The election cycle just passed engaged campaign managers in almost all levels of political races. The man usually credited with being America’s first campaign director, John James Beckley, operated decades before the advent of the news cycle and social media. He directed campaigns on behalf of the Democratic-Republicans in the late 18th century. After Thomas Jefferson won the presidency in 1800, the Library of Congress was founded, and Beckley was appointed the first librarian of that world-renowned institution this week in 1802. At lower levels, states employ 466 full-time librarians, while more than 88,000 librarians hush patrons in local government libraries. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.
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Solar zoning ordinance
At the Commissioners’ annual retreat I listen to a 45 minute sales presentation justifying solar farms. Once the presentation was completed the Chairman opened the meeting to the Commissioners so they could ask questions and express concerns. One commissioner asked the generic question what are the negatives; the presenters indicated there are no negatives. Another commissioner hinted at a potential decline of property values to properties adjacent to a solar farm. A third commissioner asked about removal of the solar panels at the end of their productive life. The presenters’ answer partially addressed the question while ignoring returning the land to its original state.
All of this has had me thinking about the pending solar zoning ordinance. The solar zoning ordinance presented at the January 2013, meeting is lacking in details when compared to the shooting ordinance. I suggest that Commissioners approve a solar zoning ordinance that includes at the least the following details:
1. Specific dimensions for a small, medium, and large solar farm including set-backs.
2. Define environmentally and aesthetically appealing visual buffers surrounding any solar farm.
3. Stipulate that the land be returned to the original state at the end of a solar farm’s life.
Such zoning requirements are not onerous to the property owner and developer alike, nor foster any adverse requirements upon the property owner. After all any land used for solar farming is unavailable for agricultural purposes for the duration of the solar farm. In the long term which is more beneficial to human existence food to eat or lights to read by? Delaying a vote for a solar zoning ordinance until a detailed ordinance is crafted and publically vetted may delay the start of such are farm, it does not prevent the development.
To anyone interested:
I saw on TV news about how they are looking for people to fill jobs in shale drilling operations, and possibly fracking in West Virginia…
free training.
high wages….(with overtime…6 figure incomes are possible)
and excellent benefits.
also looking for drilling engineers…recent hires are earning high wages while finishing school.
similar to what is happening in North Dakota, which is booming and with only 3% unemployment..