March 13, 2018
Indiana

Wind turbine debate stalls

Bob Cox | Journal Review | www.journalreview.com

A large crowd filed into the Montgomery County Courthouse on Monday expecting to hear more from county commissioners about a proposed amendment to the county’s wind energy ordinance. However, the item was not on the agenda because Commissioner Phil Bane could not attend the meeting.

Several concerned citizens did speak during the comment period at the end of the meeting. Seven residents spoke in favor of wind energy while four spoke against windmills dotting the countryside. Issues pertaining to health, land setbacks and noise decibels again dominated the comments.

Commissioners were presented last month with a proposal to amend the present ordinance by county attorney Dan Taylor. Commissioners gave no indication when the proposed amendments will be discussed. Before making any changes, commissioners will conduct a public hearing.

Commissioner John Frey presented a prepared statement concerning county road right-of-ways and farming. He asked farmers to “refrain from planting crops both in the road ditch right-of-way and in the right-away at intersections.”

Frey said when farmers plant too close to the roads and in the road ditches, the result on roads are destructive to proper road drainage such as more standing water on roads which leads to unsafe roadways.

Frey said the county highway will remove crops from the right-of-ways this spring with no reimbursement to farmers.

“We ask that all farmers cooperate in the proper respect for these road right-of-ways so that our roads drain properly and so that we can maintain intersections with safe lines of sight,” Frey stated.

In other business, commissioners:

• Introduced two ordinances that will re-establish both the cumulative bridge fund rate and cumulative capital fund rate.

• Approved a $63,000 annual contract with the Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau.

• Gave permission to County Highway Superintendent Jeremy Phillips to advertise bids for a new tandem dump truck and for bituminous materials.

• Appointed Linda Long to the Waveland-Brown Township Public Library board of directors.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/03/13/wind-turbine-debate-stalls/