~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
The Greene County board of supervisors heard an update from Alliant Energy on the proposed Grand Junction solar project at their meeting on April 22. Alliant Energy has purchased the project from the original solar company, National Grid Renewables.
Justin Foss, strategic project manager with Alliant, fielded questions from the supervisors and told them there is not yet a timeline for building the utility-level solar farm. He thanked the supervisors for passing ordinances that made the project possible.
“The project has changed hands,” Foss said, “but we don’t ever want to take chances with drainage tile and other important things.”
Foss said it could be a year or two before the facility could be built.
Supervisor Dan Benitz asked about the total projected acres.
Foss said technology is developing that could allow less land to be used but the current plan is for 1,000 acres to produce 100 Megawatts of energy.
“It will benefit Alliant customers overall, not just in Greene County,” Foss said.
Benitz asked about battery storage for produced energy and Foss said he thought it would be several years before battery storage technology is developed to a cost-effective point, but Alliant will “seek permitting when there are ordinances that permit it.”
When Benitz asked if Alliant plans more utility-level solar projects in Greene County, Foss said Alliant does not plan any more solar farms in the county.
In other business, the supervisors held a public hearing on the FY2025 proposed county budget. During the hearing, the supervisors unanimously approved the salary schedule for elected officials that had been recommended by the compensation board for FY2025. This was an across-the-board 4 percent increase in salary for the county attorney, auditor, recorder, sheriff, supervisors, and treasurer.
After approving the salary increases, the supervisors unanimously approved the budget and certificate of taxes for FY2025. Details of the budget had been presented at a public hearing on April 1, and no oral or written objections had been received from the public, according to the board.
County attorney Thomas Laehn told the supervisors the Iowa Legislature has given approval for county boards of supervisors to abolish the compensation board. Laehn said the supervisors could consider that.
“The board of supervisors becomes the compensation board, in effect,” Laehn said.
The supervisors again discussed the possibility of using LOSST (Local Option Sales and Services Tax) funds to help pay for the courthouse HVAC project. This would require a public vote allowing funds to be used in this way.
The issue was not approved by voters at the last election. The supervisors said they plan to place it again on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election.
“We have to do a better job of informing the public on this sales tax,” supervisor Dawn Rudolph said.
“The public misunderstands our intentions for those funds,” chair John Muir said. “Taxpayers are suspicious of (governmental) purposes these days. Our intentions are well-meaning.”
Members of the board wondered if taxpayers might think approval of the question on the ballot would mean more taxes, but “that is not true.” The board said approval would simply mean the money could be used in a wider variety of ways.
The board agreed to start getting information out to the public at least 60 days prior to the election.
The board unanimously approved the second reading of proposed amendments to the Greene County zoning ordinances discussed at a first reading on April 15. The board also unanimously approved the waiving of a third reading, and then unanimously approved the proposed amendments to the zoning ordinances.
These amendments have to do with regulating setback distances, total size, distance between solar farms, and emergency response plans for proposed utility-level solar farms in the county as discussed at the first reading.
Attorney Laehn said the code of ordinances will be available on the county website.
Engineer Wade Weiss updated the board on secondary road projects and the Bike Ride Around Greene County route. Weiss said safety is a concern and his department plans to sweep the intersections of loose gravel for the bike riders. The ride is scheduled for Saturday, May 25.
Weiss also said the bridge replacement project over the North Raccoon River on Grimmell Rd has a start date of Sep. 16.
“There will be inconvenience for grain-hauling,” he said, “but the water level is lower in the fall, and we can work through the winter.”
The supervisors unanimously approved the final plans for the bridge replacement which is inside the city limits of Jefferson but qualifies for county work because it is on a farm-to-market road.
Ambulance director Michele Madsen told the supervisors the ambulance garage needs new heating and air conditioning units. The board asked her to get quotes for the work.
Attorney Laehn told the board a new representative will need to be appointed to the animal shelter board.
