City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting 7/6/26 | City of Reading, PA

The City Council Committee of the Whole meeting for the City of Reading, PA, held on July 6, 2026, focused primarily on two key issues: the proposed data center ordinance and updates on noise complaints enforcement. Councilor Baez introduced a proactive ordinance to regulate data centers, emphasizing environmental protections and concurrent departmental reviews to expedite the process. The ordinance includes a conditional use provision requiring city council approval for data center developments, with specific conditions such as closed-loop cooling systems to limit water usage. The council discussed the potential use of a municipal curative amendment process to impose a six-month moratorium on data center developments while the ordinance is finalized. Additionally, the police department provided an update on noise complaints following a 2025 ordinance amendment, reporting a significant increase in noise citations and successful enforcement actions including the shutdown of five after-hours locations. The meeting also addressed the expiration and potential extension of parking moratoriums at key intersections, with ongoing traffic calming studies and grant applications underway. Several other ordinances related to city code amendments, fee schedules, and personnel salary adjustments were reviewed with no major procurement actions noted.