Data center ordinance

Questioned Valero's remaining water use and argued the city should maintain industrial water supply during droughts and structure water rates fairly in the upcoming rate analysis.

Urged the council to prepare an emergency moratorium now rather than wait, worried big tech companies could buy in later and turn Benicia into what California Forever-style players want.

Said California already has 280 data centers and questioned why more are needed, citing water, energy, noise, and toxic pollution concerns; asked the city to start a moratorium.

Said friends in North Carolina experienced a bait-and-switch after a data center arrived — higher utilities, constant noise — and urged the council not to let that happen here.

Opposed data centers on privacy, noise, and AI concerns, saying she lives close enough that the noise would force her to leave, and asked for strong guardrails.

Asked about the noise ordinance's decibel limits and whether a 24/7 data center could be heard at nearby homes; urged the council to consider residential neighbors at 2 a.m.

Asked whether data center noise would be constant, whether large private parcels could host them, and how the public would learn when an application is filed.

Acknowledged the safety measures in the ordinance but asked the council to slow down, learn from other cities' regrets about data centers, and consider the impact on east-side housing plans.

Said everything she's read about data centers elsewhere is horrible — busted grids, broken tax promises — and urged more time or a moratorium.

Praised the young people who spoke at the Planning Commission hearing and worried about multiple data centers clustering in the industrial park; suggested a limited moratorium.

Urged the council to protect water, demand non-potable cooling, cap the number of data centers, and prefer a moratorium so nothing 'squeaks in' during the gap.

Said she's frightened of data centers and too many unknowns remain, including pipeline routes through town and oversight of the Valero fuel deal.

As a technologist, said the hysteria is about hyperscalers but still backed a pause, citing backup battery limits and industry consolidation unknowns.

Asked whether the council could pass the ordinance and a moratorium simultaneously to close the loophole as fast as possible.

The former vice mayor walked through Benicia's tight water arithmetic and urged that any data center face the same rationing as residents during droughts.

Spoke online in support of the zoning update and against adding a moratorium.

From the Citizens Oversight Industrial Safety Commission, said promised air monitoring money never materialized and asked what tax revenue a data center would actually generate.

Favored a moratorium until the rules are right, while flagging technology change, cleanup requirements, and water and power capacity for coming development.

Called for an immediate moratorium until the community has more time, flagging CEQA baseline issues, missing decibel limits, water caps, and cleanup rules.