Wash. Co. Board Amends Wind and Solar Ordinances
By Todd Marver
tmarver@nashnews.net
The Washington County Board approved a pair of ordinances to amend the county’s wind and solar sighting ordinances at a special meeting on Thursday, May 25.
According to a copy of the ordinances provided by Washington County Clerk Shari Hempen, state legislators changed state statutes on how a county can set rules for sighting of Wind Energy Conversion Systems and commercial solar farms. The current county ordinances are too restrictive and therefore had to be amended to comply with state statutes. Verbiage was changed in the current large solar farm ordinance and current Large Wind Energy Conversion System sighting ordinance to ensure the county complies with 2023 state statutes.
The board also approved a resolution to adopt a multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan. According to a copy of the resolution provided by Hempen, an adopted multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan is required as a condition of future grant funding for mitigation projects. The county participated jointly in the planning process with other local units of government within the county to prepare the plan. The Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Commission will submit the adopted plan on behalf of the county and the participating municipalities to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for final review and approval.
