More than a year into data center opposition in Archbald, the sitting president, vice president and president pro tem of the borough council were ousted from their positions during a council meeting Wednesday.
The cause for the change: four other members of council say that the former leaders were not acting in the borough's or the residents’ best interest when it came to the six data center campuses proposed in the municipality.
"This gives me no pleasure, and a lot has been lost,” council member Erin Owen said before motioning for their removal.
The packed meeting room applauded.
- Louis Rapoch replaces Dave Moran as council president.
- Joseph Altier is council vice president. He replaces Richard Guman.
- Owen is president pro tem. She replaces Marie Andreoli.
Moran, Andreoli, and Guman voted against Rapoch as president and Owen as president pro tem. Of the three, Moran was the only one who voted for Altier as vice president.
Moran, Guman and Andreoli, along with former council member Francis Burke, who did not seek reelection, voted to install a controversial data center zoning overlay in the borough on Nov. 24. Before the November vote, residents crammed into a packed meeting room and one after another pleaded with council to take more time and do more research to allow zoning for data centers.
Municipalities can’t legally ban data centers. In most of the United States, municipalities have to provide zoning for every possible use.
"We have four council members who deserve a standing ovation. They have taken on an enormous task to rectify the egregious acts of fellow Archbald employees,” resident Geralyn Esposito said during public comment.
‘Groundhog Day all over again’
At the end of the meeting, Moran addressed the residents. He said he thinks he served the borough well.
Moran respects and supports the council's decision to change leadership.
"And I'll work with the leadership that's in there that's been appointed,” he said. “They are doing the best they can, I hope they continue to do it, to continue on.”
Andreoli complimented the hundreds of residents who continue to show up to meetings and hearings and express their opposition and concerns about the six data center campuses proposed in the borough.
"What you put together is amazing, and what I would ask of you is to do the same thing to the people who are higher than us. Hit your representatives, hit your senators, because they're the ones who make the laws that we have to follow, whether we like them or not, we have to follow them,” she said.
Many in the audience pointed out that they have contacted their state elected officials.
Guman did not address the crowd Wednesday. He said in the past, he voted for the overlay to put guardrails on the industry.
Tom Aniska, who, along with Rapoch, is new to council this year, said he believes the borough’s government is fractured.
"It has nothing to do personally with anybody. I just think we need to start looking to the future, start trying to move forward, try a new direction," he said. "We are stuck, and it's Groundhog Day all over again, and that's how I came up with my decision.”
Owen said morale is almost nonexistent in the community and low amongst council members.
"We have to get our head out of the clouds and move forward in a positive direction, and step on the gas,” she said.
Resident Madonna Munley said the community has done hundreds of hours of research, spoke with experts and written emails and speeches. They also continue to inform their community about the new industry.
"We extend to you the same offer that was ignored by the previous majority, to work together with mutual transparency, honesty and with the goal of looking out for the best interests of the residents of Archbald,” she said to the new council majority.
Living in fear of data centers
Residents say they continue to show up to all borough meetings and hearings in spite of feeling like the amended zoning favored developers instead of the community. They have organized a Stop Archbald Data Centers group.
"The people of Archbald are living daily with the ever-present fear of what will happen to our community and our way of life if these data center campuses are built in the current locations that were chosen by those who will profit from them,” Munley said.
The residents say they worry that with so many developments, most with no end users to operate the campuses, their quality of life will be diminished in the 17-square-mile borough in the Lackawanna River valley.
They continue to ask council and representatives from the data center projects how diesel generators will impact the region’s air quality and if their water and electric services will be disrupted by data centers, which operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
"What is the greater good? Is the greater good millions of dollars? Or is the greater good making sure our children are safe? Grandparents are safe, our community is safe, that is what we have to look at,” resident James Timmons asked council Wednesday.
In other news, council unanimously voted to hire an environmental engineer. Attorney Brett Flower, who was hired by the borough as additional counsel for the data center developments, will select the engineer.
