Augusta council reviews easement, 2027 bond package, data centers

The Augusta City Council held an informational meeting covering a Greater Augusta Utility District stormwater easement at Maycumber Park, the 2027 capital improvement program and November referendum bonds, and a first discussion of data centers. Councilors also heard public comment and updates on the separate school referendum question. No formal votes were taken.

Key points

• Staff presented a requested utility easement at Maycumber Park on Gage Street for a stormwater separation project; councilors raised no objections and agreed to place it on a future agenda.
• City Manager Jared Mills outlined the 2027 capital improvement plan, including about $7.37 million in referendum borrowing for items such as Civic Center bleachers and switchgear, a pool, a fire station roof, an eight-bay public works garage, a rescue vehicle, and road work on Mount Vernon Road, Spring Road, and Church Hill Road.
• Councilors discussed the separate school referendum question on expanding Farrington School, noting the roughly $53.5 million project would be state-funded, with construction expected from summer 2028 to summer 2030.
• Staff said Augusta's land use ordinance currently has no category that would allow a data center, and councilors debated whether to enact a moratorium; no decision was made.
• A resident who formerly worked at data centers urged the city to stay open for business and pursue an ordinance rather than a moratorium.
• Public comment also included a resident's request for a public safety policy on restaurants and a speaker raising personal claims about federal surveillance programs.

Next steps

• Staff will bring the Maycumber Park easement to a future council agenda.
• City staff will gather more information on data centers, including how other communities handled moratoriums and rejections, and return to the council at a later meeting.
• The city manager will seek the corporation counsel's opinion on whether a data center moratorium is needed.
• City offices, including Lithgow Library and Hatch Hill, will be closed Monday for Indigenous Peoples Day.

Read the full transcript