Tuesday, April 17, 2012

County officials earnestly tackle their wind farm studies | Belvidere Daily Republican

 

Committee Chairman Marshall Newhouse gave a detailed power point presentation that included photos, graphics and plenty of the written word.

His subject was decommissioning of wind turbines, what happens to the 450-plus-foot-tall structures once they have outlived their usefulness. That is one issue likely to command a lot of attention should Mainstream Renewable Power file its request for a special use permit later this year. Mainstream is hoping to build upwards of 100 turbines on 8,000 acres in northeastern Boone County….

Related costs should be reviewed every five years and adjusted for inflation, he said.

He saw a minimum engineering quote of $500,000 per turbine to do the work. A large crane needed to dismantle the windmill rents for $70,000 a month, which he termed “the driving factor for these costs.” But those are today’s dollars and a wind turbine typically lasts 20 years or more.

Hunt has setbacks

There was no immediate answer, though Hunt said 1.1 times the height of the turbine “is pretty consistent throughout all the ordinances” she studied. “The natural gas people recommend 1,600 feet from gas lines,” she added. “I think our ordinance will have all considerations covered.”

Click on the following to read all of the story:  County officials earnestly tackle their wind farm studies | Belvidere Daily Republican

Few issues as Belvidere Township holds its annual meeting | Belvidere Daily Republican

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An effort to have an advisory referendum on dissolving Belvidere Township is on hold right now as legal issues are explored. That drew most of the comments, with no passionate expressions on one side of the issue or the other. Mostly, residents were looking for information.

Speakers were limited to three minutes, prompting Les Reid to offer those in the audience a chance to read all of what he had to say by contacting him over the Internet for a copy of the rest of his remarks.

Click on the following for all of the story:  Few issues as Belvidere Township holds its annual meeting | Belvidere Daily Republican

District 100’s timetable for sales tax referendum

Here are the tentative timetables for District 100’s big push for a sales referendum.  They are taken from the April 16, 2012 board packet:  http://www.boarddocs.com/il/district100/Board.nsf/files/8TAPFB6459C8/$file/Facility%20Sales%20Tax.pdf 

CLICK ON THE PHOTOCOPY TO ENLARGE: 

sales tax april 1

Interesting is the whole question of “long range facility planning”.  Little is mentioned of the most  pressing reason--  sales tax is needed because  financing costs on the new high school and other buildings are increasing at a rate that exceeds 7% per year and very soon the public may realize that.  For more on this issue go to: No Grown May mean higher property taxes, by clicking on: http://district100watchdog.blogspot.com/2008/11/no-growth-may-mean-higher-taxes.html

 

sales tax april 2

 

sales tax april 3

I am very opposed to the sales tax referendum (as allowed by current law.)  Read my letter to editor of March 30. 2012:  http://district100watchdog.blogspot.com/2012/03/vote-no-to-school-sales-tax-in-november.html