank you. Um you know the the thought had been well it just have it come to council a proposal for a cup and the problem there is that without going through the regulation process and adopting rules we cannot put special conditions on. They're not it. It's pulling it out of thin air. It is not fair to people. They don't know what's coming. Just because we know the best process in some ways because we've learned, we've read dozens of articles. I'm sure you guys have like I have. Um it doesn't mean that we can just start putting these conditions on. We have to go through a public process and get them adopted. Um the second thing is that um um I would love one of the things mortoriiums do and the two times we've done them it did not hurt those industries signs or liquor. What it did was it sped up our staff. It made it so they understood this is important. You cannot waste any time. The community is waiting to us to unlock the gate and let applications come in. It is really and if it means uh directing more resources to the efforts so be it. It can't just be Lauren working all by herself. I mean, that's the bottom line. That's what a moratorum does. It sharpens your focus and it it speeds you along so that you do get to the end of the process very quickly.

And I just want to be clear, I believe I have said at regional planning every single time we've had the conversation, please get to work. Please do it fast. It's the time is now. So, thank you. Okay. All right. Councilman, go ahead.

Yeah. I I do want to say I I know I mentioned it at last council meeting when we did the annexation of the land that the battery storage facility is to be built on. And I know that I saw it incorrectly shared on um local news sites that we voted to approve the battery storage facility, which is not accurate. we voted to annex the land to help offset the cost if we needed to send um our fire department there because that's who would respond to it. So, um hopefully we will get um more accurate reporting on what we discuss and what we vote on on council. But also I want to say in addition to the data centers, um I think that type of situation too, we need to close the loop on that. I think it's crazy that we were voting to annex something that we hadn't voted on. you know, we're voting like it was just weird that planning commission voted to approve something on county land. So, anyhow, there's a couple areas I think where we could kind of fix the process a little bit. Okay. Thanks.

All right, Councilwoman Anderson.

Yeah, I just want to remind this body that the work that is going to be done at regional is happening in June and July of this year. Why would we hang a moratorum sign on our community for any reason over three months when we can do the work in a focused manner? Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Just because it feels good doesn't mean it's the right thing for the group overall. all of the people that have a stake in us doing this correctly. The fact that you are advocating more for an a moratorum and less for the work getting done gives me the impression that you don't trust ourselves either. We have got to start working together. And the way that we do that is by believing in the intentions and the focus and the priorities that we have for our community. and all of us have basically the same goals and priorities. Why can't we trust each other to get the work done without harming our community? That's my ask.

Okay. Counciloman Taylor. Um Madame Mayor, with my last minute, it sounds to me that we have a lot of discussion that we want to see happen and that doesn't necessarily happen in a moratorum. Um, it may fail, but I am requesting I'm actually begging that you give me the opportunity to make a motion before a moratorum motion for a text amendment including all of the um Okay. So, wait, I I I don't Let me just kind of talk for a minute. Um, are we I think we can I think we can make

we we can't do a I mean, you can make a request for that to come back on an agenda, but we can't initiate the process today if that was the Well, what are my what are the options that we can what are the options for not having a moratorum, forgetting everything that we've heard today? What are the options besides a moratorum? And I would like the opportunity to make that motion before we hear a motion for a moratorum. Uh well, I mean, not to chime in, but I I would like to make it that we start working on the text amendment like that. To me, that's what

about I'm trying to think. Okay. Um so, first of all, I am not in an election. So, um anything that I say um is not political. I I do well I guess it could always be misconstrued. I've learned in this job even when you're doing it right, you're still doing it wrong. Um but let me just say I I'm really grateful all of you showed up today. It was impressive. I also want to say um one thing that I noticed um that really I think that it really said a lot about everyone is you were kind to each other even when you did not agree. Did you notice that? That's that is pretty rare because we get some very heated arguments in here. So, first of all, I want to thank everyone that was respectful of their brothers and sisters. It is so critical um that we are providing jobs. It's how people feed their families. It's how people put a roof over their head. Um it's that is important, right? So, I just want to say thank you for supporting them. I also want to say thank you guys for loving this city so much. Unfortunately, I live in a in a little bit of a bubble where I always hear the bad. Always, always, always, always. Unfortunately, it's it's very hard on my mental health. I hear it a lot and I hear how terrible it is to live here. I I get email after email after email. Um, and it's really hard to hear, really difficult. So, I want to say you guys have really helped me today um hear your I guess your passion for where you live, your protection. Your protection is amazing and that's what tells me that you love this place that you call home.

So, to finish up my comment really quick, Madame Mayor, I think I had about 20 seconds left. Lauren, I'm wondering if there is a motion to be made for a fasttrack process if that is something that we can do. I'm wondering what the options are.

So, I think obviously legal counsel can weigh in on this piece. If there is a desire to fasttrack and provide that feedback, it would need to come to the next council or a a council agenda in the future to be able to give that feedback. It'd be agendaized as basically feedback on that existing um initiated text amendment piece. I will say anything that is fasttracked is not going to be probably as vetted as going through that regional process. So, just keep that piece in mind in terms of the amount of engagement effort. If we're trying to get something through fast, that takes a little bit. Could we do it faster than the 30 days, do you think?

In terms of having something in play, no, because this has to go through the planning commission first and then through the city council for an ordinance adoption, our our standard ordinance adoption piece. So, that in itself is is not within a 30-day period. Well, I guess, Madame Mayor, I'd still ask for an opportunity to make the fasttrack motion should you grant it. Thank you. it. I'm sorry for interrupting you earlier, Kathleen. I'm just so worried about a a mortaring coming and going and we don't put anything in place. So, I'm sorry about that. No, we're on the same page. We're saying the same exact thing. I want to get the work done. I want to get the teeth in there and I I I want to do the work like Councilwoman Anderson said, I just think we can get there without a moratorum.

So, here here's what I think. I think actually you do just this is me speaking out loud. I think you do both because it shows the public that we want to do this right. I think Nevada has always been built on innovation and not reaction, especially when it comes to being thoughtful in our um and and so I do think that it's important to show the public that putting in a moratorum would also allow you to be part of that process because then you know um that that we will not do something that you don't feel is transparent. Um, I think that's important and we work on it. I would love let's start today. We could do that. I I also think we need to pull in we can't do it without staff and um the work that's going to take to do that. I would say start today. Yes, let's do the work. I think that that they have a great idea. I think you have a great idea. And so we could do both. put in a moratorum for a certain period of time and start working on it today and then that way everyone's needs get met and I think that that would be um probably the best way to keep everyone at the table not rush it and also I I have to tell you and you guys know this technology changes really quickly innovations change things that were once remember when we put the internet into the wall We all remember that. But they change and I think things will continue to change better um better environmental um probably innovations and you know I just met with um someone that's doing clean concrete. I had no idea the things that were in concrete but I learned a lot. But I'm just saying um I to me I

was surprised how cool that was that that concrete is evolving. Who would have thought? like it's very cool taking pas out of it and all these things that are found in concrete that I didn't know and so I'm just saying as time goes on things are going to change and that's a good thing but sometimes it is a bad thing right but I'm just saying that I think um it's just like advancements in medicine you know we find cures for certain things and those are good things but I think when you rush them you miss those opportunities you miss the opportunity to do it Right. We're we're just like you guys. We're human sitting up here. We don't have all the answers. That's why I love getting to hear from you guys because many of you do. You many of you are experts. I mean, there were so many people that were um very educated in data centers and science and things that we're not except for Councilwoman Der and she's also my my water expert. You know, I say that every time. Madam Mayor, if I could just interject for one more minute, I just want to say something that,

you know, sometimes sitting in a body for a while gives you a different perspective. And one of the things I've observed is our ability to make rules, regulations, ordinances at the city has been very challenging. I have never seen one unless we had a moratorum go very fast. And I'll I'll list them for you. ADUs started eight years ago, 10 years ago. We just got done. Okay. STRs, we've talked and talked and talked about it. We aren't even working on it. Uh the master plan took several years. Uh the title 18 cleanup, we've done three of them. Each one took like two years. Um the the list goes on and there's a whole list of things that we haven't even tackled. I asked for a wildlife ordinance that would have helped with the all the animals getting killed on 395, which I have get animals getting killed out in South Reno and we we haven't been able to even get that on the list.

So, this is why I I talk about needing this special focus. Now, this morning, a a reporter called me and he said, um, I want to understand why is it so important to do this right now and what's the rush and does this have anything to do with politics? And I said, I have been through three elections for city council. Every election we had controversial issues on the agenda. We had rate increases. One of the worst things that any one of us wants to be on record is raising people's rates on anything, whether it's waste, water, sewer, whatever it is. You don't want to be doing it. I've had to deal with it at every election. My vote mattered. Um, we have uh been through this and and the reporter said, "Well, what's the rush right now? Do you want to get it finished before you're off council?" I said, "Well, that would be nice." But I said it absolutely has nothing to do with the timing. I said for me the timing started a year ago. Right now we're extremely overdue.

This this is timing is coincidental with a primary election. It has nothing to do with the primary election. It is just the moment that we finally got enough focus, courage, time to get it on an agenda and do all the work that we need to do. That's how I perspect perceive it. That's what I told the reporter today. You got to take up the hard things when the hard things come up regardless of where you are in election process or not because bear in mind the election process itself is nine months. Should we just stop working for nine months because there's an election a foot? No. So I just I wanted to put that out on the record. You know, do the best that you can all to my colleagues, but you got to ignore this election, you know, drama question. It's just we we do the work when we need to. That's Thank you. Okay. All right. I see lights on over here. Councilwoman Taylor. Oh, wait. Hold. Sorry. Her light was on. It's off. Yeah. Okay. Councilwoman Taylor, go ahead. So, to my colleagues, I'm trying to do everything I can to avoid us saying moratorum from this dis. That is what I'm trying to do. Um, I would not be in favor of doing them together. I think we can do the work without doing a moratorum. I've been very transparent and upfront about this from the very beginning. So that is my position.

Okay. All right. Um do you I know you wanted to make a motion. Do Oh, no. You go ahead. Well, I think my motion would be to fasttrack the text amendment with all of the things that you have heard from Councilman Ree and Councilwoman um Eert putting into that putting that into the text amendment.

Yeah. And for the record, John Sherman, City Attorney's Office, I think that's a good motion, but that's going to be have to be at the next meeting. Um we're not agendaized to hear that particular motion today. We can either the what what's on the table today is either is the moratorum and the either adoption of it or the could that be tacked on to not today. It can be asked to be put on an agenda like the next agenda to fasttrack it. It's already in process and again it would be a request for additional staff resources I imagine. So the only thing we could do today essentially is yes or no on a moratorum. Correct. Yes. on the pending moratorum, not the full mortorium, the 30-day moratorum. Correct.

Well, then I guess I'll try I'll I'll make a motion to not have a pending moratorum. Okay. Second. All right. So, I have a motion. I have a second. All those in favor say I. Discussion. I. Okay. Hold on. Um, go ahead. Thank you so much, Mr. Shipman. Um, I'm not sure I understand the uh I've never heard an sort of a double negative motion, right? I I'm not sure I understand the process. So the motion, as I understand it, is not to adopt the pending moratorum. Okay. Yes, that's my motion is to not adopt the pending moratorium.

I'm not going to support that. Um we had 7 hours of testimony from the public almost overwhelmingly saying we need a moratorum. If nothing else, that is a symbol to the public who was here and gave of their time that that is what they expect of leadership. And so at the end of the day, I I get it. This whole question about political nonsense has been very frustrating for me. Think about it. In my political life, I have been supported by the unions largely. I'm a union lawyer. So every one of my people group as unions were here saying don't do a moratorum. I've also been supported very significantly over the years by developers who are interested in building and I've been a person who was a builder and developer in my own private life. Those people do not care for the action that I take today. The Sierra Club has not been particularly kind to me because they observe some kind of vacasillation early on in the process. certainly have not been um supportive of me. So this idea that it's political is absolute hogwash. Miss Derer said it best I think by saying that you deal with the issues when they arise. The time is now for a moratorum. It is the absence of leadership to offer the alternative which is a nonmoratorium. I will not be supporting it. Your lights on. Um, I just want to express again that I just I wish we could just fill out the language of what we want on the text amendment today, but we can't. And I just again I am so afraid that the moratorum will come and go and we will not have any protections in place. So I

will vote yes. But I am extremely worried that this is not a guarantee for my community. Okay. Thank you so much. All right. Madam Mayor,

Madame Mayor, I have a couple of comments, please. I just wanted to make it clear that when I brought up the political timing of this, I meant that that was the feedback that was coming from the audience. There was urgency in the audience that this had to somehow be tied to the primary election. That is what I was talking about. That's what I was referencing. So, it's what I wanted to say. Um, the second thing I want to say is that I would like to get out of this situation and get into really robust robust protections for the community around the um regulation of data centers. And it sounds like we're going to have to accept

um a moratorum. And I'm hoping that if that if we are enter into this temporary moratorum, we can exit it just as quickly with real work on a text amendment instead of expanding this moratorum going forward. Thanks. Great. Thank you, Councilman Martinez. Yes, Madame Mayor. Thank you so much. Do you I I didn't know if you wanted to put anything on the record or are you good? Yes, I did. If I may.

Go ahead. Yeah, I think um understanding the concerns that are coming up and ensuring that we do get these processes in place. Um, you know, I I think that the the temporary pause or a moratorum and looking at ways to ensure that these policies are in place isn't necessarily a closed for business sign from my perspective, but more of let's figure this out and ensure that we're putting the right resources in place to make the best policies possible moving forward. And so, um, at this point, I don't know if I can support the current motion, um, that is in place, but if, uh, there's another motion that comes up, I would like another round of commentary depending on what that motion is, just because I have some questions based on the dates on when it come would come back. I think the city manager had mentioned that some work had already been done on the dates that would be if it were to be brought up and I just want to understand that more but at this time I don't need the responses if that motion doesn't come up but I just wanted to put all that on the record right now. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you so much. All right. Um so we will see how it goes. But I was I did want to say again I I can't thank you all enough. I I was interrupted so I kind of lost my train of thought. But what I wanted everyone to know is that it really warmed my heart um to hear your love of place and home and actually for each other. Like I said, this is a it's a tough job up here, you guys. It really really is. And when you come, we get to connect with you. We get to hear what's most important. Listen, we matter of fact, I want to say um Councilman Ree, that was actually very very raw view what you just said. um just coming out and being pretty um honest, you know, politically about, you know, there are people you support and you align with um their their groups or their initiatives such as labor. I have supported labor, you know, over and over again on initiatives um that I think are important on sometimes we can't get there. But I also support a lot of our small businesses, our environmental um our environmental groups. I met with um Olivia several times. Just so everyone knows, I think all of us up here on council have met with them. I assume Brandy, I know you've probably met with the Sierra Club. Um and and that's a good thing and that keeps the conversation over. We get to learn um from each other and and so it just can't be sort of all or nothing. And especially I that's why I think for me um it's the right thing to do and if we're called if if if we're called when we walk out of here not you're not leaders or that's not showing leadership then so be it because I think a moratorum is absolutely imminent for what we want to accomplish. So there's clarity and all of you feel

um invested in this process. Otherwise, you won't be. You'll get to hear. You know how this goes. Let me tell you how this works. This works. You're going to see stuff up on this screen up here. We're all going to deliberate. Yes, we're going to have some public comment and then after that we're going to vote. I watched it. You know what I did? I watched it with the Lear Theater and it was heartbreaking. I'm not doing that again. So anyway, okay, we're going to vote. And before we do that, I'm going to ask my council members if they have any disclosures to put on the record. Do you have any disclosures? Nope. Okay. Any disclosures? Nope. Okay. Seeing none, we're going to I have a motion

disclosure. If you have any disclosures, what what would even be a disclosure on this? Well, we take disclosures before we vote. I know. Okay. Well, any disclosures is is a good idea. So that Yeah, no disclosures for me. Perfect. Okay. Um, Madame Mayor, can I do a roll call vote? I would love that. That would be great. So, I had a motion and a second to not adopt a And this is to not adopt a moratorum. Pending moratorum. Okay. So, this is to not adopt a a pending moratorium. So, just to be clear, this is a motion to deny. Yes. Okay. Okay. So, we're going to uh vote um a roll call vote. Okay. Council member Taylor, yes.

Der, no. Martinez, no. Eert. No. Reese, no. Anderson, yes. Shivy, no. Motion fails. I'd like to make a motion. Okay. Um, I'm gonna I'm gonna send it to Councilman Ree. I just said I was Oh, I'm sorry. Um, sorry. Okay. Yeah. I just wanted to make a motion to um have the moratorum, but have it be fasttracked and really work on the I'm sorry. Is that upsetting to you?

Okay, hold on a second. Hold on a second. We're going to go into We're going to go into 15 minute recess for decorum. Wait, wait. It's called a pending moratorum. It can only be up to 30 days. That's what it is right now. Okay. Then the next one we can talk about when do we need to go into a recess before people no no everyone's going to get along up here and Okay. We're going to Okay. We're going to go into a 15minute decorum. No, no, no. I'm I'm also to fast track working separately on the text amendment. That's all he was saying. I don't think he

Yeah, just for the for the record, um we what's in play today is either adopting or not adopting the pending emotion uh the pending moratorum resolution. That motion relative to um fasttracking um the text amendment would have to come in another meeting. So the next meeting. So you're trying to say you want to do the text amendment now. That's what you're saying. I'm I'm just saying how important that that is to me that I'm voting for the moratorum or making a motion to support the moratorum. But as an aside, I'm just stressing how important it is to me that we fasttrack getting the text amendment done. Is that okay, Council Member Reese? Okay, hold on a second.

And one sec. And if I could, I apologize, Madam Mayor, but just uh for 30 days, the the that's the one thing in the resolution. Um that is that the appropriate amount? Can I help the appropriate amount? It needs to be for a maximum of 30 days, please. Because I have a date to propose I have dates to propose to council that will be less than that 30 days. So I need for a maximum of 30 days if that works for legal. That does.

Thank you. Hold on a second. Hold on. Um Chipman, just make sure you walk us through this. Explain again so the public knows. It's very confusing right now. I wanted to do a little reset. You guys could tell it was getting a little heated. So, hold on a second. I want clarity and I want calm.

Yes, I'll do a quick little walk through. So, it's a two-step process. Today in front of you is a pending is a resolution for a pending moratorum. What this does is it presses the pause button on the um processing of any applications that are going to come to the city of Reno for 30 days. and at a meeting within that 30-day period and you're going to be hearing what potentially is available. Then what if if the the resolution today passes then another resolution will come that you will be able to give direction to about a moratorum for a period of time that you determine you is sufficient to get the work done um for the text amendment and but that that'll happen at a at a later date meeting. So today you're just voting on the pending um the pending moratorum resolution if that's helpful.

And that is very common. Correct. That's our policy ordinance. Yes. That's why I'm saying it's our policy. It's our ordinance. Right. Right. That's what council I don't want people to think that we made this up. No. No. This is to again this is to press pause because we have codes that are currently in effect and what the moratorum does is presses pause and it doesn't require you to do a text amendment to press pause. So that's why we have it and that's why it's structured this way. Okay. All right. Thank you. Good clarity. And Mr. Shippen and ma madam manager um just to be clear the resolution doesn't specify a date. So do we need council to identify what that 30-day date is on the record? We do. No, that's

No, I think Shipman's saying we do that's so we had a discussion about that and that so they it's the manager requesting the maximum 30 days according to my calendar that's June 13th. So can we include that in the motion please? Yeah. Um to end on June 13th no later then June 13th please. June 13th. Thank you. Makes sense. We good? Okay. Legally, we're good.

All right. Thank you so much. All right. So, I had a motion. I had a second. Madame Mayor, I'd just like to put on the record that I'm going to support the motion because we're going to get the work done. Um, I've made my comments clear that I don't think a moratorum is the right thing to do for the community overall, but I will support the motion so we can get the work done. All right. All those um in So, roll call. Go ahead. Thank you. Council member Taylor, no. Dor, yes. Martinez, yes. Eert, yes. Reese, yes. Anderson, yes. Shivy, yes. Motion passes 61. All right.

All right. So, Mr. Shipman is now when I So, now you guys for another we need to schedule. Okay. Okay, we've identified two potential dates for the final moratorum vote and those dates are 61 or 65 and I will be out of town on 65. So I will do I'll probably have to do it remotely if that's the body. So everyone is um we've looked at all the calendars. So if you could just confirm 61. Let's start there if anyone is not available. 61. Council member Martinez

and we can probably um if you're not available jump on Zoom. I will be out of town so I'm happy to jump on Zoom. And just for the record, I'm anticipating another um long meeting. Um so my question to you, pardon, Council Der is going to sit in for me and she has the whole day. So we're good. Let's book it for 61, please.

Um plan on a 10:00 a.m. start time and book the entire day out. And my question for the body is uh given the what I've heard I believe from every single member is that you also are interested in kind of a fasttrack process. Do you want that on the same day or do you want a separate day because it can't go on a council agenda day? Yeah, I would like to as soon as possible start working on that and we can have uh Lauren come back and have collected all of your notes if that's if you're amenable to that. Yeah, I'll give my notes to uh staff and then they can kind of present what we've given them that work for council member Der. Yeah, I I would like to see a fasttrack process.

Okay. All right. Well, we'll agenda agendaize two different items then so that we can work on both. Okay, madame manager, I just want some clarity in what you're asking about. My understanding is we have already initiated a text amendment process. um is not just direction from us that we would like you to go with all due speed enough. I I don't you might be correct because the planning commission would have to hear the fasttracked items first before it comes to this body. That is correct. Yes. Okay. So, can the direction be to Lauren, not a motion, not a vote, but the direction be that you initiate the fasttrack process taking into consideration the feedback that you got from today? Yeah.

Does that work for everyone? Well, and to be clear, it it's not my ideas about what type of systems I want to see or what kind of building use. It we we have to have some experts who are planners and and brainiacs. Um we had the Sierra Club who presented an incredible white paper. The um sweep has presented one. I think Mauricio Gil has presented some information. I I don't understand what you're asking us to give to you. I'm not asking you for anything right now other than I'm confirming we have heard you that you would like a fasttrack process. Lauren will take the information that she heard from you today. She will proceed with the information over to the planning commission to do kind of a speed up process and then continue to work regionally.

Um, and I'm sorry if I missed this. It's been a long day. Is it are we going to talk about the things that we want at that next meeting June 1st and she'll take that information to work on what she presents to the planning commission? She'll meet with you. Uh she heard you today. She will take your notes from today. She will meet with you again between now and the time she gets something agendaized on the planning com planning commission. We will run in parallel paths. We will have a fasttracked CUP regulation process while simultaneously working with regional. Is that what I heard you say?

Is it possible to have staff meet directly with representatives from CR club and Okay. And I already have a meeting on the books with them. Oh, wonderful. Great. Thank you. And the tribes, I assume, as well. And that's what um the commitment was made that today. So, we'll we'll take the feedback that we heard today from all of you. We'll start that fasttrack process. Okay. And then I will agendaize for 61 the second moratorum document. Okay. Good. Yeah. All right. Sounds good. We're moving along. Um All right, Madame Mayor, we're on item C1, which is city council comments. Okay. Thank you so much. Um any council comments? We just had some. Go ahead.

I just wanted to reiterate that um my vote against the moratorum is not my vote against your protections. I just am trying to protect everybody in the in this process and I want to genuinely thank every single person that came out here today two weeks ago and I want to ask you to continue to show up during this process not only in our fasttracked cup regulation discussions but please be there at regional so that this can continue to be a seamless conversation with our community and we can make you proud with the policies and regulations we put in Okay. Uh any public comment?

No, I wanted to say something too. I also just wanted to say that um the moratorum I don't I'm not crazy about using that as a tool because um it doesn't give my community any assurances. It can end and we won't have anything in place. So I had hesitation on doing that for that reason. But I am hopeful that we will move forward with some uh meaningful um changes to our code. So um yeah, thank you. Okay. Um any public comment, Madam Clerk?

We do have public comment on item D1, Madame Mayor. Our first public commenter today is Colin McInness, followed by Brie Casper, followed by Kate Barnicki. Okay, you made it. You stayed the whole entire time. I did. It's been a long day and I'll be quick because I know everyone's tired. wants to go home probably. Um, yeah, thank you for passing the moratorum. We appreciate it. Um, I do also want to say

in our conversations with regional, I don't want us to use that as a reason to not quickly amend city code and adopt an ordinance on a city level. I think it is important to have conversations on a regional level, make sure that, you know, we're having these discussions with our partners across um, municipalities, but we shouldn't use that as an excuse to not quickly adopt an ordinance on just the city level for Reno specifically. So, that's kind of the last thing I have to say. Thank you. All right. Thanks, Bri Casper, followed by Kate Barniki, followed by Autumn Harry.

I do want to thank all you council members for being here today and for your decision to vote for a moratorum. Um, I think there was a little bit of confusion that most the people here wanting a moratorum want that expedited rules being made. Um the concern is that you guys got the opportunity to vote for this in February of last year and you didn't. And so that's where everybody's wondering like why now? Why why does this play into this moment? And thank you for clarifying all of you for about your position and how that relates to the primaries that we're getting ready for. Um I think it's really important that you all did that today in this meeting. Um, I think a lot of your colors were shown here today and I thank you so much for your time. Um, I wanted to come up at the end just to remind you that fasttracking is something that could have been done a year ago. So, if you can do this in 30 days, just ask yourself where we would be now if you did this last year. We wouldn't have six data centers in the city. We would not have people up in arms. We're 200 people here making you spend all day long here. If we had enacted some of these safeguards and regulations ahead of time, thank you Naomi Der and Eert and Martinez for being on this page since the beginning. You were the three who voted for this last year and uh everyone is paying attention now and we're all waiting with baited breath for this final moratorum and everything that comes out of it. So, I really thank you all for your time and really listening to us today because everyone does have their own piece in this and what it means to them and why they're here. Um, and you all have your own piece in this and why it matters to you and why you represent us. But I just really want to thank you for listening because it could be easy to be here for eight hours and have lots of other things to do. But the

point is that we need this time. We need you to work really hard right now. Like you said, we can get this done. We're ready to watch you guys get this done. And um we want the transparency through this process. So, it's great that you want to fasttrack. It's great that we've got this annex rules that are getting updated, but we don't want to hear about this after the fact, just like I didn't want to hear about a data center going in my neighborhood after it was being built. We should be able to have a say in this as you're building these regulations. I'm concerned about my health living this close. There's concerns about water. We want to know how you're going to address all of it. And so fasttracking, that's a great idea, but fasttracking and being very succinct, very detail- oriented, and keeping in mind all of the pieces that people have brought up here today. Thank you so much,

Kate Barniki, followed by Autumn Harry, followed by Sandy Roth. I will make this so quick because we're all tired. I am so tired right now, but thank you all for everything. Um, Naomi Naomi Dur, I want to just call out and say thank you. You were my first ward person when I moved to town in 2011 and um

you I put in something I called or left a message and you called within an hour and I appreciate that and I really appreciate everything you've had to say today. Um, so real quick uh the moratorum, thank you again. that's like a public protection because you've had time to fasttrack and work on this and it hasn't happened and I understand and it seems like people are motivated now and I really appreciate that. So I just want to say thank you because the moratorium is a way of telling the public like okay yes we are with you you know and we all understand our roles going forward. So as Bri and others have said thank you so much for that. Um and also just the transparency factor and I hope that that's something that we'll keep at the forefront of our mind as we go forward. The public needs to be engaged. The public needs to be educated. I I think someone mentioned like people are really scared. You know, if you don't present the information to them, they don't know and it goes to the worstc case scenario, you know. So, yeah, thank you for that. And um again, the whole regional versus city thing that Colin addressed, like it is a regional thing. It's a statewide thing. It's a federal thing. You know, it's a nationwide thing. Um the city is going to have to make decisions unfortunately. Yes, we're all affect each other, but maybe we could stand up and say, you know, like be the model essentially. Okay, thanks.

All right, thank you. Autumn Harry, followed by Sandy Roth, followed by Christa George. Hi, council. Autumn Harry again for the record. Just want to thank you again for voting for this pending moratorium. I can't stop smiling. Um, it feels really good after eight hours of listening to uh public comments and um, thank you all for the the conversation. Um, I just wanted to clarify. I'm I'm sorry to see that the staff uh, person had left, but when she was explaining the the tribal um, not even just consultation, but just that relationship building, it almost seemed like she was putting it on TMRPA or regional to make those connections. And I just want to hear I can clarify what the other staff members.

No, thank you for asking that question. I can understand that. What she was saying that already the regional of TMRPA the regional process includes that. We have not done that here. That was a miss and we're saying that we will make that happen moving forward. Um so two parts. Remember that the plan is you go to regional, you work with your partners, you get everyone to sign off, and then you come back to each of the individual jurisdictions to independently adopt. So, she wasn't putting it off and saying that we weren't going to do that. What she was saying is, yeah, you know, they've been doing that. We haven't, we're going to do that, too.

Okay, great. I just wanted a verbal confirmation that um just because the city is a separate entity from the regional team making sure that the city is taking that we're going to take ownership of it and lean in and do better. Thank you for asking the question. Okay. Thank you so much and uh again I'm here as an advocate for the fish. Um like I said earlier, those fish are relatives. They're so special to me and my people. And um I'm I'm also here um as an individual. I don't speak for the Pier Lake Pyute tribe um but I am a tribal member from that community. Would you do me a favor and email me your contact information? We'll make sure that you're visiting as part of this and we're hearing from you.

Yes. Yes, of course. And yeah, just again uh can't um say more about just again engaging the tribes and tribal leadership as we are sovereign nations. Yeah. No, that's been a miss and so we're going to fix it. I'm going to hand you this note over here. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Sandy Roth followed by Christa George followed by Tara Tran.

Um a few things. First, there is not a deacto moratorium in Nevada. The there is a shortage of energy from Envy Energy, but that is not stopping development. Instead, what people are doing is a they're taking it from other people like people near Truckucky. B they are building their own gas. They're bringing in gas tanks and diesel generators. that's happening in Story County. It's going to be years before they can get connected. They're still going forward. There is not a deacto moratorum. Second, I really want to thank Naomi Door and Megan Eert for persistently trying to move this forward, for being concerned about your communities, for being concerned about the environment. You're genuine, you're authentic, you work really hard, and it doesn't go unnoticed. Um, third, I have a real problem with the attempts to blame regional for the slow pace of this. You guys voted against working on um working on a text amendment. You guys canled meetings repeatedly. Dr. Smith at regional. God bless him. This is not his area of expertise. He didn't know about data centers. He doesn't draft code. He has he repeatedly and I've been either in person or virtually at all of those governing board meetings. He repeatedly told you guys it's not within their authority. We all know that project of regional significance doesn't do squat. Stonegate proves it. Right? He has been very open with you about his lack of of of authority. And you guys as recent after Keystone as recently as February, Mr. Ree Miss Anderson were saying there's not a role for a city the city. You don't see a need. This is not regional spa. It wasn't until last month that you set up this process for stakeholders and all he's going to come up with and fair enough. It's not his job is a list of best practices. He's not coming up with code. So you absolutely have to fasttrack. I understand the concern that a moratorum

might send a message, but you guys put yourself in this position. You guys haven't acted. Act now. Don't put this on regional. Don't kick it off. Don't blame Dr. Smith. do your jobs and I'm glad to see hopefully that you're going to be moving forward, but it just ticks me off that you're trying to blame regional for a mess of your own making.

No, I I listen, I do want you to understand it is really important that we work with the jurisdictions especially. I I just want you to know and here's the hard part too with regional is they meet every couple of months. Um and so they don't meet every month which I think is kind of problematic. Um that's not the problem.

But I but well I do want you to know that it it is really um and we try to be re I would say this too. The region especially when I got here they did not work well together. Did you remember the county and the city everyone was fighting? We have much better relationships. We really try to collaborate. uh we really try to say hey um kind of like we're doing on um dispatch which is really great finally um those kinds of things and so when we do them together it just makes so much sense and so I I apologize if if you feel that way um I really

I mean I've seen it I've been to all of them also Arizona has tons of of data centers Tempe Phoenix Mesa all enacted ordinances they didn't have to spend years, you know, working together to get together. I don't think we have to spend years. We'll get it done. And I want you to come to every meeting. I want you to enact an ordinance. Okay. Thank you for being here. Thank you for coming. Thank you. Thank you. Christa George, followed by Tara Tran via Zoom, followed by Damen Cole.

Thank you so much for hearing us. It was a long day and um we appreciate it. Um I have one thing u Mr. Reese, you touched on the Keystone data center and that you know it did not come here through the council. It um kind of just went through planning and we all went what and um I have a question with the Keystone data center jumping in megawatts. Is that something that constitutes repermitting? Does that constitute like them having to come back around on that because that's a change come that was not

I never saw anything about it. I've asked our staff to address that and Mr. Pingry is going to come up and give you an answer since we're just in a free flowing thing here. But yes, I understand um what your inquiry is. I asked that several weeks ago. Hi, Chris Pingri, director of development services for the record. We have been made aware of that obviously at today's meeting and we will do our best to investigate into that and come back with to this body with an answer.

Well, and Mr. Pingry, to be clear, um it's my understanding that it was approved by planning commission at like 7 megawws. They're advertising it to the public online, I think maybe at 12 megawws. So, what she's asking is the same question I've asked you previously, which is, is that like misrepresentation or are they like violating something that code compliance would say, "Oh, you were only approved to seven, but you're saying you're at 12." I it I'm not sure what the answer is. I'll let you go out and explore.

That is my understanding as well. Um, and you know, historically, the city of Reno doesn't regulate how much power usage goes into every project or any new development that comes in. that is solely controlled by Envy Energy of what their line extension agreement is applied for and approved for. And that is something we're gonna have to follow back and I would probably kick to to the attorney's office to see what our standing is in that, but we will investigate it and see what we can come. Well, and I suppose that while you're doing that, I'd like to know the one that's next door because there's one literally 100 ft away. I don't know if you know that. Um, but it's there. I'd like to know what that's using in terms of amplitude.

And I don't and honestly I don't know if we have that information. This is something we're gonna have to work with our attorney's office and with Envy Energy of what was approved and what those rated transformers and how much power is coming into those buildings. That's exactly what I was going to suggest. These are things that we need to put some teeth into that in order to have that ability to to investigate.

Um, one quick other thing with that I'm in in your investigation is just that because it was approved for that megawws when they approved it at that seven megawws. That's when they were like, "Oh, it might be a little too loud. We're going to put up these 15 foot walls around the top because it's going to mitigate that sound." Well, it's almost doubled. So, is it still going to mitigate that sound? I need to know. It's going to I hold my decel reader up every day to listen to how what my neighborhood sounds like and I'm scared to death of that 65. Scared to death. So, thank you. Thank you so much.

Can I address that one, too? So, there were specific conditions written into that cup that do give us the teeth related to noise. So, we do have a we do have a remedy in place if they are not complying with the condition use permit and the noise restrictions that were put in those 15 foot walls. the extra uh insulation around their chillers and um HVAC system. All of those things were conditioned into into that project. So, we do have teeth to go back through the code enforcement process.

Yeah. Let's get everyone a copy of this up and then do you want did you want to come and that's what kind of question like%

Chris Pingry again for the record um with that the specific conditions that were written into that conditional use permit give us the code enforcement ability to go back enforcement and enforce those rules that were put put in. Now the uh presumed or applied for um level of of power that was applied for and was presented that is not in the conditional use permit as a condition applied by applied to by our staff. So that is what we'll have to work with city attorney's office. the noise the noise regulations that is standard code and there are specific requirements that were drawn into that cup that will give us the ability for code enforcement to go out and enforce that

Tara Tran via Zoom followed by Damen Cole.

Hi. Uh I just want to say thank you so much for uh your leadership in this moment. Um I it's been a long time since I felt hope that the city council listened to its constituents and uh the people who voted for this moratorum gave me and I I know a lot of other people that and and especially the people who have been fighting this for a long time and even for the people that have turned around and shown that they're willing to learn and willing to to learn from the community. Um I really appreciate that. I appreciate the humility and the transparency I've seen. I do not appreciate um the people who have consistently voted against regulation um saying that all of a sudden, oh, they really really would love regulation, but the moratorium isn't the way to do it. Oh, we'd love regulation, but this should get passed off to regional. It's not in our hands. Um it is transparent your beliefs and I feel that it is disingenuous to pretend like by not doing it this way. It's because you really want it this other way because you have shown no effort at at at being leaders in this and protecting your community. I understand that you don't want to make developers mad. We are asking you to make developers mad. that will happen if you want to protect your community because these developers aim to extract and they aim to harm our community because they do not care about us. They care about putting money in their pockets and in yours. Um so I just want to say that in the future that leadership is necessary that you cannot be people for our community and not make anybody mad. Um, I think Devin Reese was was correct in saying that like this will probably not sit well, but I think what will really be of note in in any of of your your beliefs is what happens in

the next two weeks. And I also just want to say um green energy is not green, right? Like solar panel manufacturing uses a ton of water. The solar panel fields that are in our deserts raise ecosystems, right? And so, like, I I think there's a lot of like wanting to do this without making anybody mad, but still, you know, getting by with your community. And I just want you to know that we know there's not a way to do this that isn't harmful to the water and to the land and to the people. And we also want full consent of of impacted tribes, not just giving them a heads up. Uh, no, no lip service, please. And truly, thank you,

Damian Cole. Let me ask, is that the same TR that No, you're fine, Damian. Is that the same TR that was um that we pointed on the tenant board? No, that's Oh, okay. Okay. Okay, got it. Go ahead.

Hello. Thank you. Um I think it was very important that you passed that motion because I remember in the past we said we don't even know what a data center is and we don't have a definition for it. I thought it was interesting that a mor a pending moratorium was passed for something that we don't know what it is. But that kind of explains to me the importance of doing it. We can't even define what it is that we're trying to uh uh pass ordinances on. Um second thing, uh on Monday at 6 o'clock, the uh Reno Sparks Indian Colony is sponsoring a Truckucky River Community Forum. They do request people RSVP because as I understand they there's going to be food there. But I think it's going to be a great place to talk about these kind of issues that we've been talking about today. A lot of people seem to be concerned about the environment and so one Truckucky River is going to be there. Different constituents I'm going to be there. So yeah, just wanted to put a word out for that and thank you very much everybody.

I love that. That's awesome. All right, Madame Mayor. With that, we have no additional public comment. We did receive 86 letters via email or our public comment form after 4 p.m. yesterday. Those have been distributed to the Reno City Council and are part of the record. Can be found on reno.gov/meings. And at this time, we're on item E. Motion to adjurnn. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. All those I. What if I say no? Can I make them sit here all day and night? Revolt. You have revolt. Okay. Um, all right. Motion carries. Good night, everyone.