Attorney Helping with Floyd County Wind Ordinance to Be Paid, But Maybe Not Full Amount

While Floyd County officials wait to see what happens with the County’s ordinance regulating the development of wind farms, there are still bills to pay related to the matter.

In November 2024, a workshop group was formed to address various proposed amendments to the wind farm ordinance that, if approved at that time, would make it almost impossible to erect new wind turbines in the county. A report by the mediation team was released in June, but several issues were unresolved, including several setback distances and a limit on the number of wind turbines that could be erected in the county.

A member of that team was Des Moines attorney Thomas Reavely, who was asked by then-County Supervisors Jim Jorgensen and Dennis Keifer to provide an opinion on the ordinance and whether approval could mean a lawsuit against the County by at least one wind energy company.

During their regular meeting Tuesday (07.29), Floyd County Supervisor Gloria Carr challenged some of the charges on an invoice from Reavely for his services, including one before he was named to the workshop group.

Carr also called into question at least four other charges in which Reavely’s hours were greater than the hours submitted by the workshop mediator, Louis Lavorato, a former Iowa Supreme Court justice.

In total, Carr lobbied against $1,830 in charges before making a motion to pay the rest of Reavely’s bill of $10,380, which includes $500 for travel from Des Moines to Charles City and back on at least six occasions. 

Supervisor Boyd Campbell, also a member of the mediation team, said he would discuss the unapproved charges with Reavely.

The Board is not expected to take any action on the wind ordinance until a special election is held for the District 2 seat formerly held by Keifer, who passed away in June. Josh Neupert was appointed to fill the seat, but a petition was submitted for a special election, now set for September 23rd.