Large crowd expected to speak out on Nashville data centers
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Large crowds are expected at City Hall on Tuesday when the Metro Council takes up a series of high-profile measures seeking to rein in data centers in Nashville.
Why it matters: The main event at Tuesday's meeting will be the public hearing period, when residents will get a chance to come up to the microphone and give their opinions on data center policies.
- It is likely to be a lengthy and emotionally charged process.
Zoom in: In Nashville, proposals to build a data center next to the zoo and on the Fisk University campus have already drawn sharp criticism.
- The Nashville Zoo's petition to stop construction of a nearby data center has more than half a million signatures.
What we're watching: The Metro Council will consider an ordinance Tuesday that would create regulations for data centers. Another ordinance on the agenda would temporarily pause data center construction citywide.
If you go: Anyone who wants to speak on those two measures during the public hearing will need to get a ticket first. The ticketing process is intended to streamline the queue for a larger-than-usual crowd and limit the time people spend waiting in a long line at the podium.
- There is not a finite number of tickets — the council office said everyone who wants to speak will get a chance.
How it works: Speaker tickets will be handed out on the second floor mezzanine in city hall starting at 5pm.
- The council chamber will open to the public at 5:30pm. The meeting will begin at 6:30pm. The data center measures are listed at the end of the public hearing agenda, which also includes dozens of other items.
Zoom out: Mayor Freddie O'Connell's plan to block the data center next to the zoo by seizing the land is on the council's agenda as a late-filed ordinance. A public hearing on that measure would come later.