QuickTake:

Also at Monday’s City Council meeting: The city is seeking a contractor to repair deteriorating stairs at City Hall, and councilors approved a study to expand its wastewater system to Creswell and Junction City. 

Springfield officials provided clarity on data centers during a City Council meeting Monday, Oct. 19. 

Before public comment began, City Councilor Jill Cuadros asked City Manager Nancy Newton questions about data centers in Springfield.

“I am under the impression also that there may be residents here tonight with concerns about data centers, and I take these concerns very seriously,” Cuadros said. “Can we take a moment to establish some facts publicly on behalf of both the council and the public before we start comment?”

In response to a question from Cuadros, Newton clarified there are not any active discussions between the city and data center companies or developers about putting or expanding a facility in Springfield. 

Cuadros also asked the city manager for the city’s policy or practice regarding nondisclosure agreements, known as NDAs, in economic development. 

“The city does not participate in nondisclosure agreements,” Newton said, noting it has been the city’s practice and policy not to sign NDAs. 

The council heard two public comments regarding data centers, including from Springfield resident Marissa Chizum, who suggested the city prohibit tax breaks or fee waivers for “zero-job facilities” and define what critical infrastructure is.

“So that if something is high load and noncritical to infrastructure, making sure that it is well-defined in the policy, and also that it pays 100% of its upfront cost,” she said.

Miguel Rivas suggested the city issue official statements to the community that the city is already transparent on NDAs and that there are no discussions underway with data center companies. 

Mayor Sean VanGordon said that when it comes to hyperscale data centers, “We really don’t have land that size.”

“We are actively trying to find acreage that is 25 acres or more to keep growing the city,” VanGordon said. “We don’t have a lot of huge parcels that are just undeveloped and available.” 

In response to questions from the mayor, Newton said Springfield Utility Board would likely need to purchase more electricity for a data center. 

“It’s not just the location, but also the infrastructure that would be required to serve that large of a need,” the city manager said.

She also said tax abatements are “largely at the discretion of the state” and that she is following the issue at the state level. 

“I’ve actually been tracking data centers for a number of years, just because of the impact I think and perhaps unintended consequence if a community does have that,” Newton said. “There’s one in The Dalles, for instance, with Google that does take up quite a lot of resources, and it does impact the city of The Dalles.”

She continued, “And I think to the broader issue of what do you as a council prioritize, I think you’ve been very clear in your policies about employment and industries that bring in family wage jobs, and also looking at the highest and best use for land.”

Data centers have become a major political issue this year as construction increases to support the artificial intelligence boom and soaring cloud demand. 

The city of Eugene last month banned city employees from signing nondisclosure agreements for data centers. Two days beforehand, more than 70 people attended a Eugene City Council meeting, urging the council to pass a moratorium on new data center construction and ban employees from signing NDAs about data center development.

Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson said at that meeting there is no zone in Eugene city limits where hyperscale data centers are an accepted use of land under city code. 

The Lane County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Oct. 20, asked staff to write a policy that could ban county staff from signing confidentiality agreements with data center developers.

City Hall stair repairs

Facilities manager Mike Espinoza told councilors the city is currently requesting proposals for a contractor to repair damaged concrete on the City Hall’s south stairs, which lead to council chambers, and west stairs, the main entrance that leads to the library. 

“With damaged concrete, we’re going to have safety hazards. We’re going to have a lot of rebar that is exposed, so now we can only use half of the stair,” Espinoza said. “My job is to make sure that we maintain safe entrances.”

Project costs will be determined once the bidding process is complete, according to a memo to councilors from Espinoza. Funding will come from the city’s building preservation fund.

Regional wastewater expansion

Councilors also approved an intergovernmental agreement between Springfield, Lane County and the city of Creswell to fund a study to examine expanding metropolitan wastewater services to Creswell, Goshen and the Short Mountain Landfill. 

City Engineer Stan Petroff said the study will focus on Springfield’s Franklin-McVay wastewater trunk line and whether the pipes are big enough for the added capacity. 

Springfield is part of the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission, an intergovernmental agency that also includes Eugene and Lane County and governs the regional sewer treatment system. 

A proposal involves connecting Creswell and Junction City to the regional system. The move is intended to support economic development and housing production. 

“I’m glad to see this as a project,” VanGordon said. “This is a huge issue for south Lane County and Creswell. I mean, because basically all development is stopped down there, and I’m glad we’re just continuing to plug away and keep going forward.”

Lane County and Creswell will each pay 50 percent of study expenses and reimburse Springfield staff time.