Anderson County reconsiders solar
GARNETT — According to The Anderson County Review, with the clock ticking to the six-month mark into Anderson County’s one year moratorium against industrial solar farm developments, commissioners recently received an offer of free assistance in the crafting of possible upcoming wind and solar policies from one of Kansas’ pre-eminent advocates for renewable energy.
Kansas State Director for the Center for Infrastructure & Economic Development (CIED) Rob Harrington met with commissioners Feb. 20 to offer free assistance from the CIED if and when the county begins to draft regulations on industrial solar installations.
Commissioners adopted the year-long moratorium in August, weeks after enacting a sweeping slate of regulations on solar farms as recommended by the county planning and zoning commission.
These actions followed a 2017 victory by wind farm opponents to stop a commercial wind turbine field in the eastern third of the county.
“Our team is not in favor nor against any specific wind or solar project,” Harrington told the Review. “We just provide recommendations to local governments regarding the industry standards and regarding their local resolutions. As I told the commissioners, they are welcome to use them or not. We are just providing a service to them to hopefully help with their decision process.”
County Commissioner Les McGhee told the Review commissioners were still researching the solar issue amid the current moratorium and were taking full advantage of the remaining delay timetable for fact finding. No agreement was made with Harrington’s CEID, McGhee said.
Crawford Co. pumps up recycling center
GIRARD — According to The Morning Sun, Southeast Kansas Recycling (SEKR) Vice Chair Jim Triplett and Treasurer Gene Vogler came before the county commission to ask for another $5,000 monthly installment to keep the recycling center open another month. Most of the funds will go to cover payroll.
According to Vogler, SEKR began 2023 with an $80,000 surplus and ended with a $56,000 loss. Already two months into 2024 and the center has lost $10,000. This is due mainly to the reduction in commodities and stagnant or lower prices of those commodities.
Another financial issue facing SEKR is wages and labor, The Morning Sun reported.
The average pay for an employee is $10.50 per hour. Although employees have eight paid holidays each year and can earn one weeks’ vacation after the first year of employment, SEKR does not provide sick leave or medical coverage.
Since November, Vogler has tried to secure $120,000 in annual funding over the next five years. Both the county and the City of Pittsburg have promised to pledge $5,000 each to support the center, with Pittsburg’s contribution contingent on the county’s support. With budgets tight, Commissioner Carl Wood stressed long-term support may not be an option.
“I am not in favor of keeping pumping $5,000 a month,” Wood said. “I will help out one more month to see where we are. I don’t know what direction you guys are going. It seems like we’re stagnant right now when we should be hot.”
Commissioner Tom Moody suggested releasing $10,000 to cover what remains of March and all of April so the center can feel like there isn’t “a noose around their necks” for a short while.
