A member of the public, identified in the meeting as Mr. Tompkins, told the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors on July 1 that he believes proposed wind turbines planned near his property present safety and financial risks and urged the county to consider larger setback requirements.

Tompkins asked the board to review a one-mile setback used by a neighboring county and proposed a partial "half-moon" one-mile setback to the south and west of his home to address his tornado-safety concerns. He described multiple wind and storm events in the past two decades that have damaged trees and property near his property.

Tompkins also discussed the county permit fee in the draft wind ordinance, saying a $5,000 fee per permit would generate substantially more revenue if applied per turbine rather than per permit that might cover multiple turbines. He argued the county could receive approximately $400,000 in fees if 80 turbines were permitted individually at $5,000 apiece.

The commenter raised questions about the developer’s financial condition and bonding, saying the company carried large debt and that its stock and bond status raised concerns about foreclosure and incomplete projects. He also expressed skepticism about whether the regional grid operator would accept additional generation in the area and said an existing utility (referred to in the comment as “Mid America”) effectively controls local grid capacity.

Board members did not take action on the points raised; the remarks were recorded as public comment. The statements and figures came from the citizen’s presentation and were not independently verified or presented as findings by county staff.