Residents sharply criticize commissioners over roads, zoning and energy development during extended public comment

Public comment at the meeting ran long and several residents used the time to criticize the board's handling of county roads, recent zoning actions and proposed energy projects. Todd Tibbitz led the comments, accusing the chair of a long tenure that has not kept pace with constituent needs and urging stronger action on road maintenance and safety.

"You were elected to serve the residents of the county," Tibbitz told the board, describing repeated local road hazards, a recent unshoveled courthouse sidewalk and a 10-foot dirt pile left on a county road without signage. He said those conditions have created safety risks and impose costs on residents.

Other speakers framed the debate about energy projects and zoning as a property-rights issue. Speakers asked whether county counsel or the state attorney general had been consulted and urged the board to slow zoning actions until the growth policy and public input are settled. Commissioners heard accusations that decisions were predetermined; some residents asked the board to reconsider fast-tracked zoning and to pursue more transparent processes.