Special Commission Meeting 10/07/2026

At the City of Brownsville’s special commission meeting on October 7, 2026, commissioners considered a proposed municipal drainage utility and stormwater fee. Staff described anticipated operations and maintenance costs of about $3.8 million and explained that, under one revenue scenario, roughly $2 million annually could support about $25 million in debt for drainage capital projects; a lower-fee alternative was estimated to support about $14.7 million. Commissioners discussed fee tiers, property classifications, appeals, billing, maintenance responsibilities, and priority flood-reduction projects. No fee structure was adopted: the commission voted 7–0 to table the drainage ordinance to November 4 so staff could hold a public town hall and provide additional information, including clearer explanations of project benefits and fee impacts.

The commission also held a public hearing and voted 7–0 to approve the first reading of an ordinance imposing a 90-day moratorium on accepting, processing, and approving high-intensity data-processing facility applications in the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, allowing time to review regulations and environmental impacts. Discussion and public comments raised concerns about water and electricity demand, air quality, noise, environmental protections, and the gap before the moratorium takes effect. The city attorney explained that state law requires a 28-day interval between readings and that qualifying applications submitted before the moratorium could gain vested rights; staff said such applicants would be required to provide their own water and electrical infrastructure and documentation addressing air-quality and noise impacts. No contract awards or vendor selections were identified.