Council adopts ordinance to establish county fund for battery energy storage permitting

Decatur County commissioners voted to adopt Ordinance 2026-4, establishing a county fund to manage up-front payments from a developer for the plan review and inspection costs of a proposed battery energy storage facility.

Mister Westfield briefed the council on permitting needs for the project and said the developer, which he named as AYPA, has agreed to provide funds in advance for third‑party plan review, inspections and related fees. “They are agreeing to pay all those fees for the inspections and the plan reviews, attorney fees,” he said.

Westfield said the county lacks extensive in‑house experience for battery energy storage plan reviews and is securing third‑party proposals to perform technical review and inspections; the first proposal he mentioned covered just the plan review and inspections and was described as “a little north of $250,000,” with total up‑front expenses expected to top $300,000 once emergency‑management and storm‑water plans are included.

Council member Rick moved to accept Ordinance 2026-4; Ashley seconded and the motion carried. The ordinance establishes the fund so the county can receive developer‑provided funds up front and disburse them against approved invoices as the permitting process proceeds.

Council members said the structure is cautious: collecting funds in advance reduces the county’s financial risk if costs exceed initial estimates or if projects incur disputed or contested fees later in the process. The council asked staff to finalize reimbursement agreements and to ensure invoices and draws are handled through standard claims procedures.