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On Monday night, June 10, the city council is slated to vote on approving a letter of intent with a Colorado firm that wants to put a data center on the 250-acre brownfield upon which the General Motors assembly plant once sat. The meeting is at 6 p.m. Monday at the Woodman’s Sports & Convention Center, 2510 Milton Ave., Janesville. It has been moved to the Woodman’s Center in anticipation of high community turnout.

According to its website, , The Party for Socialism and Liberation believes capitalism is responsible for the world’s major crises, as well as war, poverty, inequality and environmental destruction, because it prioritizes profit over people.

At Thursday’s meeting, the group focused on potential environmental, financial and social impacts of large-scale data centers.

Sam Nimetz, a Janesville native who was an organizer of Thursday night’s meeting, argued the city’s claims about the project have been misleading, citing research from other states.

The meeting included a showing of the video “More Perfect Union,” which explored hidden energy cost from a data center in Virginia, in which Janesville City Manager Kevin Lahner used as an example for a data center he toured.

The video argued that the typical utility business model, over 100 years old, is designed to spread electricity costs across all ratepayers. When utilities build new infrastructure — often to support large projects like data centers — the costs are passed on to consumers through delivery charges, sometimes with an added regulated profit.

“The deals between tech companies and utilities are typically hidden from the public,” the video said. “The concern with these deals is that the data center may be underpaying…and our rates will go up in order to finance a sweetheart deal for a data center.”

Nimetz also emphasized concerns about water use and the environmental impacts on the city. He said that there is a huge need for community action to influence city decisions.

“If we do not want this data center…we must organize and work together to beat back big tech and their money hungry friends like Mr. Lahner,” he said, referencing City Manager Kevin Lahner.

Nimetz urged city residents to join petition drives and attend council meetings.

While city officials have described the project as an opportunity to repurpose long vacant, former industrial land, Nimietz emphasized risks to residents’ wallets, water, and community character.

“We’re fighting for development that actually benefits Janesville and not one that exploits it,” he said.

Organizers plan to continue outreach efforts and are collecting signatures from local residents in hopes of influencing the city’s decision-making process before the project moves forward.

The group’s goal is present a draft petition to the city council on Monday and then to obtain 4,000 signatures within 60 days with the aim of stopping the sale of the property to Viridian Acquisitions, of Greenwood Village, Colo. The council is set on Monday night to vote on approval of a letter of intent with Viridian Acquisitions, that would move the exploration process forward.

More information about the petition and ways to volunteer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation is on the organization’s website: .