~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
“The Iowa Legislature has put us in an impossible situation,” county attorney Thomas Laehn told the Greene County board of supervisors at the regular meeting April 15, referring to state requirements that counties balance agricultural need for land with land needed for the development of solar energy.
Laehn’s comments were in response to an open forum issue presented by Mary Ellen Holz. Holz asked for clarification from the supervisors on the county’s solar ordinance section 16.6 which deals with the maximum geographical size of solar farms and the mandated two-mile distance between solar farms.
Supervisor Dawn Rudolph read from the ordinance and said the total acreage inside the fences around a utility-level solar farm is capped at 1000 acres. Additionally, a solar farm originally approved for a smaller number of acres is allowed to expand at a later date up to 1000 acres.
Holz asked if expansions made to an existing solar farm must be two miles away from other solar farms.
Describing this as a loophole in the ordinance, Holz said, “This could result in dotting the land with (small) solar farms up to 1000 acres (for each solar company.)”
“In practice, I don’t see this happening,” Laehn said. He described the cost of operation from the standpoint of the solar companies as being more cost-effective with one large solar farm compared to several smaller farms.
Addressing the supervisors, Holz asked. “Is your intention that they be allowed to continue to purchase land (over time) until they have a total of 1000 acres, whether there’s a two-mile distance between solar farms or not?”
“The legislature has told us we can’t limit solar farms,” board chair John Muir said.
“Landowners will be vulnerable to (the use of) eminent domain,” Holz said (for solar companies wanting to acquire small pieces of land to add to an established solar farm.)
“We have two goals that contradict each other,” Laehn said. “We have to protect agricultural land while at the same time promote solar energy. Right now, we have the most stringent and legally defensible ordinance in the State.”
Holz said parts of the ordinance need to be clarified to eliminate loopholes to prevent “replacing agricultural land with utilities-based land.”
Later in the meeting, the board held a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Greene County Zoning Ordinance dealing with the solar ordinances. Topics were set back distances from buildings and cemeteries and the need for an emergency response plan. Technological developments for storing solar energy in batteries was discussed along with the sale of extra energy.
There were no comments from the public. After the hearing, the board unanimously approved the first reading of the proposed Greene County Zoning Ordinance. The second reading is scheduled for next week.
In other business, the supervisors unanimously approved a 28E agreement between Greene County and Dallas County to share emergency communications tower space which links to the Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System. In return for sharing towers, Greene County will provide backup recording services.
Laehn told the board Dallas County has already signed the agreement.
Greene County Development Corporation president Scott Weber updated the supervisors on GCDC activity. Weber said the GCDC website is being updated and they have received interest from local businesses that would like to join GCDC.
Weber described current businesses going out of business and looking for new owners. He said GCDC tries to help with business transition plans.
Supervisor Dan Benitz told Weber he has heard from potential buyers who said GCDC had given “a limited amount of help.”
Weber told the board Midwest Missions is considering the purchase of the building they currently occupy.
Peg Raney, county music coordinator, told the board an original melody written by Jennifer Powers has been chosen to be the Jefferson Chimes and Raney proposed this be played each day at 8 am and 8 pm following the Westminster chimes.
The supervisors and attorney Laehn discussed the music policy and decided no permission was needed for the Mahanay county musician to use his discretion in programming the melody into the scheduled music program.
The supervisors thanked Raney and Bill Monroe, the county musician, for keeping them up to date on musical topics.
The supervisors unanimously approved the treasurer’s quarterly report of investments, gaming deposits, and drainage warrants.
The supervisors also unanimously approved a resolution to transfer $364,380 from the Rural fund and $180,000 from the LOSST fund to the Secondary Roads fund.
