Florence council appoints seven‑member data‑center advisory committee; resident urges moratorium

The Town Council voted to expand its data‑center ad‑hoc advisory committee from five to seven members and approved appointments after staff reported the application and interview process.

Jeff Graves, who presented the committee recommendations, said the town received 13 applications and interviewed 12 candidates; staff recommended appointing Jared Salas, Dylan Lewis, Aaron Pajak, James Stewart, Jane Fillmore, Dean Keller and Robert Sears. Graves told council that 10 of the 13 applicants were residents and that four of the seven recommended members are residents; he said staff anticipates beginning meetings in November and aims for two meetings per month to complete work within about four months.

At the call to the public, Kathleen Lehman asked whether any appointees were Florence residents and urged the council to impose "at least a 1 year moratorium on reviewing, changing any zoning, or approving any data centers" until the advisory committee issues recommendations and the town adopts zoning and code protections. Lehman cited the state pause on sales‑tax exemptions for new data centers and other Arizona cities’ stricter ordinances as precedents and urged the council to allow the advisory process to inform policy before approvals proceed.

Council members who led the selection process described the panel as balanced and objective and said residency was considered but not required; in response to Lehman, Jeff Graves confirmed the residency breakdown for applicants and appointees and committed to returning committee findings to council.