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McLean County Board seats new member, adds clean energy supports

Andy Ziebarth stands before the county board members, who sit at a long desk. County Clerk Kathy Michael stands at the center of the desk and leads Ziebarth in reciting an oath.
Colin Hardman
/
WGLT
County Clerk Kathy Michael, left, swears in Andy Ziebarth as a new member of the McLean County Board.

The McLean County Board on Thursday swore in a new representative for rural District 1 to replace longtime board member Catherine Metsker.

Andy Ziebarth grew up on a farm in Hudson, an experience he credits for his understanding of his constituents’ needs. He currently works in security for State Farm. Ziebarth will serve on the board’s Justice and Transportation and Land Use committees.

Ziebarth, a Republican, said it’s been a friendly onboarding so far, and he believes bipartisan cooperation in the county’s interest will be the norm.

“Republican, Democrat, I think we all have the same goal,” Ziebarth said, “and that’s to serve the residents of McLean county. I think we will always strive to find common ground.”

The seat was previously held by Metsker, also a Republican, who served on the board for more than 10 years. She was chair before November’s election put a Democratic majority in place. Metsker resigned in December.

Electric storage

Also on Thursday, the board formalized a definition for and policies regarding Battery Energy Storage Systems [BESS]. The electrical storage installations accumulate electricity from solar and wind farms when energy is abundant. The stored energy can keep power flowing when sunlight and wind are lacking, lending renewable energy increased stability in the power grid.

Land Use and Transportation committee chair Lea Cline said she expects all incoming solar and wind projects will include BESS and that initial applications will focus on requests to add BESS to pre-existing projects.

"These battery storage facilities are intended to help surge electricity when it's needed and create some sort of storage on site for when they have extra production," she said. "So it's really intended to create a more stable grid and what we would call a disaggregated grid structure to make sure that we are doing well for our grid regionally, in addition to local needs."

In other matters, the board:

— Approved an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for right-of-way on two segments of bike trail to be constructed near Lexington. The project already has been approved.

— Approved a $21,400 contract with M & O Environmental to abate asbestos in the McLean County Nursing Home in Normal. The asbestos is contained in insulation around a water tank. The nursing home is slated for substantial renovation in the near future with a focus on heating and cooling systems.

Board member Corey Beirne said some residents will relocate temporarily during the process, but that locations have been found and the nursing home will be able to retain all staff through the project.

Corrected: January 17, 2025 at 10:34 AM CST
This story has been clarified to indicate that battery energy storage systems will not be required for wind and solar projects.
Colin Hardman is a correspondent at WGLT. He joined the station in 2022.