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Louisa Conklin

County Council District 1

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

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.

Yes

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

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.

Agree

I see this mostly

How many data centers should be built in Frederick County? Check the answer closest to your position.

4 (allow only the data centers currently under construction in Adamstown)

I think the County needs to restrict AI data centers as much as possible for environmental and fiscal reasons. AI data centers are largely now being funded with debt and their is no clear path to consumer AI ever becoming profitable given the scope of investment in data centers.

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).

I would support a moratorium on new AI data centers.

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. 

Frederick Co should take action on the climate goals laid out in the CRRR and the CEAP and aim for greenhouse gas net neutrality by 2050. By investing in green energy, supporting public transit and following the vision for community growth laid out in the Livable Frederick Master Plan it can achieve those goals. I think AI data center development is horrible for communities, that is why I've opposed the expanded CDI, collected signatures for the data center referendum etc

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