County OKs solar systems, lease with solar firm

The Fayette County Board on Tuesday approved an ordinance allowing solar energy systems in the county and then approved an agreement with a company that will install such a system on county-owned land.
The ordinance states that the county board “has determined that solar installations should be allowed in unincorporated Fayette County,” as allowed by state statutes.
It states that the ordinance applies to only “commercial-grade solar energy systems and does not apply to single residential homes.”
The ordinance states a permit is required for any commercial solar system, and that a written plan and a plat or drawing for a proposed solar energy system must be included with the application.
That plat or drawing must show the location of the system on the building or property, with all property lines and setback footages indicated.
Permit fees range from $50 for 0-100 kilowatts to $1,500 for more than 4,001 kilowatts, plus $100 for each additional kilowatt.
The ordinance also states that solar panels must be decommissioned when not in use for 180 consecutive days.
Prior to the board’s vote, a member of the audience spoke in favor of its passage.
Matt Hortenstine, who owns property in the northern part of the county, said that he was able to meet with the board committee studying the ordinance.
“I just wanted to say thank you. I really appreciate the opportunity to meet with your committee,” Hortenstine said.
“It was a great experience, a very interactive and transparent process.
“Everything worked out and we took a look at what the state’s attorney was kind enough to put together following those meetings,” Hortenstine said. “Great work, (and) I appreciate that opportunity.
“I think it’s a great step going forward for the county,” he said.
Later in the meeting, the board approved an agreement that includes a 35-year lease, with a 10-year option, with Minnesota-based SolarStone Partners.
At the May meeting, Gordy Simonton told board members that SolarStone wants to install solar systems on two county parcels, of 21 and 37 acres, off of Ill. Route 185 northwest of Vandalia.
Bryce Kistler, a board member who has been working on the issue for several months, said on Tuesday that under the agreement, SolarStone, is paying the county $1,200 per acre each year, which Kistler said works out to about $48,000 a year, with the fee to increase 1 percent in each subsequent year of the lease.
The agreement stipulates that SolarStone will pay “property taxes levied against the land and any property taxes and assessments levied against any property or assessments owned by the lessor and located on the premises.”
In other action, the board postponed for the second consecutive month an ordinance on the control of noxious weeds.
The ordinance states that “every person shall control the spread of and eradicate noxious weeds on lands owned or controlled by him,” and that the county has the authority to appoint a weed commissioner.
Assistant State’s Attorney Brenda Mathis said that if the county would be required to hire a weed commissioner, it would have to pay that employee’s salary.
The noxious weeds listed in the ordinance are: marihuana; Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense); oerennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis); musk thistle (Carduus nutans); perennial members of the sorghum genus, including johnsongrass (sorghum halepense), sorghum almum, and other johpsongrass X sorghum crosses with rhizomes; and kudzu (Pueraria labata).
The board voted down the ordinance, 8-5, last month, then learned that passage of such an ordinance is required by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Mathis said that the ordinance needed to be changed in some form before another vote was taken.
She said that she needs to contact IDNR what state statute is applicable to the issue.
While the county is mandate to pass such an ordinance, Mathis said she doesn’t know what would happen if it did not, mentioning that a fine is a possible penalty.
“The statute is ambiguous,” Mathis said.
The ordinance was tabled on a motion by Wade Wilhour, who said, “It sounds like an unfunded mandate … another layer of bureaucracy.”
Also at the meeting:
• The board approved a renewal of the agreement with the Fayette County Health Department for an Emergency Management Agency coordinator.
Under the agreement, the county reimburses the health department quarterly equal to one-quarter of EMA-associated grants.
The EMA coordinator, FCHD employee Kendra Craig, is required to work on EMA-related matters 17.5 hours each week.
• The board approved an agreement with Avast Pro under which the county is paying $3,299 for two years for virus protection software.
• The board agreed to list the courthouse annex at the southeast corner of Seventh and Johnson streets with Fayette County Real Estate, though any local agent can receive a commission for its sale.
• The board approved a change in real estate recording fees. Kat Lange of Bellwether, the firm providing administrative services to the county, said that while the county has been allowed to charge for each additional page of a document, the state now requires a flat fee.
Notice of the change is to be posted in the office of County Clerk and Recorder Vicky Conder within the next month, Lange said.
Also at the meeting, the board approved the following appointments and reappointments:
• Reappointment of John C. Daniels Jr., Laura Feezel and Brenda Haupt to the Fayette County 377 Board for three years.
• Reappointments of Julie Adermann and Dr. Glenn Skow to the Fayette County Board of Health for three years and Darrell Schall for one year.
• Reappointment of Sharon Tedrick Jorandby to Diveley Levee and Drainage District for three years.
• Appointment of Jack Biggs to the Brownstown Fire Protection District Board for three years.