At a meeting of the Russell County Fiscal Court, residents and landowners urged officials to block or restrict large industrial solar developments proposed near Mount Olive and other rural areas, and the court voted to have the county attorney draft an ordinance establishing setbacks for industrial solar projects.

The most detailed public comments came from residents who said the proposed project would harm property values, local agriculture and the environment and posed fire and toxic‑material risks. “It's ruined forever,” said Jonathan Hill, who described moving to the county for its countryside and said he would reconsider building on his land if the project proceeds. Linda Stevens, a longtime Russell County resident who previously worked with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, told magistrates the projects “do nothing, nothing good for our county and its people.” Property owner Jim Demos said, “I oppose this, and I hope that you will oppose it as well.”

Ben Levy, executive director for Roundtrip Energy, gave the developer's overview. “The project is going to be in the neighborhood of 60 megawatts. It's gonna have up to 20 megawatts of batteries. The project is gonna be occupying 450 acres of land,” Levy said, and he said the developer plans a “full blown permitting process with the state of Kentucky siting board” and intends to engage the community and respond to questions about environmental, health and safety issues.

Residents raised several recurring concerns: chemical leaching from panels and mounting hardware; long-term land use loss and inability to return land to agriculture; the size and fire risk of battery energy storage systems; visual impacts; effects on hunting and wildlife corridors; and proximity to an elementary school. One speaker described the potential for long‑lasting soil contamination from heavy metals and said the project’s presence would prevent future local development.

Court members acknowledged limits on their authority. County Judge Randy Harcombe and several magistrates explained that property owners can generally use their land and that the Public Service Commission and state rules can affect siting; they said the court's practical tools are local ordinances such as setbacks and other zoning-like restrictions. During discussion the court focused on setback distances, including a frequently cited state rule of about 2,000 feet, and on whether a local ordinance could set a larger buffer and address roadways and waterways.

After public comment the court voted unanimously to authorize the county attorney to draft an ordinance that would establish setbacks for industrial solar projects (including roadways and waterways) and bring the ordinance back for a first reading and the required legal advertisement. Magistrates said the court will hold a first reading and later a second reading before taking a final vote.

Next steps: the county attorney will prepare proposed ordinance language for the court’s first reading and public notice; the court will follow its standard two‑reading process and legal advertisement before a final vote. Roundtrip Energy said it will continue community engagement and provide written answers to the specific environmental and safety questions raised at the meeting.

Votes and formal next steps at the meeting included a unanimous motion to have the county attorney draft and file a first reading of the ordinance; the court did not adopt a final ordinance at this meeting.