Scott County supervisors postpone vote on zoning change to allow thermal electric plants after hours of public comment

Scott County supervisors voted unanimously on Oct. 23, 2025 to postpone indefinitely consideration of a zoning text amendment that would add thermal electric generating facilities to the list of special permitted uses in the county's Agricultural Preservation (AP) zoning district.

The decision followed a presentation by Greg Schottfeld, the county's Planning & Zoning director, who explained the process the board would follow if it acted on the amendment and emphasized that approval would create only a special-use category, not site-specific permits or construction rights. "If approved tonight and approved at a second reading, it does not give Central Iowa Power Cooperative any permission to do anything on any site," Schottfeld said, describing the separate county and state reviews any site-specific application would face.

Representatives of Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) described the proposed Hickory Grove Generating Station and addressed questions about jobs, contractor selection and environmental oversight. Andrew, speaking for CIPCO, said the cooperative would require bidders to disclose what percentage of local skilled labor they plan to employ and that as a Rural Utility Service borrower CIPCO must follow competitive-bidding standards. CIPCO's engineer, Sam Honnold, said the plant would source water from an on-site well and that the company's modeling equated annual water use to "8 to 10 homes," or roughly "400 to 500,000 gallons annually." Andrew acknowledged the facility would burn natural gas and that "there are emissions associated with it," while noting regulation by the Iowa Utilities Commission and the Iowa DNR.

During the public hearing dozens of residents spoke. Many urged the board to send the draft ordinance back to the planning and zoning commission for stronger protections for high-quality farmland, stricter limits on acreage and clearer water and air safeguards. "We are asking you to send the proposed special use permit ordinance back to the planning and zoning commission for what we consider critical revisions," said Linda Gollinghorst of Dixon, who referenced a 279-resident petition.

Several residents raised potential conflicts of interest. "We would like the board chair, the 3 members on plan and zone, and the 2 members on the board of adjustment to recuse themselves from any discussions or any votes on the CIPCO special use permit," said Jerry Moore, who told the board that one of the farms under contract with CIPCO is Grandview Farms, a business that, he said, provides benefits to local officials. Multiple speakers asked the county attorney to review Iowa conflict-of-interest rules before the board votes.

Concerns about health and local environmental impacts recurred in testimony. Eileen Givers said peaker plants "start and stop frequently, which leads to inefficient combustion and emit higher rates of pollutants like nitrogen oxide [and] carbon monoxide" and urged a 3-mile buffer or relocation to a decommissioned site in Muscatine. Other residents questioned the draft's lack of explicit county-level requirements for closed-loop cooling or minimum acreage limits tied to an applicant's documented need.

Board members expressed the challenge of balancing farmland preservation and long-term power reliability. In debate leading to the motion to postpone, supervisors asked staff to provide more options and requested a written legal opinion from County Attorney Kelly Cunningham on conflict-of-interest issues. The motion to postpone was made by Supervisor Ross and seconded by Supervisor Beck; during roll call the board recorded unanimous support (Rubriasco: Aye; Dixon: Aye; Maxwell: Aye; Poston: Aye; Beck: Aye), and the board "postponed indefinitely" further action on the zoning text amendment.

Votes at a glance: - Motion to open the public hearing on the zoning text amendment: passed (voice vote). - Motion to close the public hearing: passed (voice vote). - Motion to postpone consideration of the zoning text amendment indefinitely: passed by roll call (Rubriasco Aye; Dixon Aye; Maxwell Aye; Poston Aye; Beck Aye). - Consent agenda items 8'12: approved (voice vote). - Final reading and adoption (Chapter 6 amendments on minimum lot sizes): approved (voice vote). - Final reading and adoption (Chapter 13: convert Jersey Ridge Road intersection to all-way stop): approved (voice vote). - Final reading and adoption (Chapter 13: reduce posted speed limit on 210th to 45 mph): approved (voice vote). - Resolution to reclassify a section of 144th Avenue (Winfield Township): approved (voice vote). - Resolution to approve space study recommendation (move treasurer/general store to Paul Revereux Square): approved by roll call (one No recorded). - Resolution to update strategic plan timeline: approved (voice vote).

What happens next: Supervisors asked county staff to explore alternative siting and ordinance options and assigned County Attorney Kelly Cunningham to provide a written opinion on any conflicts of interest cited by residents. The postponement leaves the text amendment alive but without an immediate board vote; any future action would follow additional staff work, legal review and any further public forums.

Sources: remarks and presentations at the Oct. 23, 2025 Scott County Board of Supervisors meeting, including statements by Greg Schottfeld (Planning & Zoning director), Andrew (Central Iowa Power Cooperative representative), engineer Sam Honnold, and public commenters including Linda Gollinghorst and Jerry Moore.