City officials said Thursday state law prevents them from putting data center regulations on the Nov. 3 ballot, but they instead will allow public comment in July and approval of a possible ordinance in September.

The notice came at a City Council meeting July 9 where residents wanted to learn the city's next steps after submitting a petition a few weeks earlier with 1,400 signatures calling on Taylor to control or curb data center development growth.

"We have heard the concerns raised by members of our community, and I want to be clear that this is a determination about the legal process available to the city, not a judgment on those concerns," said Mayor Pro Tem Kelly Cmerek.