Residents celebrate as La Pine council votes down Boxminer proposal

La Pine, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The La Pine City Council voted unanimously against a proposal for a new 20-megawatt Boxminer data mining center, following a meeting that lasted over 2 hours. The decision came amid significant opposition from local residents and concerns regarding the proposal's details. The council's rejection means the data mining center will not move forward in La Pine.

During the more than two-hour meeting, the City Council heard primarily from residents who opposed the Boxminer facility. Boxminer CEO Jeff Keller also addressed the council, aiming to persuade the board to approve the plan. The board's unanimous vote to not proceed with the plan was met with cheers from residents present at the senior center in La Pine.

Many residents voiced their concerns during the public comments portion of the meeting, specifically citing a lack of clarity from Boxminer regarding its proposal.

La Pine City Manager Geoff Wullschlager informed the board about the initial proposal information provided by Boxminer. Wullschlager stated this information included projected revenues for the local electrical utility and the city in terms of franchise revenues, as well as job numbers for temporary, construction and permanent positions. However, Wullschlager noted that this information "didn't have any information that came along with it that supported or backed it up."

After the decision, Diana Hernandez, a resident of La Pine, expressed her relief.

"I am so glad they turned it down. I really am, because there's so much that they don't know what goes into it," Hernandez said.

Jon Hall, another La Pine resident, also welcomed the council's choice. "I'm just glad they listened because I have not seen anything positive about any of these data centers anywhere, ever," Hall said. "So the last thing I wanted is that to come into our town and just destroy it."

Wullschlager indicated that the city is actively pursuing other options. He said that officials are "still looking at several different opportunities to fill the La Pine Industry Park."