A hundred people packed the Sedgwick County Commission Chambers and even more filled an overflow room on Wednesday as county leaders considered approving two major solar projects. After an 11-hour meeting where commissioners heard more than 100 public comments, they denied both solar projects. Solar project discussions like this have been happening across the state, drawing a large community response. Both of these projects were considered despite the Sedgwick County Commission passing a six-month moratorium on new applications for large-scale solar projects in June. Commissioners said the projects would be used as a case study to test regulations and the application process. Due to the heightened interest in these projects, the commission put strict public comment policies in place and had Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputies screen people as they entered the room. More than 60 people signed up to give public comment, with each speaker allotted 3 minutes. There was a fairly even mix of voices in support of and in opposition to the projects. Many of the people opposed to the projects live near the proposed project sites. They brought up concerns about how the solar panels would affect the value of their land and farm operations. The City of Clearwater formally requested the county commission not to accept the Branch Line Project, saying that it would hinder Clearwater’s growth. The only commissioner to vote in favor of both projects was Ryan Baty. He said that farmers should be able to decide what they do with their land. “In the defense of our farmers, who in this county are hurting. Farmers are hurting,” Baty said. “They have economic opportunity on their land, and I’m not telling them no. I’m not looking our farmers in the face and telling them the only thing they can do with that land is farm.” During the meeting, multiple commissioners commented on information that was missing or could not be specified due to current policies. Some said that going through this process showed them what needed to be changed in the future.
Read more: KSN-TV