In The Matter Of: McLEAN COUNTY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS WIND FARM February 28, 2018 Area Wide Reporting and Video Conferencing www.areawide.net [email protected] 301 W. White Street Champaign, IL 61820 Original File 0228WINDFARM.TXT Min-U-Script® with Word Index McLEAN COUNTY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS WIND FARM February 28, 2018 Page 818 Page 820 1 McLEAN COUNTY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS 1 I N D E X 2 MEETING 2 Page 3 3 WITNESSES: 4 Wednesday, February 28, 2018 4 TONY O'BRIAN ................................ 822 5 6:00 p.m. JEFF POWELL ................................. 827 5 ALAN PETERSEN ............................... 835 6 DUSTAN HAASE ................................ 842 6 DONALD TROWITCH ............................. 858 7 at DARYL HANEY ................................. 879 8 Government Center 7 GARY BUTLER ................................. 898 MATT ALDEMAN ................................ 905 9 115 East Washington Street 8 MARK DEKEERSGIETER .......................... 915 GREGORY SCOTT ............................... 925 10 Bloomington, Illinois 9 JOHN DEMLOW ................................. 937 ANDREW EHRHARDT ............................. 941 11 10 GARY DECLARK ................................ 949 ERIC ELDER .................................. 969 12 11 THEODORE HARTKE.............................. 979 13 Case Number SU-18-02 12 14 13 EXHIBITS: 15 ZONING BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: 14 Applicant's Exhibit 15 ................. 948 16 Brian Bangert Mr. DeClark's Presentation Chris Carlton - 1st Alternate 15 17 Rick Dean James Finnigan - Chairman Objectors Exhibit 9 .................... 879 18 Michael Kuritz 16 Daryl Haney - Residence in Yates Mary Beth Taylor - 2nd Alternate Township 19 Julia Turner 17 Objectors Exhibit 10 ................... 979 20 18 Mr. Hartke's Presentation 21 19 Neutral Exhibit 3 ...................... 869 Yates Drainage District Information 22 Court Reporter: Brenda Zeitler, CSR-RPR 20 23 License No. 084-004062 Supporters Exhibit 1.................... 836 Area Wide Reporting Service 21 Pictures of Henline Creek 24 800-747-6789 22 23 24 25 Page 819 Page 821 1 APPEARANCES: 1 Call the McLean County 2 SCHIFF HARDIN CHAIRMAN FINNIGAN: BY: MS. AMY ANTONIOLLI, ESQ. 3 Attorney at Law 2 Zoning Board to order. Will the Secretary call the 233 South Wacker Drive 4 Suite 6600 3 roll? Chicago, Illinois 60606 5 (312) 258-5550 4 MR. DICK: Mark Judd? [email protected] 6 On Behalf of the Applicant 5 (No response.) 7 SCHIROTT, LUETKEHANS & GAMER, LLC BY: PHILLIP A. LUETKEHANS, ESQ. 6 MR. DICK: Brian Bangert? 8 Attorney at Law 105 East Irving Park Road 7 MR. BANGERT: Here. 9 Itasca, Illinois 60143 (603) 760-4601 8 MR. DICK: Michael Kuritz? 10 [email protected] On Behalf of the Opponents 9 11 MR. KURITZ: Here. SAMANTHA M. WALLEY, ESQ. 12 Assistant States Attorney 10 MR. DICK: Rick Dean? 104 West Front Street 13 Room 605 11 MR. DEAN: Here. Bloomington, Illinois 61701-5005 14 (309) 888-5400 12 MR. DICK: Julia Turner? On Behalf of McLean County. 15 13 MS. TURNER: Here. 16 ALSO PRESENT: 14 MR. DICK: Drake Zimmerman? 17 PHILIP DICK, Director of Building & Zoning 15 (No response.) 18 LUKE HOHULIN, Assistant County Engineer 16 MR. DICK: Jim Finnigan? 19 17 20 CHAIRMAN FINNIGAN: Here. 21 18 MR. DICK: Chris Carlton? 22 19 MR. CARLTON: Here. 23 20 MR. DICK: Mary Beth Taylor? 24 21 MS. TAYLOR: Here. 22 CHAIRMAN FINNIGAN: We have a quorum. We 23 are reconvening Case SU-18-02. I think we are at the 24 point of public testimony. So Phil is going to call a Min-U-Script® Area Wide Reporting and Video Conferencing (1) Pages 818 - 821 1-800-747-6789 McLEAN COUNTY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS WIND FARM February 28, 2018 Page 822 Page 824 1 name, and hopefully they are here. 1 to get hours off of that. That's important. 2 MR. DICK: Tony O'Brian? 2 Also, too, the financial side of things, 3 MR. O'BRIAN: Hello. 3 this insurance isn't guaranteed. You have to have so 4 CHAIRMAN FINNIGAN: Would you like to be 4 many hours per year to get that insurance; and you all 5 sworn in? 5 know, when we work on wind farms, we work a lot of 6 MR. O'BRIAN: Sure. 6 hours. That's helps us gain our insurance. It also 7 (Tony O'Brian sworn.) 7 helps us get a pension as well. 8 CHAIRMAN FINNIGAN: State your name and 8 The reason I bring all of this stuff up is 9 address and spell your last name, please. 9 because it gives us an opportunity to train. We're 10 MR. O'BRIAN: Tony O'Brian, O-B-r-i-a-n. I 10 self-funded in our training. We pay $3 per hour for 11 live at 103 Oak Street in Morton, Illinois. 11 every hour we work into our fund to train. So good 12 First off, I'd like to thank the Board for 12 wages, good insurance, training. 13 letting me speak tonight on behalf of my members. 13 The reason I bring that up is because I 14 As I said, my name is Tony O'Brian. I am a 14 don't want you to think we are just people who come in 15 business agent for the operating engineers. For those 15 here, take advantages of the wages, and just leave. 16 of you who don't know what that is, the heavy 16 That's not what happens. We take pride in our work. 17 equipment operators, whether it be dozers, cranes, 17 We continually train to do this kind of 18 things of that nature. 18 work. You know, I've heard some people say that we 19 Just want to take a little bit of your time 19 tear things up and we just leave it behind. We don't 20 tonight. What I'm going to say is kind of twofold 20 do that. We have respect in our work. 21 here, my experience of working on wind farms as well 21 We're also in the community as well, whether 22 as being a business rep. 22 it be Christmas for the homeless or blood drives or 23 I have worked on wind farms in McLean 23 Day of the Dozers and lots of other things, countless 24 County, both at Carlock and Twin Groves, from building 24 things. Page 823 Page 825 1 laydown yards, roads, tearing laydown yards up, 1 So, for those of you that don't know me or 2 tearing the roads up. I have dug holes. I've placed 2 the members that I represent, I just want you to know 3 rebar in the holes. I have ran cranes that built 3 that we appreciate the wages. We appreciate the 4 rotors. I've set bases as well. Pretty much the only 4 insurance. And we appreciate the opportunity to give 5 thing I haven't been a part of is topping out, setting 5 back in the community. So with that said, I'm pretty 6 the nacelles and the rotors. 6 much done here. 7 I just want to let you know what it's done 7 CHAIRMAN FINNIGAN: Thank you. Questions 8 for me. It's given me an opportunity not to be a 8 from the Board? 9 burden to society. Provides a good wage, insurance, 9 (No response.) 10 pension, annuity, things you've probably all heard 10 CHAIRMAN FINNIGAN: Staff? 11 about. Good wages is what this craft needs. 11 (No response.) 12 Everybody knows what kind of shape the state 12 CHAIRMAN FINNIGAN: Would anyone in the 13 is in. Not doing a lot of road work, which is 65 to 13 audience have questions of this witness? 14 70 percent of our work. These jobs are very well 14 MR. LUETKEHANS: Just a couple of questions. 15 needed. The local is down 330,000 hours; so these 15 You said you laid down road work or you work on -- 16 jobs would be appreciated. 16 CHAIRMAN FINNIGAN: You still have to say 17 The second part I want to talk about is 17 your name. 18 being a business rep now. I don't any longer work in 18 MR. LUETKEHANS: I'm sorry. Phil 19 the field. I represent those people on wages, hours, 19 Luetkehans, L-u-e-t-k-e-h-a-n-s. You mentioned on 20 and conditions. I represent the guys who are doing 20 prior wind farms you worked on access roads; is that a 21 the maintenance now, the crane operators that are at 21 fair statement? 22 Twin Groves right now replacing rotors or gear boxes, 22 MR. O'BRIAN: Correct. 23 things of that nature. Those are still good jobs. 23 MR. LUETKEHANS: What did you do on the 24 Even though the wind farm has been built, we continue 24 access roads? Min-U-Script® Area Wide Reporting and Video Conferencing (2) Pages 822 - 825 1-800-747-6789 McLEAN COUNTY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS WIND FARM February 28, 2018 Page 826 Page 828 1 MR. O'BRIAN: When we were building them? 1 I'm concerned about a lot of the unknown effects that 2 MR. LUETKEHANS: Yes. 2 those may cause. Will anybody in my family be part of 3 MR. O'BRIAN: All the civil work, whether it 3 the percentage of people that are drastically 4 be coring out for the roads, putting down the riprap, 4 affected? 5 and then finalizing the roads. I also did tear some 5 I'm concerned about the health effects that 6 of those roads out as well. 6 killing -- admittedly killing a large number of bats 7 MR. LUETKEHANS: When you talk about riprap, 7 will have on the mosquito population in my area.