Residents raise concerns about solar farms as Sawmill Junction hearing set for Sept. 16

The Dodge County Board of Commissioners set a public hearing for the Sawmill Junction application on Sept. 16 at 4:00 p.m., and several residents used the Sept. 2 meeting’s public-comment period to voice concerns about solar development and the county’s temporary moratorium on a solar ordinance.

Resident Howard Warnock thanked the board for the moratorium and raised questions about tax abatements and permitting fees related to solar projects. Resident Larry Johnson presented his opinion opposing potential solar farms in the community. During general public comment Ken Carroll said zoning legislation could be done without micromanaging property owners, Chuck Parkerson asked how the tax digest had changed since 2024, Lynn Brown presented information on how solar farms affect wildlife and the environment, and Wallace Mullis asked whether the Sawmill Junction application would fall under the moratorium.

Minutes record these statements as public comment; no formal board action on the solar ordinance or on Sawmill Junction was taken at the Sept. 2 meeting beyond setting the public hearing. The moratorium itself was referenced by commenters but the minutes do not include text of the ordinance or say when the moratorium was enacted.

The board’s scheduling of the Sawmill Junction hearing gives residents a formal opportunity to present evidence and argument to the board on Sept. 16. The minutes do not record staff analysis or a formal response to the environmental concerns raised by commenters.