Wind farm moratorium OK’d

The construction of new wind farms is banned for up to three years in Jay County. 

Jay County Commissioners voted to adopt a three-year moratorium on wind farms at their meeting Monday. 

They also decided to withhold a final payment to Butler, Fairman and Seufert over unfilled items on a service contract. 

The decision on the moratorium came quickly Monday, as commissioners had indicated at their June 25 meeting they were in support of taking a break from wind farm construction. Jay County Plan Commission recommended the moratorium at its June 21 meeting.

Now that the moratorium is in place, it’s up to the plan commission to work on reviewing and potentially proposing changes to the existing wind farm ordinance. Once it is updated — or three years is up — the moratorium will be lifted. 

Commissioner Barry Hudson emphasized that if a new ordinance isn’t drawn up within three years, the commissioners will have to follow the existing ordinance. 

“Unless something is done with a new ordinance, the original covenant will stand,” Hudson said. “We as commissioners, our call as executive is to enforce the existing covenant.” 

The plan commission can either rework the ordinance itself or appoint a committee.

The commission can then present any proposed changes to the commissioners for review and approval. 

A small crowd gathered in the commissioners’ room to hear the vote on the moratorium, but no one spoke during the discussion. 

The moratorium will not apply to Scout Clean Energy’s Bitter Ridge Wind Farm, which was given approval to move forward at the same June 21 plan commission meeting. As Scout Clean Energy filed its construction application before the plan commission decided to discuss a moratorium, the company has the right to be evaluated under the current ordinance. 

Also Monday, commissioners declined to make a final payment of $1,920 to engineering firm Butler, Fairman and Seufert for its flood mitigation study. 

At their last meeting, they discussed that the report did not include several things listed on the contract.

The contract states that BF&S was to survey Millers Branch, the county road 100 North crossing and the industrial park detention pond. Additionally, engineers were to perform a hydraulic analysis of the detention pond and conveyances to look for deficiencies and to propose fixes. These points were not fulfilled, commissioners said, so they decided to withhold the final payment. 

“It’s not much, but it’s the principle,” Hudson said. “They didn’t do it, we don’t pay it.” 

In other business, commissioners Mike Leonhard, Chuck Huffman and Hudson: 

•Discussed reports of county employees digging up a power line near NextEra’s Bluff Point Wind Energy Farm.

“I have a hard time believing that a company that’s spent over $100 million on projects would bury something at a depth where they’d be liable,” Hudson said. 

Highway department engineer Dan Watson said that crews did not find a power line, but a phone cable. He said NextEra’s crew is fastidious about making sure the lines are marked and shutting off the circuit if there will be digging nearby. 

“If they even think that you’re gonna be close, they’re gonna schedule a shut-down before they even let you dig,” Watson said. “They’re not gonna take that risk.” 

At the drainage board meeting, commissioners approved allowing county surveyor Brad Daniels to seek bids for a locator for his employees to use when digging in the areas around wind turbines.

•Voted to stop raising livestock at Jay County Retirement Center. In the past, residents had played a part in taking care of the animals, but no longer seemed interested. Eliminating the program will save an estimated $10,000. Hudson and Huffman voted in favor of getting rid of livestock, with Leonhard opposing.

•Learned that one of the Jay County Sheriff’s Office K-9s will likely be retired after it sustained an injury during training. The dog recently underwent its second surgery but is unable to walk. Healthcare costs for the 4-year-old dog will likely be around $6,000 or $7,000, Sheriff Dwane Ford said. 

•Approved a service contract for the highway department’s emergency radio service with ERS-OCI Wireless. Coverage of six remotes, a repeater, a base unit and three portable units will cost approximately $1,272 each year for three years. 

•Recommended highway department superintendent Ken Wellman seek bids for a new truck. He had presented a bid for repairs for the 2008 Ford pickup truck he drives, but commissioners disagreed with paying to repair rust damage on a 10-year-old vehicle.

•Decided to look into noncombustible options such as stone to replace the mulch at Jay County Courthouse. There was recently a third instance of a lit cigarette causing a fire.

•Heard from Purdue University Extension educator Larry Temple about how residents can file complaints about improper fertilizing and pesticide use in the county. Complaints can be filed at Temple’s office or reported to (765) 494-4331, and there is an option to remain anonymous. 

•Approved a contract with Stryker for maintenance and upkeep of Jay Emergency Medical Service ambulance cots. The cost is $2,189.33 each year for three years.

•Approved the purchase of a truck for $23,085 from Fuqua Chrysler Dodge for the surveyor’s office. The order was placed last year, but the purchase needed to be voted on again because it comes out of the 2018 budget.