Data Center Questionnaire Responses

We sent e-mails to every County Commissioner, School Board member and Village of Indiantown Council member.

The e-mails asked three questions. They are all data center related.

We also e-mailed every candidate for Commission, School Board and Village Council and asked for their responses as well.

We received 12 replies. If you do not see the person on the list, they simply did not respond.

Thank you to all that serve. Thank you to all who are running for office to serve. Your Participation is duly noted and appreciated

Thank you to the citizen that cares to know the answers and votes.

Martin County Commission

Subject: Candidate Questionnaire – Temporary Pause on Large Data Center & Industrial Approvals

We are writing as residents and local advocates tracking the rapid advance of large-scale data center and industrial projects in and around the Village of Indiantown. Several major proposals and entitlements are moving forward in parallel, often with limited public process and no cumulative review of water, power, traffic, noise, and environmental impacts.

We are asking every candidate for Village Council and Martin County Commission the same three questions. Your responses will be published so voters can see where each candidate stands.

Please reply to this email with your answers by close of business, 7 August 26.

Question 1 Will you support a temporary moratorium (pause) on new data-center and large-scale industrial site-plan approvals in the western Indiantown / Warfield corridor while the Village and County complete a cumulative infrastructure and environmental impact study? Yes, but I do not believe the Martin County Commission has any power in the village of Indiantown policies. But I would support a pause if within the Commission power

Question 2 During any such temporary pause, will you support updating the Land Development Regulations to add clear standards addressing data-center and heavy industrial impacts, including water use, noise, heat, buffering, and lighting in keeping with SB484? Yes there needs to be clear guard rails to insure no harm or long term financial impacts/burdens on the tax payers in the event technology renders the data centers no longer viable. I would be in favor of a bond to pay for complete removal and clean up in the event this happens.

Question 3 Will you commit to requiring a cumulative-impact analysis (water, power, traffic, environment) before supporting any additional large industrial or data-center approvals in this corridor? Yes there needs to be a full vetting of any unexpected or intended consequences that may arise from a center.

Please reply with a clear Yes / No / or short explanation for each question. Thank you for your time and for your willingness to state your position publicly.

John Dial

1.Yes, but I do not believe the Martin County Commission has any power in the village of Indiantown policies. But I would support a pause if within the Commission power

2. Yes there needs to be clear guard rails to insure no harm or long term financial impacts/burdens on the tax payers in the event technology renders the data centers no longer viable. I would be in favor of a bond to pay for complete removal and clean up in the event this happens.

3.Yes there needs to be a full vetting of any
unexpected or intended consequences that may arise from a center.

Christopher “Doc” Collins

Martin County School Board

Question 1 Do you believe the School Board should formally evaluate and take a public position on the potential long-term health and learning impacts (including infrasound, heat-island effects, and water-related concerns) of large data centers or heavy industrial facilities located near schools?

Question 2 Will you support requiring a health and environmental proximity analysis—focused on student exposure—before any large data center or heavy industrial project is approved within a distance that could affect school sites?

Question 3 Will you advocate for protective standards or a temporary pause on such projects near schools until the long-term effects of continuous exposure to infrasound, heat, and water impacts on children are properly studied and addressed?

Charles “Chuck” Winn

YES. My position is that AI data centers can only be justified being built on remote, sparsely populated or unpopulated federal lands for the purposes of maintaining superiority over potential military adversaries of the U.S. Research and development is in progress to develop self-contained PAC Plants (i.e. mini-nuclear reactors to power these data centers.) This would make a classic textbook case of the need for government oversight and regulation in a free enterprise system. AI data centers should be banned in populated areas until all potential hazards and mitigating actions are scientifically tested and they don’t deprive the public of their energy requirements from the existing power grid.
YES
YES

CHRISTIA LI ROBERTS

YES to the formally evaluate part of this question – After attending the June 20^th meeting, I confirmed with the Martin County School District (MCSD) that we do have an Interlocal Agreement with the Village of Indiantown in place where the MCSD is included in the development review process. I was also made aware on July 10, 2026 that Superintendent Maine submitted a formal follow-up letter to Village Manager Kryzda reinforcing the MCSD’s commitment to maintaining open communication and a strong working relationship with the Village. Florida School Boards only have power as a single entity, with no power given to an individual board member. A “public position” would be a question for the School Board to discuss at a properly advertised meeting.
NOT APPLICABLE – The duties and powers of a Florida School Board are designated by Statute. We do not have the authority to require an applicant to present an analysis. As I mentioned at the June 20^th meeting, based on my experience on the City of Stuart Local Planning Agency for 15 years, the LDR’s (Land Development Regulations) of the Village would be the place to look for what reviews are required. And, that document should reflect the will of the people, which typically happens with expected changes or modifications on a 5 year cycle during the EAR (Evaluation and Appraisal Report). That being said, the health and safety of students on our school sites is of utmost concern; and the Interlocal Agreement allows us to participate in discussions of proposed development that impact our school sites.
NOT APPLICABLE – Again, the duties and powers of a Florida School Board are designated by Statute. We will always be looking out for students at our school sites. This is precisely why there is an Interlocal Agreement that allows us to participate in the review process. The question of a “protective standards or a temporary pause” is a more legal question and I would need to have our Attorney give an opinion on that question. Please let me know if you are interested in me asking our Attorney for an opinion.

Jackie Gary Clarke

Amy Pritchett

Yes. I believe the School Board should look carefully at any potential long-term impacts on students including things like noise, heat, and water concerns when large facilities are proposed near our schools. If the information raises real questions about student well-being, I would support the Board discussing it openly and taking a formal public position if needed. That decision, of course, has to come from the full Board working together.
Yes, I support making sure we understand how these projects could affect students before they move forward. I would push for the Board to request and carefully review any health or environmental information related to student exposure. Creating a formal requirement is something the Board would need to decide together, and I won’t speak for the entire Board, but I will always advocate for putting our students first.
I will advocate for whatever protective steps are necessary to keep our kids safe and focused on learning. If the science shows continuous exposure could be harmful, then we should take that seriously and push for appropriate standards or temporary pauses until we have better answers. Again, those are decisions the full Board would make after reviewing the facts, and I will always bring a student-centered voice to that conversation. At the end of the day, my priority is the children in our classrooms. I’m happy to keep listening, learning, and working with the community and my colleagues to make sure we get this right.I have had a conversation with our Superintendent, and I will continue to follow this closely.

Milly Blanco

Cherie White

YES
YES – https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai26-1384.pdf
YES

Village of Indiantown Council

Subject: Candidate Questionnaire – Temporary Pause on Large Data Center & Industrial Approvals

We are asking every candidate for Village Council and Martin County Commission the same three questions. Your responses will be published so voters can see where each candidate stands.

Please reply to this email with your answers by close of business, 7 August 26.

Question 3 Will you commit to requiring a cumulative-impact analysis (water, power, traffic, environment) before supporting any additional large industrial or data-center approvals in this corridor?

Please reply with a clear Yes / No / or short explanation for each question. Thank you for your time and for your willingness to state your position publicly.

Ana Farias

YES — with a defined purpose and reasonable timeline.
I would support a temporary, legally appropriate pause on new data-center and large-scale industrial site-plan approvals in the western Indiantown/Warfield corridor if that time is used to complete a comprehensive cumulative infrastructure and environmental impact review. This is not about stopping growth. It is about making sure Indiantown understands the long-term costs and impacts before making decisions that may be difficult or impossible to reverse.
YES. I support reviewing and updating our Land Development Regulations so they clearly address the impacts associated with data centers and large industrial development, while remaining consistent with Florida law, including applicable requirements under SB 484.
YES. Before I support additional large-scale industrial or data-center development in this corridor, I want to understand the cumulative impact, not simply evaluate each project as though it exists by itself. That means looking at water and wastewater capacity, electricity demand, roads and traffic, emergency services, drainage, environmental impacts, nearby agricultural and residential properties, and the financial responsibility for necessary infrastructure improvements. I am not anti-development or anti-business. I support responsible economic development that creates opportunities for Indiantown while protecting the residents and businesses already invested here.Once land is developed and infrastructure capacity is committed, some decisions cannot easily be undone. Taking the time to ask the right questions before approving major projects is responsible planning—not opposition to growth.

Christa Miley

Yes. If elected, I would support a temporary, legally defensible pause while we complete a comprehensive cumulative impact study. Before approving additional large-scale industrial development, we should fully understand the combined impacts on our water supply, roads, public services, environment, and quality of life. Responsible planning requires good data. Not guesswork.
Our Land Development Regulations should reflect today’s development challenges. I support updating our standards to address water demand, noise, lighting, heat, setbacks, buffering, traffic, and other operational impacts so that any future proposals are reviewed under clear, objective standards that protect residents while providing certainty for applicants.
Yes. I believe decisions should be based on the cumulative effects of development, not each project in isolation. Before supporting additional large industrial or data-center projects, I would expect a thorough analysis of water availability, utility capacity, transportation impacts, environmental effects, and consistency with our Comprehensive Plan. Residents deserve confidence that growth will not outpace our infrastructure or compromise our community’s future.

Anthony D. Dowling

Yes. It’s imperative that we understand how all new developments but especially those that are large scale industrial projects will impact our water, electricity, infrastructure and health before we can even consider moving forward. I believe newly enacted legislation gives us the legal basis to do so.
Yes. Senate Bill 484 provides new legislative and legal mechanisms that empower local governments to better regulate data center development. I believe SB484 acknowledges that some municipalities, like Indiantown, have outdated land development regulations and specifically gives us the space to pause such developments for the purpose of studying impacts and updating regulations.
Yes. It’s important to understand development as a cumulative process — where one action builds upon the one before it. Therefore, as we study the impact of hyperscale data center development or other large industrial projects, we must look at how the impacts, when combined, affects our health and resources.

Janet Hernandez

Yes. Our current regulations were never designed for projects of this magnitude.

I fully support a temporary pause while we evaluate what options are available to the Village, review our existing regulations, and learn from how other communities are addressing these types of developments. Taking the time to get it right is far better than rushing into decisions that could have long-term consequences for our residents.
Yes, I support this 100%. It’s encouraging to see more residents taking the time to learn about the regulations and decisions that directly affect our daily lives. An informed community is a stronger community. My previous appointee to the Planning, Zoning, and Appeals Board (PZAB) was someone who did the research, asked the tough questions, and fought for what was in the best interest of our residents. That’s exactly the kind of dedication these appointments require. PZAB members play a critical role in shaping the future of our Village. That’s why it’s so important that engaged residents continue to stay involved, pay attention, and participate. Our community is strongest when our residents have a voice.
Yes, I do commit to requiring a cumulative impact analysis. It’s important to know exactly how we the residents will be impacted. I also committed to making sure that there is a way for the public to know the progress of projects.

Karen Osanger

(Even though the questions were not specifically answered here is the answer)

Thank you so much for your questions. I called for a 90 pause on all applications and did not receive a second on my motion. I have already instructed staff to start to work creating updated LDRs to specifically address Large Load customers of all types. I will continue to work on new parameters that address water, electricity, noise and other issues. I would like to change some zoning regulations and only allow heavy industrial in heavy industrial zoning. If re elected I will protect our community.

Carmine Dipaolo

The Mayor told us “You are barking up the wrong tree” and “I do not have an interest in that crap, go away”