Hancock County committee appoints Tom Dale as solar site assessment officer, delays Sun’s solar hearing

The Hancock County Building, Grounds, Safety and Insurance Committee on June 9 appointed Tom Dale as the county's solar site assessment officer and voted to postpone a public hearing on a Cornview Development LLC solar application until the committee's July meeting.

The committee approved the appointment on a motion by Michelle Merritt, seconded by Tom Rodgers; the minutes state Dale will make biannual site visits and receive $300 per visit. Bellwether will supply a compliance checklist for Dale to use and return to Bellwether for verification.

The committee spent much of the meeting discussing a Sun's solar application for parcels on Highway 61 and 61-2. The applicant filed the application April 23 but withheld further action until a new county solar ordinance went into effect June 1 to ensure compliance. Members questioned whether the 60‑day review window begins on the original April 23 filing or on June 2 after the ordinance took effect.

Justin Greeley, reached by phone, told the committee he had "done a complete review of the application" and found that it "is in compliance." Bobi James, also contacted by phone, told the committee that postponing the public hearing to July to allow staff time to finish updated references and a full review "would be a valid argument," noting the board did not have the full 60 days to complete its evaluation.

Steve Finney moved—and Tom Rodgers seconded—to take up the matter again at the July building meeting; the motion passed with all members present voting aye. The application will return to the committee in July for further consideration and any public hearing scheduling.

The committee did not record additional conditions or a final approval of the Cornview application at the June session; the matter remains under review and will be revisited at the next meeting.