A special meeting on March 1st will continue discussion and take additional public comment on Knox County’s solar ordinance.

Earlier this month the Knox County Area Plan Commission forwarded a resolution to the county commissioners outlining suggested changes to the current rules following prior hearings and ongoing solar project proposals in the county.

The commission recommended larger setbacks and stronger, long-term vegetation screening standards for solar sites, although the setback distance is less than what some nearby property owners had requested. Because the plan commission serves in an advisory role, any change to the ordinance would require formal action by the Knox County Commissioners.

Commissioners had been expected to discuss the recommendations Tuesday. Instead, Commissioners President T.J. Brink proposed holding a separate public comment session to get more input from the community.  He suggested that session be held on a weekend so people who work during the week would have an opportunity to attend. The board approved a 3 p.m. meeting Sunday, March 1st at the Blue Jeans Center in Monroe City.

During the discussion, commissioners were reminded that the plan commission’s action is advisory and that any revisions would require drafting a new ordinance, a first reading, referral back to the Area Plan Commission for a public hearing, and then returning to the commissioners for additional readings.

Brink also asked commissioners to bring any proposed changes to the ordinance to their March 3rd meeting so the drafting process could move forward.

The talk about the the special March 1st meeting prompted discussion about how the additional meeting compares with past county actions that were taken without special public comment sessions.

Commissioner Kellie Streeter voted in favor of holding the meeting but raised that concern before the vote.

“We’ve kicked down the road a coroner office, 9-1-1 and had no special meetings. We’ve done many things at this board in the last year that required public input where it was decided without public input,” she said.

Streeter said she supports meeting on a Sunday, but added, “pick and choose is not okay while we’re being commissioners representing the whole county. It’s not okay. It never will be.”