City of Belvidere Illinois Live Stream

The City of Belvidere Committee of the Whole met on October 26, 2026. Most discussion concerned the proposed Project Hawkeye data center and residents’ concerns about water and power use, noise, public safety, and effects on nearby farms and homes. The mayor said no final agreement or definitive proposal had been submitted and described a $150,000 advance from Datawatt Energy to cover project fact-finding and review costs. An alderman moved to direct the city attorney to draft a resolution ending discussions with Datawatt; a motion to table that proposal until more facts were available failed, reported as 6–4. The transcript does not record a final vote on the underlying motion before the meeting moved to adjournment, so no final decision to proceed with or stop the project is established here.

The council approved renewing the city’s property, casualty, and workers’ compensation coverage with IML RMA for January 1, 2027, through January 1, 2028, for $85,117.17, including $2,000 in dues to receive a 1% early-payment discount. The city had issued an RFP to three firms and received one competing proposal, from Robertson Ryan Insurance, quoted at $884,495. The finance director also reported that the library’s $895,340 tax-levy request—an increase of $42,635, or 5%—was presented for information and future review, not approval. Police grant applications for camera and radio costs were also noted as pending.