Yorkville council to discuss water rate increase, data center lawsuit settlement, and change in data center agreement
The Yorkville City Council will discuss a water rate increase for Fiscal Year 2027, as well as consider a settlement with a homeowner who sued the city over the proposed Project Cardinal data center. The settlement would revise the project's building order but allow it to proceed, though a second lawsuit against the project is still ongoing. The council may also vote on changing the land closing agreement for the Cardinal Data Center.
The Yorkville City Council is set to discuss a proposed water rate increase for Fiscal Year 2027 at its upcoming meeting. The increase, which would see the base rate rise from $58.27 to $88.97 and the rate per 100 cubic feet from $7.28 to $9.10, was originally planned for May but has been delayed until July. City officials state this delay will have minimal impact on Water Fund revenues and note that recent construction bids have come in below engineering estimates, potentially offering flexibility for future rates.
Also on the agenda is a significant discussion regarding the Project Cardinal data center. The council will consider a settlement with John Bryan, a Sugar Grove homeowner who sued the city in November to halt rezoning for the proposed 1,000-acre project, citing harm to nearby homes. Under the proposed settlement, the developer, Pioneer, would revise the project's build sequence, starting with the northeast portion, then the southeast, and finally the western section, with the city incurring no costs. This settlement, if approved, would resolve Bryan's lawsuit, but the city still faces a separate lawsuit from the organization Preserve Our Yorkville and Community over the data center project.
Furthermore, the council may vote on a change to the agreement with Cardinal Data Center, allowing the company to close on land for the project next year, rather than the originally stipulated next month, as per their annexation agreement.