Many La Pine residents expressed strong opposition to a proposed data center during a nearly three-hour public comment session at a La Pine City Council meeting Wednesday night. The proposed center is still in early stages, but would be developed by bitcoin miner Boxminer.io in a vacant industrial park in the La Pine area. It would employ up to 80 people and would be air-cooled, instead of using water. The center would be a closed-loop system, meaning the air, water or glycol would recirculate to keep the equipment cool instead of evaporating, according to the developer. La Pine city council requested more information and is researching centers in other cities to learn how they work, said officials. Residents raised concerns about environmental damage, increased noise, the potential for increased electric bills, a likely lack of jobs despite developer promises, and the desire to keep La Pine as a small tow.…