County board approves special use permit for power plant

By Bob Balgemann

REPORTER

After a lengthy discussion, the Boone County Board has approved issuing a special use permit to allow construction of a natural gas-fired power plant at the Interstate 90-Garden Prairie Road interchange in Spring Township.

The 8-4 vote occurred at the board’s Wednesday, Feb. 15 meeting, with support coming from Board Chairman Karl Johnson and members Jeff Carlisle, Sherry Giesecke, Carl Larson, Jessica Muellner, Marshall Newhouse, Bernard O’Malley, and Cathy Ward. Dissenting were board members Sherry Branson, Denny Ellingson, Raymond Larson, and Brad Stark.

Recommendations for approval had come from the regional planning commission in a 3-0 vote with one abstention; the zoning board of appeals (ZBA), 3-1 with one abstention, and county staff. The planning, zoning, and building committee (PZB) voted 3-2 to deny the permit.

In a departure from past meetings, voices of support for the plant were heard before the board discussion began.

Victoria Funderburg said she had heard the plant project was in opposition to the county’s comprehensive plan. That was in contrast to the planning commission determining the project was in compliance with the plan.

So, she got a copy of the plan and read all of it. Her conclusion was what she heard had been incorrect, and that the plant would be an asset in attracting business to the county.

Support also came from Jack Horner in Manchester Township, who said he thought concerns expressed at recent meetings had been answered. He referred to the plant as “a win-win and it would give back in the form of a tax base.”

Another resident, John Gedney, encouraged a yes vote from the county board.

“This is a great opportunity to generate more tax revenue and jobs,” he said. “It’s that simple.”

There were board concerns about the decommissioning process and ensuring rural roads would not be destroyed by heavy equipment bringing in materials with which to build the plant. Both led to additions being approved for a lengthy list of conditions the developer, Power Ventures Group (PVG), Kansas City, Mo., will have to comply with.

As discussion continued, a representative of PVG told board member Ward the company wanted to begin engineering and contract activities around March 1.

Ward said the vote was “complicated.”

On the one hand, she had been told to approve the request to send a message that this new county board, with new leadership, is business friendly.

On the other hand, she said she had heard that approval would endanger the county’s water supply, with possibly harming land values of nearby property owners and “sacrificing 20 acres of our farmland.”

Personally, she said she was distressed when companies come into the county, “then fail miserably to keep their promises when they get their special use permit. Our county winds up in court for years, trying to get them to be the good neighbors they promised to be.”

She said she had received more telephone calls about this proposal than any other, with the exception of the wind farm.

“If this passes tonight, I believe we must make a promise to our friends in Spring Township that we will do everything in our power to make sure the promises these people are making will be kept, or that we will use all our legal power to make them comply,” she said.

About halfway through the discussion, board member Branson introduced what State’s Attorney Tricia Smith considered to be new evidence. Smith said evidence only was allowed at the ZBA meeting and that if Branson wanted to continue in that vein, the issue should be returned to ZBA.

“I hope to goodness we’re not going to send this back to the ZBA,” Board Chairman Johnson said.

Board member Stark said members were having the same discussion as occurred during the earlier ZBA and PZB meetings.

“To drag this on another month would be irresponsible on our part,” he said. “We’ve got the information. We need to take a vote tonight.”

Branson authored that motion, anyway, and it was defeated almost unanimously in a voice vote.

Board member Giesecke introduced a new viewpoint, that being “it’s time for the county board to stop using the comp plan as an excuse for stagnant growth in Boone County.” The plan, she said, “is an 18-year-old document that needs to be updated.”

Concerning continual references to agricultural land, she offered, “We love our farmland, yes we do. That’s why we’re all here. But, it’s time that we look at some balance.”

Board member Muellner is a member of PZB, one of seven standing committees of the county board. She said she wanted to dispel the thought “that we didn’t do our due diligence when it came to water issues.” She referred to the power plant proposal as “a good plan, and I think we should welcome them.”