Jefferson County commissioners on Aug. 7 gave first readings to two proposed amendments to the county zoning ordinance: an amendment addressing wineries, breweries, distilleries and "barrel warehouses," and a second amendment updating rules for commercial solar energy systems.

County staff said the barrel-warehouse amendment is intended to differentiate small artisanal operations from larger warehouses that emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). "The main point was to make sure that the larger ones that... emit VOCs could get a special exception, but that it was highlighted as a different than just kind of the artesian, the small breweries and distilleries," a staff presenter said during the meeting.

The board read Ordinance No. 2025-5 into the record as an amendment "to wit attachment, winery, brewery, distillery, and barrel warehouse amendment." Commissioners did not adopt the ordinance; staff said the amendment will return for subsequent readings as required by the county's ordinance process.

Separately, the board read Ordinance No. 2025-6, titled "commercial solar energy systems zoning amendments." County staff recounted the background: following a moratorium on new solar applications adopted last year, planners revised setback language, material-safety-data-sheet (MSDS) submission timing and other provisions. "We passed in the moratorium on any future solar applications until we could update the the solar ordinances," staff said. The county emphasized the updated draft will be posted on the county website with changes highlighted and will receive two more readings before final action.

Commissioners and staff discussed timing and public availability of the revised drafts; at the meeting staff agreed to post the most current draft and highlighted changes online so the public can review them ahead of later readings. No adoption votes were taken at the Aug. 7 meeting; the readings were the first step in the multi‑reading ordinance process required by county rules.

What was said on the record: "We're not gonna pass them tonight. We're gonna read our ordinance the first time," a county official said. Staff also said changes discussed at planning commission hearings had been incorporated into the drafts and that the public hearing record and highlighted changes would be available on the county website.

Next steps: Staff said the amended drafts will be posted with tracked changes and returned to the board for two additional readings and public comment before the ordinances can be adopted.