Hermantown residents, students call for larger venue for Friday council meeting

HERMANTOWN, Minn (Northern News Now) - Students and residents are calling on Hermantown city leaders to move Friday’s City Council meeting to a larger space after the city set a cap of 85 people inside council chambers.

The council has rescheduled, canceled and rescheduled the meeting again after a protest postponed Monday’s meeting. A group of students held a protest in Duluth on Wednesday calling for action after Monday’s rescheduled meeting. They said people affected by the project want to speak and are calling on city leaders to move the meeting so more people can take part.

Aspen Herbert, 17, a protest organizer, and a group of her classmates held the protest, calling for a stop to the proposed data center in Hermantown.

Herbert said she attended Monday’s meeting and said the turnout shows the need for people to be heard. She is calling for Friday’s meeting to be held in a larger space.

“If they cared about hearing everybody’s voices, then they would have rescheduled it to a different place, and they would have allowed more than 85 people. And they’re categorizing it as a fire safety thing, but if it’s a fire safety thing, they should have moved it into a new location,” Herbert said.

Richard W. Painter, a University of Minnesota Law School professor, said Minnesota’s open meeting law requires all meetings by governing bodies to be open to the public.

Painter said when a meeting draws more people than a room can hold, a new location should be found.

“Find a room that will accommodate as many people as can attend, and there should be a room available, a gym in a public school or some other place that will accommodate more than 85 people,” Painter said.

Painter said that if that cannot happen, virtual attendance should be the next option. Hermantown city leaders said they are offering a virtual option.

Megan Della Rossa, a concerned Hermantown resident who wants to speak, said she is upset residents are being limited.

“I think it’s so important that they move this to a larger facility instead of restricting how many people can be in the room. Move it to a larger venue and give the residents an opportunity to speak freely, say their concerns and get honest answers back,” Della Rossa said.

Della Rossa said a decision about a data center affects not only her but generations to come.

Friday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Public comment will be limited to in-person attendees only. Written comments will be accepted until noon Friday. You can send your comments by emailing them to jwicklund@hermantownmn.com.

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