A revised ordinance to put new restrictions on the construction of wind turbines in Floyd County is still not official.
The Board of Supervisors met in special session Wednesday (10.09) night in the courtroom of the Floyd County Courthouse for the third reading of the County’s ordinance that would be vastly different from the one proposed by the County’s Planning and Zoning Commission. Amendments by Supervisor Jim Jorgensen and Dennis Keifer include increased setback distances, lower height restrictions, and limiting the number of wind turbines in Floyd County to 70 total, including the 50 already operated by MidAmerican Energy south of Charles City.
Supervisors Chair Mark Kuhn opposes the so-called “poison pill” amendments.
Kuhn rolled out a series of maps that showed very few areas to build new wind turbines in the County, which landowner Gordon Boge said was the way it should be.
The ordinance amendments have prompted a letter of warning from Brown Winick law firm of Des Moines of possible litigation against the County on behalf of Invenergy, which wants to develop the Marble Ridge Wind Energy Center of about 40 turbines near Marble Rock and Rockford.
Invenergy’s Issac Lamppa lobbied for the original P&Z ordinance amendments.
Jorgensen was asked about the possibility of lawsuit against the County if the wind ordinance passes in its current state.
Kuhn offered a number of amendments Wednesday night he considered as compromises to the restrictions proposed by Jorgensen and Keifer, but all died for the lack of a second motion.
After almost four hours of discussion and public comments, Supervisors voted to adjourn for the night and scheduled a meeting to take up the actual third reading of the ordinance (and possible vote) at 6:30 pm October 29th in the EOC Room of the Floyd County Courthouse in Charles City.
