No one’s blinking on wind farm demands
Staff writer
Yet more discussion of wind farms drew 16 onlookers to Monday’s county commissioners’ meeting room and several more to watch on a video feed in the courthouse hallway.
Representatives from Sunflower Wind had been asked to answer why red lights on turbines constantly blink rather than activate, as promised, only when airplanes were in the area.
Danny Sears-Greer, Jase Sherwood, Josh Svaty, and Zoe Weienstein spoke for Sunflower, but their answers were not met with satisfaction among all commissioners.
Aircraft detection is a new technology not yet working correctly, Svaty said.
Commissioner Clarke Dirks disagreed, citing a 2009 report on reliability of such systems.
“It’s not new technology,” Dirks said.
“No one really loves the red blinking lights,” Svaty admitted.
Wind farm owner Orsted was “under no legal requirement whatsoever” to install an aircraft detection system, even though it chose to do so, he said.
Planning director Sharon Omstead said she thought commissioners were wondering why it was taking so long.
Sherwood said Orsted had been working on the system and conversion on the last few lights was “wrapping up.”
Greer said extenuating circumstances made it difficult to get the lights to work correctly.
Dirks said the county’s agreement with the wind farm was to have a detection system operating.
He said it was ludicrous to say Sunflower Wind had been working on it when, shortly after the topic was brought up at a meeting, they suddenly began working.
Omstead reminded him that Sunflower had been working on the problem.
Dirks said he had heard from numerous residents.
“Everybody that I’ve talked to is tired of them,” he said.
Visitors to his home wrongly assume an airport is behind his property, he said.
The meeting began with comments from a resident concerned about turbine setbacks.
Property owners in East Branch, Menno, Liberty, and West Branch townships are being approached by representatives of Orsted about lease and easement agreements for installation of new turbines.
“My concern is that you are actively approaching landowners and telling people there are others who are signing up and they don’t want to get left out,” Dirks said.
He showed a signed lease between Orsted and Glen Schmidt and Gary and Diana Roberts filed Jan. 13 with the register of deeds.
Commissioners also heard a presentation Monday by Ken Olsen of Enterprise Fleet Management about leasing vehicles instead of purchasing them.
Enterprise offers both cars and large trucks, but primarily works with cars, Olsen said.
Cost would depend on the number of cars involved. Maintenance is paid by Enterprise, but the county would pay a monthly cost for that service.
Enterprise does not contract for ambulances and school buses.
Commission chairman Jonah Gehring asked Olsen to provide information closer to budget time.
Commissioners agreed to buy a $6,285 flow reader to measure water coming out of county lake for a report that must be filed with the state twice a year.
They also approved a $5,383.50 laptop computer for the deputy emergency manager and a new burn resolution. Dirks opposed the resolution, saying he supported its aims but thought it needed a bit more work.