By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Board of Reno County Commissioners is not going to vote on wind farm regulations until commissioner Daniel Friesen is ready.
"One of our commissioners possibly isn't ready to vote on the three major things that we're still debating, distance from a non-participating property, sound and flicker," said commissioner Ron Sellers. "If that individual isn't ready to vote on this, I'd suggest that we put this off and not take this issue up again until he's ready."
Friesen is still searching for a compromise from those who want the economic development and those who don't want the turbines changing their rural quality of life.
"I think the different interests involved, specifically, those that are most affected, the property owners, both participating and non-participating, should have some discussions with the economic development interests of this community, the Hutch Chamber, and there's been a significant amount of economic development interest in this matter. I think that's something we missed previously, is that some of this could perhaps be solved, or at least discussed better outside of this particular forum."
Friesen also noted that there is legislation that has been introduced at the state level that could make the discussion moot.
"There's Senate Bill 279 that's in front of the Kansas Senate right now," Friesen said. "It appears to, by way of statute, override a lot of the things we're talking about here. I think it might be appropriate to get a staff report sent out as to what the differences are in Senate Bill 279 as compared to what we're looking at here."
The board voted 2-1 to set the issue aside until their April 13 meeting. Friesen and Sellers voted for that, Ron Hirst wanted to talk about it sooner, so he voted no.
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