Topeka Sun

Concerning the proposed large-scale solar power project in Jackson County

Message from the Jackson County Commissioners to the Citizens of Jackson County: In our role as Commissioners, we try our best to read the pulse of the County as a whole. That isn’t accomplished just through the comments of people attending our meetings, but also through conversations at ball games and questions we get at the store. An issue which seems to be dominating conversation currently is the Commission’s approach to the prospect of a large-scale solar power project in the County. From the chatter we have heard, and the claims being made in local publications, we have found that there seems to be one common thread to the bulk of the discussion – a complete misunderstanding of the County’s role and status as it relates to the prospect of such a project. In an effort to clarify that role and status the Commission wants to make a few items very clear:

•    There have been claims made that the Commission might be merely “filling in the blanks” of a draft Zoning Regulations amendment provided to it. That is not the case.  A draft version was provided to the County Counselor at the public hearing, but it has not been reviewed or considered by the Commission in any way. The intent of the Commission is to prepare its own amendment which best fits the needs of the County.

•    Any discussion that the final version of any amended regulations will only be for the benefit of property owners in a certain area of the County is false. The very reason the Commissioners requested time to review and draft new regulations was to protect the best interests of the County as a whole, in the immediate future and over the long term.

•    The Commission has been, and will continue to be, completely open in its discussions involving any regulations it considers. The Commission and its counsel are currently reviewing what has and hasn’t worked in other counties and will put that information to good use in drafting Jackson County’s regulations.

•    Claims have been made that the Commission intends to “rush” the drafting of regulations.   The Commission has repeatedly stated that it wants to take as much time as necessary to prepare the best version of these regulations. There is a great deal of additional business which requires the Commission’s attention, and the preparation of these regulations will be accomplished at the same time that the Commission is attending to other County matters.

•    It is not the role of the County to deem whether a business relationship between a county resident (or group of county residents) and another party will result in a viable business.  The role the County plays is to ensure that regulations are in place to protect the interests of citizens.

The Commissioners appreciate that the citizens of Jackson County are invested in their community and are passionate about issues like these. We would continue to stress that the best way to avoid rumor and speculation is to contact the Commissioners by phone or email or to attend County Commission meetings.

Original source can be found here.