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Residents sharply criticize commissioners over zoning, roads and energy projects during lengthy public comment
Summary
Several residents used the public-comment period to criticize the board's recent zoning-related actions and decisions connected to energy projects, alleging inadequate consultation, road neglect, and unfair treatment of neighbors; commissioners responded with statutory reminders and procedural context.
A sustained public-comment period focused on zoning, energy projects and road conditions produced pointed criticism of the board and requests for further review.
Todd Tibbetts (speaker 12) delivered an extended statement that framed recent county actions as a property-rights issue and sharply criticized the chairman and the board's handling of zoning and contracts with outside developers. "When you were elected decades ago... you are viewed as a resource on that," Tibbetts said before adding, "You are viewed as a dictator... What you want, you get." He cited examples including a large pile of dirt on a rural road with no signage and a senior center pedestrian safety concern.
Other commenters questioned the speed of the county's zoning decisions, attorney changes, and spending on litigation; some suggested the board had made choices before hearing all testimony. Board members and staff responded by explaining statutory limits and procedures: one official noted that state statute requires the growth policy be adopted before certain types of zoning and reaffirmed that the county had followed required processes. The land planning board later returned to technical edits on the growth policy (map quality, grammatical fixes and whether to label roads as 'easements'), emphasizing the need for clarity before moving to Type 2 zoning.
No immediate policy reversals were announced; several speakers said they would submit written documentation for the record and asked commissioners to consider moratoria or interim zoning while the county finalizes its growth policy.
