Two members of the public used the county’s two‑minute public‑comment slot on Dec. 2 to urge supervisors to revisit wind‑turbine setback rules.

Jeff Fisher of Pleasant Grove Township read a prepared statement asking the county to adopt a minimum setback of 5,280 feet (one mile) from all property boundaries for nonparticipating landowners and called for precise, transparent setback measurements using aerial photography. Fisher argued that the existing standard — which the transcript records as 1,800 feet from a dwelling or turbine height plus 10 percent from a boundary line — does not adequately protect homes, agricultural operations, livestock or future development, and he requested that land‑use administration, not developers, oversee cleanup accountability on properties that have not signed agreements.

"To ensure safety and fairness, I strongly propose a minimum setback of 5,280 feet from all property boundary lines for non participating landowners," Fisher said.

Charles Tomkinson (identified in the record as from Alt Yarmouth) questioned the county’s proportional setback formula for very tall turbines and emphasized risks from flying debris during extreme weather. Tomkinson urged supervisors to consider direct proportionality and warned that current formulas would not prevent encroachment by larger, taller turbines.

"The leading killer of people in a tornado is debris...When I looked at it from up there with that night with the light on it, and I was 1,800 feet away. That scared me," Tomkinson said.

The comments were part of the public‑input period; the transcript does not record any response from supervisors or immediate direction to staff. No formal change to county setback rules was proposed or adopted at the meeting; the matter remained in the public‑comment record.