Residents press supervisors for moratorium on wind, solar and battery permits; board outlines review process

A member of the public asked the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors to place a six-week moratorium on wind, solar and battery permit applications so the board could hold a work session and consider ordinance improvements before new permits proceed.

The commenter asked why the request had not been added to the agenda and read a proposed moratorium request to the board. Conservation staff (Chris Lee) and other supervisors explained the county’s permitting sequence: preliminary review, submittal of mitigation plans, a public hearing for consent‑to‑proceed and subsequent board consideration. Staff said mitigation is flexible and can include pre‑, during‑ or post‑construction measures and that the ordinance language intentionally lists mitigation options as examples rather than exhaustive requirements.

Conservation staff told the board an application had been received the previous evening and that the county does not yet have a complete accounting of any non‑participating properties near leases; the board encouraged attendees to participate in a Wind 101 event scheduled that evening at the library. Public commenter Brad Coat and local reporters asked about timelines and how new technologies (for example, eagle detection) might be addressed at the consent‑to‑proceed stage rather than by reopening the ordinance immediately.