Union representative praises local jobs as board approves solar amendment

Paul Brown, who identified himself as a member of the Mid America Carpenters Union, spoke in favor of the amendment, saying the project uses local labor and returns money to the community. "I support this for our members... they do use local members to do the work, puts money back in the community," Brown said.

The developer said projects of this size typically allocate about 60% of construction spend to labor and make union commitments on their projects. Board discussion referenced the local economic benefits alongside environmental mitigation and access‑point changes when weighing the amendment.