The Iroquois County Tax and Planning Zoning Committee voted on Feb. 4 to adopt revised drafts of the county's solar and wind ordinances and forward the revisions to the Iroquois County Board for further processing, including referral to the Zoning Board of Appeals for public hearing.

The committee said the solar and wind ordinance changes were largely editorial (punctuation and capitalization) but included two substantive edits carried forward from the county state's attorney: changing references to a "money market account" to an "interest-bearing account" for application fees, and revising the primary-residence definition to match the state's attorney’s suggested language. The committee also inserted a definition of "occupied community building" in the solar ordinance draft. Committee members described the changes as clarifications that do not alter the ordinance’s intent.

Committee members also reviewed a separate draft battery ordinance. Staff said the battery draft was resumed because two applicants had returned preliminary interrogatories indicating interest. The committee discussed aligning battery rules with the solar ordinance where appropriate, and reviewed how other counties had handled similar rules. Committee members agreed the battery draft remains a working document and directed staff to proceed with steps to schedule hearings and public notice once the county board and ZBA steps are set.

On procedural next steps the committee discussed publication and hearing logistics. Members asked staff to coordinate legal notices with the county’s chosen newspapers (suggestions included the Times-Republic and the Kankakee Journal) and to schedule public hearings close to the communities likely affected (committee discussed Buckley and Martin as potential sites). The committee said applicants would be charged the applicants’ share of public hearing costs and that multi-site hearings or larger venues could be used if attendance demands it.

A facilities/owner spreadsheet and an internal checklist for tracking applications and project accounting were discussed; staff said the spreadsheet would be used internally to assign project numbers, track fees paid and balances, and produce monthly status updates for the committee.

Action and votes: The committee took two recorded actions (see "Votes at a glance" below). The committee approved watermarking documents as "DRAFT" before sending them to the county board to avoid confusion about versions.

Why it matters: Committee leaders said having clear, consistent county ordinances reduces the chance of delay or litigation and helps applicants understand application requirements before they incur substantial expense. They emphasized that state-level changes (members cited House Bill 1210 and earlier Public Act language) may alter county authority and that the committee will watch pending state legislation and revise county policy as needed.

What’s next: The committee will forward the revised drafts to the county board, which will make the formal referral to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) for public hearing. Staff was directed to coordinate publication, hearing venues, and draft notices and to return to the committee with timing and cost estimates.

Ending: The committee emphasized that drafts remain subject to change after county board or ZBA review and public comment; staff will circulate updated drafts and hearing schedules once publication timing is confirmed.