By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

New rescue equipment and guarantees about wind farm construction dominated county commissioners’ time Monday.

Goessel fire chief Matt Voth demonstrated new rescue equipment purchased with county and department funds.

“This is the purchase you all approved last year,” Voth told commissioners on the west lawn of the courthouse, where items were displayed on a table.

One of the challenges firefighters now face, Voth said, is an increased number of electric vehicles, which present different hazards than gasoline and diesel vehicles.

Regarding the wind farm, planning and zoning director Sharon Omstead gave commissioners a copy of proposed securities for construction of Sunflower wind farm in the southern portion of the county.

Orsted Co. is offering $100,000 cash for county engineer support costs and a letter of credit: a $2 million road security deposit, a $50,000 financial security for road maintenance costs, and $130,000 per turbine for decommissioning costs.

After commissioners unanimously approved the securities, county counsel Brad Jantz was instructed to draw up a formal agreement between the county and Orsted.

The securities are due when the county issues a final notice to proceed, expected in May. The security requirements are part of a comprehensive development agreement made by the county and Expedition Wind, which began the project before selling the project to Orsted.