By Lucky Kidd
McPHERSON COUNTY, Kan. — Commercial scale solar and wind energy projects are now officially banned in McPherson County.
County Commissioners Monday approved as part of an annual review of the County’s Comprehensive Plan a planning board recommendation to adopt a policy prohibiting commercial solar and wind farms in the unincorporated areas of McPherson County, based on being in conflict in conflict with the rural and agricultural goals of the plan and posing unknown hazardous environmental risks.
The Planning Board has also recommended change regulations on small plat subdivisions for a residential subdivision from 20 acres or less to 40 acres or less, and various changes related to the solar and wind ban along with various definitions related to residential uses, minimum lot sizes, reconstruction of non-conforming structures damaged in a President-designated disaster area, and allowing conditional use cases to be decided solely by the Board of Zoning Appeals in compliance with a Kansas Supreme Court ruling in July.
Commissioners also went on record as opposing what’s known as 30 by 30, an executive order issued by President Joe Biden shortly after he took office in 2021 that as a means to fight climate change set a goal to conserve at least 30 percent of all lands and waters in the United States by 2030.
This proposal has drawn strong opposition in many areas in the Plains states that this resolution would specifically target, with that opposition partly based on a lack of either constitutional or statutory authority for either the present or any federal agency to take measure called for in his order.
Commissioners approved the five-year update of the Central Kansas Regional Solid Waste Authority Solid Waste Management Plan. The plan also includes Harvey and Marion Counties and the McPherson Area Solid Waste Utility.
Commissioners approved letters of support in connection with Section 5311 Transportation grants on behalf of the city of McPherson and the Lindsborg, Moundridge and McPherson Senior Centers for public transportation services, and sent notices to New Gottland and Smoky Hill Townships related to cereal beverage license renewals for Rolling Acres Golf Club and Lindsborg Golf Course Respectively.
Another server purchase was approved by the Commission, this one for the Law Enforcement Center including the Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management and Communications. This $111,000 purchase is to replace an existing server now seven years old, and IT Director Jeff Butler brought this 2025 budgeted request forward now to save money on the purchase.
Nutanix has notified their local vendor, Eagle Technologies of Salina, there will be a 15 percent price increase after the first of the year. The purchase will be paid for out of the general fund, and reimbursed after the first of the year by the Sheriff’s Office and 911, and will be installed after the first of the year.
Commissioners also approved hiring of a maintenance worker and resignation of another in the Public Works Department, resignation of an employee in the County Clerk’s Office and an end of introductory period raise for an IT employee, along with authorizing the hiring process to fill the two open positions.