PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. (WRN / WJMC) — Comedian Charlie Berens was on hand Wednesday night as hundreds of Port Washington residents gathered at a town hall to discuss a controversial $15 billion data center complex. Milwaukee’s TMJ4 News was there.
“At the end of the day, I’m just all about the community deciding for the community. We have more regulations on a bratwurst than the entire artificial intelligence community,” said Berens.
Opposition to the data center which is already under construction has spurred a recall effort against Port Washington Mayor Ted Neitzke. City leaders have argued that the data center will stabilize the local economy and decrease property taxes for residents.
In Menomonie last fall, a proposed data center was put “on hold” by the city after public push-back. The city has since created a zoning ordinance specifically for data centers, with stricter, project-specific regulations.