Members of the Vermilion County Board welcomed a new member in one district and declared a vacancy in another during their meeting Tuesday evening. Bill Pickett has the story….
Terry Prillaman of Rossville was sworn-in as the new member in District 1. The vacancy was declared in District 5 where Crisi Walls recently stepped down. A recommendation on who will fill the vacancy will be made later.
Also during their meeting county board members approved landscape management plans for commercial solar farms near Ridge Farm and east of Hoopeston. Both projects had been approved earlier. Pivot Energy is proposing the site east of Hoopeston along Illinois route 9 be pollinator friendly. So a Vegetation and Landscape Management plan was approved for that location.
And as discussions continue on other proposed wind and solar projects in the county, the board forwarded a suggested change in the county’s wind and solar ordinances to the Wind and Solar Committee.
County Board chairman Steve Miller proposed the change saying he thinks the existing wording in the Wind and Solar Ordinances is misleading. Miller said at a recent county board Executive Committee meeting that he thinks the existing wording suggests county board members can vote their own personal wishes irrespective of what evidence is introduced at Wind and Solar Committee hearings. But Miller adds, that is simply not true. And he says that is what needs to be clarified. The Wind and Solar Committee will review the wording and then make a recommendation to the county board on whether it agrees with the change. The change would say: ‘The decision to grant or deny a permit application is within the sole discretion of the County Board subject to state and federal law.’
Also during their meeting County Board members approved a new health insurance package for employees who work for the county. The Blue Cross Blue Shield – Blue Choice Options PPO – will replace the existing Health Alliance plan. Health Alliance is dropping its coverage with the county effective October 1st.
