The commission took public comments. The scene was now familiar - a full room, a community coming together, and the public pleading, imploring, and begging the county to protect us from wind turbines.
Science, application violations, physical problems, healthy, safety - it was all mentioned.
Pete Preston, Community Planner, talked about the application. The commission asked the Forest Hill Energy representatives a few questions. The commission members expressed a lot of suspicion and outright disbelief in their answers. (I became hopeful.)
Earl Barks spoke and said that he, personally, didn't like turbines. He said he'd never seen an issue tear a community apart like this one. He said he knew there were lots of people who didn't like them, and he would never want one where he lived. He then said that as a board member, he didn't see how he could say no to the application and moved to approve it. (Hope was crushed.)
Shannon Schlegel, Mark Simon, Bob Kudwa, and Earl Barks all voted yes. Adam Stacey voted no.
Shannon Schlegel said she wanted to thank the public for their remarks.
The man sitting next to me said out loud, "But you didn't care."
Adam Stacey aside, the idea that these people can sit in front of us and completely ignore us, fills me with hopelessness, and yes - rage.
They don't owe Forest Hill Energy. The commission members live here. With us. And they simply do not care. Earl Barks said he didn't want one in his yard - but my yard? That's a different story.
Clinton County has sold out its residents.
