RBC | The Rio Blanco County Commissioners held a special meeting Thursday, Aug. 1 in Meeker. Commissioner Doug Overton was present, while Commissioners Jennifer O’Hearon and Ty Gates joined via Google Meets.
The meeting was a work session intended to provide opportunities for the commissioners to come together and study difficult issues, gather and analyze information, clarify problems, or give staff direction. No official decisions were made in the work session.
One of the subjects discussed was the wind and solar moratorium. The commissioners are working to address the moratorium as the deadline is fast approaching this week. They talked about extending the moratorium because there is no limit on its duration, but if challenged the progress in developing regulations must be demonstrated.
The goal was to determine the approach for wind and solar energy and eventually lift the moratorium. Counties have the power to regulate land use in different ways, one of which is regular land use regulation, presenting various scenarios within the county.
They also discussed 1041 regulations, which allow the county to regulate more areas of state interest, enabling broader oversight. An important note was that 1041 can be amended for future boards in Rio Blanco County.
A question was raised about whether to consider all renewable energy, not just wind and solar. Commissioner Ty Gates commented, “We have to look at it as a whole because that’s how we got into the place we are now. I think we’ve got to look at all renewables as a whole, not just one in solar.”
Land Surveyor Leif Joy highlighted state-federal issues, suggesting that 1041 is the best approach at this time. Joy stated, “I think putting very specific development criteria into the land use regulation may not be the answer.”
“I believe that we should reference the 1041 and allow the legal team and Board of County Commissioners to view each one of these individually with the 1041 powers and execute accordingly,” continued Joy.
Commissioner Doug Overton shifted the discussion to county revenue, expressing concern about the potential decrease in revenue due to oil and gas issues. He mentioned, “There is a possibility that we could run out of revenue in the county because of oil and gas. If we stop everything else from happening, are we doing ourselves any favor?”
The commissioners also talked about renaming the 1041 regulations. Commissioner Ty Gates stated, “Somehow it needs to address all forms of energy, not just wind and solar. It needs to cover all known forms of renewable energy at this time.” They decided to take 30 days to review the details of 1041 and Article 19 and come back on Sept. 6 to discuss potential changes.
The next County Commissioner meeting will be held in Meeker, Colo., on Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 9 a.m.
By JARED HENDERSON