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Building department reports permits, 22 potential demolitions and industrial solar applications; county discusses moratorium lessons
Summary
Pulaski County's building department reported permit activity including three permitted commercial solar projects and one Infinergy application under review, outlined 22 potential demolition properties, and commissioners heard a separate presentation on renewable-energy moratoriums and long-term decommissioning risks.
Carla, from the Pulaski County Building Department, reported on permit activity on Jan. 21, saying the department issued a range of permits in 2024 including three commercial solar permits and one additional commercial solar application under review (company named in the packet as Infinergy). She said 13 demolition permits were issued in 2024 and that four of those were tied to the department's violation process; she told commissioners she currently has 22 properties identified as candidates for demolition following Indiana Code and county ordinance processes.
Carla said she will consult with the county attorney to resume and refine the demolition process and that she has discussed pooling demolition funds with neighboring towns where appropriate. She also said plan-commission changes, including updated permit-fee schedules and an attorney for the plan commission, will be on the commission's February agenda.
Renewable energy and moratorium discussion
Commissioner Jennifer Nevel reported on a recent Huntington County community process for industrial solar that used a local "2-on-2" committee and mediation and that Huntington imposed an open-ended moratorium to allow time for community deliberation. She relayed concerns she heard at that seminar: the lack of viable recycling paths for millions of solar panels at end of life, decommissioning responsibility when projects change hands, potential tax consequences if utility ownership removes personal-property tax, and reported property-value impacts for adjoining owners (the seminar presenter suggested up to a 30% decrease for adjoining properties in some cases).
Nevel also raised battery-storage safety concerns, referencing a recent California fire and the potential for long-lasting environmental contamination from battery fires and ash.
What the board asked
Commissioners asked staff to continue monitoring pending solar applications and to coordinate with the plan commission and county attorney on demolition-process updates and permit-fee proposals. No moratorium or regulation was proposed or adopted at this meeting; the discussion was a sharing of lessons from another county and a call to pursue more public engagement and legal review before taking action.
Ending
Carla and planning staff will return with ordinance or plan-commission proposals and will coordinate with the county attorney; commissioners agreed to continue public outreach before considering any moratorium or major regulatory change.
