Boone County Board Meeting
May 21, 2026
The lede
- Cemetery Road Solar Project approved 7-4 despite strong public opposition; board cited state law stripping local control and threat of lawsuits
- Huber Road Assembly special use permit sent back to ZBA (June 23) for further consideration rather than deciding tonight
- $5.3 million in transportation grants awarded to Boone County for road projects through R1PC
- Multiple energy ordinances adopted establishing regulations and fees for solar, wind, and energy storage systems
- Major infrastructure spending approved: $997K bridge replacement, $500K jail cooling system, $257K courthouse masonry work
Attendance & housekeeping
Meeting called to order at 6:37 p.m. (7 minutes late). Board members Curry and Logston participated electronically with board approval. Roll call showed all members present. Chairman Carl Johnson abstained from certain claims involving his business interests (William Charles, Northern Illinois Service Co., Core & Main, Highway Department).
Decisions & votes (each with vote count and notable discussion or dissent)
Appointments approved unanimously (voice vote):
- Dave Worrell (Board of Review, reappointment)
- Beth Calder (Garden Prairie Street Light District, new) — Chairman specially thanked Calder for filling long-vacant position needed to keep lights operational
- Dan Mason, John Cleland, Cory Lind, Michelle Marella, Rick Schultz (various boards)
Ordinance 26-21: Cemetery Road Solar Project (SUP-05-2026) — APPROVED 7-4
- Yes: Patterson, Walberg, Riley, Reggano, Johnson, Shoemaker (7)
- No: Cordre, Schneider, Curry, Logston, Thornberry (4)
- 40-acre solar project by Nexamp, reduced from original footprint to 27.5 acres fenced area
- Significant dissent: Multiple residents spoke against; board members voting yes expressed they were forced by state law and lawsuit threats
- Riley: “I don’t believe in it…I don’t want to subject taxpayers to more litigation costs”
- Curry: “I’m always going to vote no. I really don’t care about lawsuits”
- Johnson: “We have no choice. State code says if they meet parameters X,Y,Z, you must approve…It will cost this county a ton of money and we will lose”
Ordinance 26-20: Huber Road Assembly (SUP-04-2026) — SENT BACK TO ZBA (unanimous voice vote)
- Motion to return to Zoning Board of Appeals for further consideration on June 23
- No substantive discussion; Chairman noted consultation with staff and counsel
Ordinance 26-22: ESS Use Table — APPROVED (voice vote, unanimous)
Ordinance 26-23: ESS Text Amendment — APPROVED (voice vote, unanimous)
Ordinance 26-24: Solar Text Amendment — APPROVED (voice vote, unanimous)
- State’s Attorney noted this will likely be revised when full UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) is adopted but must pass by June 1
Ordinance 26-25: Wind Text Amendment — APPROVED (voice vote, unanimous)
- Same note about future UDO revisions
Claims: $1,287,589.53 — APPROVED (roll call, unanimous with Johnson abstaining per standard practice)
PCO #86: Courthouse masonry work — $257,489.50 — APPROVED (roll call, unanimous)
- RV Builders contract for tuckpointing original courthouse buildings
- Nearly $100K less than original bid estimate of ~$350K; project was removed from base bid and re-bid separately with detailed drawings
- Schneider suggested establishing 5-year inspection schedule for building maintenance; architect Seedra agreed
PSB brick repair and tuckpointing — $11,000 max — APPROVED (roll call, unanimous)
- Same unit rate as courthouse masonry work
- Repairs needed before new window installation
Contract 24-00119-00-BR: Stone Quarry Road bridge — $997,084.50 — APPROVED (roll call, unanimous with Johnson abstaining)
- Phoenix Corporation of Quad Cities awarded contract
- Johnson abstained (Phoenix is his customer)
Rural/Tribal Assistance Pilot Program Grant Agreement — APPROVED (roll call, unanimous)
Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) & Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) awards — APPROVED (roll call, unanimous)
- Total: $5.3 million for county road projects
- Cordre praised County Engineer Cron’s work securing funding; Johnson noted “it’s about time county got some real money from R1”
Resolution 26-15: TARP Grant application support — APPROVED (roll call, unanimous)
- Truck Access Route Program for Hunter Road and Poplar Grove Road improvements
BCG-2026-03: Jail cooling system — $499,680 + $9,300 permit — APPROVED (roll call, unanimous)
- Ceroni awarded as low bidder
Ordinance 26-13: Health Department Fees — APPROVED as amended (voice vote, unanimous)
- Amendment by Walberg (seconded Shoemaker): Changed fee increase structure from 7%-8%-9% over three years to 8%-8%-8%
- Walberg rationale: “keeps it simple” and mirrors previous fee structure of consistent increases
Ordinance 26-18: Planning fee schedule — APPROVED (voice vote, unanimous)
Ordinance 26-19: Building fee schedule for ESS — APPROVED (voice vote, unanimous)
Executive session for real estate — APPROVED (roll call, unanimous)
Discussion items (no vote)
Courthouse project update (Architect Seedra):
- Stone arches being installed; building “finally looking like what it will be at the end”
- Change order #24 ($14,524.61) approved for lintel work; architect issued construction directive to avoid delays and is disputing the charge
- Copper fascia change order ($10,762) due to architect’s error (missing 3” insulation); architect will credit county for cost escalation beyond original bid
Growth Dimensions Economic Development report (Pam Verbos):
- 53 business attraction projects, 41 retention/expansion projects active
- Manufacturing company site visit resulted in Boone County short-list: 91 jobs, $170M investment, 445K sq ft building
- Ongoing meetings with Stellantis re: enterprise zone benefits
- Wisconsin manufacturing company exploring Belvidere expansion (building + 2 sites)
- Rush Power Systems relocating to Hawk & Irene Roads (approved by Belvidere)
- Announced “Econ Talks” program for community education
- Germany returned to top-5 countries visiting website (first time in a year)
Nexamp solar vegetation management (Matt Walsh, applicant):
- Addressed Board Member Patterson’s weed concerns from previous meeting
- Red clover issue at Route 76 site was proactively treated in fall 2025 before Conservation District notification
- Will monitor and re-treat if necessary; maintains contact with Conservation District
Senior Connections: Meeting cancelled; golf outing occurred (full report next month)
CASA (Ryan Curry): New courthouse location working well; CASA “extremely appreciative”
R1PC: Discussed comprehensive economic development strategy framework for federal grants; noted challenges with state solar/wind laws
911 Board (Matt Reggano): “Everything seems to be running in proper order”
Community Building (Dana Logston):
- Mural fading; Arts Council contacted for restoration with possible wax coating for durability
- Water pooling issue at accessible entry; ordered rubberized sweeps and transition plates
Public comment
Six residents spoke in opposition to Cemetery Road solar project:
Randy Watson (9780 Edson Rd, Capron): Opposed solar on prime ag land; noted 11.4-12% actual capacity vs. 4.95 MW claimed; potato growers refusing to farm former solar land; urged board to “stand up for what is right” and not cave to lawsuit threats.
Andy Moon (16340 Mill Rd, Capron): Criticized Nexamp’s conduct: lobbying for state law changes, $200K lawsuit, deposing/disrespecting community members; “That’s how you treat neighbors in Chicago. Maybe you should just stay home.”
Henry Syssmick (16215 Mill Rd, Capron): Brief statement asking board to vote no; represented farmers and 38-year county residents.
Joe McKenna (1634 Mill Rd): Simple statement opposing project.
Timothy Shaw (16900 Cemetery Rd): 50-year resident ~1,500 ft from proposed site; asked board to vote no.
Maryanne McKenna Moon (16340 Mill Rd, Capron): Representing McKenna Farms (adjacent property, 50 years); project conflicts with Comprehensive Plan objective 3.7 (protect prime farmland); revisions don’t change 40-acre displacement for 45 years with “little or no benefit”; urged board to “stand strong” like Winnebago County and reject project to demonstrate local control should remain with counties.
Attorney Nathan J. Noble (504 N State St, Belvidere): Represented Houston Road residents opposing Huber Road Assembly permit; argued ZBA findings of fact not met (health/safety/welfare); cited Spring Township safety concerns, notice violations, open code enforcement, recent party requiring neighbor to block driveway; compared unfavorably to Robas venue (1 house within half-mile vs. 15 for this project); urged board to follow ZBA recommendation and deny.
Notable moments (anything colorful, tense, or unusual)
Extended, passionate solar debate: Chairman Johnson gave detailed explanation of state law stripping county authority: “The state doesn’t want you to have a say. They don’t care.” Noted new legislation would require counties to pay solar companies’ attorney fees if they lose lawsuits. Board Member Curry delivered impassioned speech about holding legislators accountable, criticizing glyphosate use, promoting nuclear over solar, and urging constituents to “bring Dave Vella [state rep] in front of everybody” to answer for his vote. Audience clapped (against meeting decorum); Johnson admonished: “No clapping please. This isn’t a ball game.”
Johnson’s blunt assessment: “We need to make changes [in Springfield]. We’re trying to get them to listen, but not necessarily…this particular project meets the parameters…I wish it wasn’t [viable].”
Example of state override: Chairman noted Rockford spent “hundreds of thousands” on water/sewer infrastructure for I-90 industrial site, now going to solar farm instead because “they can’t say no.”
Humor during claims: When Walberg accidentally skipped item 11.06, jumping to 11.07:
- Johnson: “I’m all in favor of moving things along quicker, but…gotta hit them all”
- Walberg: “It’s this new software program, Chairman”
- [Laughter] Multiple false starts before correctly reading 11.06
Math confusion: When discussing grant totals, County Administrator struggled to add $1.7M + $4.3M; multiple board members helped: “Math is hard…Don’t expect our engineer to do math though.”
Angelica photo credit: Johnson thanked staff member Angelica for detailed masonry photos that helped reduce bid by ~$100K through better specifications.
Meeting logistics: Started 7 minutes late; Chairman apologized. Curry dropped from electronic participation before executive session vote.
Proclamations: Economic Development Week and ALS Awareness Month proclaimed. ALS proclamation recipient Ashley couldn’t speak during meeting (technical issues); will receive copy.
Community appreciation: Board Member Patterson gave heartfelt thanks to Growth Dimensions for economic development work, comprehensive planning support, and attracting businesses to “create a better, more affordable place to live.”