Commissioners hear comments on deforestation, CR 3542

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The Hopkins County commissioners court heard public comment regarding proposed solar deforestation and work done on CR 3542, among other items of business at their regular December 13 meeting.

PUBLIC COMMENT

After opening the meeting at 9:03 a.m., Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom opened the floor to citizen comments. 

Dike citizen Michelle Barnes addressed the court. 

“You [the commissioners court] have now approved eight solar power plants in the county, so it is now thousands, instead of hundreds, of lives that you are affecting with your greed,” Barnes said. 

Barnes said she originally moved to Dike to get away from “corrupt government” who “create new rights and benefits for the ruling class.” 

Barnes further stated she felt as though she was given no representation despite paying taxes. 

Pct. Commissioner I Mickey Barker stated for the record that it was not eight solar farms that had been approved as stated by Barnes, but rather four or five. 

Next Dike resident Michael Pickens addressed the court re: previous comments made by Engie public relations manager Bill Pentak. 

Pickens stated that although Engie’s official position is that 150 acres will be deforested in pursuit of a solar installation, he believes this number is 1500 acres. Pickens stated he based this number on the map of the site produced by solar developer Alpine Sun in 2019. 

Pickens said that he acknowledges that solar panels do not make noise. However, he said, he is concerned with the noise level of inverters, which he claimed are approximately 80-85 decibels apiece. He stated this will be multiplied by 70 to 80 inverters stationed across the proposed solar site. 

Finally, Pickens said the Dike community is pairing with the community of Kokomo, Indiana, who are also trying to halt Engie from developing a solar site in their town. 

“Us in Dike, we’re just one of hundreds across the country trying to push back on massive, big solar power plants across America,” Pickens said. 

Engie public relations officer Bill Pentak then countered that he would like to “totally dispute” claims made by Barnes and Pickens. 

Pentak now said that Engie will only deforest 50 acres, and took issue with the age of Pickens deforestation map, produced in 2019. Pentak distributed his own map, which he said was produced in March 2021. 

Pentak also passed out an aerial photograph taken in 1967, and stated to the court he believed Dike was already in a deforested condition “decades ago.” As such, Pentak claimed, Engie could not deforest the land as there were not “half a million trees to deforest.” 

“We’re going to cut down a hundred acres or less and probably fifty, including trees that landowners cut down on their own,” Pentak said. “That’s why this site was chosen.” 

Pentak also stated the issue regarding noise was “putting words in anybody’s mouth” and further stated that inverters would be placed far away from human habitation so as not to be audible. 

Pentak stated he believed it was not the case that “everybody in Dike was against this project.” 

“I would like the commissioners to know that you do have support, but they don’t want a big target painted on their back,” Pentak said. 

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Pct. 3 citizen Frank Brown appeared before the court and stated he had spoken to his commissioner, Wade Bartley, in September, October, and November regarding CR 3542.

He stated he expected Bartley to “fix a soft spot” on Nov. 30 but Bartley “has still not been back to fix the road.”   

“He’s been avoiding fixing them roads, and some out there are getting pretty bad,” Brown said. 

Bartley, however, stated that he had “been out there recently and it seemed like someone was messing with your [Brown’s] road.” 

Brown admitted he had attempted to “top the road off… in the ditches on both sides” with his personal tractor. Bartley advised Brown could catch misdemeanor charges from such actions. 

“You cannot go out there with your personal equipment on county roads, period,” Bartley said. “I’ve explained that to you.” 

Brown claimed he would “not have to mess with the roads” if Bartley would “fix them up one way or another.” 

Brown then presented a copy of Bartley’s annual budget to county auditor Shannah Aulsbrook. Aulsbrook advised Brown to come to her office after court if he would like to review Bartley’s budget. Brown agreed. 

Regarding CR 3542, Bartley informed Brown he would “get to it when he would get to it.” 

With no further comment, public forum was closed at 9:22 a.m.

By Taylor Nye

An earlier version of this story misidentified Frank Brown as Greg Brown. It has been corrected

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