Planning and Zoning administrator Sara Hauskins and Korede Olagbegi, of Invenergy Solar, shared information about a proposed solar farm with the County Board during a meeting held on May 16.
In the last few months, stories of a new solar farm being built in Faribault County have been circulating through the area.
At the County Board meeting on Tuesday, May 16, the commissioners and the public learned more about the scope of the project.
Korede Olagbegi, a project developer with Invenergy Solar, along with Faribault County Planning and Zoning director Sara Hauskins, were at the meeting and shared an overview of the proposed solar project which would be built in Verona Township.
“We are calling it SunStar Solar Project and it would be located northwest of Blue Earth,” Olagbegi told the commissioners. “The operational capacity would be 150 MW (Megawatts) with the possibility to increase that to as much as 300 MW in the future.”
He explained Invenergy is the world’s leading privately held sustainable energy company.
“One of the reasons we have chosen to work in Minnesota is our history of success in the region with operations in Goodhue and Freeborn counties with natural gas and wind projects,” he noted. “There is also a rapid de-commissioning of coal-generated power in the state.”
Olagbegi noted Invenergy is currently working on a solar project in Murray County.
“We are currently going through the State Permitting Process,” he mentioned.
According to Olagbegi, the 150 MW project in Murray County will produce enough electricity to power more than 28,000 homes and lead to emissions reductions equivalent to removing 28,000 cars off the road.
“There is the potential for more than $95 million to be invested in local tax revenue, landowner payments,and wages and benefits over the life of the project.”
The current timeline for the proposed project would have construction taking place in 2025-2026.
“It would not be operational until 2026 or 2027,” Olagbegi concluded.
Hauskins was also at the meeting to bring a Conditional Use Permit request before the board.
“This permit is for D&J Seed LLC-Jason Garvick of Kiester,” Hauskins commented. “His plans are for a Pioneer Seed Agency and Agronomy Consultation business. It would be located on 9.65 acres north of Kiester.”
Hauskins stated the Planning and Zoning Board recommended approving the CUP request and the County Board unanimously approved the CUP on Tuesday.
The city administrators from Blue Earth, Wells and Winnebago were at the meeting to ask the commissioners to consider implementing a tax abatement program for new housing construction.
“Officials from the three cities worked together to come up with an identical tax abatement program,” Blue Earth city administrator Mary Kennedy told the County Board. “All three cities have adopted the program and we are asking you to consider implementing a county tax abatement program for the three communities.”
The program in place in the three cities would begin this year and be open through 2028. Anybody building new housing that qualifies for the program would receive five years of tax abatements from the time they entered the program.
“Winnebago just completed a housing study,” Winnebago city administrator Judi Hynes explained. “One of the things we learned was the city has 86 empty lots. Currently, the county only gets about $20 tax revenue from those lots.”
Connor LaPointe, the city administrator from Wells, shared some people may question why they have come up with this proposal.
“We are looking at it from an economic development standpoint,” he commented. “We have two large companies located in Wells, Brakebush and Wells Concrete. They have employees who drive from Albert Lea and part of the reason is a lack of housing in the city of Wells.”
The commissioners were in favor of the program and thought it should possibly be implemented on a county-wide basis, including the rural areas, and instructed county staff members to further investigate the matter and then work on drafting a resolution for the commissioners to consider at one of their upcoming meetings.
Public Works director Mark Daly attended the meeting and presented the commissioners with a resolution to accept grant money in the amount of $87,670 from the Minnesota State Transportation Fund for construction of Bridge No. 22J64 on County Road (CR) 106.
Daly explained $377,360 of federal money would also be applied to the cost of replacing the bridge.
“Our local share for getting that bridge replaced will be $6,670,” Daly mentioned. “That is why it is important to seek grant money.”
The board voted to approve the resolution to accept the grant money.
“Because of the weather the paving on CR 14 has been delayed from May 18 to May 22,” Daly informed the board. “The work at the railroad tracks in Easton and on CR 4 is complete.”
Daly also presented the low bid of $30,302 for replacing the roof of the Public Works garage at Bricelyn.
The board voted to accept the bid which was from Rice Companies Inc. of Glencoe.
The board also:
• Voted to approve the hiring of Dallas Olson for a full-time dispatch/jailer position at the Faribault County Law Enforcement Center.
• Accepted a bid from Imperial Seal, LLC, of Lakeville, in the amount of $5,000, to do center crack sealing at the Faribault County Law Enforcement Center.
• Heard and accepted the 2023 Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust Report from Kevin Balfanz, MCIT director of field services.
• Approved an HVAC drywall change order in the amount of $27,007.
• Voted to approve an HVAC change order for the courthouse at a cost savings in the amount of $31,977.
• Passed a resolution approving an application for a gambling permit for the American Legion Post 89 to operate at Riverside Town and Country Club in Verona Township.
• Approved the request of Lisa Frommie of the Sheriff’s Department to attend the School Safety Summit.