City of Dubuque to Seek Community Input on Data Center Ordinance Development

The City of Dubuque is developing a public engagement process for community input on a data center ordinance. No formal annexation petition, site plan, request for utilities, or development agreement regarding a proposed data center has been presented to the city. The intention is to propose rules and regulations that a data center would have to abide by to be considered for development. The city is in the preliminary fact-finding stage about data centers. These projects raise questions regarding water usage, electricity demand, noise, environmental protections, lighting, traffic, emergency response, and nearby property impacts. If any project is proposed, no action would be taken until an ordinance is in place. Staff are developing the engagement plan with in-person meetings involving facilitated small group discussions, surveys, and other input methods. Feedback from the Long-Range Planning Commission, Resilient Community Advisory Commission, and neighborhood associations is also being considered. The input will be presented to the city council for a work session in approximately 8-10 weeks. A well-designed process provides the opportunity for the community to provide meaningful input to city council in a way that promotes dialogue and civility, said Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh. That is why taking time to first ensure a good process to gather that input and have the best information available to share is important. The city council will take no action on data centers until an ordinance is in place. Based on council direction, staff would draft an ordinance for additional community input and consideration at a regular council meeting. Details on opportunities for participation will be shared with the community and local media through all City of Dubuque communication channels later this month, and residents can provide input by emailing the city council through the Contact Us link on cityofdubuque.org.