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Adams County schedules consultation and public hearing on major Amendment No. 2 to Southern Hills Wind Farm urban renewal plan
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Summary
The Adams County Board of Supervisors approved Resolution No. 2026-14 to set a consultation (March 24) with affected taxing entities and a public hearing (April 13) on Amendment No. 2 to the Southern Hills Wind Farm Urban Renewal Plan, which would add Prescott Wind Farm parcels, expand included road rights-of-way and authorize up to roughly $1.2 billion in TIF-financed projects, with details and itemized projects on file at the auditor’s office.
The Adams County Board of Supervisors voted to set a consultation and a public hearing on a proposed Amendment No. 2 to the Southern Hills Wind Farm Urban Renewal Plan that would add multiple Prescott Wind Farm turbine parcels, include extensive county road rights-of-way and authorize large Tax Increment Financing (TIF)-funded public improvements.
At their March 9 meeting Chairperson Chris Standley presided and Supervisor Scott Akin moved, seconded by Leland Shipley, to approve Resolution No. 2026-14 setting the consultation for 9:00 a.m. on March 24, 2026 and the public hearing at 9:00 a.m. on April 13, 2026 in the Board Room of the Adams County Courthouse. The motion carried (Ayes: Akin, Shipley, Hardisty, Standley; Absent: Maynes). The resolution directs the County Auditor to mail notices to affected taxing entities and to publish the hearing notice in the Adams County Free Press.
Why it matters: Amendment No. 2 would expand the urban renewal boundary to include 13 Prescott Wind Farm turbine parcels and an operations and maintenance parcel, and it would add the full right-of-way for scores of county roads and local streets in areas including Carl Township, Prescott, Corning and adjacent places. The Amendment identifies both updates to previously authorized bridge projects (several with multi‑million‑dollar increases in their not-to-exceed costs) and a long list of newly eligible public improvements intended to be financed, in whole or in part, with TIF proceeds.
What the Amendment says: The document places a copy of the proposed Amendment on file with the County Auditor for public inspection. It describes authority under Chapter 15A and Chapter 403 of the Iowa Code for loans, grants, public-improvement construction and, where applicable, issuance of bonds or pursuit of tax‑increment reimbursement. It also confirms the amendment does not change the county’s zoning or land-use regulatory processes.
Project and cost summaries in the record: The Amendment updates previously authorized bridge projects with new not-to-exceed totals (example increases include Colony 14 to $6,417,000; Nodaway 09 to $14,490,000; Lincoln 04 to $10,660,500). Exhibit B lists dozens of eligible bridge replacements, resurfacing and reconstruction projects with line-item estimated TIF costs. The record contains multiple total figures: Section language and a summary line refer to an estimated not-to-exceed TIF amount of $1,196,705,295 (the Amendment also at one point lists $1,196,740,295), while Exhibit B’s itemized subtotal and totals are shown in the document as $1,106,260,095 (plus a separate $90,445,200 subtotal for culvert projects). These differing totals are reported as they appear in the record and may reflect internal sub-totals, rounding, or editing differences; the full exhibits are on file for inspection.
Procedure next steps: The March 24 consultation is the statutorily required meeting with affected taxing entities (Iowa Code §403.5) at which representatives may submit written recommendations concerning the proposed division of revenue; the County Auditor (or delegate) is designated as the county’s representative to receive and respond to recommendations. Written recommendations from taxing entities may be submitted following the consultation and the county must respond in writing. The April 13 public hearing will allow any person or organization to be heard before the Board of Supervisors considers adoption of the Amendment.
Where to see the details: The full text of Resolution No. 2026-14, the proposed Amendment No. 2, and Exhibits A–C (legal descriptions, itemized project list, and map of road right-of-way) are on file in the Adams County Auditor’s office in Corning; the published hearing notice will include the time, place and general scope of the Amendment.
The board’s action on March 9 set only the consultation and public hearing dates; it did not adopt Amendment No. 2. The board confirmed it will consider each project proposal and any financing request on a case-by-case basis before authorizing participation or debt.