Killeen council votes on motion of direction to reverse course on conditional-use restriction for data centers
The Killeen City Council reversed an earlier direction that would have required data centers to obtain conditional-use permits. The council instead directed staff to develop an alternative ordinance, with Councilwoman Mellisa Brown casting the only dissenting vote.
The Killeen City Council voted during a joint workshop with the Planning and Zoning Commission to reverse its earlier decision requiring data centers to secure conditional-use permits. The council directed city staff to return with an alternative ordinance that would not include the conditional-use requirement.
Councilwoman Mellisa Brown, who originally proposed the conditional-use approach, was the sole dissenting voter. She said the permit could allow the city to enforce electricity and water-use obligations, while Interim City Manager Kent Cagle argued that the requirement would effectively ban data centers. City Attorney Holli Clements said the vote was legally permissible despite occurring during a workshop session.