Solar project dominates discussion of Scotts Bluff County Board Monday - Rural Radio Network

Solar project dominates discussion of Scotts Bluff County Board Monday

The solar project proposed for the southwest corner of Scotts Bluff County dominated discussion Monday evening as County Commissioners sat as the Board of Equalization.

Comments included details on how nameplate taxes would be paid and distributed to various taxing districts, and how the process of approving or denying a conditional use permit should progress through both the Planning Commission and County Board.

Given that the Situla proposal would be the largest solar field in the state, and the first commercial-scale project of its type in the county, Commissioner Charlie Knapper said he wanted outside legal counsel familiar with the subject to assist, to which Commissioner Mark Harris agreed.

“We’re able to go in and review all this stuff Robert (Simpson) has provided (on nameplate, property and personal property taxes). Plus we’re going to have some time to be thinking about whatever other conditional things that we think that we need to address,” said Harris. “And I agree that this issue, we need to have some counsel involved with us if there’s ever one. This is a big project, and it can affect many different things, probably many things we’re not even thinking about.”

Knapper said one condition he will want as part of the permit is how the company would pay for repairs to Stegall Road when issues become apparent two or three years after construction is completed.

The board also discussed the need for an escrow account to hold funds that could be used to pay for decommissioning costs.

Toward the end of the Board of Equalization’s hour-long discussion, the floor was opened for additional comment, and those who spoke included Reginald Preston, whose father and uncle own the land where the Situla project would be located.

Preston thanked the panel for going through the permitting process, saying “I really appreciate the discussion here at this board, and your strict adherence to, ‘you have a job to do and you’re going to do it.’ You’re not going to twist the wires up and get ahead of anybody else. So I appreciate that. I don’t know how often the commissioners hear ‘thank you’, but you got that from me. (I) appreciate the fast action on this. Mr. Reisig, I certainly appreciate your sense that you were blindsided by this. But as anyone would know, anyone doing business in this county isn’t always come to the county prematurely. Process exists and they came to that board that exists (Planning Commission) to support all of you, and then bring you the product.

“We are your neighbors. We will continue to be your neighbors as you are our neighbors, right? So there’s certainly no intent, on at least my behalf, to be a bad neighbor. And we want to honor that process that you have in place with the company that has approached you for that permit. As an aside, if you want to compare it to something, take a look at any other major industry that we do have in this county, and how would the permitting process go there? The biggest…. might be the sugar company. Would you permit the sugar company to come in and do what they do if they were not doing it firmly?

“I’ll just close by saying whether it’s Nebraska beef or Nebraska wheat that we’re shipping out, that we’re going to benefit from export from this county, or Nebraska electricity, I will be happy to be a part of any part of it that helps this county thrive in the way that it has been thriving, especially should there be some additional money that goes into the coffers for the good in the community in accordance with the process.”

The County Planning Commission tabled a decision on the Conditional Use Permit during their meeting earlier in the month, pushing the issue to their next meeting anticipated in January.