Concerned Citizens Filled County Commission Meeting
Every seat was occupied last week at the meeting of the Hardeman County Commission. Concerned citizens came out in droves for two public hearings that took place during the three-hour meeting. The hot topics on the agenda included a zoning resolution for small scale slaughterhouses, rescinding previous zoning changes for potential land use by Royal Oak Charcoal, and a 12-month moratorium on solar farms.
Preceded by a loud eruption of applause, the commission also unanimously voted to rescind its October 16, 2018, actions of adopting a motion to rezone Tax Parcel 00.800, Tax Map 012 – 317.03 acres from FAR to I-2 and their April 27, 2021, action of rezoning Tax Parcel 003.00, Tax Map 009 – from FAR to I-2. These parcels were originally rezoned to industrial in hopes Royal Oak Charcoal would build in the county, but the land was never purchased by the company and a lawsuit filed against Royal Oak by concerned citizens is still in litigation.
The public hearing on the solar farm moratorium drew the most attention from the audience as half a dozen citizens took their turn to speak in support of the Solar Moratorium. Solar representatives and their lawyers were also present and urged the commission to amend the moratorium and exclude those solar farms that are already under contract. Eventually, the commission voted in favor of the solar moratorium as presented, but not without a solar representative first accusing a citizen of bullying the commission.
Commissioners approved Mayor Pulse’s recommendations to fill the vacancies on the Hardeman County Industrial Board after denying his recommendations at the November commission meeting and instead voting to put out a request for resumes from citizens interested in serving. The industrial board, which was formed in 1973, was dissolved under previous Hardeman County leadership, but recently reinstated by the new administration. You may read more about the new appointments here.
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