Residents challenge county agreements with solar project | News | enidnews.com - Enid News & Eagle

Residents challenge county agreements with solar project | News | enidnews.com

ENID, Okla. — A group of residents attended the Garfield County Commission meeting Monday morning, April 29, 2024, to challenge agreements entered between commissioners and the Breckenridge Energy storage and Skeleton Creek solar energy and battery storage projects.

NextEra Energy is developer of the Skeleton Creek project, to be located in a rural area south of Enid Woodring Regional Airport and northwest of Pioneer High School. The project will include solar panel and battery sites spread over portions of an eight-square-mile area. The solar panels will cover about 2,200 acres of the about 5,100 acres in the target area.

The meeting was moved from County Clerk Lorie Legere’s office to a courtroom on the second floor to accommodate the larger audience. Two people signed up to speak about the contracts with these two companies.

“This entire contract is invalid and void,” NeeAnn Clinton said. “According to the Open Meetings Act, this contract was not described on the agenda appropriately, so this entire contract is void and you can start over from the beginning.”

Clinton said the agenda described the contract as road use and the contract was more than just about road use.

”We believe this invalid contract according to Open Meetings needs to be looked at again,” said Suzanne Hunter, who said she lived in the zone area. “I’m asking you to do what is right and what is best for the people of Garfield County.”

Commission Chairman Reese Wedel said county officials will consult District Attorney Tommy Humphries and get his opinion on the situation and how to move forward. Wedel said the DA stated the only power commissioners have is with roads because the projects are on private property.

Wedel also told those who were present Monday that the companies do not have to have permission to drive on county roads. The reason for these agreements was for the companies to help with road maintenance.

”They were willing to come to us and work out trying to get them maintained the way they should be,” Wedel said.

“We are not disagreeing with the agreement for road use and them paying for repairs,” Clinton said. “This agreement contains more than road use.”

She pointed out an article in the agreement dealing with county laws and approvals. It included information on planning, zoning or subdivision ordinances, resolutions or regulations that prohibit, limit, provide standards for or burden the development, construction or operation of the project.

The commissioners voted to consult the Humphries before moving forward. After public discussion of the road agreements made by the commission, they adjourned back downstairs to the clerk's office to finish their meeting.

“We are OK with people coming to our meetings because we work for the county,” Wedel said. “If we need to make changes in this agreement we will because this is good for the roads.”

When the meeting continued downstairs, commissioners voted to use American Rescue Plan funds for reimbursement of payroll for the Garfield County Criminal Authority and for inmate medical dare at Garfield County Detention Facility.

Commissioners also approved Justin Hayes as a requesting officer at Kremlin Fire Department to replace Andy Minnick.