Vermilion County Board Meeting – Oct. 8, 2013 – With Video –

Danville, IL. (ECWd) –

October 8^th 2013.  Vermilion County Board Meeting. Meeting video at the bottom of this post.

After the embarrassment of board members walking out during the audience comments, agenda item #9, audience comments, was moved back to earlier in the meeting format.  In addition, the county board will also be recording the meetings for the first time this month and adding them to the Vermilion County web site.  In no doubt, due to the local citizens recording the video and posting it on the Edgar County Watchdog site in the previous months.  The county should be recognized for adding the openness of posting the video to the county web site.  It should also be noted that the architect of the Vermilion County industrial wind problem, Jim ‘Mouse” McMahon (3139 E. Main Street, Danville, IL. 61834, (H) 443-6939, jmcmcahon9@vercounty.org) was absent again this month.

 Under audience comments this week was Marshal Newhouse from Boone county Illinois.  He reminded the county board that people around the state are having problems with industrial wind turbines.  He stated that although Vermilion County does not have zoning, it does not absolve them from having the health and safety interest of the citizens as a priority. Many setback changes are happening around the state as more problems come to light for industrial wind turbines.  Marshal mentioned that many counties are using setback waivers to go forward with projects.  As other counties make changes, Vermilion is seen as moving forward with reckless abandon.  Many other counties think that Vermilion is missing something when it comes to increased setbacks. Marshall states that for other issues involving new development the setbacks are from property lines, but this is not the case for industrial wind turbines.  At this point Marshall is cut off by board Chairman Gary Wienard.  Is it possible that they are all asleep?

Next to speak is Julie Newhouse coming all the way from Boone County because they saw that Invenergy was on the agenda.  Julie states that like most people, they were not aware of the impact of industrial wind turbines would have on their rural community.  With Invenergy attorney, Mike Blazer sitting in the audience, Julie asks if Invenergy will accept responsibility for the harm done to Vermilion county families.  Julie asks the board to stop the harm to rural families and declare a moratorium until Invenergy makes it right with families that are being harmed and the ordinance is updated.  Julie submits statements from two doctors on the harmful effects of industrial wind turbines and a complaint form that is used in other counties. There are no questions and no response from any board member. Next to speak is Kim Schertz from McLean county living in the Twin Groves industrial wind complex.  Kim submits 4 noise studies, 2 done by Invenergy, to the county board.  Kim explains to the board how the noise studies are faked to skew the results in favor of the wind complex.  When the wind company does their own noise study they can pick and choose the data points or wind speed that favor their company. There are no questions from any board member. Next to speak, Jessica Hartke who lives in the Invenergy industrial wind complex in Vermilion County.  Jessica submits a letter to all county board members from her local school superintendent Bill Mulvaney.  Mr. Mulvaney was one of Chairman Wienards handpicked biased wind panel members that evaluated testimony from the Potomac wind panel earlier this year.   Mr. Mulvaney had written to Chairman Weinard with his concerns about the negative effect that he is seeing in his school from the Invenergy industrial wind complex in Vermilion County. In Mr. Mulvaney’s letter, he outlines the health issues he is seeing with the students in his school and ask the board to consider how close turbines are placed in future ordinance changes.  Stunningly, again, no comments from any board member!  Darrell Cambron speaks next about a pending lawsuit against Invenergy’s industrial wind complex in Oregon.  Mr. Cambron reads from the lawsuit the many negative effects that people in Oregon are having from Invenergy’s wind turbines.  Amazingly, they are the same issues that we are seeing from Invenergy wind turbines here in Vermilion County. There are no questions from any board member.  Kim Cambron speaks next on the history of wind in Illinois.  She submits typical wind speed data as determined by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Illinois Water Survey which shows that the lowest wind speeds occur in Illinois during June, July and August.  In addition, this year we are also seeing low wind speeds in September and early October.  Astoundingly, this is also the time when Invenergy is doing a noise study to determine if their industrial wind turbines are exceeding the Illinois Pollution Control Board noise limits.  It should not be hard for their “own” noise experts to find enough data points to prove compliance. No questions from the board.

At this point the county board has arranged for Bob Fox to read a statement explaining his leaving early at county board meetings. Mr. Fox reads that he has had to leave early due to health issues. If you listen to the audio from that meeting, it paints a different picture. We invite you to make up your own mind as to the validity of his explanation. Audio Here.

Judge Cleary swears in A.J. Wright to fill vacant board seat for District 7. 

Mike Marron (District 2) presents new committee assignments.  Committees will be reduced from 9 to 7 going forward.  The new committee list as well as contact information for A.J. Wright is available from the county through the Freedom of Information Act.

Next on the agenda is an update from Invenergy attorney Mike Blazer. Mr. Blazer states the he was brought in to deal with complaints from Hartke and Mills.  Complaints received from other Vermilion county families was not mentioned. Mr. Blazer has hired an outside consultant to the wind industry to conduct a noise study for turbines #57 & #75 in the Invenergy wind complex. Mr. Blazer also admits that he has been collaborating with assistant state’s attorney for Vermilion County, Bill Donahue on complaints from Hartke and Miles. Mr. Blazer states that Hartke and Miles are suspicious of the Invenergy consultants and will not let them on their property.  Therefore, Invenergy will move forward with noise studies done on adjacent properties. Mr. Blazer states that there were no data results for the month of August due to no wind (Why do we have these turbines?). And in September, turbines were “curtailed” do to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife bat study resulting in few data points. Board member Stark asks to confirm that two people in the complaint group denied access to their property for the Invenergy noise study.  Board member Alexander asks to confirm that only one complaint family is represented by an attorney and that no noise studies are being done inside a family home.  Board member Green ask if non-compliance is determined, what will Invenergy do.  Mr. Blazer states that they will do whatever it takes to comply. Board member Foster ask what Invenergy will do if they are harming children.  Mr. Blazer states that this is not their intention.  Board member Johnson asks if the noise study will run until March or April.  Mr. Blazer states that the consultants will be done by end of October with a report coming in November, but he will not let the study run through the winter (despite an unlimited budget). Please see the video for the full details from Mike Blazer or Mr. Blazer can be contacted at:  Michael S. Blazer, Jeep & Blazer, L.L.C., 24 N. Hillside Ave, Suite A, and Hillside, IL. 60162. (708)236-0830, Cell# (708)404-9091, [email protected]. 

Agenda item #12, resolution for delinquent taxes was approved.

Agenda item #13, Finance & Personnel.  Resolutions for:

1. Funds for Juvenile Detention center – $112,800.
2. Capital Outlay for courthouse – $162.200
3. Health Department, repeal of sunset clause for fees.
4. Animal regulation, increase in fee structure
5. Technology Services – $8000
6. & G. – ordinance for tax levy increase and to put budget on display.

All resolutions passed.  Please see the video for detailed questions by board member Stahl.

Agenda item #13 – Transportation – resolution for two county maintenance projects and declaring surplus property passed.

 No executive session, meeting was RESESSED until Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at 6:00 PM.