Supervisors set solar ordinance public hearing set for Dec. 7

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors approved a public hearing date for a proposed solar ordinance. 

Montgomery County zoning administrator Barry Byers said the county had a wind power ordinance in place that laid out requirements a developer would have to meet in order to construct a wind farm. He explained they were now looking to update the ordinance with stipulations for solar power. 

“This is the same thing, it’s just for solar power. It lays out what things they have to have in place in order for them to begin construction of anything solar,” Byers explained. 

Supervisor Randy Cooper asked why there was a push for an ordinance outlining solar stipulations. Byers said there had been a little bit of talk regarding a solar project, and this was a method for the county to get ahead of it and get some rules in place in case a potential project would be pursued. 

Supervisor Mike Olson said a friend in Benton County advised him there’s a proposed 7,000 acre solar farm, and it demonstrated to him the supervisors needed to plan ahead. 

“He sent me some information, and he told me that it’s a good idea to get something set in place. They didn’t have anything on the books, and it’s turned into a real problem with one side against the other. From my understanding, this proposed ordinance is based off of information that has been used in other counties, which is being used to formulate our own ordinance,” said Olson. 

The supervisors proposed setting the public hearing at 8:45 a.m. on Dec. 7 to establish the proposed solar ordinance as an amendment to the Montgomery County zoning ordinance. 

The supervisors also approved the second-tier canvass for the Nov. 2 city and school election. 

In other business, the supervisors:

• Approved the 2021 weed commissioner’s report. 

• Accepted the county annual financial report for 2021.