The Greene County supervisors, county attorney Thomas Laehn, and county zoning officer discussed an amendment to the county zoning ordinance in reference to repowering wind turbines at the supervisors’ Sept. 8 meeting.
The amendment defines repowering as replacement, refurbishment or modernization of wind tower nacelle wind turbine generator or blade, the ancillary building or accessory equipment or structure, or any component … for the purpose of extending its operational life or increasing energy generation.
The draft ordinance specifies that repowering does not include regular maintenance or repair in the ordinary course of operating the wind turbine.
Adding requirements for repowering also increases requirements for building new turbines. Companies would be required to complete a road use and repair agreement with the county that includes restoring roads to their pre-construction state. Companies would also be required to have a drainage system protection agreement with impacted drainage districts, and to show proof of liability coverage prior to construction.
County engineer Wade Weiss reminded Laehn and the supervisors of possible damage to bridges and culverts, and suggested permits should be required for all overweight loads and that improvements should be required prior to construction.
A public hearing is required, as well as three readings prior to adopting the amendment. The supervisors could waive the second and third readings.
Weiss presented the preconstruction agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation for a concrete overlay on Hwy 30 from just east of Jefferson to Hwy 144 in Grand Junction.
The proposed detour route is north of Jefferson on Hwy 4 five miles to County Road E-26, then east on E-26 to Hwy 144 at Dana, and back south on 144 to Grand Junction.
The construction area includes seven crossings of north-south roads. Each crossing will cost the county $40,000, a total cost of $280,000. Typically the county reimburses the DOT for that cost over a three-year period from the time the project is completed. “The payments will be difficult in the budget,” Weiss said, “but hopefully by that time we’ll have the rest of the Hwy 30 maintenance taken care of.”
Construction on Hwy 30 is scheduled to start next spring and be finished in the fall of 2027.
Weiss also reported that bridge work on Parkland Ave “isn’t going so well” and that the bridge will not be ready for traffic in time for harvest. He is seeking liquidated damages against the contractor, Jasper Construction. He said the contractor had not previously worked for the county.
Attorney Thomas Laehn reported he has completed his investigation of the officer-involved shooting July 26 and concurred with the state attorney general’s opinion that it was a reasonable use of force. He said there are 65 pending criminal cases. The number of indictable cases is more typically 75-80.
Wenthold reported he has received an application for a conditional use permit from Simple Mining, the company hoping to build a data center/bitcoin mining operation on 15 acres between Jefferson and Scranton. Shannon Potts of Regions XII Council of Governments reviewed the county’s hazard mitigation plan. The last review was six years ago.
