Hancock County Board approves wind ordinance amendment, adopts 24‑month moratorium on data‑center permits and confirms several appointments

Hancock County Board Chairman Mark Menn presided over the board's June 16, 2026 meeting in Carthage, where members approved a series of land-use and administrative actions, including an amendment to the county wind ordinance and a temporary moratorium on data‑center permits.

The board voted to approve an amendment to the county's wind ordinance after a public hearing. Justin Greeley, who addressed the board during the hearing, said the amendment was drafted "as strictly as possible" and cautioned that the language may require further changes. The energy attorney, Alex Keyt, joined the meeting via Zoom to answer questions on solar, wind and data centers; board members said they would send ordinance drafts to him for review.

Why it matters: the wind ordinance change and the new moratorium will affect how renewable‑energy and data‑center projects are reviewed and permitted in Hancock County. Board members framed the measures as part of a broader effort to clarify permitting rules and ensure consistent review procedures for large energy projects.

Votes and key motions at a glance: the board recorded multiple roll‑call actions. The monthly committee reports were approved with one dissenting vote from Tom Rodgers. The board approved raising the county WEX card limit to $12,000. A wind ordinance amendment was approved with Steve Lucie recorded as the lone "no" vote. The board amended and approved a payment schedule for the Abraham Lincoln statue, adopted an EMS tier intercept fee schedule and an intergovernmental agreement with LaHarpe ambulance, appointed Tom Dale as solar site assessment officer at $300 per trip, and adopted an ordinance establishing a temporary moratorium on data‑center permits amended from 12 months to 24 months. The Special Use Permit application for Hwy‑61 Sun LLC and Hwy‑61 Sun 2, LLC was postponed to July for further review.

On the wind ordinance: Board discussion followed the public hearing. Greeley told the board the draft was intentionally strict and likely to be revised, and board members asked the county to seek the energy attorney's input before finalizing additional language. The wind ordinance amendment passed by roll call with one recorded dissent (Steve Lucie).

On the data‑center moratorium: Michelle Merritt moved to establish a temporary moratorium on issuance of permits for data centers; the board amended the moratorium from 12 months to 24 months and approved the ordinance by roll call vote. The motion was described as a short‑term pause to allow staff and the board to review permitting rules and potential local impacts before new applications proceed.

Appointments and administrative business: Mark Hanson moved to appoint Tom Dale as the solar site assessment officer at $300 per trip on at least a biannual basis; Justin Greeley had drafted a checklist to guide assessments. The board confirmed the recommendation from the Republican central committee to appoint Jason Jacquot to the county board to fill a vacancy until Nov. 30, 2026, and appointed Gary Akers to the Dallas Rural Water District for a five‑year term. The board accepted Ryan Weeks's resignation and noted the need to appoint a new noxious weed superintendent.

Other approvals: The board authorized a second payment toward the Abraham Lincoln statue and amended the motion to allow the county clerk to pay the final payment once the statue is complete. The board approved the EMS tier intercept fee schedule and an intergovernmental agreement with LaHarpe ambulance. The board also approved increasing the WEX card limit to $12,000 to account for rising fuel costs.

A portion of the meeting included a discussion about the sheriff's credit card claims; the meeting record notes the board discussed a Freedom of Information Act request related to those claims but did not vote on any FOIA action because it was not on the agenda.

What’s next: the Special Use Permit for the Hwy‑61 Sun entities was postponed to July to allow further review; board business recessed at 8:40 p.m.