Safety Concern Resolved, County Panel Recommends Plains Solar Road Use Deal

Montgomery County Board Roads & Bridges Committee Meeting | June 3, 2026

Article Summary: The Montgomery County Board Roads & Bridges Committee on June 3 recommended approval of the Plains Solar–Montgomery County Road Use Agreement after County Engineer Cody Greenwood reported that a safety concern the committee had previously raised about the proposed entrance point will be addressed during the construction phase.

Plains Solar Road Use Agreement Key Points:

• The committee had previously expressed concern that the entrance point proposed in the agreement may pose a safety concern.
• After consulting with the Plains Solar representative, Greenwood reported the issue will be addressed during the construction phase.
• Greenwood added that he will be working with Hurst-Rosche to ensure county safety measures are met.
• Motion by Rob Corso, seconded by Keith Hancock; all in favor, motion carried. The recommendation moves to the full County Board.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — A road use agreement for the Plains Solar project cleared the Montgomery County Board Roads & Bridges Committee on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, after the county engineer told members the entrance point that had worried them will be handled once construction begins.

The committee had previously expressed concern that the entrance point proposed in the road use agreement may pose a safety concern. After consulting with the Plains Solar representative, County Engineer Cody Greenwood reported that this issue will be addressed during the construction phase. Greenwood added that he will be working with Hurst-Rosche to ensure that county safety measures are met.

Corso moved to recommend approval of the Plains Solar–Montgomery County Road Use Agreement, seconded by Hancock. All were in favor and the motion carried.

What the Record Leaves Out

The minutes do not describe the Plains Solar project — no location, no acreage, no capacity, no developer identified beyond the project name, and no construction start date. They do not identify which roads the agreement covers, state the entrance point’s location, or explain the nature of the safety concern the committee had raised. They do not name the Plains Solar representative Greenwood consulted, describe Hurst-Rosche’s role or relationship to the county or the project, or record any financial terms in the road use agreement.

Road use agreements typically govern how a developer may use and must repair local roads during hauling and construction. The minutes do not summarize this agreement’s terms.

Renewables Across the County’s Committees

The recommendation is one of several renewable-energy items moving through Montgomery County’s committees this cycle. Two days earlier, on June 1, the Development & Personnel Committee recommended an engagement agreement with the law firm Heyl Royster to review the county’s wind and solar ordinances at $200 to $400 an hour, heard that no land agents have registered with the county clerk under the Code of Conduct Resolution the County Board passed in May, and learned that Litchfield had asserted authority over the Elm Lawn Solar project, cancelling a May 27 public hearing.

Committee Chair Ethan Murzynski had previewed the Plains Solar item at the Coordinating Committee’s May 28 meeting, telling that panel he anticipated action on the agreement.

As a committee action, the June 3 vote is a recommendation. The agreement requires approval by the full Montgomery County Board.