Paulding County resident James Bender, who told commissioners he has worked in fiber optics for 20 years, questioned why expensive high-capacity fiber infrastructure is being installed near Cole Lake Road if no data center project is moving forward there. The confrontation comes as Paulding County continues debating how it should handle data center development. Commissioners unanimously approved a temporary moratorium in July on new data center-related land-use applications through Jan. 1, 2027, while the county reviews its development rules. Applications submitted before the moratorium are not covered by the pause.
