To the Editor:

I attended the Great Bend City Council zoning/planning committee meeting last Monday evening. The committee did a line item review of their recommendations regarding the land under city management in relation to the solar panels. Acconia was represented by Josh Svaty from Ellsworth who gave a very controlled speech in favor of the project. 

It appears that Acconia wrote the rules and regulations that were presented. There was no recognition of the county rules and regs, and the wisdom and integrity of the county commissioners was completely ignored. There was no language to protect the Cheyenne Bottoms in any fashion. The county has set-backs of 1,000 feet from the property line, and this committee recommends 100-300 feet from the foundation. That allows Accionia to place panels about anywhere they choose. There were other suspicious recommendations also.

This meeting was not well advertised or attended. There will be another one in the future that we hope will be advertised.

If you think the Bottoms are worth protecting, please attend this next meeting. The county commissioners were not aware of this meeting. Something odd is in the air, and I hope the citizens of Great Bend figure it out.

Lets protect the Bottoms and not allow a Spanish company to make the rules required to do that.

Doc Witt

Hoisington