Henry County considers moratorium resolution

MT. PLEASANT — The Henry County Board of Supervisors held a second courtesy reading of a resolution to establish a temporary moratorium on rezoning land to the Alternative Energy Overlay District at Thursday’s meeting, March 28.

If the supervisors approve the resolution at the final reading scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, it will result in a halt to all commercial wind energy rezoning to the Alternative Energy Overlay District until March 2025 or until the supervisors decide the county has done its due diligence in consideration of alternative energy county codes.

According to Supervisor Marc Lindeen, if the resolution passes, the next step will begin with the county’s planning and zoning commission starting their due diligence. Lindeen stated this work will include information gathering and continuing their work on the comprehensive plan which the supervisors asked them to review last summer.

Most citizens present at the March 28 supervisor meeting agreed with the direction the resolution sent about alternative energy.

“Thank you for slowing this thing down and thinking it through and getting the details,” one attendee commented after the second reading.

This resolution, prepared by the county attorney, comes to the board in light of considerable conversations surrounding the topic of wind energy possibly coming to the northern part of Henry County.

According to Lindeen, RWE Renewables, a global renewable energy company, approached the supervisors two years ago to inform them of their intention to survey the county as a possible location for a wind farm.

Since then, RWE Renewables has placed information gathering beacons and already signed contracts with over 60 landowners in Henry County. However, upon request from the supervisors to receive input from county residents as they reviewed the current county ordinance for alternative energy, they have received many negative comments about adding a wind farm.

With the loudest voices from county landowners producing negative comments about the prospect of a wind farm, the supervisors chose to slow the process down altogether.

Lindeen stated that one concern moving forward with changes to the county ordinance revolve around the issue of bonding.

“That’s my biggest concern,” Lindeen said about bonding. “I have a lot of concerns, but that is my biggest concern.”

To submit additional comments, the supervisors encourage citizens reach out to the board via email at supervisors@henrycountyiowa.us Emails received by the supervisors will be passed along to the Planning and Zoning Director and commission for consideration as they move forward with amending the current alternative energy ordinances for the county.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com