Residents from across Iroquois County urged planning and zoning officials on Tuesday to block industrial-scale solar projects, saying the developments would strip productive farmland, harm local businesses and alter the county’s character. The committee agreed to send one application to a public hearing but rejected a second.

The comments came during the committee’s public comment period and were led by landowners who said the county’s farmland and small-town way of life are at risk if large solar projects are approved. Mark Russ, a landowner and farmer, told the committee, “It is more than just a problem to us. It’s our history,” and argued the projects would cause “permanent loss of farm ground” through grading, soil compaction and loss of topsoil.

The committee moved one application — identified in the record as a US Cellular/US Solar “Venus” location — to the zoning board of appeals (ZBA) for a public hearing after a roll-call vote that recorded Hughes (no), Whitlow (yes), Bard (yes), Parkinson (yes) and Begass (yes). A separate motion to deem a different US Solar application complete failed in roll call, with Bard and Whitlow voting no and McGinnis and Parkinson voting yes.

Why it matters: Many speakers said county approval would have long-term local economic and environmental consequences, from reduced farm income and declining property values to uncertain infrastructure costs. Multiple commenters urged stricter contractual terms and clearer ordinance requirements that would require prospective developers to guarantee local hiring, road repairs and specified landscaping. Kate, who identified herself as a nonparticipating applicant with 320 acres signed up, said after visiting a comparable site that “whatever’s in the contracts is gonna be what gets done,” and urged the county to require measurable contract language.

County staff and the chair responded by pointing to state law that sets minimum requirements for renewable-energy siting and limits how restrictive counties may be. The chair said the county was required to adopt ordinances consistent with state rules and “could not make them any more restrictive than what the state asked them to be,” and advised citizens to take policy concerns to state representatives if they want changes to those limits.

Record and next steps: Julie from the zoning department reported project parameters and upcoming hearings. She told the committee that the Ranger Power “Two Roads” project (as described in staff materials) is about 4,468.25 acres and 398 megawatts located in Moda and Pigeon Grove Township, with two variances tied to an interconnection agreement and a drain tile survey. The ZBA is scheduled to hear the Two Roads matter tonight at 6 p.m.; the Lewis Creek project was set for a Jan. 28 hearing.

The committee also approved routine claims earlier in the meeting (roll-call recorded as Jason, Willow, Bergenson, McGinnis and Hughes voting yes; Bakken voting no). The meeting adjourned after the public-comment period and the motions.

Quotes that reflect the record: “Please stop letting these companies take our profession and livelihood away,” said Diane Manor, a landowner who asked officials to deny the applications. Julie summarized technical project details and explained the county’s procedural role in making sure applications are complete before ZBA consideration. The zoning department noted it had collected $9,080 in fees in December and that two renewable-energy applicants had completed MET-tower applications.

What’s next: The Venus/US Cellular application the committee deemed complete will advance to a ZBA public hearing for substantive testimony and a record that can inform any final county decisions. The failed motion means the second US Solar application will not proceed to ZBA from this committee at this time. Members and staff urged residents concerned about the policy direction to contact their state representatives about statutory limits on county authority.

(Reporting based on the Iroquois County planning and zoning meeting transcript, Jan. 6, 2026.)