(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Board of Supervisors met in a regular weekly session on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. According to the meeting minutes provided by Auditor Mark Maxwell, the Board heard from Supervisor Bryce Schaben, who noted the Nishna Bend boat ramp is getting closer to completion. Assistant Shelby County Engineer Chris Fredericksen presented a utilities permit application from Nishna Valley REC, for the Board to consider. A motion to approve was passed unanimously. Fredericksen mentioned also, the recent rain has given the road blading operations better outcomes.

The Board then held a public hearing on the proposed FY 2024 Shelby County Budget. There were no spoken or written comments. The Board closed the hearing and acted to Adopt the Budget as presented, along with the Shelby County Compensation Board recommendations. They also acted to pass a resolution setting May 16, 2023 at 9-a.m., as the date and time for a public hearing on a Budget Amendment for Public Safety and Legal Services, amounting to $843,838.

In other business, the Shelby County Board of Supervisors passed two resolutions that established a180-day moratorium, effective immediately, on commercial Wind and Solar Energy construction permits, so that the Board will have more time to gather information and coordinate with multiple agencies for the purpose of reviewing, updating or creating ordinances, policies and procedures relative to commercial wind and solar energy systems. The moratorium prohibits the siting, construction, and operation of commercial wind and solar energy systems, until such time as the Board is able to draft and adopting an ordinance regulating those commercial energy systems.