The Greensboro City Council met on July 21, 2026, at the Katie Dorsett Council Chambers for a regular meeting that included ceremonial recognitions, consent agenda approvals, public comments on homelessness and day labor programs, a public hearing on a historic landmark designation, and a vigorous debate on a proposed moratorium on data center development. The motion for a moratorium ultimately failed on a 5–4 vote.
Data Center Moratorium: Councilmember Black made a motion to begin the process of enacting a legal moratorium on data center development. The debate lasted over 20 minutes with several council members weighing in.
Bond Introductions (Item J1): Council introduced bond orders for parks/recreation, fire facilities, transportation, municipal buildings, and housing; a public hearing was scheduled. Passed unanimously.
Board and Commission Appointments (Item J2): Multiple appointments were approved, including Umler Cutler to the Library Board, Emily Thompson to the Human Rights Commission, Abortion Down (?) to Planning, Wayne Durham to Transportation, Oleg Goryansky to Parks and Rec, Veronica Griffin to Sustainability, April Hughes to Parks and Rec, and Wendy Cutler, Doreen Lumpkin, and Keith Peterson to the GC Jack. All passed unanimously.
If everybody could find a seat, please. Good evening and welcome to the July 21st, 2026 meeting of the Greensboro City Council. We are in the Katie Dorset, Council Chambers, and let the record reflect that all members are in tenants. However, Mr. Hugh Holston is on Zoom. Mr. Holston, are you on the Zoom? I am here, thank you, Madam Mayor. Great, thank you. We will begin the meeting with a moment of silence, and would like to remember Mr. Holston's brother who passed just about a week ago. So we will be thinking of him and his family. Thank you. Thank you. And let's all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Marshall, would you lead us, please? Thank you. And welcome back, Councilmember Black, after she's had a little bit of an incident with uh her foot, so she is back. Glad to be back. Thank you. All right, please silence any and all electronic devices. The City of Greensboro strongly encourages input from all residents, and the council chambers serve as a welcoming and safe environment for all residents. The council rules of procedure and decorum are posted on the city website under the city clerk tab, and all speakers are expected to read and adhere to the rules when addressing the council during a speaking opportunity. To address the council this evening, participants must have completed speaker sign-up by 5 30 p.m. pursuant to the rules prior to the council meeting. Those who registered online should confirm their attendance with Mr. Canapena. All handouts must be given to the city clerk for distribution prior to the start of the council meeting. Each speaker signed up to speak will get three minutes each. If there are more than 25 speakers, the time may be reduced to two minutes per speaker at the discretion of the presiding officer. Speakers may address specific consent agenda or business items with three minutes allocated for remarks at that time. A second violation results in a six-month suspension. And a third violation or any instance involving physical altercations will result in a 12-month suspension. Any violation of state criminal laws may also subject the individual to criminal charges. Any videos, media, or supplemental documents utilized by speakers during this meeting are not reviewed or verified by the city for accuracy, completeness, or authenticity. Speakers may not transfer their time to others, and the mayor or presiding officer will determine the speaking order based on the number of speakers. The mayor may modify that time allotted to each individual, and approaching the dais is not permitted. Speakers may not address the audience nor employees of the city of Greensboro. The public comment period is for speakers to address council members only with their comments, and this is an opportunity for council to listen and take notes. Any violation of this protocol and the speaker's time shall be surrendered. Zoom participants must refrain from speaking until they are recognized and called upon. State statute requires council members to vote on all matters unless a direct financial interest exists, or if the council member serves on the board of a nonprofit organization that receives city funding. All motions will be moved and seconded, and the presiding officer will announce the vote tally. The consent agenda covering items F1 through F39 consists of routine and non-controversial matters that have been previously reviewed by a council committee. The consent agenda items are approved with a single vote, and any council member may request the removal of an item due to a conflict of interest or to vote in opposition. Items withdrawn for discussion will be carried forward to the next business meeting. If an item is found to be time sensitive, the mayor may request that a vote be taken. Closed captioning is provided for this meeting. Depending on the duration of proceedings, a brief recess is anticipated around 7 30 p.m.