The McLean County Board voted Thursday to fill a vacant seat in District 3, and approved an application for additional wind turbines at the Lexington Chenoa Wind Farm.
County Administrator Cassy Taylor said the special use application will add 35 wind turbines to a field with 58 turbines already in operation.
Since federal tax cuts outlined in President Trump’s tax and spending bill, some renewable energy developers have had to rethink their projects currently in the pipeline. Board chair Elizabeth Johnston said she is not personally aware of any move by developers to speed up construction.
“These were projects that were already in the wings, even before the election last year and before some of the changes coming out of [Washington,] D.C. this year,” Johnston said. “I’m not feeling the urgency, I haven’t seen necessarily the urgency in the county, in the zoning board of appeals meeting.”
Johnston said developers are more focused on the distant future and finishing projects in time to qualify for tax credits.
“I do know that they are interested in making sure they are within the timeline, but there are a couple of years they have to work with,” she said.
One of the most popular tax credits, the investment tax credit, will expire on Dec. 31, 2027.
Board vacancy
Also Thursday, the board filled the vacancy left by the resignation of District 3 board member Lyndsay Bloomfield in July. With all members present, the board voted unanimously to approve the appointment of Brian Bangert.
Johnston said his record in the county made Bangert a qualified candidate to fill the position.
“He’s lived in the district for quite a long time, he’s also served on the zoning board of appeals for about 10 years now, so he’s very aware of what the county board is and what we do,” she said. “He is a manager down in Funks Farm, so he’s a very well known, very active member of the community and I think he is going to be able to bring District 3 and representation for them that they’ve been missing for a while."
Johnston said Bangert was disappointed he could not attend the meeting, adding he will be seated for the September board meeting and start committee work. She said Bangert was out of town on previously made plans.
“This was plans he booked back in January, had no idea that he was going to be appointed tonight,” she said. “He was very sorry to miss it.”
Mental health fund
Since the board’s July meeting and its approval of an audit of the county’s mental health and public safety sales tax fund, both the Town of Normal and City of Bloomington have passed resolutions to pause collection of the tax for one year.
Johnston previously told WGLT the county would not consider a pause until the previously approved audit was complete. She also said the scope of the audit had yet to be determined, but it has now started to make progress.
“On the Monday’s executive [committee meeting] packet, I did announce that we are having an advisory committee. It’s a small committee to really hammer out what that scope is based on the concerns,” Johnston said. “One of the things that I want to do is make sure we are incorporating what are the questions that members of all the bodies are interested in having. Tailoring that to the actual amendment is going to be very important, because that’s what we are authorized to spend the money on.”
Johnston said once the committee has met, the county will seek feedback from Bloomington and Normal.
In other business, the board:
— Approved of an agreement with Tyler Technologies to allow the new court case management system to support electronic submission of traffic citations.
— Heard public comment from Diana Hauman of the McLean County League of Women Voters, presenting the goals of the group's study on the county’s two election authorities.
— Announced the completion of the county’s animal services' new facility in Shirley, which is now fully operational.
