Michael Rainville

My office has received a lot of correspondence pertaining to the proposed data center on the Star Tribune site and the community has repeatedly asked (and in some cases demanded) me to come out against this project. I want to take a moment to explain the difference between the city council’s votes on legislative policy versus a land use item such as the Star Tribune data center application which is considered a quasi-judicial vote.

A proposed policy item, like the proposed citywide data center ordinance, is legislative in nature and I am free to express my policy views, however, pending land use applications are like a court proceeding and are classified as quasi-judicial.

Our City Attorney reminds us that in quasi-judicial matters we must avoid any prejudgment and if we express our position prior to the council voting on the item, we will be disqualified from voting on it and will be forced to recuse ourselves from that vote.

I also want to share that there have been several threats made towards me and my family by people opposed to this project and this is not acceptable! I do my best to be out in community and to engage constructively with my constituents but when my personal safety and the safety of my family comes into question, I must take that into consideration when determining my community interactions. Please stop the threats against me and my family.