Huntingburg Council: Solar park plans moving forward

Huntingburg’s solar power park could be generating electricity as early as June of next year.

Dan Worl, Indiana Municipal Power Agency’s energy efficiency manager, told the common council a private landowner was working with IMPA to provide about 10 acres of land for the new solar park. The new location is west of a city-owned site at the corner of Phoenix Drive and Chestnut Street that was originally considered for the project.

During a public meeting held in February, neighbors to the proposed project voiced concerns over the noise and the impact on land values the park could create. IMPA agreed to explore other options for the solar park.

The new location is separated from the neighborhoods by about ten acres of land and a hill that should block much of the view of site from the residents.

Councilman Jeff Bounds asked if enough room existed for a living barrier if it was deemed necessary. Worl said the ten acres provided the necessary land to create one.

Worl explained that IMPA has to increase the amount of renewable energy they supply to equal about 20 percent of the total energy they provide. To accomplish this, they have been working to add solar panel parks in communities across the state. In 2014, they added 3 megawatts through solar power parks in three Indiana communities. In 2015, they added an addition 10 megawatts and if approved, Huntingburg will be included in an additional 10 megawatts created in 2016.

The site in Huntingburg would create 1.75 megawatts through about 7,000 panels positioned on a ten-acre site. The power would only be available to the City of Huntingburg. The goal is to offset high peak usage demands on the grid and hopefully, mitigate increased prices created by the increased demands.

Worl stated IMPA would be seeking a tax abatement for the project. If it moves forward, materials would arrive in April of 2016 and according to Worl, the site could be up and running by the end of June or early July.

According to Planning Director Paul Lake, the proposed site will have to be rezoned from residential/agricultural to heavy industrial (I2) to allow for the use as electrical production. Additionally, the planning commission will consider replatting the approximate 40-acre property into two separate properties.

“I am so excited that Huntingburg is on the cutting edge of this,” Councilman Bounds said. “I think this will provide a really big benefit to Huntingburg.”

IMPA provided power to 59 municipalities in Indiana and one in Ohio. Huntingburg has been a member since 2006.

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The council also took the following actions.

-Mayor Denny Spinner issued a proclamation of Indiana Statehood Day and announced the city would celebrate the official kickoff of the bicentennial on Friday by adding the bicentennial flag to the city’s flagpole. The flag will fly until December 11, 2016.

-Approved the 2016 city calendar and holiday schedule.

-Approved K-9 compensation agreement for the Huntingburg Police Department to compensate K-9 Officer Josh Hemmer for the time he spends caring for Ester. Hemmer will be paid an additional hour for each day he spends caring for the dog. That care includes exercise, grooming, and transportation to veterinary visits.

-Approved material bids for 2016. The bids were approved and forwarded to the council by the board of public works.

-Approved an ordinance setting bonding amounts for public officials and employees who handle money for the city. The city has always had to bond for the positions but recent legislation has forced the city to create the new ordinance to set the amounts and defines the positions.

-Approved adding the Huntingburg Housing Authority to be included in the employee health benefits plan. This was done to allow the Housing Authority director to receive benefits as directed by the Affordable Care Act. The director previously received a stipend for the insurance benefits. This amended the existing ordinance to allow the director to be considered a city employee. The director will pay the regular amount a Huntingburg employee would pay and the Housing Authority will cover the rest of the insurance cost.

-Approved authorizing the issuance of sewage works revenue bonds to pay for the wastewater force main project that is estimated to cost up to $4.3 million. The city is seeking $1.4 million in 15-year bonds. With the approval, the project is now authorized to move forward.

-Approved a 5-year loan of $1.4 million from the Electric Cash Reserve Fund to the Wastewater Utility to assist in paying for the wastewater force main project.

-Scheduled a public hearing for the ordinance increasing the wastewater sewage rates 18 percent for the city customers as recommended by the utility rate advisory committee and the board of public works. The hearing will be held at the next council meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22 at the council chambers.

-Approved the salary ordinance for the council, mayor and clerk-treasurer. The council’s pay will increase to $688 per month from $681. The pay for the mayor and clerk-treasurer will have a 1.5 percent increase.

-Heard Water Superintendent Todd Williams would be reviewing the specs on the construction of the new water main on Fourth Street. The project will replace a 100-plus-year-old water main on Fourth Street from Van Buren to Geiger Street and a section on North Jackson from 8th to 10th Street. Williams is working with Midwestern Engineers over the next week to assemble bid specifications before project is approved to be advertised. Upon review and approval, Williams would like to send bid packages out by the end of the month or early in January. Upon approval of a contract, work is expected to begin in March or early April.