An effort to create a county planning and zoning committee to combat companies who have begun taking steps to build wind farms in McIntosh County hit a speed bump at Monday’s commissioner’s meeting.
The commissioners approved the planning and zoning idea at a meeting a week ago, but they approved it at the wrong point in the agenda.
It was approved as a “new business” item when it should have been considered under “old business” since the issue had been discussed weeks ago.
District 1 County Commissioner Loyal Dean Taylor said if plans went ahead to get the issue on a ballot for the people to vote on, if it passed then it could be thrown out on a technicality.
“We need to rescind that motion and make another motion,” Taylor said.
The wording will be the same but the item will be on next week’s agenda in the correct “old business” location.
Taylor said when the motion was heard last week the room was filled with folks there because of the wind turbine issue and in the chaos a mistake was made.
County Clerk Deena Farrow said the issue falls under the Title 25, Open Meeting Act.
Items on the agenda have to be at the correct location.
District 2 County Commissioner Monty Grider said zoning is an important issue.
“This is going to affect everybody in the county,” he said. “If you want to change out a hot water heater you have to come to us for zoning.”
Taylor said he researched the issue of county zoning and learned that it could cost as much as $350,000 to create a zoning committee.
“For one thing you will have to have a professionally paid fire marshal and you have to have insurance. You can’t believe all the stuff that this puts in place. This is tax payer’s money. Might have to raise taxes to pay.”
He said he knows of only three counties in the state that have zoning committees, probably because it is so expensive.
Once the commissioners approve the creation of a planning and zoning committee and proponents have enough signatures on the petition it will go to a vote of the people.
