The creation of battery storage ordinances in DeWitt County has been in the works over the past months. 

At Monday night's DeWitt County Land Use Committee Meeting, Committee Chair Buck Carter indicated the ordinances previously created had been sent to the Zoning Board of Appeals as well as the Regional Planning Commission for review. He was displeased with the action taken by the ZBA to put the ordinances on hold.

Carter feels that the ZBA is turning a blind eye to the development of battery storage when it comes to wind and solar development. Patrick Ryan indicates that these could be potential fire hazards if not properly regulated by the county.

County Board Chair Joe Witte thinks that sending the ordinances back and restarting the process is a step in the wrong direction. 

Rather than restart the ordinance review process, members of the Land Use Committee decided that they will attend next month's ZBA meeting to clear up any confusion that lead them to put the ordinances on hold.

At the May County Board Meeting, committee members may push for amendments to be passed before the ordinances are accepted, or try and have them amended after the fact.