By Sara StrongRock County finalized how it will handle wind turbine permits Tuesday. The process of dealing with the new industry took months.County Attorney Don Klosterbuer said, "I think it was productive and everyone had really good input."The process cost for wind turbine owners will be based on a fee of $750 per megawatt, which will mean a one-time up-front fee of $1,230.On top of that, there will be a hearing fee of $500. These are changes from previous land use permits and yearly $100 inspection fees.Wind turbine owners will have to certify annually whether there were changes to the tower that would require county inspection.Klosterbuer said, "The final result is a better plan."Highway equipmentThe Rock County Board of Commissioners Tuesday voted to internally finance two major purchases for the Highway Department.The Board also had considered the option of bonding.The all-wheel drive plow chassis bid, minus a trade-in, came in at $254,211.The 4x4 heavy duty truck with snow blower came in at $291,725, including a trade -in.Additional accessories such as hoist, back-up alarm and air-bag system added up to an additional $19,000.The Highway Department already had $173,000 set aside for a new snow blower unit and will postpone other major purchases for five years.
