One Joliet councilman’s questions before the Thursday vote approving land annexation for a data center suggest the city may take a deeper look into Planning Director Jayne Bernhard’s activity on the project.

The Joliet Technology Center will be built on land owned by Berhnard’s relations, including her father, but Berhnard herself does not have a financial interest in the deal, according to city officials.

But the city this week had to revise a previous statement that Bernhard had no involvement in the data center project after an area resident at a public hearing on Monday pointed to several emails found in a document search indicating she was at least at times kept in the loop on the project and had a hand in preparing the initial staff report recommending approval for the data center.

Councilman Larry Hug at the Thursday meeting referred to those comments and asked City Manager Beth Beatty about an investigation into the matter.

Hug said he had talked with Beatty about the questions raised at the public hearing and asked her for an update.

“You can’t talk about specifics because it’s a matter of personnel, but you can say it’s being investigated. Correct?” Hug said.

Beatty did not confirm or deny that there was an investigation into the matter.

“I can’t make public statements about personnel,” she said to Hug. “These things I have to talk to council about in closed session.”

Hug when asked after the meeting about whether an investigation is being done said he could not comment.

A city spokeswoman on Friday would not confirm or deny whether an investigation will be done.

“Consistent with city policy, we do not comment on personnel matters or any related inquiries,” spokeswoman Ann Sylvester said in an email response to questions from Shaw Local.

Hug at the Thursday meeting joined the council majority in an 8-1 vote in favor of the Joliet Technology Center plan. He said the questions raised about Bernhard’s involvement were an internal matter at City Hall and not a reflection on the data center plans.

Hug did ask for Hillwood Executive Vice President Don Schoenheider to comment on the site selection process that led to the Berhnard family site.

Hillwood is a co-developer of the project.

Schoenheider said Hillwood originally looked to use the Chicagoland Speedway land located north of the Bernhard property. But NASCAR nixed the idea because of its interest in continued use of the race track.

The developer than moved south to the Bernhard property and reached agreements to acquire the property before going to City Hall to present its plans for the data center, he said.

“Once we located land and had that land acquired from the sellers, then we approached the city,” Schoenheider said.

City officials have said that Bernhard alerted city officials that her family was involved in the data center project.

In January, city officials said Bernhard had no involvement in the project.

On Tuesday, after being asked about the October email showing Bernhard to have had a role in preparing the initial staff report, spokeswoman Ann Sylvester issued a statement saying Bernhard’s “engagement in any communications was clerical in nature and did not involve any evaluating or advancing the proposal. The city has reiterated to her that she will have no involvement whatsoever in any matter related to the project.”