The Johnstown Town Council unanimously approved the creation of a seven-member Data Center Advisory Committee on Monday, establishing a formal group to help the town study the issue and consider possible regulations for future developments. All six councilmembers present supported the final motion, while Councilmember Jesse Molinar Jr. was absent.
The committee will provide input as Johnstown evaluates how data centers should be addressed through its planning and regulatory process. The council did not appoint individual members during Monday’s meeting, and the vote did not approve a data center or authorize a specific development.
Before approving the committee, councilmembers debated whether the town should first gather additional information or place the broader question directly before voters. Councilmember Dianne Morris argued that Johnstown residents should have an opportunity to decide whether data centers should be allowed in the community rather than allowing an advisory group to determine the town’s direction.
Other councilmembers supported forming the committee first, saying the town needed a clearer understanding of data centers and the regulations that could apply before considering a ballot question. They indicated that the committee’s work could help the town better understand the potential effects of the facilities and define what residents would eventually be asked to approve or reject.
That distinction could be important if the council later considers referring the issue to voters. A general ballot question could ask residents whether they support or oppose data centers without addressing differences in size, location, design or operating requirements, while a more developed proposal could provide voters with specific standards and conditions to consider.
Morris ultimately joined Mayor Michael Duncan, Mayor Pro Tem Chad Young and councilmembers Nick Bashford, Damien Berg and Dee Anne Menzies in approving the committee. The group will consist of seven members, although additional details about the application process, appointments and meeting schedule were not finalized during the vote.
The committee’s role will be advisory. Any recommendations it develops would return to town officials and the Town Council for consideration, while decisions involving development regulations, a possible ballot measure or a future data-center proposal would still require action through the town’s established public process.
