The Selectboard discusses data centers and a townwide AI use policy during its Sept. 22 meeting.
Photo credit: SHCTV15
SOUTH HADLEY — South Hadley became the most recent town in Massachusetts to discuss whether data center developments should be allowed in its community.
At its Sept. 22 meeting, the board sent a data center policy draft to the Planning Board and Bylaw Review Committee for further discussion before it returns to the Selectboard.
Before that decision, Assistant Town Administrator/HR Director Chuck Romboletti said the South Hadley administration wanted to get a sense of the Selectboard’s thoughts on data centers after other communities discussed the issue.
The conversations come days after Gov. Maura Healey recently signed an executive order giving communities a voice and protecting them against irresponsible data center development and higher energy bills.
According to mass.gov, under Healey’s executive order, state permitting agencies will not advance the project if a data center doesn’t have local approval. Healey also directed state agencies to require data centers to comply with her comprehensive Data Center Framework, including bringing their own clean energy supply, protecting water resources and engaging transparently with the surrounding communities.
Town Administrator Lisa Wong explained that if the Selectboard wants to institute a data center ban in town, town counsel would weigh in on what the process would look like and a bylaw would have to be considered at Town Meeting.
Wong also said the Selectboard could add a data center topic on a future agenda for public input.
“We don’t have anything imminent, but you never know, so I think it’s one of those things where we want to try to be as proactive as we can,” she said.
Selectboard Chair Jeff Cyr said he would like to hear the pros and cons of data centers and everything else involved from the Planning Board and/or Bylaw Review Committee.
Selectboard member Priscilla Marion said she would also like to hear public opinion before any decision.
The draft sent to the Planning Board and Bylaw Review Committee included the definition of a data center and an updated regulation schedule that says data centers are not allowed in every district.
During the same meeting, the board unanimously approved a townwide artificial intelligence use policy that applies to South Hadley government employees, volunteers, board and committee members and any other individuals who use generative AI tools for town business.
The policy defines artificial intelligence and general artificial intelligence, prohibited data, permitted uses, oversight and review, future applications and approval and exceptions.
Romboletti said the town wants to establish protections around input into these AI systems, such as prohibiting personally identifiable information on different AI platforms, including protected health information, legal advice and attorney-client privilege communications, security and infrastructure data, resident and community data and other confidential data.
Romboletti said the policy also includes permitted uses that broadly delineate some helpful ways AI may be used in town, like drafting communications or public messaging using non-sensitive information, summarizing, analyzing or visualizing publicly available reports, creating templates, forms or standard operating procedures, or brainstorming ideas or generating content for training, planning or public engagement.
“There certainly are a number of beneficial uses for AI that can help productivity in town government but again, just putting some guardrails around how we use it,” Rombotletti said.
The town administrator has the discretion to interpret and make exceptions to this policy in the best interest of the town based on the policy. Wong said that schools will have their own separate policy.
