Pine Island — Transcript
Monday, October 5, 2026
Opposition to Project Skyway Data Center
2027 Preliminary Levy and Budget Approval
Land Use and Development Projects
Employee Benefits and Workforce Transition
North Zumbro Sanitary District Progress
Votes (12)
Public Input on Project Skyway Data Center
Dissent: Multiple public speakers expressed strong opposition to the data center and the council's past decisions.
Several community members and activists spoke out vehemently against Project Skyway, a Google hyperscale data center. They criticized the lack of transparency in its initial approval, highlighting community sentiment polls showing 75% local opposition, and national polls showing similar results. Concerns were raised about environmental impacts, particularly water consumption, and the alleged manipulation and deception of the public. Speakers also pointed to potential job displacement by AI and called for the City Council to rescind contracts and end tax breaks for the project. David Montquin explicitly called for elected officials who refuse to cancel the project to be voted out of office.
Resolution 2640 Certifying Proposed 2027 Preliminary Levy
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:20:00] · Seconded by Council Member [00:20:05]
The recommended 7.92% levy increase for 2027 was presented. Despite the increase, property owners are projected to see a slight decrease in property taxes (approx. $487 per $100,000 valuation) due to increased tax capacity, provided home valuations do not change. The budget includes a 3% staff COLA, increased fire department payroll, officer pay increases, a 12.29% increase in the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office contract, and a $2.50 per capita increase for Broa area ambulance. Health and dental insurance premiums are budgeted at a 22% increase as a conservative estimate, expected to lower by December. No large projects are budgeted for 2027, indicating a lean budget.
Resolution 2641 Approving Proposed 2027 Preliminary Budget
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:20:50] · Seconded by Council Member [00:20:55]
This item followed the preliminary levy approval and was presented in conjunction with it. The budget outlines spending increases for staff compensation, public safety contracts, and city operations. It also includes funding for a new full-time staff member at City Hall/License Bureau, $30,000 for additional seating and shade at the pool, and an additional $30,000 for the park board to assist with tree removal and building/parking maintenance.
Request to Approve Employee Assistance Program Agreement
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:23:45] · Seconded by Council Member [00:23:50]
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) agreement was presented as a staff benefit to aid in retention. Through membership with the Southeast Service Cooperative (SSC), the cost was significantly reduced from $2,000 a year to about $280 annually ($18 per employee). The program offers short-term counseling, financial counseling, and mental health benefits not always covered by standard insurance. Funds are available for immediate implementation for the remainder of the year and will be included in the 2027 budget.
Resolution 2642 Approving Minor Subdivision (Logic of English)
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:27:30] · Seconded by Council Member [00:27:35]
This minor subdivision application from Logic of English involves a simple land transfer, not the creation of new parcels. The property owner wishes to acquire a strip of land between their property and Highway 52, which is currently owned by an adjacent property to the north. This transfer would consolidate frontage for Logic of English. The Planning Commission found the transfer made sense, and a title opinion confirmed the land was clear for transfer. The updated resolution includes full legal property descriptions for clarity.
Resolution 2643 Approving the Final Plat for the Walther Edition
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:32:00] · Seconded by Council Member [00:32:05]
The resolution involves a preliminary and final plat for approximately 22 acres, creating eight new commercial lots and one out block on the Walther property along County Road 11. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval. Goodhue County provided comments on access points, preferring all access through an extension of Second Street off County Road 11, and suggested potential future turn lanes if traffic grows. A condition related to stormwater ponding improvements was discussed, confirming the city would complete these and that the plat could be recorded before completion.
Request to Approve Aquatic Center Slide Pay Application Number 3
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:34:40] · Seconded by Council Member [00:34:45]
Pay Application #3 for the aquatic center waterslide project was presented for approval. Payment was initially withheld due to remaining cleanup and timeline issues with the contractor. Following a meeting, the contractor agreed to perform cosmetic and additional work to compensate for delays. This application covers the majority of the slide and pump delivery and installation costs. A final Pay Application #4, for the $25,000 retainage, will be held until next month to ensure all agreed-upon work is documented in writing.
Resolution 2644 Accepting Bid for the Water Service Replacement Program
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:38:20] · Seconded by Council Member [00:38:25]
The City received a low bid from BCM Construction for $619,936 to replace 47 lead and galvanized water service lines as part of a Department of Health goal. The City secured a million-dollar grant for this program, making the bid well within budget. The project will include reimbursement for design and oversight costs. The next step is to send the award information to the Public Facilities Authority for a project-specific grant agreement, with work anticipated to begin next spring, with two years to spend the funds. BCM Construction is a reputable contractor with whom the city has worked before.
Request to Approve Parking Lot Improvement at Trailhead Park
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:42:00] · Seconded by Council Member [00:42:05]
Three quotes were presented for removing an existing broken concrete pad east of the cheese factory building at Trailhead Park and replacing it with asphalt, extending to Borrowed Lake. The lowest quote was from SNL Contracting for $31,770, which was significantly lower than others because they are already working on other projects in town and did not need to charge mobilization fees. The park board referred the request to the city council due to quorum issues but supported the project. A 6-inch concrete buffer will be left along the cheese factory due to its historic nature, with plans for large planters for landscaping.
Request to Approve 2026 Street Improvement Project Pay Application Number 4
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:45:20] · Seconded by Council Member [00:45:25]
Pay Application #4 for the 2026 street project, totaling $579,590.67, was presented for work completed in August, including surfacing items, aggregate base, and utilities. Approximately $64,000 will be retained. The contractor's completion date is the end of the month, and while it's anticipated to be close to that, it may run slightly over. Elcon work is expected to continue this week with surfacing. The substantial completion includes all project work except the final pavement lift and structure adjustment, which will happen next year. The area by the school was completed in time for school.
Resolution 2645 Ordering the Assessments (2026 Street Improvement Project)
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:48:30] · Seconded by Council Member [00:48:35]
This resolution initiates the process for assessing property owners for their share of the 2026 Street Improvement Project. The total estimated project cost is $2.64 million, with an assessment amount of $561,730.74, based on the assessment policy. Individual letters detailing the proposed assessments will be sent out within the week, providing property owners with a minimum of two weeks' notice before the public hearing. The project cost is an estimate as some items, like the final lift of pavement, will occur next year.
Resolution 2646 Ordering the Public Hearing on Assessments (2026 Street Improvement Project)
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member [00:49:30] · Seconded by Council Member [00:49:35]
Following the ordering of assessments, the council set a public hearing date for October 6th at 6 p.m. to discuss the proposed assessments for the 2026 Street Improvement Project. This fulfills the state statute requirement for a public hearing, allowing property owners to provide feedback on the assessments.
Notable Quotes (14)
One of the consequences of keeping it under the wraps was that there was a lot of people upset because they felt like they were manipulated and deceived around this project and we're still dealing with that aftermath.
You know how we all know there's no democratic process happening here in Pine Island? When there is a unanimous 5 to zero vote in favor of every decision leading to the data center approval, including but not limited to deciding to zone light industrial, even though it's clearly of an industrial nature, order approving an orderly annexation agreement, approving a tax abatement, approving the final plat and au to name a few.
Both parties on the Pine Island City Council do have the authority to rescind or cancel building contracts. Anything short um of cancing the construction contracts on this project is a betrayal of the working people in Pine Island.
Its scale, energy consumption, cooling infrastructure, noise, and environmental impacts demand rigorous independent scrutiny. A light industrial zoning label does not make a hyperskll data center light, nor should it be used to sidestep the level of environmental review a project of this magnitude demands.
Just because we are looking at a levy increase, that does not mean that we are looking at property tax increases due to our tax capacity increase, uh we are actually looking at a slight decrease.
As part of our membership with the Southeast Service Cooperative, um, they give us a reduced price entry into an employee assistance program, an EAP.
It's not reszoning any of the land. It's just transfer of land.
The parcel in which the pond sits on is a property that the city intends to retain. Um there is an existing pond for the subdivision directly to the west. So this would be an addition to that pond. The city is going to assume ownership that portion of the pond also.
The intention would be that we would be able to record the plot plat without those improvements and those improvements would come at the time of the other public improvements we had.
The city did receive a million dollars in grant funding, uh, for 47, uh, service line replacements. And, um, so recently, we opened bids on the, uh, on the replacement of those 47 lead service lines. Uh, we received, uh, seven bids, and the low bid was BCM Construction.
The area that they're moving the concrete removing the concrete, are they putting concrete back or it's going to be asphalt to ash, right? Y just asphalt.
I think a reason why there's such a big discrepancy between their quote and the other two quotes is they are already doing work in town on other projects. And so they uh didn't have to put their mobilization fees on this. And so that is why there's such a discrepancy.
Their completion date is the end of the month. So, uh we are um anticipating it's going to be close to that. Uh we have a another meeting. We've asked for an updated schedule for them because that date is rapidly approaching here, but um econ work is supposed to uh continue here this week with the servicing items in the next uh couple weeks here.
In total the project cost is estimated to be around 2.64 64 million. Um, and that's estimated because we are estimating some of the costs for next year for the final lift of of pavement and then some of the items uh that they need to wrap up with here uh towards the end of the month as well.
Ordinances & Resolutions (12)
Minutes from a previous City Council meeting, part of the consent agenda.
Certifying proposed 2027 preliminary levy.
Approving the proposed 2027 preliminary budget.
Agreement for an employee benefit program.
Approving a minor subdivision for Logic of English.
Approving the final plat for the Walther edition.
Payment request for the summer water slide project.
Accepting bid for the water service replacement program.
Payment request for work completed on the street improvement project.
Ordering the assessments for the 2026 Street Improvement Project.
Ordering the public hearing on assessments for the 2026 Street Improvement Project.
Proposed Google hyperscale data center in Pine Island, highly opposed by public speakers.