LORDSTOWN, Ohio - LORDSTOWN, OH - Lordstown Village Council met Monday night to hold its third and final reading on legislation that would ban data centers in the village.

Over 100 members of the community and Lordstown residents of were in attendance at the reading, where council unanimously passed the ban with a vote of six to zero.

During the reading, residents were able to share concerns with the village council and explain why they believe data centers should be banned.

"I'm on a fixed income. Since my wife died my income's been cut in half so i don't have the money to pay a bigger electric bill or a bigger water bill," one resident said. 

"The noise levels have been read above 85 decibels which is considered dangerous to your hearing," Karen Crisser of Lordstown said. "You were elected by the residents of the village, that's who you represent. Please represent them the way that we feel," she said.

Other issues the community had with data centers include tax abatements and frustration over the village "being the 'sacrificial lamb' of the Mahoning Valley."

The Bristolville 25 Developer LLC lawyer, Cary Snyder, was in attendance at the Monday reading, saying he felt the decision to ban data centers was a rush to judgment.

"I don't think any of us have enough information either about data centers generally and certainly not enough information about what Bristolville is seeking to do in this community," Snyder said.

Snyder continued, saying that the village council did not have any new information than they did during the second reading two weeks prior and he would be looking into what legal action Bristolville 25 Developer LLC can take against the village.

"We believe that village council has not followed proper procedure to enact this ban which is a zoning ordinance so if challenged in court they would be held to be invalid and ineffective," Snyder said. 

The Lordstown Village solicitor commented during the meeting that the Ohio Revised Code does not specifically address the ban of an entire industry and that this is an unprecedented gray area of the law.

The village solicitor went on to say that it's hard to say what would happen if push came to shove, but that the village is willing and prepared to defend their vote.

Some village council members felt that the proposal to build an artificial intelligence data center was rushed.

They voted to bring the ban because they did not believe it would be appropriate for the village to build one without all information available. They were also concerned about how it would impact residents health, safety and welfare.