Public commenters press council for sequencing, local jobs on Sabey data center

Butte, Mont. — During public comment at the Feb. 11 Committee of the Whole meeting, residents and union members urged the council to use the pending Sabey data center agreement as leverage to secure local jobs and to avoid tying up the county’s development capacity.

Evan Barrett said he saw an agreement posted online and urged the county to pursue three separate buy-sell agreements for the potentially affected parcels so the county can sequence development rather than committing all capacity to one company for a decade. "We should be talking about sequencing — each should be separate deals," Barrett said, and he urged the county to press the company for firm job numbers during the six-month window he referenced.

Brian O'Connell, David Lowell and Steven Thompson, each identifying as local IBW journeymen, said they and their peers would welcome work close to home rather than traveling for opportunities. O'Connell said local careers would mean "a significant boom to my family" and asked the council to prioritize opportunities that keep workers local.

Council members acknowledged the comments and noted that the data-center project was scheduled for an informational presentation at a later meeting; commissioners said the council would take public input into account as committee presentations and negotiations proceed.