Open discussion on zoning and the wind ordinance occupied the tiem of Vermilion County Board members. Tuesday evening, the board voted to re-open the discussion over the county's wind farm ordinance. But the board rejected another proposal to investigate establishing county zoning.

Members agreed to review of the county's wind farm ordinance on a 14 – 11 vote in favor. Two board members were absent. The vote to consider county zoning garnered only 4 yes votes. There were 20 voting against. Three were absent.

The vote was not surprising to County Board Chairman Gary Weinard.

Weinard said zoning has never been tolerated in Vermilion County. The problem, he said, we're going to have is melting changes in the wind ordinance without zoning because I think it was pretty clearly detailed tonight that we've gone about as far as we can go under the statutes of the State of Illinois in terms of set-backs and noise.''

Board member Kevin Green was one of those who voted against investigating county zoning. He said 'it's going to create a whole other layer of bureaucracy. It's going to be very expensive. And like it was stated it's really only beneficial in times of when you have great population or business influx, and we don't have that."

Green was named to chair a new committee that will review the county's wind farm ordinance. Chairman Gary Weinard says the committee will meet within 30 days for its organizational session. Then the committee will have 180 days to return its recommendations to the full county board.

94.1 WGFA