Moving Forward on Data Centers and Property Enforcement

One of the things I promised when I ran for Russell Township Trustee was that I would not simply talk about issues and leave them sitting on a shelf. I would push for action.

That is why I am asking for an up-or-down vote at our October 15 Board of Trustees meeting on my resolution directing the Russell Township Zoning Commission to begin examining data centers and recommend a path forward for the Township.

I have written before about my position on data centers. I am not opposed to technology, artificial intelligence, or data centers as a matter of principle. But Russell Township is overwhelmingly residential and semi-rural. We rely on wells and septic systems. We value our trees, open spaces, quiet roads, and the character of this community.

We should not wait until someone proposes a data center to begin asking what our zoning code says about them.

My resolution does not ban data centers. It does not predetermine what the Zoning Commission should recommend. It simply asks the Commission to study the issue, examine our current zoning regulations, and come back to the Board with recommendations for how Russell should address this type of development going forward.

I believe that is responsible planning.

At the same time, I am also moving forward on another issue I discussed repeatedly during last year’s campaign: vacant, neglected, and blighted properties.

I have been working with our Board Administrator to identify properties requiring Township attention and to begin using the enforcement tools available to us. This week, notices are going out to numerous properties.

This is the beginning of the enforcement effort I promised during the campaign.

I would have liked to get to this work sooner.

But local government occasionally has a way of rearranging your priority list for you.

Much of this year has understandably been dominated by major fiscal and administrative issues. We dealt with complicated budget questions, the resignation of our Fiscal Officer, the retirement of our previous Board Administrator, the hiring and transition of a new Board Administrator, and extensive hearings and negotiations with the Geauga County Budget Commission.

Those issues required significant time and attention, and rightfully so.

They also produced an important result. I was happy to vote for significant property tax reductions while continuing to protect the services our residents expect from Russell Township.

Now, with much of that work behind us, I want to turn more attention toward some of the other commitments I made when I asked residents for their votes.

That means looking ahead instead of waiting for problems to arrive.

It means examining issues such as data centers before an application lands on someone's desk.

It means addressing vacant and deteriorating properties rather than allowing them to remain neglected year after year.

And it means using the authority residents entrusted to us to protect property values, preserve the character of Russell Township, and keep our community a place people are proud to call home.

There is plenty more work ahead.

But these are two places where I believe we can start moving forward now.

The views expressed here are mine only and are intended to keep residents informed about township issues. Decisions of the Russell Township Board of Trustees are made only during public meetings.