Sugarloaf Alliance
Preservation * Smarter Growth * Transparency in Government
Development near Sugarloaf (west of I-270 and north to the Monocacy River) should remain protected and free from commercial and industrial development. Check one
Strongly agree
A Green Infrastructure Plan should be completed and adopted before approving major new industrial rezonings. Check one.
Strongly Agree
Agreed. And community input should be sought and weighed heavily before any approvals are considered.
If elected, do you pledge to never sign an NDA with a data center developer or other developer, nor to be bound by an NDA signed by another county official with a data center developer or any other developer? Check one.
No
I pledge to never sign an NDA with any developer or be bound by any NDA executed by another county official and any developer unless that NDA pertains directly to matters of County security, protection of County employees, security of County residents, or in the protection of minors, and limitations thereof.
County legislation should be developed to prohibit County Council members, the County Executive, and county staff from signing any NDA that restricts their ability to inform the public, deliberate openly, or carry out their public duties. Check one.
Strongly agree
I agree wholeheartedly. And we must ensure that such legislation considers matters of County security, protection of County employees, security of County residents, or in the protection of minors, and limitations thereof.
Frederick County should fund a thorough, independent cost-benefit analysis of data center impacts, specifically on Frederick County, regardless of any analysis that may be conducted by the State of Maryland on State level impacts. Check one.
Strongly agree
Further, this study should be conducted by a disinterested third-party whose payment and reconciliation is not dependent upon the results of their study, the findings should be reported directly to the public, and data utilized in their findings must be publicly available in electronic format.
How many data centers should be built in Frederick County? Check the answer closest to your position.
As many as allowed inside the original 1,586-acre Critical Digital Infrastructure Overlay Zone proposed by the Planning Commission.
The County should not have moved forward with any datacenters until a study was completed. However, as we have already begun the process on the original centers, in order to avoid the costs associated with breach of contract, I will select the original 1,586 acres. This being said, I will still place a moratorium on future build, even on current build, until results of a formal study are in hand.
What new county data center legislation would you endorse? Check all you support.
Increased distances to residences and public uses, Stricter noise limits, Stricter water use limits, Stricter design, height, and screening limits, Efficiency and power consumption limits, Full disclosure of electricity consumption, water consumption, height and footprint, backup generation capacity, noise and lighting impacts, and infrastructure needs and requirements of proposed data centers., An independent, third-party regularly monitoring data center operation (e.g. noise, water consumption) that reports its results publicly, including additional testing triggered by resident complaints or changes in operations., Mandatory corrective actions within a defined timeframe, with meaningful penalties or operational restrictions if compliance is not achieved (if post-construction monitoring shows a data center exceeds approved limits)., A moratorium on new data centers
I would work with the Council to introduce legislation that requires datacenter owner/operators bear all costs associated with electricity, water use, urban/rural surrounds, disposition of equipment upon end-of-use/life, and both build and upgrade infrastructure. No company should be permitted to operate a business that disrupts our citizen's homes or lives or requires taxpayer dollars at its end of life.
What are your thoughts concerning environmental issues, preservation, development, transparency in government, and data centers in Frederick County? Describe any priorities, tradeoffs, or concerns that guide your thinking.
We have one chance to preserve land. Once it's gone, it will never come back. I'm committed to protection of our land and environment. I'm proud of the County's Office of Energy and Environment and will support their mission. We must do everything we can to protect this earth.
I'm dedicated to transparency and honesty in government. I promise to open floodgates of information, insist government decision-making be conducted publicly, and encourage public-access and comment in this process.
Introduction of datacenters was deceptive. I intend to place a moratorium on datacenter development and will prohibit growth until we have answers regarding health, electricity costs, and water consumption. We must ensure no negative impact on communities. And all costs- build, operation, and dissolution- must be born by the owner and addressed in contract. Tax revenue is a priority, but it cannot overshadow the health and well-being of our citizens.