The McLean County Board on Thursday approved detailed zoning rules for data centers, adopting without discussion, rules endorsed by the county’s Land Use and Transportation Committee and Zoning Board of Appeals.
The approval as part of the board's consent agenda stops short of six-month moratoriums approved by Bloomington and Normal, but gives McLean County more stringent rules than most neighboring counties, officials said.
“It’s going to provide some of the strongest regulations in the Central Illinois region,” said Alex Duffy of District 6.
The changes will require facility owners to identify potential impacts to infrastructure and public services such as roads, emergency service and utilities. They also will to list measures to address those impacts.
That would include planned water use amounts, sources, treatment and effect on local groundwater sources, as well as plans for handling wastewater volume, disposal and environmental impacts.
Electricity consumption would have to be monitored and documented, as well as sources and impacts on electrical infrastructure.
Data center owners also will have to provide any specialized training or equipment for the fire protection district responsible for emergency response for the facility.
Also, they’d be required to provide a decommissioning plan explaining how the site will be restored, including cost, when the data center closes.
Several residents attended for the data center portion of the meeting. Michele Blatzheim of Normal, an organizer with Illinois People’s Action, thanked the board for its work.
“We know that there are folks who would like to locate data centers potentially in our community and we as community members very much need the protections and the guardrails that are put in place by these zoning rules especially given that unfortunately the POWER Act, which is supposed to regulate this at the state level, has not been passed,” said Blatzheim, referring to the failure of the General Assembly to vote on state-level regulations during the spring session.
Sheriff’s department technology savings
Also Thursday, the board approved an amendment to the master services agreement with Axon, a Scottsdale, Arizona company that provides a multitude of technological services for the sheriff’s department. The amendment bundles pricing for the department’s records management service that will save more than $363,000, according to the county.
But Sheriff Matt Lane said the total could be much higher, noting the agreement locks in 2026 prices for some services.
“It could well save us millions of dollars in the end,” he said after the meeting, noting that 2027 prices have not been set.
The 10-year agreement approved in March consolidated department technology, including tasers, body cams, car video and numerous other department systems under one vendor and platform. That agreement saved the county more than $3.9 million compared with purchasing the services separately, Lane said.
Hudson tax underpayment
The board also heard a solution for incorrect tax property bills that went to residents in the village of Hudson and the Lake Bloomington area.
Assistant State’s Attorney Don Rood said 612 properties were incorrectly taxed as if they were in the village. This meant properties in the village were undertaxed by more than $81,000.
After working with the treasurer’s office, that shortfall will be recouped when taxes are paid in 2027, and he said the board will receive an intergovernmental agreement to consider where the county would offer Hudson a short-term loan to make up for the shortfall in 2026 revenue.
Enterprise zone approved
The board also followed Bloomington and Normal in approving modifications to the Bloomington-Normal Enterprise zone that provides state and local tax incentives for businesses within the zone.
The move adds about 173 acres of land to the zone, including just over 54 acres on Jumer Drive and 86 acres on Six Points Road, along with several smaller parcels.
Board member Val Laymon, chair of the Property Committee said the modifications will help provide more residential space in the area, in part by forgoing taxes on building materials.
Behavioral health grants
The board approved grants for several community organizations that provide behavioral health services through the county’s mental health and safety funds.
Bright Point (McLean County Children’s Home and Aid Society of Illinois) will receive $25,000. Chestnut Health Systems will receive $24,021. The Baby Fold will receive $39,005, and the Bloomington Reentry Council will receive $48,670.
