Residents urge Rutherford County to pause data‑center approvals, call for 12–18 month moratorium

Several residents used the committee's public‑comment period to press Rutherford County for a temporary moratorium on new data centers so officials can write zoning and environmental safeguards before developers apply.

Brandon Daughtry, introduced to the committee by the chair, called for immediate action: "We need an immediate 12 month moratorium to prevent data centers of any kind until we can all work together and enforce the necessary regulations." Kathy Watts, who identified herself as a resident of District 16, cited regulatory steps taken by other municipalities and asked for a longer pause: "I would like to ask the county commission to put a 12 to 18 month moratorium on any size to a AI data center to give us time to put zoning in place..." Pat Clements, speaking from an IT professional perspective, contrasted the very large power draws of mega‑sites with the relatively small local staffing they create and recommended an advisory group and taxation rules so facilities contribute to county needs. Laura Clark said the county is in a "sweet spot" to act now and urged a pause so rules are in place before the first proposal arrives.

Speakers emphasized several recurring concerns: electricity and water demand, noise from cooling/plant equipment, unclear local regulatory definitions for data centers, and the political risk for elected officials who appear to delay. None of the public‑commenters said a specific firm had announced plans in unincorporated Rutherford County. The committee did not put a moratorium in place at this meeting; planning staff later outlined steps for producing a staff report to public works and the full commission.