The Fergus Falls Daily Journal reports…

County Commission District 2 incumbent Wayne Johnson and challenger Jeff Gontarek participated in a forum Saturday, Sept. 26, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of East Otter Tail County and the National Organization for Women Fergus Falls chapter at the Otter Room in Ottertail.

In the wide-ranging forum, Johnson and Gontarek addressed multiple topics including property taxes, emergency services, their top three priorities and their thoughts on data centers.

Here’s what they said about data centers…

Johnson said county-wide zoning faces resident push back over land rights and recommended that townships adopt their own zoning ordinances to prevent unregulated development outside city limits. He said data center construction would damage local roads through heavy truck traffic. He would require decommissioning plans and bonds for large developments, similar to proposals for solar and wind farms, so land can be restored and money is available if a company abandons a site. He said wind and solar farms are acceptable in the right locations, and that rural Minnesota may currently be less attractive to data center developers than North Dakota.

Gontarek said he opposes data centers in Otter Tail County at this time. He cited about 25 hours of research and said he found they do not create significant numbers of jobs. He also questioned the return on investment for the tax base and raised concerns about water use, noting that local river levels are low. He said existing problems such as roads and taxes should be addressed before new developments are considered.