After a public hearing Wednesday in Colfax, Whitman County officials postponed the vote on a wind energy ordinance proposal.

Some residents were less than pleased with the whole shebang.

Carolyn Kiesz, a Thornton resident who filed a lawsuit with the county over the ordinance, said she believes the planning commission is pushing for the ordinance because the commission is working directly with wind farm developers.

“The whole thing is fraught with corruption,” she said Wednesday in an interview with The Daily Evergreen.

Commission member Steve Naught said there is no truth to that claim.

“I am tired of the accusations and insinuations that anyone here is in the tank with these companies,” he said. “None of us are profiting on this. I would stake my reputation on it.” The Whitman County Planning Commission held Wednesday’s hearing to gather public opinion on the ordinance.

After hearing compliments, accusations and choruses of “Git ‘r done,” the commission decided to postpone its final decision on whether to continue with the ordinance as it stands.

The next public meeting will be Oct. 7, and local residents have until 5 p.m. Sept. 23 to submit written commentary.

Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy said that with wheat and other crop prices dropping, the economic benefits of wind farms could affect whether local residents stay on their farms or not.

Debbie Strand, a spokeswoman for Wind Works! Northwest, said the new wind farms would do great things for Whitman County. Wind Works! Northwest is a group that advocates for government approval of wind projects in the Pacific Northwest.

The increased tax revenue would go to public departments, Strand said.

“We call it a private stimulus package,” she said.

In addition, the commission members said one of the main reasons to put in the wind farms was to bring the county more renewable energy resources.

Paul Kimmell, the Palouse regional manager for Avista Utilities, agreed with the commision and said the company expects 150,000 new customers between now and 2029. He said the increased customer base suggests more needed energy and encouraged getting involved in renewable energy sources, such as wind farms.

Next, some residents called into question the noise the wind turbines could create.

Kevin Gowan, a senior mechanical engineering major at WSU, has interned at the Hopkins Ridge Wind Farm in Dayton. He said he does not understand the opposition.

“I may be a young buck, but I have spent time around wind turbines,” he said. “Yes, they make noise but so does my neighbor’s stereo. And in my opinion, that is a lot more invasive.” Multiple residents also were concerned for the safety of local wildlife, which could be killed in the rotating blades of the wind turbines.

“If these turbines go in, there will be a lot of blood,” Kiesz said during an interview with The Daily Evergreen.

Kiesz’s main concern was that the proposed sites are in the direct migratory path of several bird species.

“Yes, they kill birds, occasionally,” said Michael Carlton, a Palouse resident and owner of Palouse Synergy Systems. “But other kinds of resources kill animals and humans, too. People paint wind turbines as a type of evil.” The current ordinance calls for the wind turbine to be set away from the adjacent property line by four times the full height of the tower itself, Whitman County Planner Alan Thomson said. The new ordinance calls for five times the height, which is higher than most requirements in the state, he said.

“I want to know how close they are going to be to the people,” Pullman resident Al Sorensen said. “We need to make sure they are far enough away.” If the commission passes the ordinance by Oct. 7, it will be sent to the Board of Whitman County Commissioners, which has the power to make it law.

“There is already an ordinance in place,” Tracy said. “The new version has more environmental protection than we already have. This is going to raise the floor, not impose a ceiling.” Despite raw emotions present throughout the public hearing, Tracy said the data should not be ignored.

“The processes of local government are not ruled by beliefs and opinions – they are governed by law,” he said.