At Monday’s meeting of the Ellsworth County Commission, approval was given to contact Pattern Energy, owner of the Post Rock Wind Farm in Ellsworth and Lincoln counties, regarding a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes payment.

Ellsworth County is requesting Pattern Energy make a one-year payment of $475,000 with no extended contract, with communications to start again next year.

Commission chairman Greg Bender noted Pattern Energy was not ready to commit to a five-year contract.

In other business:

• Commissioner Shawn Thomas will talk to local farmer Jake Svaty after Thomas received a telephone call from Pinky Soukup regarding county-owned farm ground Svaty leases near the county landfill. Soukup said the ground has not been worked for a year and seed from weeds is blowing into his nearby pasture.

• Approval was given to a proclamation noting October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Ellsworth County.

• Lori Miller of Heartland Retirement and Benefits reviewed the county employee health insurance quotes. She will further discuss the quotes at the Oct. 13 commission meeting.

The next meeting of the Ellsworth County Commission will be at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 23, at the county courthouse.