JUNE 11, 2026

The City of Dubuque is developing a process to gather community input on the creation of a city ordinance to regulate the potential future development of any data centers within the city limits of Dubuque.

The recent attention to data centers in Dubuque County and elsewhere in the region provides an opportunity to thoughtfully engage community members regarding the development of a city data center ordinance. No formal annexation petition, site plan, request for utilities, or development agreement regarding a proposed data center in the city limits has been presented to the City. The intention of developing an ordinance is to propose the rules and regulations that a center would have to abide by to be considered for development in the city of Dubuque. If any project were to be proposed/submitted to the City by a developer, no action would be taken on it by city council until an ordinance is in place.

The City of Dubuque is in the preliminary fact-finding stage about data centers. The City recognizes that these projects raise important questions regarding water usage, electricity demand, noise, environmental protections, lighting, traffic, emergency response, and nearby property impacts.

In preparation for the development of an ordinance, City staff are developing a public engagement process focused on working directly with community members to ensure their concerns and goals are understood and considered. The ultimate goal of this process is to share the information received with the Dubuque City Council.

“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’s why taking time to first ensure we have 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.”

Staff developing the community engagement plan are considering:

• In-person engagement meetings that involve facilitated small group discussions enabling community members to provide input and dialogue with each other.
• Opportunities for participation beyond in-person events such as surveys and other methods to submit input.
• Feedback from specific groups, including but not limited to Dubuque’s Long-Range Planning Commission, Resilient Community Advisory Commission, and neighborhood associations.

The input gathered from the community engagement would be included in the information that is ultimately presented to city council for a work session on the topic in approximately 8-10 weeks. After reviewing the public input, the city council would provide feedback and direction regarding an ordinance at the work session.

Based on that direction from the city council, City staff would then draft a data center ordinance for additional community input and consideration by city council at a regular council meeting. Regular meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Monday of each month. All regular meetings include opportunities for public input. Additionally, residents and stakeholders have multiple methods to provide input to the city council throughout the process. Options include emailing the entire city council directly through the “Contact Us” link on cityofdubuque.org

Details on opportunities for participation will be shared with the community and local media through all City of Dubuque communication channels. Staff expect to share those details later this month.