Woodford committee meeting contentious; Wind farm voting, minutes of previous meeting spur debate

EUREKA - It only appeared Doug Huser was running Tuesday's marathon meeting of the county's conservation, planning and zoning committee.

The first-term County Board member challenged Terry Pille, who chaired the meeting, about his intention to vote on wind farm issues. Both Pille and his wife are involved in a wind farm project in Minonk.

At a previous meeting, Pille said he would seek the advice of State's Attorney Mike Stroh.

Pille said he had not spoken to Stroh but intended to vote on such issues anyway. That was when Huser, invoking Robert's Rules, called for a point of order.

"I don't' think it's ethically and legally possible for him to vote on this issue," Huser said.

When Pille attempted to protest, Huser said, "I don't think there is a debate on this."

The committee members were polled and, with Pille abstaining, the other four - Huser, Marcus Adams, John Evans and Stan Glazier - voted Pille could not vote on any wind farm matters.

Throughout the almost four-hour meeting, Huser continually called the shots, demanding later that the draft minutes of the previous committee meeting be completely rewritten because they were not an accurate representation of what occurred.

Huser said he had listened to more than two hours of that meeting on tape, and the events described in the minutes recorded by zoning administrator John Hamann were a "complete fabrication."

Huser said the minutes should be "an accurate reflection of what's going on, not a one-sided editorial."

The motion to rewrite the minutes passed 5-0.

Both Huser and Woodford County resident Mike McNally, who had run-ins with Hamann for hosting events at their properties, spoke out against the zoning administrator.

They also maintained he was not consistent in his enforcement of the rules. They would like to see the zoning ordinances changed so that residents have greater control over what they do on their properties.

Huser also moved to void the cease-and-desist letter that Hamann sent McNally a few years ago when he organized an event that included motor vehicle races and stunts near his property. The motion passed 4-0; Adams had left the meeting by the time this vote occurred.

According to both men, there is no definition of what constitutes an event or what a race track is.

"What part of the Woodford County ordinance is McNally in violation of?" Huser said.