Multiple residents and commissioners raised safety and compliance concerns tied to large solar projects and battery energy storage developments in Pulaski County, including heavy truck traffic on rural roads, near‑misses reported by residents, and limited sheriff’s patrol hours funded by developers.

During public comment, resident Connie Ehrlich urged commissioners to prioritize a battery energy storage moratorium, saying the county has “0 ordinances written for battery storage systems now” and that the issue has been raised repeatedly. Other residents described semitrailers parked on county roads early in the morning, near‑misses and speeding that they say have increased since project construction began.

Sheriff Chris Schramm told the board the department has officers available but is constrained by budgeted overtime and limited paid patrol hours. “I have the people, but I don't have the hours,” he said, describing instances where additional patrol time is quickly used and noting Mammoth (a developer) currently pays for 12 hours a week of additional patrols. The sheriff said he sat roadside with a radar gun and observed multiple speeding vehicles in a short period.

County staff and the commissioners discussed options: pursuing road‑use agreements with developers, adding patrol hours (paid by developers or otherwise), and exploring an ordinance to require developers to fund increased safety or road‑repair measures going forward. County legal staff said an ordinance could be considered for future projects but likely would include a grace period or notice to avoid immediate retroactive requirements for projects already underway.

Commissioners asked legal staff to research whether road‑use, safety and inspection requirements could be mandated by ordinance or by adding specific language to future contracts and to report back. Staff also said they are coordinating a meeting with developers, emergency responders and law enforcement to discuss on‑the‑ground responses and to try to secure more continuous patrol coverage.