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Calera council enacts six‑month moratorium on data centers, approves business‑recruiter contract and irrigation bid
Summary
The Calera City Council voted to impose a six‑month moratorium on new data centers while staff tightens zoning language, approved a $60,000 12‑month business‑recruitment contract, and awarded an irrigation bid for a new fire station; one member abstained from the moratorium vote.
Calera — The Calera City Council voted to place a six‑month moratorium on any new data center development while staff updates zoning language, acting after debate and a roll‑call vote in which one member abstained.
The moratorium was proposed to allow the city to “get that language tightened up in our zoning regulations,” the presiding official said during the meeting. Council members recorded a roll‑call vote and the motion passed; one member stated they were abstaining because of a conflict with their current employment.
The council also approved Resolution 2026‑40, authorizing the mayor to execute a business‑recruitment agreement that will pay $5,000 per month for 12 months (a total of $60,000) to a recruiter identified in the agenda packet as Jeff Rousley. According to the motion’s sponsor, the recruiter’s role is to seek restaurants and retail tenants citywide to bolster downtown occupancy and economic activity.
Council members said the agreement is intended to accelerate private investment after recent downtown infrastructure spending. “We’ve made many investments downtown; now it’s time to get a return on that,” the presiding official said during debate.
The council also approved Resolution 2026‑41, awarding the bid for an irrigation system at Fire Station No. 1 on Highway 25 to the apparent sole bidder (listed in the meeting package). That award was adopted by roll call.
What happens next: The moratorium gives staff time to draft and present tightened zoning language; the recruiter agreement authorizes the mayor to execute the contract and begin recruitment activities; and the awarded irrigation contract will move to procurement and installation scheduling.
Speakers quoted in this report are identified by their role in the meeting record and include the presiding official who introduced the moratorium, and council members who voted on the resolutions.
