HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Commission adopted the resolution to formally recognize the validity of protest petitions received for the NextEra wind project. The resolution confirms that 46% of those petitions were valid. This resolution makes it official. Next week, the commission will also put into resolution form the official vote declining the conditional use permit for the wind project.

One thing that doesn’t appear likely is the commission pushing for a temporary moratorium of wind projects in the county, something requested by some residents of the area last year and rejected by the commission. Commissioner Ron Hirst commented that he would like to see a moratorium while the planning commission puts together overlay zoning in the county. Some areas of the county are not currently under any type of zoning. The other two commissioners don’t appear to support that.

Commissioner Ron Sellers also commented on the rejection of the conditional use permit for the NextEra wind farm project calling it one of three mistakes in the last 70 years made in this community for economic development.

The other two included the rejection of being a part of the interstate highway system and also rejecting urban renewal for the downtown area. Both decisions were made back in the 1960s, according to Sellers.

The commission is expected to approve another resolution next week over the official vote, which didn’t receive the unanimous vote needed for the conditional use permit for the project to proceed.