Clovis Planning & Zoning Commission Regular Meeting - October 14, 2026

The Clovis Planning & Zoning Commission met on October 14, 2026, at 3:00 PM in the North Annex. The central agenda item was a request by City Attorney Jared Morris to approve the introduction of a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to regulate data centers. Under the current UDO, data centers are unregulated and can locate by right as warehouses. The meeting included detailed presentations, testimony from Mayor Mike Morris, and public comment. Following deliberation, the commission voted 6-0 to recommend the ordinance.

Consent Calendar

• The meeting began with roll call and the approval of the meeting agenda (motion by Commissioner Garza, second by Commissioner London).
• Minutes from the September 9, 2026 meeting were approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mayor Mike Morris testified, strongly supporting proactive guardrails to protect the city's water security assets (U.Pipeline, GRT, property tax for water). He noted his proposed moratorium was rejected by the City Commission, driving the current policy work. He warned that without an ordinance, a data center could locate in the city with no oversight.
• Estevan Martinez (709 Rosewood Dr.) opposed data centers, arguing negatives outweigh positives: high water use, PFAS/heavy metal releases, 45-60 dB noise, and potential 200-600% utility increases.
• Asher Cardenas (908 Calhoun St.), an 18-year-old lifelong resident, begged the commission to oppose construction, citing 300,000-500,000 gallons of water use per day and AI existential risks. "Clovis says no to data centers on our land," he said.
• An unnamed resident expressed concern about the commission's lack of technical expertise and preferred definitive limits over a case-by-case approach.
• Sarah Hernandez (3825 Nancy Lopez) requested better public document access and meeting times (3:00 PM is a barrier). She questioned impacts on agriculture and groundwater.
• Ben Salasad (512 Jones St.) recommended caution and agreed with Dr. Clayton's strict specifications, supporting a moratorium.
• Raymond Mondragon (418 Main St.), Economic Incentive Board chair, affirmed that guardrails exist and coordination with EPCOR and the state is ongoing.
• Janice Davis (1930 Glenarm) urged adoption of very strong guidelines, citing research from Caltech.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance Overview (City Attorney Jared Morris): The draft defines data centers (excluding incidental server rooms), restricts them to industrial zones, and requires a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). Applications must detail water sources, cooling (preferring dry cooling/closed-loop), power, noise, and decommissioning. The text gives the city authority to impose limits.
• Technical Feedback (Jason Gonzalez / Plateau): Mr. Gonzalez proposed adding "large scale" and a 5-megawatt (MW) threshold. Mr. Morris disagreed with the threshold. Commissioner Moore called 5MW "super small" and opposed "large scale."
• Environmental Concerns (Dr. Ladonna Clayton via Commissioner Gearke): Dr. Clayton called for mandatory limits ("shall impose"), independent hydrology assessments, non-evaporative cooling, quarterly reporting, and financial assurance for decommissioning. She warned against new users consuming saved water.
• Commission Deliberation: Commissioners debated tabling. Garza and Klein preferred tabling for refinement. Moore and others argued passing the ordinance provides immediate tools while allowing future amendments.

Key Outcomes

• Motion: Commissioner Tim Garza moved to approve the introduction of the ordinance, seconded by Chris Gearke. The motion adopted Gonzalez's amendments excluding "large scale" and the 5 MW threshold.
• Vote: Passed 6-0-1. In Favor: Tim Garza, Travis Klein, Chris Gearke, Tom Moore, Vincent Sol, Candice London. Absent: Tom Martin.
• Next Steps: The ordinance proceeds to the City Commission for first public hearing on November 5, 2026. Next P&Z meeting is November 18, 2026, at 3:00 PM.