Board approves solar projects, renaming building

Jennifer Bailey, Commercial-News, Danville, Ill.
·4 min read

Dec. 5—The Vermilion County Board approved building permits for two county solar projects and renaming the Vermilion County Administration Building at its Monday night meeting.

The solar projects:

* Danville Michigan Solar at 2502 Voorhees St., Danville. The private solar project is for retired Judge Michael Clary, according to Vermilion County Board Chairman Larry Baughn. Board members Mitch Weaver and Mark Steinbaugh voted against it, with a 23-2 vote and two absent. Baughn too said the city of Danville wasn't taking action on the solar project. State statute says it's under county jurisdiction. If the city wanted to take action, it probably could have, Baughn added. Board member Jerry Hawker said the city shouldn't be able to choose which solar projects it will and won't act on in the county.

The project is a 1.375 MW solar development. It is under the zoning jurisdiction of the city of Danville and is zoned as industrial already. The county is issuing a building permit as it is outside the Danville city limits, within the 1.5 mile zoning jurisdiction. The city of Danville has other requirements for it under the city's zoning ordinance. Size is approximately 22 acres. Danville Michigan Solar (#1) group's general corporate description: "Soltage is a leader in the development, financing and operation of distributed utility-scale solar and storage assets for commercial, industrial and municipal customers across the U.S. Soltage has developed more than 100 clean energy projects with more than 450 MW total distributed generating capacity under construction and management. Soltage is backed by a group of investors including Prudential Capital Group and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey."

* U.S. Solar requested a permit for a 4 MW solar farm on approximately 30 acres at 5012 E 1800 N Rd., Fithian, Oakwood Township. This will be a community solar project to market subscriptions to schools, cities and nearby residential customer in the Ameren Illinois territory and neighboring counties. This also is a single landowner project. Private landowner, Doug Seimer, asked for the project for this particular farm. Weaver and Steinbaugh voted against it.

In other business, the county board approved a petition to name the Vermilion County Administration Building, 201 N. Vermilion St., the Joseph G. Cannon Building in honor of "Uncle Joe" Cannon, Vermilion County resident and former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1903-1911.

Baughn said "there is no one more fitting to name the building after" for "the house that Joe built." Baughn said the required signatures were turned in, with resident names from Sidell to Hoopeston to Rankin and everywhere in between throughout the county, supporting the name change.

Also at the county board reorganization meeting, the newly elected county board members were sworn in.

Baughn and Craig Golden were selected to continue as county board chairman and vice chairman, respectively, for the next two years.

Judge Thomas O'Shaughnessy told the county board members "congrats to all and good luck." Of the 27 board members, two, Robert Boyd and Marla Mackiewicz were absent.

The members also drew lots for length of terms, two or four years.

The breakdown by district: Baughn four years, Joel Bird four years and Todd Johnson two years; Kevin Green four years, Steve Miller two years and Daniel Wright two years; Joe Eakle two years, Brittny Hoag four years and Shelley McLain four years; Mackiewicz two years, Tim McFadden two years and Weaver four years; Phillip Jackson four years, Billy Ryan four years and Crisi Walls two years; Tom Morse two years, Greg Shepard four years and Steinbaugh two years; Golden two years, Chris LaMar four years and Robert McIntire four years; Boyd four years, Phearn Butler two years and Hawker two years; Nancy O'Kane four years, Bruce Stark four years and Becky Stark two years.

One former board member, serving for eight years on the county board, Wes Bieritz, was present at the meeting, saying he decided not to seek re-election to do other things.

The county board also heard from three Indianola/Carroll and Jamaica Township area residents asking for a moratorium on wind farms and to stop giving another permit for more wind turbines because they cause property values to go down and other issues.

The board also recently approved a new county budget and tax levy.

The county's expenditure budget totals about $46.9 million. This compares to the 2021-2022 expenditure budget of $45.2 million. The county is five days into its new fiscal year.

The total levy is about $15.78 million up from $15.28 million last fiscal year. This was figured from a projected equalized assessed valuation going from $1,016,300,420 to $1,081,343,647.

The tax rate is about $1.51 per $100 assessed valuation.

Board member Miller said the finance committee will next meet to discuss the 33 applications the county board has received from community groups/entities seeking county American Rescue Plan Act funding.