AUBURN â DeKalb County Commissioners on Monday declared a 60-day moratorium on applications for new commercial solar farms in the county.
The action comes in response to reports that a private company is signing leases for a 1,600-acre solar farm south of Butler.
The purpose of the moratorium is âto give the county an opportunity to studyâ what should be included in an ordinance to regulate solar farms, said County Attorney James McCanna. âItâs not pro or con.â
The moratorium does not affect solar installations for residential use, McCanna said.
Commissioners acted after listening to rural Butler resident Colben Steury express his concerns about the proposed solar farm.
AUBURN â DeKalb County leaders voiced differing opinions on when to build a new jail Monday, while Sheriff David Cserep II warned about the threat of a lawsuit.
At this monthâs meeting of the DeKalb County Council in the courthouse, Commissioner Mike Watson said he hopes his two fellow commissioners would consider moving quickly.
âIâm certainly not in favor of pushing this thing down the road. I donât think thereâs much can left to kick on this thing,â Watson said.
Commissioner Todd Sanderson called for waiting to see if construction prices decline.
âYou have to plan to the upside so high, right now, I think itâs time to put the brakes on this just a little to wait and see things subside and say itâs definitely going to cost this,â Sanderson said.
AUBURN â Progress toward a new home for the DeKalb County Highway Department continued on a fast pace Monday.
DeKalb County Commissioners took steps toward a meeting March 1, when they hope to gain permission from the County Council to buy and sell land.
Commissioners want to buy 19 acres on the east side of Waterloo for the Highway Departmentâs new headquarters. They also want to sell the departmentâs current location in Auburn, north of Eckhart Park.
Commissioners would pay $1,073,000 for the Waterloo land at 3942 U.S. 6 â the average of two appraisals of the property. It includes an 11,000-square-foot, heated building.