Mark Olsen of Bogue told the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors during the public-comment period that he and his wife have signed an easement supporting wind-energy development and urged the board to adopt “reasonable or responsible setbacks and zone ordinances.” "My wife and I have signed an easement of contract with wind energy," Olsen said during the meeting.

The comments came as several residents and landowners—some naming developers including RWE, Invenergy and Embedded Energy—spoke in favor of turbines installed on farm property and highlighted potential county and landowner revenue. Supporters pointed to other Iowa counties’ experience and urged supervisors to use existing ordinances as models.

Supervisors and planning staff said planning and zoning is actively drafting an ordinance and that the county’s comprehensive plan is nearly complete; staff asked the planning board to turn in edited changes and said the comprehensive plan’s formatting work could be finished within a week. Board members repeatedly emphasized balancing property owners’ rights with respecting neighbors and avoiding litigation.

Residents asked about local economic impacts and timeline for tax revenue. A staff speaker described a phased revenue schedule in which early years bring smaller collections that grow to a maximum share; staff said a full buildout could yield about $2,000,000 a year to the county at a later stage of the project, with that level reached after roughly seven years of production. Supervisors also explained permitting pathways: projects generally would seek special-use approval and be treated as public-utility structures for siting and permitting purposes.

Developers’ decommissioning commitments and financial security drew questions. A presenter said the company would post a decommissioning bond and that, if the project were sold, the bond would transfer with the sale; the presenter added that collecting on a bond could require legal costs. Board members discussed alternative escrow structures that put funds beyond the reach of a bonding company.

Supervisors said they are reviewing many county ordinances to find practical language; they mentioned ordinances from Pocahontas and other counties as examples and said they would draw on provisions that have worked elsewhere. Planning staff said they are compiling edits and hoped to present a proposed ordinance to the board soon.

The board did not take final action on any ordinance at the meeting; planning staff will return with draft language for formal consideration.