Commissioners form 10‑member Wind and Solar Review Ordinance Committee

The Blackford County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 21 voted 3‑0 to create a ten‑member Wind and Solar Review Ordinance Committee to review wind and solar projects and advise on ordinance language.

The committee will include the mayors of Hartford City and Montpelier, a representative from Shamrock Lakes, Planning & Zoning member Anne Owen, Commissioner John Lancaster, attorney Aubrey Crist and three community members, Warren Brown said during the meeting. Commissioner Dan Borgenheimer moved to accept the committee and Commissioner Laura Coons seconded the motion; the vote was unanimous.

Public commenters addressed the committee setup during the public comment period. Todd Glancy thanked the board "for putting the review ordinance committee together," but noted the committee will not hold public meetings, a point the board did not change during the session. Resident Deb Grider asked for parcel-level details and megawatt counts for existing projects and urged the commissioners to place wind and solar projects on a moratorium until the committee completes its work.

Warren Brown, executive director of the Blackford County Economic Development Corporation, also supported moving forward with the committee and recommended 1898 & Co be retained to perform decommissioning cost reviews on a four-year schedule; the board approved hiring 1898 & Co by unanimous vote. The committee formation and choice of decommissioning reviewer set the county's next steps on wind and solar oversight; the board did not set a public timeline for the committee's work during the meeting.