06/05/2026
I sent this to Dave Thompson Quad Cities Regional Business Journal.
June 5, 2026
Dear Mr. Thompson:
From the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal.
Thank you for reaching out to me about the proposed data center in Clinton, Iowa. As of June 5, 2026, our community has been having numerous discussions regarding this development. The next update is that there will be a vote on the proposed city council moratorium on June 9th at 5:00 PM.
This moratorium will allow for additional time for city officials, residents, experts, and stakeholders to carefully evaluate the impacts of this project prior to making irreversible decisions. Due to the magnitude and scale of this development, many people feel that the decision to put a moratorium on this project would be reasonable and necessary.
Throughout this process, residents have expressed their concern about various issues that include water consumption, power demand, environmental effects, infrastructure capacity, public transparency, zoning, as well as long-term effects on the City of Clinton. In addition, numerous residents have questioned if the estimated benefits outweigh the risk and if sufficient information will be provided from the developer to allow residents to make an educated choice on this project.
The developer of the proposed data center has a strong belief that the proposed Clinton Data Center Development Project would add a tremendous economic benefit to the surrounding community of Clinton. In addition, the developer believes that project will provide the city and region with jobs that pay wages above the median wage for the area and will also bring approximately $2 million annually in sales tax to the city of Clinton. The developer is committed to using local suppliers when possible to develop and complete this project. Furthermore, the developer believes that this project will provide a much-needed source of tax revenue for the City of Clinton.
Several residents are still uncertain; there are Important questions that have not been answered. With this in mind, as part of the upcoming moratorium vote, City Council will have an opportunity to show they are listening to the public's concerns, that the proposal will be thoroughly reviewed and that the City is taking steps to ensure that residents will be adequately represented before decisions regarding this matter are made.
I view it as more than one particular project; this is about where Clinton will go in the future and how the people that live in the area can have the chance to influence developments that affect our community for many generations to come. Any large-scale development should be held to account through an open and transparent process that fully considers potential benefits and negative impacts.
Citizens of Clinton deserve to have clear information on the projected demand for utilities, environmental ramifications, infrastructure required, the economic benefits, and any other potential costs that will, in the end, be transferred to taxpayers, to build public confidence in the Council's decision-making process by including all opportunities for residents to be heard during the process.
The City Council meeting on June 9, 2026 is poised to be one of the most highly attended and participatory meetings in the history of the City of Clinton, Iowa, with residents from all over the community coming together to speak about this project and the moratorium. The decision by the Council during this meeting will also likely shape the next phase of this discussion and whether or not further public engagement and additional study will take place prior to taking further action on this issue.
I think we can all agree that this type of decision should be reviewed thoroughly and have a lot of participation by the public.
The future of Clinton should not only be determined by outside sources of investment; it should also be determined by the voices of the citizens of Clinton.
The City Council Meeting on June 9, 2026 is the focus of all present and future discussions on this issue, and the results of this vote will help establish a path forward for the proposed data center and future development in Clinton.
Thank you for allowing me to respond.
Sincerely,
Bryant Barnette
Community Advocate Clinton, Iowa
"Storm of the Future"