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Madison County supervisors press project team on safety, move to deny Vanguard training facility
Summary
Supervisors raised safety, utility encroachment and drainage concerns about a proposed Vanguard training facility range; a supervisor moved to deny the plan and a roll-call vote was started but the transcript ends before the final outcome was recorded.
A Madison County supervisor presiding at the meeting pressed project representatives on safety, drainage and utility easements for a proposed Vanguard training facility, and then moved to deny the proposal and requested a roll-call vote that the transcript does not show being completed.
The supervisor said the project’s plans are not finalized and framed safety as a county responsibility under home rule, asking whether the team had obtained an encroachment agreement with MidAmerican for high-voltage transmission lines that cross the site. The supervisor also warned that planned berm construction could change the site’s drainage and affect the floodplain near nearby homes.
A project presenter said the team is aware the transmission lines run over the property and that they would need to contact MidAmerican; the presenter named Martin Green as taking the lead on building-side matters. "So the current approximation is 20 feet," the presenter said when asked about the height of some berms and backstops, adding that the team would coordinate with utilities and adjust the layout if MidAmerican objects to placing structures under the lines.
A technical witness for the proposal described common long-range practice: backstops at target locations rather than continuous side berms, and use of baffles or limiting devices and resistant materials such as AR500 steel on targets to reduce unsafe firing angles. The witness said the team had already spoken with the DNR about regulatory considerations and is seeking necessary approvals.
Supervisors questioned several technical points: why the firing lines appeared to face south when National Rifle Association guidance recommends north-facing lines to avoid firing into sunlight; whether firing positions and berms would require removal of trees that could alter drainage; and the absence of finalized engineering drawings. The presenter acknowledged those details are not finalized and said the team did not yet have final site lines or an engineer because it would be premature to invest in final engineering before approvals.
After discussion, the presiding supervisor moved to deny the Vanguard training facility proposal, invoking the county’s duty to protect residents’ safety, health and welfare, and asked for a roll-call vote. The chair called for votes from named supervisors; the transcript records a response of "Nay," but it ends before a complete tally or the motion’s final disposition was recorded.
Project representatives said they would pursue coordination with MidAmerican and regulatory agencies and that they would adjust plans where constraints are identified. The record shows no completed vote or formal outcome in the available transcript and no final engineering submittal had been presented at the time of the meeting.
