End of June Check-In, Local News, and Resources for July
Good afternoon everyone! We sincerely hope that you and your loved ones are staying cool and keeping well-hydrated during this spell of oppressive heat. It appears that this heat dome will be with us for a bit longer so we thought that now would be a good time to share some updates, both local and national, as it relates to data centers and their development, as well as additional resources for those of you wishing to do more.
As it relates to local news, we wanted to share what our neighbors in Lee County have been up to. We found it heartening to listen to the residents of Lee County as they voiced their concerns regarding a listing posted on the Lee County Industrial Development Association (LCIDA) website that promoted a data center site for development. This is the most recent Lee County Board meeting (6/25/2026). For those wishing to view the public comment portion of the meeting, we recommend starting at the 11:15 mark:
Lee County Board Meeting
It is notable to see how expeditiously the Lee County Board posts meetings on their YouTube channel for all to readily access and to engage with. We hope that Ogle County will follow their lead.
Here are some links to national stories regarding data centers in the news:
From The Economist: America’s data-centre backlash puts the AI boom at risk Opposition is spreading across the country.
From Yahoo via Wisconsin Watch: A $2 billion data center came for Wisconsin's Driftless Area, and residents pushed back.
From The Guardian: Erin Brockovich on her battle against AI datacentres: ‘We’re up against forces that have all the money in the world’
From WPR: Oracle sues Wisconsin utility regulators over financial requirements for data centers
From the Wall Street Journal: All the Money Flooding Into AI Is a Giant Warning Sign. When companies as a group turn into sellers, it’s a reasonable sign that stocks are very overpriced.
From the Wall Street Journal: The Data-Center Boom Is Sparking a Third Wave of Inflation. Demand for memory chips is pushing prices higher. Will AI’s promise of increased productivity come in time to temper that inflation?
As it relates to the July calendar, here are the dates for all committee meetings, Ogle County Board meeting, Regional Planning Commission, and the Zoning Board of Appeals. We will, once available, share respective agendas.
July 14th (beginning at 8am):
8am - Road and Bridge Committee
9am - HR & Risk Management
10am - Assessments, Planning and Zoning
11am - SA, Court Svc, Focus House, Judiciary, & Circuit Clerk
12pm - Ethics & Governance
1pm - County Facilities, Security, & IT
2pm - Long Range and Strategic Planning
3pm - HEW, Solid Waste, and VAC
4pm - Finance and Insurance
4:30pm - Executive
July 21st, 5:30pm - Ogle County Board Meeting
July 23rd, 6pm - Regional Planning Commission
July 30th, 6pm - Zoning Board of Appeals
As it relates to FOIA, here are some helpful links and resources for those interested:
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for Ogle County
FOIA for Illinois (5 ILCS 140)
Illinois General Assembly 5 ILCS 140 General Provisions
The Presumption of Openness
For those looking for interactive resources, we recommend visiting as it is incredibly intuitive to use: Journal Sentinel: How Open is Your State?
If you have previously issued a FOIA request, but it was denied, here is a great place to start to remedy things: FOIA request denied? Here’s how to fix it.
If you are looking to report your findings (documents received, etc.), consider: The Data Liberation Project
If you are concerned about FOIA exemptions, here is a great summary from the Department of Justice: What are the 9 FOIA exemptions?