Blackford County commissioners approve road agreements and claims, discuss wind and solar project permits

The Blackford County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 18 approved amendments to road-use agreements tied to local wind-energy projects, authorized a federal-aid contract for two county bridges and approved the county’s regular and miscellaneous claims and payroll, while hearing public comment on environmental and permitting concerns tied to solar and wind projects.

The board approved a proposed amendment to the county’s roads-and-drains agreement with a wind developer and adopted Resolution 2025-R6 formalizing authority for county officials to execute the amendment. Commissioners also voted to authorize the county to sign a state/federal-aid boilerplate contract to begin engineering work on Bridge 56 and Bridge 57.

Why it matters: the amendments and resolution are intended to add specific county roads to developer road-use agreements and set out who may sign the amendment on the county’s behalf; the bridge contract authorizes county engineering work paid with federal-aid funds. Public commenters urged caution on environmental impacts and asked the county to preserve its ordinance authority as some project extensions proceed under earlier rules.

The board’s actions and the public discussion John (county highway representative) told commissioners the state had sent boilerplate federal-aid bridge contracts that need county signatures so engineering work can begin. He said engineering fees are to be paid and quoted project figures for the two bridges: "Bridge 56 is $286,665. Bridge 57 is $300,646." He said the county needs to sign the contract so the state can return it and the county can be under contract by the Sept. 1 deadline to start engineering work.

Warren Brown, of Blackford County Economic Development, described a third amendment to a roads-and-drains agreement with Prairie Creek Wind (and related developer filings). Brown said the amendment adds specific routes — including 200 North from State Road 3 to…