Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones joined the KSAT Q&A on Tuesday to preview a City Council agenda that includes new rules for data centers and the distribution of a $442 million bond package.
Both items are set for discussion Thursday.
Jones said San Antonio is attractive to the data center industry because the city owns its power and water utilities and has available land. She said residents are asking most for transparency, along with limits on noise, restrictions on diesel backup generators and air quality monitoring.
The mayor said she opposes a “by right” approach that would let projects proceed anywhere if they meet set requirements, preferring a special utilization code that requires council review of each application. She said she wants specific standards written into that application, including a 1,000-foot setback that would match what the city already requires for detention facilities.
When asked about the bond package, Jones said she does not want bond money spent on infrastructure tied to Project Marvel near Hemisfair.
She said the state has allowed San Antonio to keep $2.1 billion through the Project Finance Zone for the arena, convention center expansion, the Alamodome and associated infrastructure, and that the $35 million in arena infrastructure should come from there.
That would preserve bond dollars for neighborhood streets, sidewalks and parks, she said.
The council will settle the bond distribution Thursday. Committees will then take community input on a project list, and a final list is expected by February ahead of a May election.
Watch the full interview in the video player above.
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