Another ordinance targeting a wind turbine project south of Green Forest appeared on the agenda for the quorum court meeting on Feb. 25. Although sponsors pulled the ordinance at the outset of the meeting, opponents of the project dominated public comments, as they have for almost two years.
Justice of the Peace Caroline Rogers withdrew the ordinance she had sponsored, which called for a moratorium on large-scale wind or solar projects. The ordinance did not include an end date, making it a prohibition, not a moratorium.
Since March 2023, opponents have spoken during public comments, and objections have included aesthetics, noise, and threats to water, wildlife, and potential health problems for those living nearby. Last week, former County Judge Richard Williams said preliminary construction near his home on Carroll Road 905 caused his well to run dry. He said the well has never gone dry in 60 years. “Would my well be dry if we had passed a moratorium?” he asked. Williams also took issue with the Road-Use Agreement signed by County Judge David Writer with Scout Clean Energy.
Michael Shaw said the wind turbines will be good for Scout and a few landowners, but the project will take away from the beauty of the area. Valerie Hubbard Damon echoed his complaints, and said northwest Arkansas is “one of the few livable places left in our country.”
Bobby Wilson said a quarry providing gravel to Scout did not have all its permits in order, and JP Jack Deaton asked if Wilson wanted the county to enforce state and federal laws. Wilson again raised his previous complaints that Writer has not appointed JPs to a land-use committee. Stephanie Usrey said the wind turbines will be in direct view of her property, and that will have a negative impact on her plans to build Airbnb units.
Arturo Calvillo has a lease with Scout, and he suggested a moratorium on Airbnb sites.
Dave Iadarola, representing Scout Clean Energy, gave a brief update on the project. He said the company is clearing some trees and working to upgrade sections of county roads. He said the company is erecting some towers for calibration of the turbines. This part of the project has provided fuel for rumors of a second phase to the wind turbine project. Iadarola said the company has no plans for a second phase.
In other business:
- James Kelley, foreman of the Road Dept., delivered some challenging budget figures. The county is still recovering from flood damage in November. Kelley estimated the total cost for the flood damage at $309,000, and the state will only reimburse 35 percent of that. Kelley described one of the sites, where water had undermined a slab.
Kelley also said the county needs to replace some graders with high hours. The Road Dept. is trying to weed out equipment that costs more to repair than to replace.
The county maintains 963 miles of road. Kelley said the annual maintenance cost per mile 18 years ago was $1,500 for a gravel road and $3,000 for a blacktop road. Now those costs have soared to $3,500 and $10,000. He said the budget of the Road Dept. will not cover the flood repairs and the new equipment. “We try to do what we can,” he said. Writer praised the members of the department for their efforts.
- Retired fire Marshal Jim Kelly explained some aspects of fire codes. Outside city limits, only the state can enforce those codes, unless the county adopts and enforces the fire codes. Kelly said the county would benefit by adopting the fire codes.
- The agenda for new business included four items, all of which passed unanimously, with no discussion. An ordinance appropriated $6,500 received in donations raised by the Kiwanis Clubs of Berryville and Green Forest to aid the juvenile probation program. A coding error of $21,000 was corrected with a transfer of funds from the Road Dept. to County General. A line-item transfer of $45,000 was approved for the sheriff’s leased vehicle fund. At the detention center, $29,000 was appropriated to replace an air-handling unit and a security gate. The funds come from a sales tax dedicated to the detention center.
- This meeting had been scheduled for Feb. 18 but was postponed for inclement weather.
- Writer closed the meeting asking for an end to attacks on Mike McKelvey, head of the Office of Emergency Management. He refuted allegations that McKelvey is not qualified for his position. “He doesn’t deserve that,” Writer said.