County board members hold brief conversation about solar zoning regulations

​YORK – Amid budget formulation work, extensive conversations about the road department and just coming off nearly 200 valuation protest hearings, the York County Commissioners held a brief conversation this past week regarding solar zoning regulations.

​York County Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier acknowledged the work Commissioner Joe Burgess has been doing as far as sending out proposed changes to the preliminary regulations and providing detailed alterations to the wording, grammar along with other proposals.
Burgess noted the latest version he sent to the commissioners has no inclusion of wording regarding battery storage as “that would be an entirely separate topic with a separate conditional use permit.”
“I think, Joe, you put more effort into this than the rest of us combined this past week, two weeks, as Daniel (Grotz) and I have been working on the budget,” Obermier said to Burgess. It was also noted Commissioner Andy Bowman has been working with the roads department as well, along with Grotz and Harvey Keim, to improve services and efficiency.
Obermier noted how the planning commission met earlier this week regarding the comprehensive plan, along with consultants from Marvin Planning.
Obermier said over the next two weeks, the commissioners will review Burgess’ proposals and then provide their own comments for further discussion.
“Joe, I appreciate all your effort,” Obermier said. “Hopefully, after the next meeting, we will have the budget all wrapped up and we can dive right into this.”
At the beginning of the meeting, a representative of the Omaha Public Power District said the entity is still fully in support of the K Junction project and no battery storage system is intended to be part of the K Junction project (as there have recently been conversations about this aspect).
Also speaking at the beginning of the meeting was Gene Jackson who said he was representing the Our Voices Count group, the members of which are in opposition of the proposed solar project near McCool Junction. He said he had concerns about the establishment of the agenda for the last county board meeting. He said the agenda did not include solar zoning conversation initially but then it appeared later, coming as a surprise. “State law says the agenda cannot be altered later than 24 hours before. At the Aug. 5 meeting, OPPD people were here and ready to speak – who told them it was going to be on the agenda?”
The solar conversation will continue, Obermier said, until they are finally established.