The ‘fix’
The Daily Reporter | September 6, 2017 | www.spencerdailyreporter.com
Is the “fix” in? For several months, many of us in Clay County have been trying to convince the board of supervisors to set reasonable distances away from other peoples property since Apex started soliciting easements luring landowners to sign easements waving $10,000 per wind turbine as an inducement. This, of course, would be unnecessary if they had checked with the neighbors before signing the easement.
After receiving almost nothing after a couple of meetings with the supervisors, we decided to follow the process Apex must follow to get final approval for the project. First stop was the Planning and Zoning Commission where Apex put on their “dog and pony show” followed by comments from the audience. A motion was made to approve and the vote was 3 for and 3 against which meant the chairman would break the tie. We could not believe the chairman then announced he was abstaining! He was the only member who lived in the area of the proposed wind farm and had signed a petition against it. A subsequent motion was made and it passed 4-2 because one of those opposed changed her mind.
Soon it became public knowledge the reason the chairman abstained was the county attorney had told him he couldn’t vote because he had a “vested interest!” Vested interest? Is it a “vested interest” to try and protect your property from the ravages of those whirling, twirling noisy monstrosities of plastic and steel forever destroying the tranquility and beauty of our rural landscape?
Red flags started waving begging the question why? Is this a function of the county attorney? Is it in their handbook to take “sides?” Or, which is more likely, did some person or organization such as Apex “suggest” it to her?
If this is acceptable, does this mean the county attorney will tell supervisors Anderson and Matthews they must abstain from voting because they have made no apologies voicing their support of the wind farm? Kinda doubtful!
Something is “rotten in Denmark?” Who will investigate the legality? The county attorney? I’ll answer my initial question. Yes, the fix is in!
— Jerry Crew, Webb
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/09/07/the-fix/