The St. Joseph County Area Plan Commission on Tuesday is set to vote again on new restrictions on solar farms sought by the county council. At stake is both the future of solar power in the county, and maybe whether some people will be willing to serve on appointed boards like the plan commission in the future.
The Republican-majority county council last month voted 5-4 along party lines for new restrictions on solar farms. Solar developers would have to compensate property owners within a mile if their property values decline after the solar farm starts operating.
Republican County Council President Dan Schaetzle has pushed for the new restriction. But when it got to the area plan commission in June, the 10-member volunteer panel voted 5-3 to give it an unfavorable recommendation. Still, a month later, the Republican-majority council voted 5-4 for the new restrictions.
Now state law requires the plan commission to approve or reject what the council did, but if they reject it, the council can simply vote again to affirm it.
Democratic County Council Member Bryan Tanner, who opposes the so-called property value guarantee, says plan commission members feel the whole process has been an affront to their very existence.
”They have spent a considerable amount of time on this solar development issue for three separate bills over the last year or so," Tanner says. "I think they feel put out or unappreciated if we continue to initiate this kind of legislation and do not adhere to their recommendations.”
