KENOSHA, Wis. — For months, Kenosha-area residents have packed government meetings to deliver essentially the same message about Microsoft’s proposed hyperscale data center: slow it down, study the consequences and, in many cases, stop it altogether. That message continued Wednesday night at the Kenosha Common Council meeting, which was held at 7 p.m. Wednesday instead of the council’s usual Monday meeting date because of the holiday. The official agenda listed citizen comments, and the meeting transcript shows 31 speakers had signed up. The council ultimately had to extend the normal 60-minute citizen-comment period by another 30 minutes so the remaining speakers could be heard.

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The handwritten signup sheets show that the overwhelming majority of those appearing listed the data center as their subject. A handful spoke about other matters, including police conduct and paratransit. Not one person who spoke about the Microsoft project voiced support for it.

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Several speakers directed their remarks specifically toward alderpersons, arguing that they are independently elected representatives and do not have to follow Mayor David Bogdala’s position.

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Kimberly Laska, whose home sits near the proposed development, opened the evening with perhaps the most visual message. She brought a drawing depicting her house being carried away by balloons, inspired by the Pixar movie “Up.” “This is my exit strategy when Microsoft begins construction on their proposed data center,” Laska said. She then asked a question that, in different forms, residents have repeatedly raised during the months-long controversy. “How far out do I need to go to get away from data centers?”

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“The Forests Don’t Have Lobbyists”
Jeri Moore urged the council to support a moratorium, describing many of those who have repeatedly appeared at meetings as “accidental activists.” “For the forests don’t have lobbyists, the wetlands can’t stand at a podium and explain why they matter, the owls don’t get a microphone,” Moore said. She said residents had assumed the responsibility of speaking for land and wildlife that cannot advocate for themselves. “We understand technology has a place, but at some point humanity started confusing progress with removing every last wild thing until nothing remains except servers, parking lots and convenience,” Moore said. “The earth doesn’t need more people trying to conquer it, it needs more people willing to protect.”

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“What Is The Rush?”
Cheryl Swiatko framed the request more narrowly. She told council members residents were not asking Kenosha to abandon business or technology, but to stop moving forward until unanswered questions are addressed. “What is the rush?” Swiatko asked. “If this venture is truly beneficial and safe for Kenosha, then a temporary pause should not threaten it.” She added, “We have one chance to get this decision right. Slow down, demand transparency, protect our taxpayers and resources, and make sure that our city, not an outside corporation like Microsoft, controls our futures.”

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Kellie Foglio said one of her biggest concerns came from listening to Bogdala discuss potential benefits of the project. “What really threw me is that it sounds like the decision is already made, and it’s just the details being worked out,” Foglio said. “That’s a problem for me.” Foglio said she had been golfing earlier Wednesday with a friend who sits on the opposite end of the political spectrum from her. When she told him she had to leave to perform her “civic duty” and speak at the council meeting, she said he told her the data center was one issue on which they agreed. “This is the one thing we agree on. Everybody I know agrees on this,” Foglio recalled him saying. “We do not want data centers.”

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A Question Of Legacy
Niamh Rahman said she has struggled to find anything new to tell the council because residents have returned so many times and approached the proposal from so many different angles. “It’s getting harder and harder to come up with something fresh for this council,” Rahman said. She challenged council members to consider what their decisions will ultimately say about them. “What stays is your legacy, your choices, the consequences of your actions, your words, or lack thereof,” Rahman said. “So what will you stand for? What will you leave behind? How will you choose to be remembered?” Rahman told council members it was still possible to change course and exercise “independent thinking.”

“Tomato-Headed Freak”
Not every speaker chose diplomacy. Colton Roberts reminded Bogdala and the council that during an earlier appearance he had called the mayor a “tomato-headed freak.” “I know I ruffled quite a bit of feathers last time I came up here when I mentioned my personal belief in the fact that I think the mayor is a tomato-headed freak,” Roberts said. “I still stand by that opinion.”

Roberts then turned serious, repeatedly asking council members how much potential risk residents should be expected to accept in exchange for tax revenue and jobs. “How many corpses must we put in the ground before any one of you decide maybe, maybe for an iota of a second, profit should never come first under any circumstances?” Roberts asked. “How many must starve to feed the machine of the AI data center? How many millions of gallons of water must we lose before the question appears in anyone’s head of, was this worth it?”

Doctor Challenges Council
Dr. Ghazan Mian told council members he attended UW-Parkside for undergraduate studies, UW-Madison for medical school and spent three years in Milwaukee for residency before returning home. “All that so I could come home to Kenosha, my home, and advocate for the health of this community,” Mian said. Mian told the council he believes data centers present health concerns and challenged anyone who disagreed to speak with him afterward. “The majority does not want this. You’re our representatives. You also should not want this,” Mian said. He also criticized the repeated requests from the dais for the audience to refrain from applauding. “I’d also ask that instead of using the power to stop us from, like, clapping for five seconds, you use that time to actually think about what we’re saying to you,” Mian said.

“You Don’t Need To Listen And Obey The Mayor”
Rachel Kirschner, of the Town of Paris, said Wednesday was approximately her fourth time appearing before the council to oppose the project. “I know where the Mayor stands, but I do not agree. I follow logic and reason,” Kirschner said. She then turned her attention directly to the alderpersons. “You have your own voice. You don’t need to listen and obey the Mayor. You may have more experience and knowledge than he has,” Kirschner said. “I want every alderperson at the end of this meeting to speak up and say where you stand.” Kirschner even supplied them with potential answers, beginning with the simplest: “I don’t want a data center in Kenosha.” Her remarks captured a recurring frustration Wednesday: residents said they continue attending meetings, researching the proposal and demanding a moratorium while increasingly believing the ultimate decision may already have been made.

“We’re Real People”
Christopher Lyons reminded the council that the people returning meeting after meeting are not simply showing up to create a spectacle. “We’re not just performing. We’re real people with real lives and real experiences,” Lyons said. He said citizen comments are one of the few ways residents can directly confront elected officials and demand accountability. “What you’re seeing here is bigger than a Microsoft data center,” Lyons said. “What we’re seeing here is a domino waiting to be knocked down.” He urged alderpersons to support a one-year moratorium and oppose the project when it eventually comes before them.

For more than an hour Wednesday, residents raised concerns about water, electricity, pollution, noise, wildlife, jobs, government transparency and the long-term consequences of bringing a hyperscale data center to the Kenosha area. Their arguments varied dramatically in tone, from Laska’s balloons, to Moore’s appeal for the natural world, to Roberts’ insult of the mayor, to Mian’s medical concerns and Kirschner’s direct challenge to the council. But the central message was remarkably consistent: residents who appeared before the council want city officials to stop or pause the project, and many said they increasingly believe their repeated appearances may not alter what happens next.