By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A subcommittee has been formed and work will begin on a possible redrafting of regulations regarding wind farms in Reno County. The action comes after a public meeting Thursday night hosted by the county Planning Commission. The meeting was for discussion only and is really just the starting point.
“There are no specifics given by the Planning Commission at this time,” County Planner Mark Vonachen said. “They just want to see a draft of the proposed wind regulations and then we will take it from that point forward.”
A small group of officials will be the ones who will look over any possible changes to the regulations that have been spearheaded by residents who want to see more control over wind energy ever since NextEra proposed a wind farm in southern parts of the county — a project that is strongly opposed by residents in that area.
“A subcommittee was developed consisting of the chairman of the Planning Commission, myself and Don Brittain, who is the director of Public Works,” Vonachen said. “That committee will be charged with bringing forward a draft of the wind regulations to the full Planning Commission.”
Vonachen wanted to stress that anything the subcommittee or the Planning Commission comes up with in regards to any new regulations still has to pass through the County Commission.
“Whatever we bring forward has to be approved by the county commissioners. They’ll have a chance to review that,” Vonachen said. “They can review that and accept the recommendations, they can make changes to that recommendation, they can deny it . . . and leave everything else as it is.”
It was the County Commission that denied a conditional use permit for NextEra because it could not reach a unanimous vote. Any change to the regulations needs only a majority vote or, in this case, a 2-1 count.
Vonachen says they hope to have something for the Planning Commission to look over in 30 to 60 days.