Troy City Council extends data center moratorium until March 2027
The Troy City Council has extended a six-month moratorium on new data centers within city limits until March 2027. This extension allows city officials to monitor upcoming state legislative actions, including Senate Bill 25, which may affect local control over data center development. The city's attorney advised that shorter moratoriums are more legally defensible.
The Troy City Council, at its September 21 meeting, voted to extend a moratorium on data center development within city limits for another six months, pushing the pause until March 2027. This decision follows a previous multi-page ordinance on solar farms that was overruled by state legislature three years prior, highlighting local governments' limited control over certain developments.
City officials aim to use this extended period to monitor the state's upcoming veto session in October and legislative actions surrounding Senate Bill 25, which could influence local regulatory powers regarding data centers. City attorney Fred Keck advised that six-month moratoriums are legally more defensible than longer, 12-month bans.
In other city business, the council approved a resolution supporting improvements along Route 162, including a shared-use path and new sidewalks, for which City Engineer Tom Cissell plans to seek an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) grant. The council also approved several bids for public works projects, including concrete swale work and street improvements, with unanimous votes on multiple motions, including one to award a bid to KRB Excavating for the Bargraves concrete swale.