The Christian County board met for their monthly board meeting and one of the bigger discussions centered around a proposed six-month moratorium that would put a halt on any vote on the CO2 Carbon Sequestration project for 6 months. Board member, Ray Koonce, said the moratorium would be good for both sides.

Koonce continued by stressing that this would be a good way for Tenaska Heartland Greenway to have time to show how safe this project would be. Chairman Matt Wells added his thoughts, including a letter that he received from a local attorney asking that the moratorium be passed or some rules are put down. He also asked States Attorney Wes Poggenpohl his thoughts on the moratorium and whether or not the board could pass it without the ZBA. 

Chairman Wells says he is concerned about safety, but also is worried that the moratorium is “just kicking the can down the road.”

Wells says the next step is for the Zoning Board of Appeals to have a meeting and make a recommendation to the board. 

The motion for the moratorium passed overwhelmingly. Everyone voted yes for it except Matt Wells and  Dale Livingston. Heartland Greenway has released the following statement following the moratorium vote. "We appreciate that County Board members want to have all of the information they need before taking any action in the future.  As we’ve shared with them, Heartland Greenway is not ready to start construction and we haven’t filed for state or federal permits, which will take 18 to 24 months to obtain. We recognize the County Board, landowners, and Christian County residents have important questions about Heartland Greenway, and we are committed to answering all of them, and to ensure that the county has the information it needs to make an informed decision about this project. We also are committed to working with the County Board to develop a fact-based zoning framework that is fair, feasible, and leads to a prosperous future for Christian County that encourages economic development."

In other board news, the board approved new windows for the courthouse, a split on the roles for Vince Harris who will shift away from animal control and focus more on waste management, and Gary Merker was added as a new member of the Zoning Board of Appeals. The board was also informed that the audit for the county went very well. ARPA funds for problem-solving were approved along with some other ARPA spending bills.  The next county board meeting is set for June 21st.