Will County Executive Committee Meeting May 14, 2026

The Will County Board Executive Committee meeting on May 14, 2026, primarily focused on the contentious Pride of the Prairie solar farm project. Numerous public comments expressed concerns about the project's scale, potential environmental impacts including soil contamination, wetlands disruption, flooding, and property value depreciation. Legal and procedural issues were debated, particularly regarding the completeness of the solar special use permit application and compliance with county and state ordinances. The committee discussed the limited discretion allowed under state law to deny such projects if statutory requirements are met. A motion to postpone the project approval until all conditions were satisfied failed, and the committee ultimately recommended approval to the full board, acknowledging the constraints imposed by state legislation. Additionally, the committee received a presentation on establishing a Will County Land Bank to address distressed properties, and discussed a stormwater project involving property buyouts with potential grant funding. The meeting also included a political discussion on the possibility of a referendum for single-member districts on the county board, which was met with mixed opinions and no immediate action. Several ordinances related to county regulations and offenses were approved by the committee.