ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — Zephyrhills City Council members voted unanimously Monday for a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers.
City Council President Steven Spina said the pause will give leaders time to gather information before making decisions on land use and property rights.
WATCH: Zephyrhills City Council votes unanimously for 1 year moratorium on large-scale data centers
"I just want to make sure that we have the information to where when we're making decision on land uses and property owners, and property rights, that we have all the facts. And that if somebody sues us about something, we're able to defend ourselves," Spina said.
A handful of people came out to Monday's city council meeting to support the moratorium. One resident raised concerns during the public comment period about water usage and its potential impact on the city.
After the meeting, I spoke with Zephyrhills resident Regina Xavier, who said she is happy about the moratorium but wants to see a permanent ban on data centers.
"I'm hearing things like they're very noisy. They have a lot of light around them that makes it hard to sleep at night. They're so bright. They need a lot of electricity to run them, and they will make our electricity go up," Xavier said.
Other concerns residents have raised during weeks of coverage include property values and the impact on wildlife.
About two weeks ago, I spoke with Zephyrhills resident Shelly Baksh ahead of the Pasco Planning Commission meeting. She said she is thankful city leaders are being proactive in protecting their community.
"I mean, we can already only water our lawns one time a week. We're already on drought conditions, so I certainly think that we need to be very aware of the scarcity of this resource and take it seriously and Zephyrhills has," Baksh said.
While Zephyrhills has already taken action, Pasco County commissioners are still set to vote on a proposed moratorium on July 14.
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