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Commissioners discuss solar ordinance, seek special meeting and public notice window
Summary
Commissioners discussed a proposed county solar ordinance and developer agreements, requested a special meeting to review the draft, and outlined public-notice timing and options for public comment during a dedicated session.
The board discussed next steps for a proposed county solar ordinance and related economic development agreements on March 17 and directed staff to pursue a special meeting to handle the item as a standalone agenda item.
Commissioners described recent outreach to developers (including a planned meeting with a project developer from Invenergy) and reference materials obtained from other counties for economic development agreements. Board members discussed the option of visiting a nearby 50-megawatt solar installation in Randolph County to observe setbacks and site work.
Staff said final materials should be submitted to the planning commission in time to meet public-notice deadlines; the county requires about three weeks’ lead time to publish notices. Commissioners discussed holding a special meeting focused solely on the solar ordinance so that public commenters and stakeholders can address the issue without waiting through unrelated business. The county indicated that special meeting public-comment rules would mirror regular procedures (e.g., time allotments and the ability to allocate time among multiple speakers or give extended time to a single speaker), and the meeting location would be the justice center and posted on the county website.
Commissioners did not set a firm special-meeting date at this session; they discussed April or May as possibilities depending on when a finalized draft is available to meet the county’s public-notice timeline. Staff were directed to coordinate scheduling and to publicize the special meeting once a date is set.
