Macoupin County Board Economic Development Committee met Sept. 6.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
I. CALL TO ORDER
PRESENT: Armour, Starr, Blank, Kilduff, Klausing, Payne, Rosentreter, Duncan, Garrison, Jurisk, Heuer, Goltz
ABSENT:
II. AGENDA ITEMS
1. Motion to seat Payne at 5:12
Motion by Klausing, seconded by Kilduff to seat Payne.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Holly Klausing, Member
SECONDER: Ryan Kilduff, Member
AYES: Armour, Starr, Blank, Kilduff, Klausing, Rosentreter
ABSENT: Payne
2. Potential Broadband Agreement with Frontier for Northwest Macoupin County Pat Pinkston from Greene County said there was federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act for broadband expansion. Greene County has been working on researching how to improve broadband in Greene County. They had engaged with multiple companies and had signed on with Frontier for them to write grants for broadband expansion. They had success in getting most of the county covered hopefully. There is one area that is currently not covered, Rockbridge, which is served by the Chesterfield area. Frontier has offered to file a grant with the Connect Illinois program for the Chesterfield area, which includes a portion of Macoupin. He is asking the County for any surveying or mapping data on current internet service, letters of support for the project, consideration of the utility permit document from Greene County, and financial support to show commitment for the project. Frontier would submit the grant on behalf of Greene and Macoupin. Frontier has committed to running fiber for the project. Frontier also has the easements since they have the phone service in the rural areas. The installation will be done within 2 years of the grant being approved and payment for it is not due until the project is completed. Klausing asked what the total commitment would be from Macoupin financially if they agreed to do the grant. That would be up to Frontier to negotiate with the two counties but he believed Greene would be willing to split the costs for this grant. Armour said he would reach out to Frontier to see what they could get started with.
3. Amendments to Macoupin County Ordinance No. O-2023.02: Wind Energy Conversion Systems Siting Ordinance For A Wind Energy Conversion System Jurisk discussed the update he would like to see the Board approve. This ordinance would bring forward to the most significant authority the county can have based on the state statute. These would only be prospective so it would not effect the Lotus Wind project, it would only apply to any possible future applicants. This would also increase the amount the decommissioning He wanted to discuss it tonight for public comment and so would then like it to be adopted at the October meeting.
4. Resolution Authorizing And Approving the Execution of a Decommissioning and Site Reclamation, and a Decommissioning Bond to be Entered into by Macoupin County, Illinois and LOTUS WInd, LLC
Jurisk said this was the decommissioning plan and bond from Lotus and this was his legal review comments. Lotus is not ready yet to select the turbine design. Depending one what model they go with will drive the project as well as the decommissioning plan. In 4 to 6 months, Lotus will make a final decision on the turbine design and that will change what the final dollar amounts in the decommissioning plan. There will still be a cap on it based on the state law based on the agricultural mitigation agreements. This again was for the committee to review, seek public comment, and adopt at a later date.
5. Commercial Solar Energy Facility Siting Ordinance
Jurisk walked through the draft solar ordinance he had written for the county. It was based off of the Illinois Counties Association template and updated to reflect the recent statutory changes. It again was written trying to give the county the maximum authority to regulate as allowed under state law. There were questions about what the county could or could not regulate and if there was any real benefit to the county adopting one at all and instead letting state law regulate it. Jurisck said there were some things this ordinance would allow the county to regulate compared to state law, in particular the set back from a neighbors property could be regulated to at least 50 feet as opposed to state law which would not have that requirement. This was again for the county to review, seek public comment, and adopt at a later date.
6. Cummins Engineering Handling Agricultural Impact Mitigation instead of Soil Water Conservation
Foundtain was present to say this topic had been asked about earlier this spring and having his firm handle this instead of the Soil and Conservation District as the Board felt they might overworked. Garrison asked if the SWCD had said they would be unable to do the work. They had not been asked. He was concerned since this was a first of it's kind action in Illinois that it may increase the liability the county would have face. The committee decided to reach out to SWCD to see if they'd be able to handle the work.
7. Resolution Recognizing the October 12, 1898 Gun Battle in Virden, Illinois Goltz was present requesting this resolution be adopted to celebrate the event being held to recognize the Gun Battle in Virden Illinois 125th anniversary. This was a major event in labor history and led to there being significant union history in the county with Mother Jones.
Motion by Klausing, seconded by Kilduff to recommend the resolution.
http://macoupincountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=15&ID=3861&Inline=True
Alerts Sign-up