HUBBARD — Mayor Ben Kyle noted the controversial nature of data centers as part of the reason why he is inviting residents to attend Monday’s city council meeting.

He also spoke about a nondisclosure agreement that was signed. In a news release Wednesday, Kyle said his administration and council have been engaged in Project Milo through Lake to River, one of the city’s regional economic development partners.

Kyle said the project is an information technology project involving a company evaluating locations across the country to build data centers.

He previously spoke of the project in February 2025, pointing out in November that the project was still in the site selection phase and utility research phase, which the unnamed company was doing in five other communities across Ohio.

“During that time, we have worked with our utility departments and regional partners to understand the project’s scope, utility demands and whether it meets our zoning requirements,” Kyle said. “Any information technology business, including a data center, must be located in an industrial zoning area per the City of Hubbard Zoning Code.”

Kyle said no formal proposal has been submitted, noting that a company must submit one regardless of the location it chooses and the hands the proposal must cross, such as the planning and zoning commission, before city council can vote on it.

Kyle said he spoke with the company on Wednesday, and officials there said they aren’t ready to bring a proposal to any location until they know for certain that their power requirements are being met.

Kyle said a power study would be a step further down the line, but it is a non-factor because no one knows whether the data center company will set up in the city.

Kyle said he signed a nondisclosure agreement in December 2024 with the intent of allowing the city to gather the “technical and utility” information necessary to see whether the city could accommodate something of that scale.

“This includes trade secrets, industry specifications, and other proprietary data, both the positives and negatives of the project,” Kyle said. “This is standard practice in the early stages of economic development evaluation.”

“I did not sign the NDA to withhold information from the public. I signed it so we could do our due diligence,” he added.

Kyle said the city operates primarily on income tax, and large economic development projects affect property values and funding to both the school district and Eagle Joint Fire District, which is why each project needs to be evaluated from every angle.

“I want to be clear: I am not for or against Project Milo at this time. What I do support is a fair, legal and impartial process,” Kyle said. “Hubbard City Council will have the final vote on any rezoning and that will not change.”

Kyle said Monday’s city council meeting would be the appropriate forum for residents to voice concerns, ask questions and engage with officials, adding that the city is not cutting corners and legal procedures are being followed at every step.

“Service Director Ed Palestro and Safety Director Shawn Rentz continue to work alongside me to ensure every angle of this project is thoroughly examined before any decision is made,” Kyle said. “We are following the process, and we will continue to do so. The residents of Hubbard deserve nothing less.”