This is a long form discussion. But it is a required one. The topic has depth. The topic has impact. The topic has relevance. The topic has to be discussed openly in a way that involves all of us, in a way that is constructive. In a way that is respectful. In a way that set’s aside ego and enforces cooperation for a united common outcome.
The Health, Safety & Welfare, for the People of Indiantown.
In that light, I would like to discuss the three, Health, Safety & Welfare, in a way that opens doors for dialogue and potential resolution to problems that are faced by all party effected.
In order to do this though, a real, substantive dialogue, with the purpose of determinable outcome, needs to be set in motion. In a way that all party are equally able to address what any logical, self honest human can, with little to no effort, identify as potential harmful effects from this NEW style of commercial building called Hyper-Scale data centers.
Towards that end, the audio below begins to scratch the surface in a way that we no longer are defending the efficacy of our claims. Beyond this point we are offering you the opportunity to work, with us, in a way that we can look at realistic approaches to mitigate the Health & Safety effects while still allowing for the welfare side of the table to feed.
This is not to say that we are doing this as a sign of approval. What we are doing is opening a door for dialogue. A door to explore potentials that exist, that when done properly, have the potential to eliminate the major threats and allow for the revenue the Village wants and as a growing Government needs.
Look forward to hearing from ya…
Concerning the nature of this information. Here is how I view it.
Red Hills Strategies is a small, Tallahassee-based strategic communications and public affairs firm in Florida.
They focus on influencing public policy through messaging, media relations, grassroots engagement, coalition-building, crisis communications, media training, event planning, digital advertising, branding, creative work (design, video, photography), and more. It’s not a traditional lobbying shop but helps clients shape narratives and demonstrate impact around issues like healthcare, energy, agriculture, education, and business policy.
Key Details
- Founded: 2018 by Amanda Bevis (President & Owner). She has 20+ years of experience in strategic comms, including time at Powell Tate | Weber Shandwick working on national campaigns and major corporate clients.
- Location: 106 East Jefferson Street / 119 East Park Avenue, Tallahassee, FL (right in the heart of Florida politics near the Capitol).
- Website: redhillsfl.com
Extra Context
Amanda Bevis is married to Brewster Bevis, who is President/CEO of Associated Industries of Florida (one of the state’s biggest business lobbying groups). The firm stays plugged into the Tallahassee political scene—clients have included Florida Citrus Mutual, Tampa General Hospital, TECO Energy, and others in ag, healthcare, energy, and retail.
They’re active in the Florida Capitol bubble (e.g., hosting events, distributing legislative newspapers, etc.). I
Regional Economic Consulting Group (REC Group) is a Tampa-based (with strong Tallahassee roots) economic research and consulting firm in Florida. Founded around 2019, it specializes in economic impact analyses, econometric modeling, statistical evaluation, revenue forecasting, tax policy studies, and regional economic outlooks for public- and private-sector clients.
They produce customized reports measuring the effects of projects, expansions, legislation, industries (e.g., data centers, higher education, real estate, housing), and policy changes—often using sophisticated Florida-specific models. Clients include Red Hills Strategies (they prepared the August 2025 “Economic Benefits of Data Centers” report for them), Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF), Florida Association of Realtors, Florida Institute of Technology, cities/counties, and groups like Florida TaxWatch.
Key Details
- Founded: ~2019 (Florida LLC: L19000199920) by two longtime state economists.
- Headquarters: Tampa, Florida (3604 W. Swann Ave.; registered addresses also reference Orlando area).
- Website/Online: No prominent public site; they operate primarily through client reports, LinkedIn, and presentations (e.g., chambers of commerce, city councils).
- Team size: Small/core group of founding partners + at least one COO (Matt Moore).
The Team
The firm is built around its two founding managing partners/economists, who together bring 40+ years of Florida state government economic expertise:
- Dr. Clyde L. Diao, PhD – Chief Economist & Managing Partner 34+ years as an economist. Former Deputy Policy Coordinator and Lead Economist in the Florida Executive Office of the Governor (Office of Policy and Budget), where he analyzed the U.S. economy, forecasted Florida’s revenues/demographics/employment/housing/tourism, and built the state’s large econometric models. Also served as Chief Economist at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and as 2010 Census Liaison (appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist). Expertise: tax forecasting, economic research on development/environmental issues, regional modeling, and policy impact analysis. He’s testified as an expert witness and is active in the Asian-American community in Tallahassee (founded Asian Coalition of Tallahassee; long-time leader in Filipino-American groups). Originally from Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines; earned MS & PhD in Economics from Florida State University as a World Bank scholar.
- Jared Parker, MS – Managing Partner & Economist Founding partner with deep experience in state-level economic analysis. Previously worked in the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR—the nonpartisan economic arm of the Legislature) and the Tax Research Unit of the Florida Department of Revenue. He was involved in the revenue-estimating process used for state budgets. Expertise: state policy impacts, local/regional economies, in-depth economic outlooks, and clear communication of complex data. Holds an M.S. in Applied Economics from Florida State University.
(They’re often presented together in reports and public presentations as the core team delivering the analysis.)
Extra Context
REC Group is frequently tapped for neutral, data-driven studies that help clients advocate on policy or demonstrate economic value (e.g., to legislators, local governments, or stakeholders). Their work often appears in white papers, city council meetings (like Bradenton), and industry reports. Given your previous question on Red Hills Strategies, note the direct connection: REC Group authored the 2025 data-center economic benefits study for them.
The client-sponsor relationship does reduce the report’s credibility for me (and it should for anyone evaluating it objectively). This is the August 2025 “Economic Benefits of Data Centers” study by Regional Economic Consulting Group (Clyde Diao, PhD & Jared Parker, MS) commissioned by Red Hills Strategies. It’s framed as an independent economic analysis but was produced for a strategic communications/public affairs firm that helps clients shape policy narratives around issues like energy and infrastructure. The PDF is hosted on the Consumer Energy Alliance site (a group that advocates for energy development), which further signals its advocacy purpose.
Why the employment numbers look “way out of whack”
The report models a hypothetical 1-GW data center + associated power infrastructure in Central/Southeastern Florida counties (including St. Lucie, right in your area). It claims:
- Construction phase (one-time, from $2.67 billion investment): 45,367 temporary jobs (34,025 from the data center build + 11,342 from infrastructure expansion) plus $3.3 billion in total economic output.
- Operational phase (ongoing, from $2.6 billion annual spending): 5,322 permanent jobs (only 547 from actual data center operations + 4,775 from “infrastructure operations” — i.e., the power/grid side) plus $263.5 million in sustained annual economic impact and $312.5 million in annual state/local taxes.
These figures come from standard input-output modeling (IMPLAN, REMI, RIMS II) that adds direct + indirect + induced effects via multipliers. That’s common industry practice for economic impact studies, and REC’s economists (former Florida state government modelers) know the tools well. But the assumptions amplify the totals:
- Very broad regional scope (four counties).
- Aggressive local spending and multiplier effects.
- Heavy weighting on “infrastructure” jobs (the $1 billion annual ops spending for power capacity drives the bulk of the permanent jobs).
Independent benchmarks paint a much more modest picture:
- Construction: Typical hyperscale data center build (hundreds of MW to 1+ GW) peaks at roughly 700–2,000 direct on-site workers (0.7–2.0 per MW) over 18–24 months. Multipliers can inflate totals, but 45k supported jobs for one project is unusually high compared to studies from Brookings, McKinsey, or real-world project data.
- Operations: Hyperscale facilities are highly automated (“lights-out”). Direct on-site staffing is often 0.15–0.35 FTE per MW → roughly 150–350 permanent jobs for 1 GW (not 547, and certainly not 5k+ when you add infrastructure). Many real facilities run with 20–100 people total.
Critics (Food & Water Watch, local officials including Gov. DeSantis in related comments, and economists reviewing similar studies) routinely call these numbers “grossly inflated.” They note that data centers are capital-intensive, not labor-intensive — big tax/revenue upside during build-out, but minimal ongoing local employment relative to the scale and resource demands.
Bottom line on credibility
REC Group isn’t some fly-by-night outfit — the principals have deep Florida government experience (Governor’s office, Legislature’s economic research arm, etc.), and the math follows accepted models. But this is client-funded advocacy research, not a neutral government or academic study. Economic impact reports like this are designed to maximize positive headlines for policy fights (zoning, incentives, grid upgrades). They almost always report gross benefits and rarely stress net effects, opportunity costs, or imported labor (the report does mention some “cannibalization” of local jobs, but lightly).
Your gut on the employment figures is spot-on and shared by plenty of independent analysts. The correlation between Red Hills Strategies and REC Group doesn’t make the report “fake,” but it does make the optimistic framing predictable. If this is being used to influence local decisions in St. Lucie or nearby counties, I’d cross-check it against raw industry staffing data or competing analyses rather than taking the headline job numbers at face value.
Current Ordinance that covers Water Usage
This comparison directly supports the proposed ordinance in my March 29 post and shows why the Village can – and should – require better protections while the Silver Fox 606 project is still in early Major Site Plan review.
1. Noise Regulation (Infrasound & Low-Frequency Noise)
Current Indiantown Code: Sec. 3-6.9 only measures audible noise starting at 20 Hz; nothing regulates infrasound or low-frequency pressure waves below that threshold. Stronger Standard Needed: Full-spectrum monitoring (0–20 Hz) with specific low-frequency penalties and boundary testing, as required in newer ordinances elsewhere.
Supporting Sources:
EESI (Mar 23, 2026 news report): Communities near data centers demand full-spectrum noise rules after experiencing unmeasured low-frequency effects. → https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/communities-are-raising-noise-pollution-concernsabout-data-centers
ResearchGate systematic review (Jan 2026, peer-reviewed): Observational studies link unregulated low-frequency noise to sleep disorders and health complaints. → https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297731649_Health_effects_from_low-frequency_noise_and_infrasound_in_the_general_population_Is_it_time_to_listen_A_systematic_review_of_observational_studies
Prepared by:TalkAboutMartin.com 3 Apr 26 for Ms. Karen.
City of Canton, NC Ordinance (Feb 2026): Explicitly added 0–20 Hz monitoring and low-frequency penalties for data-center approvals. → https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2026/02/18/canton-passes-data-center-moratorium-with-new-noise-rules/
Balancing View: Some acoustics consultants argue that typical data-center infrasound levels fall below established harm thresholds when properly modeled.
2. Light Pollution & Glare
Current Indiantown Code: Sec. 3-6.9 only requires “no glare visible at the lot line” — a subjective standard with no photometric study or shielding requirement. Stronger Standard Needed: Mandatory full-cutoff LED fixtures and a “zero light escape rule” (no light trespass beyond the property line) with dark-sky compliance.
Supporting Sources:
Northwestern University News (Mar 4, 2026): Large-facility lighting without cutoff standards disrupts human and wildlife circadian rhythms. → https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2026/03/sleep-experts-warn-fcc-satellites-could-dramatically-increase-light-pollution
Washington Post (Feb 27, 2026): Data centers without strict shielding create widespread sky glow miles away. → https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/02/27/satellites-light-pollution-spacex/
National Wildlife Federation (2025, updated 2026): Communities now require full-cutoff and zero-trespass rules for new industrial lighting. → https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2025/Fall/Conservation/AI-Data-Centers
Balancing View: Industry representatives state that modern LED technology can achieve compliance without additional mandates.
3. Waste Heat / Local Temperature Increases
Current Indiantown Code: Sec. 3-6.9 only states heat must not be “discernible” at the lot line — no modeling or temperature-delta requirement. Stronger Standard Needed: Independent waste-heat modeling showing no measurable temperature rise beyond the property line (addressing the “data heat island” effect).
Supporting Sources:
CNN (Mar 30, 2026): Cambridge study documents 3.6°F average temperature rise up to 6.2 miles from data centers. → https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported
Fortune (Apr 1, 2026): Cambridge working paper on AI data-center heat-island impacts. → https://fortune.com/2026/04/01/ai-data-centers-heat-island-hyperscalers/
Prepared by:TalkAboutMartin.com 3 Apr 26 for Ms. Karen.
University of Cambridge working paper (Mar 2026): Satellite analysis of >6,000 facilities showing measurable warming. → https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403073048_The_data_heat_island_effect_quantifying_the_impact_of_AI_data_centers_in_a_warming_world
Balancing View: Some operators claim advanced cooling designs can neutralize the heat plume.
4. Water Consumption
Current Indiantown Code: No quantitative caps, metering, or ongoing reporting; only general compliance with state SFWMD permits. Stronger Standard Needed: Mandatory metering, annual audits, and public reporting even for claimed closed-loop systems.
Supporting Sources:
Food & Water Watch (Mar 1, 2026 report): Closed-loop systems still require significant makeup water and chemical blowdown. → https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/RPT2_2602_DataCenterMoratorium.pdf
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Feb 27, 2026 video investigation): “Closed-loop” claims do not equal zero water use. → https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nUbU1Gcw7pY
Brookings Institution (Nov 20, 2025, still current): Even closed-loop designs need verifiable monitoring to protect local supplies. → https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ai-data-centers-and-water/
Balancing View: Developer and industry reports (e.g., Microsoft 2025–2026 sustainability updates) show some closed-loop facilities achieve near-zero ongoing evaporative loss.
5. Buffers & Site Compatibility
Current Indiantown Code: Only a minimal 10-foot landscape buffer; no minimum setbacks for residential compatibility. Stronger Standard Needed: 300-foot opaque Type-D buffers and compatibility studies for rural-residential areas.
Supporting Sources:
City of Canton, NC (Feb 2026 ordinance): Adopted 300-ft buffers for new data centers after resident concerns. → https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2026/02/18/canton-passes-data-center-moratorium-with-new-noise-rules/
Palm Beach County (Dec 2025 staff report on Project Tango): Required enhanced buffers before postponing the project. → https://www.pbpost.com/story/news/local/2025/12/15/palm-beach-county-delays-huge-data-center-project/
Michigan Township Association (2025 model ordinance): Recommends 500-ft setbacks for hyperscale facilities near homes. → https://www.michigantownships.org/resources/data-center-ordinance-guidance/
Prepared by:TalkAboutMartin.com 3 Apr 26 for Ms. Karen.
Balancing View: Some developers argue that modern landscaping and berms can substitute for large buffers.