By HOLLY GASKILL
In the hour before the primary candidate forum, a large group of protestors flocked to Main Street and the entrance of the Wells County Commerce and Visitors Centre.
The demonstration was organized by Clayton Hamilton, who also started the Facebook group “No Solar on Wells County, IN Farm Ground”. The group has just over 800 members.
Hamilton said the group had wanted to show up at the event, where officials who had voted on matters in favor of solar farm agreements were running for re-election. The demonstration was met with frequent car horns, thumbs up and revving engines. Case Hamilton, a fourth grade student at Southern Wells Elementary School, enthusiastically counted 95 car horns while waving his sign.
Later, all Republican candidates for Wells County Council and Commissioners stated they were against the project during the forum.
The demonstration was predominantly concerned with Paddlefish Solar, a company looking to place a solar development on reportedly 3,000 acres of farmland in Chester and Liberty townships. Paddlefish was first approved for a 10-year total tax abatement in 2022 in exchange for a series of economic development payments totaling at least $8.5 million. The project has since received approval for road use and decommissioning agreements.
However, a recent request for a zoning layer for energy development has left the project in limbo. The Area Plan Commission gave a unanimous “do not pass” for the project, and Wells County Commissioners tabled the matter following extensive public comment.
The commissioners have until June 6 to make a decision and have stated they will not do so until at least May.
Hamilton also noted that while the conversation about solar energy has grown, there are still many people who are unaware of the present issues facing the county. This was quickly exemplified by a man walking by who asked what the group was doing. Hamilton and Christina Furnish jumped on the opportunity to share their cause, discussing the farm community, property values and safety concerns.
While recognizing the matter had been included in public meetings, Furnish stressed that the community had been ineffectively alerted about the project.
Trena Roudebush, community and government relations for Paddlefish, was also present at the forum. Several protesting said they had spoken with her or other company representatives, and felt there were insufficient answers to their concerns.
holly@news-banner.com
