APC recommends 12 month solar moratorium to commissioners

The Pulaski County Advisory Plan Commission (APC) is recommending a 12 month moratorium  on Commercial Solar Energy Systems (CSES) to the Pulaski County Commissioners. A special meeting with a public hearing was held on Monday, April 20. Before discussion started, President Abby Dickey reminded that the APC is an advisory committee to the county commissioners, only making recommendations to them. The commissioners have the power to make the final decision to either adopt or deny a proposal. Before hearing public comment, Building Inspector and Plan Administrator Karla Redweik read the proposed ordinance with the 12 month moratorium aloud. The purpose of the ordinance and the moratorium is to give them time to understand the prevalence and presence of CSES within the zoning jurisdiction of Pulaski County, in consideration of the public life, safety, health and general welfare of Pulaski County, the effects on residents and natural resources and to conduct appropriate studies and to gauge whether CSES is appropriate within Pulaski County, and if so, the extent to which regulation should be developed and enforced beyond current ordinance regulations. The ordinance also states that they want to consider property line setbacks, size tiers or cutoffs, lighting and noise, decommissioning plan alterations, decommissioning fund requirements, site plan requirements, resource impact mitigation requirements, long-term land use impacts, natural disaster land impacts and other safety requirements.