The Shelby County Board voted Sept. 11 to engage the law firm Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins to assist the county with preparation, negotiation, review and revision of road-use agreements for solar and wind farm projects.

The motion, presented during the post‑closed‑session agenda, drew no discussion and passed on a roll-call vote with affirmative responses from members present.

Board members said the engagement was limited to preparing and reviewing the road‑use agreements rather than broader project approvals. No contract amount or term was discussed on the record at the meeting; the motion as read limited the firm’s role to legal assistance on road‑use agreements.

Why it matters: Road‑use agreements allocate responsibility for construction traffic, repairs and costs when utility-scale generation is built and can affect county maintenance budgets and access for agricultural and local traffic. The board’s decision to retain outside counsel signals the county’s intent to be prepared for incoming large-scale energy projects.

Discussion vs. decision: This item was a formal board decision to retain outside counsel. The transcript records a roll-call vote approving the engagement; the meeting did not include details of the scope beyond the narrow description in the motion nor any negotiated fee schedule.

Ending: The county will work with the retained firm on road‑use agreements; further specifics on contract terms or work products must be expected in subsequent meetings or procurement records.