February 12, 2015
Indiana

Wind ordinance to get independent review

By STEVE CLARK | The Huntington County Tab | Thursday, February 12, 2015 | www.huntingtoncountytab.com

Another set of eyes will take a look at the county wind ordinance, the Huntington County Commissioners decided at their meeting on Monday, Feb. 9.

The commissioners voted to have Richard Hall, a partner at Barnes & Thornburg, in Indianapolis, review the ordinance. Commissioner Rob Miller noted that Hall has expertise in wind farm ordinances.

Commissioners President Tom Wall explained that Hall “has worked with other counties, with their regulations, and helped put together their ordinances and seen what has worked and what has not worked, and this being new to our county I want to make sure that everyone is protected – people for and against.”

Wall said he envisioned Hall’s review of the ordinance being completed by the commissioners’ next meeting on Monday, Feb. 23.

Miller termed the review a “final step” before the commissioners send the ordinance back to the county Plan Commission for evaluation at its March 11 meeting.

Mark Mussman, executive director of the Huntington Countywide Department of Community Development, said that revisions made to the ordinance since the commissioners’ last meeting included adding definitions for “participating property owner,” “non-participating property owner” and others terms.

Other parts of the ordinance were deleted, he said.
“Some things that really appeared to be problematic that are in the existing (ordinance), especially the reciprocal setback, have been removed,” Mussman stated.

Mussman said he expected a few of the planning commissioners to be disappointed by some of the deletions, but stated that the discarded portions simply didn’t “belong in an ordinance.”

In other business, the commissioners appointed Ashlie Buzzard and Katie Blair as the Salamonie and Wayne Township trustees, respectively.

Buzzard came recommended by Salamonie Township’s precinct committeemen while Blair was recommended by the Wayne Township Advisory Board, Wall said.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/02/12/wind-ordinance-to-get-independent-review/