Committee recommends denial of Highway 61 Sun Solar application, flags date and GPS discrepancies

The Hancock County Building, Grounds, Safety, and Insurance Committee voted July 14, 2026 to recommend denial of the Highway 61 and 61-2 Sun Solar application and agreed to forward that recommendation to the full county board.

The committee’s recommendation followed debate about inconsistencies in the application. Committee member Steve Finney moved to deny the application, saying he was "concerned about the validity of the dates if this should go to court." Michelle Merritt seconded the motion; Finney, Merritt, Lee Ann Lambert, Jason Jacquot and Turner voted yes, while Mark Hanson and Tom Rodgers voted no on the initial motion. Tom Rodgers offered an amendment to accept the application if the dates were corrected; no member seconded that amendment.

Justin Greeley of Bellwether was called to speak during the discussion. Later, after additional comment, Bobi James told the committee it cannot itself deny a solar application and may only make a recommendation to the full board; the committee then formally voted to send a recommendation of denial to the full board, a motion made by Merritt and seconded by Rodgers that passed with all members present voting in favor.

Merritt also raised a concern that the application’s GPS coordinates “do not match throughout the application,” and the committee agreed to request that the county’s energy attorney join the full board meeting to address the discrepancies and any legal questions. Committee member Mark Menn warned that if the matter goes to court, costs would come out of the general fund.

The committee did not make a final, binding denial; it moved the recommendation to the full board for final action. The full board is expected to receive the committee’s recommendation at its next meeting.