The Legislative and Lobbying Committee of the Rockford City Council met on June 8, 2026, at 5:41 PM. The meeting included public testimony on several topics and considered one agenda item: the renewal of a professional services contract for lobbying services. The meeting adjourned at 6:04 PM.
And you will be given three minutes. I'll set a timer when the timer goes off. That's your time zone to end. So first we have uh Kerry Humphrey. Data centers harm people. The time is now to repent and turn away from wickedness, including greed. We are all in need of a savior. It's becoming very clear in these days. Give your life to Jesus before it's too late. You do not want to be here when God pours out his wrath upon those who thought they didn't need him. That time is coming. So the TIFF. Currently, this is already very ecologically fragile land. There are at least two super fun sites in active dump and an old dump nearby. Also nearby is the Kishwaki River, which is one of the cleanest rivers in the state, and it supports at least forty-four threatened or endangered plants and animals. What happens if these forever chemicals are pulled into this data center and then thrown out into the air? I've heard that this may be a closed loop data center and therefore safer. These systems often require chemical treatments, including antifreezes. If a leak occurs, these can enter the soil or waterways right next to the Kish and a forest preserve. Maybe that's why the Forest Preserve Board is unanimously against the TIFF vote, and you should listen to them. Data centers produce infrasound, which can cause dizziness, lack of sleep, nausea, fatigue, headache, panics, feelings of dread, stress, and anxiety. Particulate matter released from data centers causes worsening asthma, lung and cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, and premature death. An analysis cautioned that children, asthmatics, and older adults with pre-existing heart and lung conditions have the highest risk. And it's not just those who live near the data center bearing the health risk. Another study found that these air pollutants can travel hundreds of miles. So if you think this will just affect the people nearby the data center, you're sorely mistaken. Hundreds of miles. Think about that and your responsibility for the health of the people who live here and around here. If you will not consider the cost of actual people's deaths and illnesses, maybe you will consider that this will put a burden on our health care system monetarily. This won't bring long-term jobs. It gives tax breaks to rich people, and it's not a blighted area. Where's the incentive for the citizens of Rockford and surrounding areas? Do you think the health care system being bogged down with sick people is going to help us? Do you care about the people you represent? I implore you to seek God's will in this far-reaching decision and for all lives in general. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have Denzel Winter. Good evening, City Council people. We have a holiday coming up, Juneteenth. And I don't think a lot of people know what the significance of that was. June 19th, 1865. Black slaves in Texas finally found out that they were free. And the way they found out that they were free was that the Union soldiers that occupied the city told them that they were free. You know. And the thing that gets me is that we have Juneteenth. We have the shortest month of the year for us to celebrate. But here they wanted to get Charlie Kirk a holiday. For what? Speaking prejudice.