CHEROKEE COUNTY, IOWA
NO. 2025-01
AN ORDINANCE ADDRESSING STANDARDS, CONDITIONS, APPLICATION, REVIEW AND APPROVAL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS WITHIN CHEROKEE COUNTY, IOWA.
WHEREAS, it is deemed advisable and recommended by the Cherokee County Board of Supervisors to create and enforce an ordinance in Cherokee County addressing the construction and maintenance of personal solar energy systems (PSES) and solar energy systems, utility scale (SESUS), proposed to be erected within Cherokee County.
The purpose of this ordinance is to facilitate the construction, installation, and operation of Solar Energy Systems in Cherokee County, in a manner that promotes the economic development, protects property values, and ensures the protection of health, safety, and welfare while also avoiding adverse impacts to important areas such as agricultural lands, conservations lands, and other sensitive lands.
Synopsis: This ordinance adopts provisions providing the requirements for (PSES), including but not limited to ground mounted PSES height, structure mounted PSES height, setbacks, applicable building codes, and the requirements that components must have an Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listing or approved equivalent. Building permits are required and the requirements and fees are listed.
The ordinance further adopts provisions providing the requirements for SESUS. Conditional Use Permits are required and must be within the Agricultural-Conservation District, the Light Industrial District and the Heavy Industrial District. The Ordinance provides that each violation of said ordinance is a simple misdemeanor, and each day a violation continues to exist shall constitute a separate offense. Special requirements include bust are not limited to requirements of use area; height; setbacks; permitting processes; security fencing; advertising and displays; agricultural impact mitigation plans; soil erosion and sediment control; vegetation mitigation plans; landscaping buffers; lighting; noise; outdoor storage; waste; weed control; maintenance, repair or replacement of facility; cleaning chemicals and solvents; storm water management; aviation protection; administration and enforcement; emergency response plan; procedures under emergency conditions; procedure for inspection etc.; insurance; safety requirements; condition of roads within county; provisions for abandonment of SESUS; decommissioning and reclamation plans; indemnification and liability; severability; compliance with all applicable local, state and federal requirements; and costs of condition use permit fees.
This is a summary of Solar Energy Systems Ordinance NO. 2025-01. The full text of the ordinance may be inspected at the office of the Cherokee County Auditor, located at the Cherokee County Court House, 520 West Main Street, Cherokee, Iowa 51012, during normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).
The Ordinance provides that each violation of said ordinance is a simple misdemeanor, and each day a violation continues to exist shall constitute a separate offense. Special requirements include but are not limited to requirements of use area; height; setbacks; permitting processes; security fencing; advertising and displays; agricultural impact mitigation plans; soil erosion and sediment control; vegetation mitigation plans; landscaping buffers; lighting; noise; outdoor storage; waste; weed control; maintenance, repair or replacement of facility; cleaning chemicals and solvents; storm water management; aviation protection; administration and enforcement; emergency response plan; procedures under emergency conditions; procedure for inspection etc.;
The ordinance becomes effective upon publication and filing as required by law.
Published in the Marcus News on October 23, 2025