Residents thank court for data-center regulation but warn of environmental and community impacts

A string of public commenters thanked the Quorum Court for adopting ordinance 26 I 56 and urged ongoing oversight and implementation safeguards. Demeter Riley of Wrightsville told the court the vote "is only the beginning because of all the unknowns about these data centers," and listed concerns including fire protection, noise levels, environmental and health impacts, electrical costs, water resources and property values.

Other commenters praised the ordinance as a model and said they would recommend it to other jurisdictions. One attorney told the court the ordinance is "very nicely written" and said she would recommend it to the Arkansas Association of Counties. Several speakers said they would continue to attend hearings, monitor permitting and advocate for equitable distribution of any benefits tied to data-center development.

Speakers raised equity questions about who receives community benefits, citing examples where city residents were prioritized over rural county residents in other projects. Public commenters requested clarity on consultant arrangements and contracts — for example, who is paying consulting firm Garver and when the arrangement began — and the court's staff offered to follow up by email with those details.