Meeting Summary and Briefs: Montgomery County Board for April 14, 2026

Montgomery County Board Meeting | April 14, 2026

The Montgomery County Board convened on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, for a meeting marked by heavy public debate over a proposed 500-megawatt Pattern Energy wind farm and the revelation of a new CO2 injection well project by Elysian Carbon Management. Alongside these major environmental and zoning issues, the board approved vital infrastructure repairs for the county’s newly acquired 127 North Main Street property, adopted a new merit-based employee compensation program, and distributed $5,000 in tourism grants to local festivals.

Remembering Bill Bergen
The board held a moment of silence in memory of Board Member Bill Bergen, who passed away on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the age of 77. Chairman Doug Donaldson noted that Bergen had served on the Montgomery County Board since 2014, including a stint as Chairman of the EMA/Ambulance Committee. Bergen also served his community as a Litchfield coach, firefighter, EMT, fire chief, deputy coroner, park board president, and member of the Litchfield City Zoning Board of Appeals.

Energy Bids Reconsidered
The board initially approved a 36-month electricity and natural gas proposal from Direct Energy, negotiated by Tradition Energy. The accepted bids included capacity pricing at .0610 plus supplier costs and fixed pricing at $4.479. However, immediately after the vote, County Highway Engineer Cody Greenwood requested that the Highway Department and Health Department buildings be opted out of the agreement due to billing difficulties connected to their solar arrays. The board subsequently voted to reconsider the energy proposals to allow for the opt-outs.

Coal Fund Purchases and Sheriff Build
The board approved several vouchers from Fund 375 (the Coal Fund) for equipment and vehicle outfitting. Buildings and Grounds vouchers included $97.94 to Great Lakes Ace Hardware, $55.98 to Grainger, and $95.84 to Hillsboro Electric. The board also approved Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office vouchers for a vehicle build on a 2025 Durango, including $2,943 to Ray O’Herron Co. for a dual-antenna Ka-Band radar and $131.25 to Motorola Solutions for a DVR power cable kit.

Sheriff Snow Blade Approved
The board approved the purchase of a manual snow blade for $1,379 to be attached to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office side-by-side vehicle. The purchase passed with a majority vote, though Chairman Doug Donaldson and Board Member Evan Young voted against the measure.

Litchfield Trustee Parcel Transferred
The board approved a resolution to transfer permanent parcel number 10-33-376-004 in North Litchfield Township to the City of Litchfield. The city bid $820 for the property through the county’s delinquent tax liquidation program, of which the county will receive $300. The City of Litchfield intends to demolish the building currently on the site.

Surplus Animal Control Truck
The board unanimously declared a 2008 Ram 1500 3.7L V-6 regular cab pickup truck belonging to Animal Control as surplus property. The vehicle, which has 99,714 miles, will be advertised for sale by sealed bid.

Board Appointments
The board unanimously approved two local appointments. Daniel Fenton was reappointed to a three-year term as trustee to the Shoal Creek Fire Protection District, serving from May 2026 through May 2029. Marilyn Harvey and Jay Greenwood were reappointed to six-year terms as trustees to the Green Hill Cemetery Association, serving through April 2032.