BOONE COUNTY (WREX) -
In Boone County, a tie vote blows away one side of a controversial issue, wind farms. Not if they should come to the area... But where to put them.
The board needed a majority, or seven votes, to pass setback amendments, widening the space between possible wind turbines and people. County board members are evenly split.
"This vote tonight, which was a tie vote, essentially says that the setbacks stay at 1,000 feet." -says District 2 board member Cathy Ward.
It was standing room only at a meeting in Belvidere where wind farm regulations were debated tonight.
BELVIDERE- A stack of petitions against a set of zoning setback ordinances sits at this month’s Boone County Board meeting.
“There’s no evidence that says if you vote for a higher setback windmills can’t come to Boone County,” said one speaker in favor of the proposed setback ordinance.
Click on the following to see TV coverage: Boone County Board Votes against Wind Energy Ordinances - MyStateline.com - Powered by WTVO-TV and WQRF-TV
BELVIDERE - Boone County leaders narrowly shot down a proposed amendment to a zoning ordinance that would have significantly limited where wind turbines can be placed.Board members rejected the idea Wednesday, with about 150 people in the audience, of increasing the minimum setback distance equal to three times a tower's height from property lines.The code will remain unchanged, calling for 1,000-foot setbacks from primary structures, like homes….
The 6-6 vote had Brad Fidder, Denny Ellingson, Bob Walberg, Johnson, Paul Larson and Chris Berner voting to increase the distance and Bill Pysson, Cathy Ward, Ron Wait, Marion Thornberry, Kenny Freeman and Craig Schultz voting to keep it the same.Boone County State's Attorney Michelle Courier said state statute requires the majority of those elected to the board must approve the measure for it to pass, which means seven votes were needed to change the ordinance.
Read more: http://www.rrstar.com/article/20140116/NEWS/140119631#ixzz2qY3ZH86o
Rockford Area Lutheran Ministries will host The Church Basement Ladies in a new musical, "A Mighty Fortress is Our Basement," from 7 to 9 p.m. April 8 at the Community Building of Boone County, 111 W. First St.The musical is about the ladies at East Cornucopia Lutheran in 1960 as a reformation is underway.Tickets: $25, general admission. Group rates available. For tickets: tinyurl.com/nrqp762.
State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Belvidere, will use his district office, 305 Amphitheater Drive, as a point of registration to help residents who want to apply for a concealed carry permit in Illinois.Currently, applications are only accepted through the Illinois State Police website; paper applications can be submitted starting July 1. Sosnowski's office staff will help residents apply online.Appointments are required: 815-547-3436, repsosnowski@gmail.com. To submit an application: isp.state.il.us.
Unlike most motions which require a majority of the county board members present at the time of the vote, the General Assembly by enacting 55 ILCS 5/5-12014 (b) required that “text amendments may be passed at a county board meeting by a simple majority of the elected county board members.” In this case, we have twelve county board members who are elected, a majority of which is seven.
