Sep 09, 2021 Planning Commission

[I. CALL TO ORDER - Chairman Drake]

[00:00:03]

GOOD EVENING. I LIKE TO CALL THE SEPTEMBER MEETING OF THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER AT THIS TIME.

THIS BEING A JOINT MEETING WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AT THIS TIME I WILL LET CHAIRMAN EDWARDS CALL HIS MEETING TO ORDER.

OKAY. GOOD EVENING. GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY.

THIS IS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS RETURN TO ORDER FROM A MEETING THAT WE HAD IN SEPTEMBER 7TH AND WE'RE STILL IN SESSION.

AND I MIGHT NOTE THAT WE HAVE A FULL HOUSE AND A VOTING QUORUM HERE TONIGHT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN EDWARDS AT THIS TIME.

BEFORE WE START OUR MEETING, I'M GOING TO ASK IF EVERYONE WILL STAND AS WE RECITE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO OUR FLAG.

OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

I'M GOING TO ASK IF EVERYONE WILL REMAIN STANDING.

AND IF I COULD GET A VOLUNTEER TO COME UP AND GIVE US A SHORT INVOCATION FROM THE AUDIENCE IF ANYBODY WOULD VOLUNTEER.

IF NOT, I'M GONNA COME DOWN.

THAT'S FINE. GIVE ME JUST A SECOND.

LET'S ALL BOW OUR HEADS, PLEASE.

[INVOCATION] HEAVENLY FATHER, WE GIVE THANKS FOR THIS EVENING, LORD, THAT WE CAN COME TO THIS PLACE TO TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF OUR WONDERFUL COUNTY AND OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE COME TOGETHER TONIGHT, [INAUDIBLE] THIS MEETING POSSIBLE [INAUDIBLE] SCHEDULES TO ATTEND AS WE CAN GO THROUGH THE [INAUDIBLE] TONIGHT.

[INAUDIBLE] THANKFUL OUR NATION.

FOR OUR LEADERS AND LORD ALL THE OBSTACLES THAT WE FACE.

WE JUST ASK FOR THEIR GUIDANCE TO GET US THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AS WELL AS OTHER [INAUDIBLE]. WE ASK THAT YOU CONTINUE YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THE CITIZENS OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. KEEP US UNIFIED.

AND TO MAKE THIS [INAUDIBLE] BETTER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN BEFORE.

LORD KEEP US SAFE AS WE RETURN HOME FROM THIS METING TONIGHT.

WE JUST ASK YOUR BLESSINGS FOR THIS WONDERFUL NATION [INAUDIBLE] YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST.

AMEN. YOU MAY BE SEATED.

ON BEHALF OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AS WELL AS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR BOTH PARTIES. WE WELCOME YOUR ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.

THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT MEETING THAT WE ARE HAVING TONIGHT MEANING, IT'S A JOINT MEETING, AND IT'S CERTAINLY A PLEASURE THAT WE CAN HAVE OUR GOVERNING BODY HERE TONIGHT TO, UH, TO SUPPORT THE ENDEAVOR THAT'S IN FRONT OF US TONIGHT.

WE FEEL HONORED TO BE HERE, SIR.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

SO WE'RE HERE FOR A SPECIFIC REASON TONIGHT THAT I'LL GET INTO IN A SECOND.

BUT ON OUR AGENDA PACKAGES FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I SEE EVERYBODY HAS THE AGENDA IN FRONT OF THEM. YOUR PACKET IN FRONT OF YOU, I'M ASSUMING YOU'VE HAD TIME TO READ THROUGH IT. UH, MOSTLY I'M THINKING ABOUT, UH, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR PAST

[II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - August 2021]

IS THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES AS THEY WERE PRESENTED? MOVE APPROVAL AS WRITTEN, I HAVE A PROPER MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED. DO I HEAR A SECOND? SECOND. I HAVE A PROPER SECOND.

IS ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED SAY AYE.

AYE. OPPOSED LIKE SOUND. THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

GOING DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER TWO.

[III. PUBLIC HEARINGS- JOINT HEARING WITH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS An ordinance establishing a one-year moratorium on receipt of applications for utility scale solar energy projects, "Sec. 18-623.1 - Temporary restrictions on filing conditional use permit applications for utility scale solar energy projects". This is an amendment to Chapter 18, Article XXII of the Southampton County Code.]

THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO FIRST NOTE THAT ATTORNEY RAILEY IS ON THE PHONE TONIGHT.

HE COULDN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING, BUT HE'S HERE BY PHONE.

THIS IS A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT CONSIDERING A ONE YEAR MORATORIUM ON RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS FOR UTILITY SCALE SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS.

THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS HELD PURSUANT TO SECTION FIFTEEN POINT TWO-FOURTEEN TWENTY SEVEN AND FIFTEEN POINT TWO-TWENTY TWO ZERO FOUR OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA NINETEEN FIFTY AS

[00:05:01]

IF ADOPTED, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE WOULD BECOME EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2021.

THE NOTICE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS PUBLISHED IN THE TIDEWATER NEWS ON AUGUST 25TH AND SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2021.

NOW, THE PLANNING COMMISSION CAN OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT, BEFORE BEFORE I OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, A COUPLE OF ITEMS I MISSED.

CERTAINLY, MR. JOHNSON OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, I DID NOT RECOGNIZE YOU, SIR, AND I APOLOGIZE AS WELL AS OUR ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR AND ALSO MR. DALLAS JONES. WE ARE JUST GRATEFUL THAT HE'S IN OUR ATTENDANCE TONIGHT, BEING THAT HE'S MISSED A FEW MEETINGS RECENTLY.

BUT SIR, WE'RE GLAD YOU COULD BE IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.

SO THAT BEING SAID, WE WILL GO FORWARD BEFORE I OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING IS THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD BEFORE WE PROCEED.

IF NOT, I WILL OPEN A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME IF ANYONE FROM THE AUDIENCE WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD TO SPEAK AT THE MATTER AT HAND, WHICH IS POSSIBLY THE CREATION OF A MORATORIUM AS MS. LEWIS HAS SPOKEN EARLIER ABOUT ANY APPLICATIONS COMING FORWARD THAT HAVE NOT ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED FORWARD.

SO IT'S ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF INITIATING A MORATORIUM ON SOLAR PROJECTS FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS TO MAKE PRO FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE [INAUDIBLE] FOR US, WE ASK THAT YOU COME FORWARD NOW, COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND JUST GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.

SO ANYONE MAY COME FORWARD IF YOU LIKE.

I'M NOT SPEAKING THANK YOU, MS. WRIGHT.

WHILE SHE'S WORKING ON THAT, I GUESS.

CAN I ASK BETH THE QUESTION, HAVE WE HAS THE COUNTY RECEIVED ANY APPLICATIONS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS? NO, I HAVE NO COMPLETED APPLICATIONS.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

WE'RE GOING TO GIVE MS. RIGHT, JUST ANOTHER MINUTE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THAT MIC WORKING.

IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE [INAUDIBLE] POCKET AREA, WHATEVER. OKAY.

NOW, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN YOU MAY COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME. SIR COME ON UP PLEASE. THANK YOU, I'LL DO MY BEST.

YES, SIR. SPEAK THOUGH MY MASK.

SCOTT FOSTER. I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH JEFFREY LOCKE OUT OF RICHMOND.

I LIVE IN WILLIAMSBURG.

I TOOK THE FERRY OVER HERE THIS EVENING.

WE PROVIDED MR. RAILEY WITH A LETTER REGARDING THE OPINION AND THE STATUS OF LEGAL MORATORIA IN VIRGINIA AS IT RELATES TO FILING THE ZONING APPLICATIONS.

THAT CONSENSUS IS THAT SORT OF MORATORIUM IS GENERALLY DISFAVORED IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ATTORNEY PRACTICE GROUP.

[00:10:01]

SO AS AN ALTERNATIVE, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU ALL WOULD ENGAGE WITH US ON BEHALF OF THE INDUSTRY TO TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR ORDINANCE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE STATUS OF SOLAR IN SOUTHAMPTON.

TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR ORDINANCE, WHICH I THINK IS ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.

WE'VE GOT SOLAR LAND USE APPLICATIONS IN OVER 70 JURISDICTIONS IN VIRGINIA, SOME OF WHICH HAVE SOLE ORDINANCES. SOME OF THEM DON'T [INAUDIBLE] IT'S PRETTY GOOD.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS I COULD SUGGEST THAT MIGHT MAKE YOU ALL MORE COMFORTABLE GOING FORWARD.

BUT ON THE WHOLE LOT, I FEEL LIKE WHAT YOU HAVE TODAY, BOTH WITH REQUIRING A REZONING TO INDUSTRIAL AND THEN REQUIRING A USE PERMIT, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS IN CONTROL OF SOLAR MOVING FORWARD.

WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS WORKING WITH LOCALITIES ON BEHALF OF THE INDUSTRY [INAUDIBLE] CONSENSUS ORDINANCES THAT ARE REALLY REFLECTIVE OF ALL THE REALITIES OF SOLAR DEVELOPMENT.

FROM A PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE, AND ALSO UNDERSTANDING THE PERSPECTIVE OF LOCALITIES WANTING TO [INAUDIBLE] AND PROVIDE REASONABLE REGULATIONS AS TO BUFFERING SETBACKS, PROXIMITY, ET CETERA.

SOME OF THE MOST RECENT ONES WE'VE DONE THAT I'M PROUD OF ARE IN CAROLINE COUNTY AND LANCASTER COUNTY, AND I WOULD POINT TO THOSE AS TWO REALLY GOOD EXAMPLES FOR Y'ALL TO REFERENCE. WE HAVE ONE CLIENT WHO'S CURRENTLY INTERESTED IN SOUTHAMPTON.

SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED INTEREST THAT ONE CLIENT STILL WORKING TO TIE UP LAND TITLE OPTIONS TO LAND. BUT UM, ONE THING THAT HAS CHANGED.

THIS WAS DISCUSSED WITH [INAUDIBLE] LEADER OF OUR PRACTICE GROUP AND MR. RILEY. THAT'S CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY SINCE YOU ALL HAVE APPROVED A PROJECT IS THE REVENUE SITUATION AS IT RELATES TO SOLAR.

UM, THE EARLY PROJECTS WERE EITHER COMPLETELY EXEMPT OR PARTIALLY EXEMPT FROM [INAUDIBLE] TAX. WE REALIZE THAT MACHINERY AND TOOLS TAX IS NOT A VERY GOOD METHOD FOR TAXING SOLAR [INAUDIBLE] YOU'RE SUBJECT TO DEPRECIATION SCHEDULES OVER, THE LACK OF A PROJECT, THE PAYMENTS DECLINE, THERE ARE APPLICABLE EXEMPTIONS WHICH THEY'RE LESS THAN IT USED TO BE, BUT THEY ARE STILL 80, 70, 60, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE INTERCONNECTION WAS FILED.

THAT'S THE MOST RECENT ITERATION OF MACHINERY OR TOOLS TAX.

IN THE 2020 SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF SHIP [INAUDIBLE] OUR PRACTICE GROUP DRAFT LEGISLATION PROVIDING FOR WHAT THEY CALL SOLAR REVENUE SHARE, WHICH IN ITS FIRST ITERATION WAS A SOLAR CAPACITY TAX OF FOURTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS PER MEGAWATT THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THEY ADMITTED THAT ADMITTED PROVISIONS THERE TO PROVIDE FOR AN ESCALATOR. IT'S AN ESCALATION OF FIVE PERCENT, EXCUSE ME, 10 PERCENT EVERY FIVE YEARS BEGINNING IN 2026, MEANING THE FIRST ACTUAL ESCALATION WILL HAPPEN IN 2026.

IT'S NOT THE YEARS IN TITLE PROJECTS EXISTS, SO THAT MONEY IS GOING TO AUTOMATICALLY INCREASE AS TIME MOVES FORWARD.

THE BEAUTY OF SOLAR REVENUE SHARE IS BECAUSE IT'S A CAPACITY TAX AND IT'S A LOCAL OPTION TAX. YOU ALL HAVE TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ENACTING SOLAR REVENUE SHARE AND WHEN LOCALITY ADOPTS AN ORDINANCE.

THAT REVENUE GENERATED BY THE SOLAR REVENUE SHARE IS MUCH HARDER FOR THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO REALLOCATE, AS AS YOU ALL KNOW.

THEY COULD PASS THE BUDGET, TAKE MONEY FROM LOCALITIES AND REALLOCATE IT TO THE STATE.

I SERVED EIGHT YEARS ON [INAUDIBLE] CITY COUNCIL AND WE REFERRED TO THAT AS A [INAUDIBLE] THOUSAND CUTS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE A GOOD THING GOING AND THE STATE LAW WOULD CHANGE. SOLAR REVENUE SHARE IS PROTECTED FROM THAT, SO AS AN EXAMPLE.

SO SAY A HUNDRED AND THIRTY TO ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MEGAWATT PROJECT OVER ITS LIFETIME WITH SOLAR REVENUE SHARE.

UH, YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOU'RE LOOKING AT FIVE TO SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE LIFETIME OF THAT PROJECT. SOLAR FROM SOLAR REVENUE SHARE.

THE OTHER THE OTHER NEW ELEMENT, AND I'M NOT SURE ONE HAS BEEN ADOPTED IN SOUTHAMPTON JUST YET. BUT IS IT IS A SOLAR SIDING AGREEMENT? SO LOCAL GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS AND COUNTIES REALIZE THAT SOLAR DEVELOPERS WERE PROPOSING WHAT THEY REFER TO AS VOLUNTARY PAYMENT AGREEMENTS TO HOUSE ADDITIONAL MONEY BEYOND THEIR STATUTORY TAX OBLIGATIONS TO BE PAID TO THE COUNTY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES ASSOCIATED WITH SOLAR FACILITIES.

THAT WASN'T A GOOD FIT, SO THEY NEEDED TO BE SOME OTHER VEHICLE TO HOUSE THAT ADDITIONAL VOLUNTARY FUNDS FLOW INTO LOCALITIES.

THAT'S WHY WE CAME UP WITH THE CITING REVIEW PROCESS.

IT'S LOOSELY MODELED BASED ON THE AGREEMENT PROCESS THAT WOULD RELATE TO A SIGHTING OF

[00:15:02]

SO. ADDITIONAL REVENUE CAN BE ROUTED THROUGH THE SITE AGREEMENT, AND THAT'S PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT TO THE COUNTY ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS.

[INAUDIBLE] THE CITING AGREEMENT IS ONCE THAT MONEY PASSES THROUGH THAT DOCUMENT.

IT CAN REALLY BE USED FOR ANY LAWFUL PURPOSE.

BEFORE THE LOCALITY, SO THE HALIFAX COUNTY, WE HAVE FUNDED A MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT TO THEIR EMS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.

[INAUDIBLE] COUNTY, WE ON BEHALF OF A DIFFERENT CLIENT, WE FUNDED THEIR [INAUDIBLE] MATCH FOR THEIR BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS.

WE'VE HELPED DEFRAY THE COST FIRE TRUCKS, ET CETERA.

IT'S REALLY A BEAUTIFUL TOOL IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TOOLBOX TO WRAP THAT MONEY.

SECOND FEATURE OF THE SITE AGREEMENT IS REALLY SPECIAL IS BECAUSE THE REVENUE FLOWING THROUGH THAT DOCUMENT IS CREATED BY STATUTE.

IT CAN BE USED AS A FINANCING INSTRUMENT TO SAY THAT A SOLAR FACILITY WILL PRODUCE SEVEN OR EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS OVER ITS LIFETIME.

BECAUSE THAT MONEY IS SECURED BY CITING AGREEMENT YOU CAN REDUCE THAT TOTAL VALUE YOU CAN REDUCE THE TOTAL NUMBER TO NET PRESENT VALUE AND FLOAT A BOND TO SECURE THAT MONEY UP FRONT. IT'S THE NEWEST AND FRANKLY THE BEST FEATURE OF THE SITE AGREE AGREEMENT THAT IS NOW DISPOSAL OF LOCALITIES.

ON THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, HAVING BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS FOR SOME TIME, THE REVENUE DYNAMIC FOR SOLAR HAS SHIFTED DRAMATICALLY.

SO WE'RE ON SOMEWHAT OF A SOMEWHAT OF AN EDUCATIONAL MISSION AND ALSO SOMEWHAT OF A JUST A GENERAL MISSION TO MAKE SURE FOLKS UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE POWER OF THE LOCALITIES NOW HAVE AS IT RELATES TO SOLAR.

THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, IS MEETING TO SOLAR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITIES BEING LOCALITIES HALFWAY. WE'RE PROPOSING A SITE IN AGREEMENT FOR A LARGE PROJECT IS NOW STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. WE KNOW WE NEED.

WE KNOW WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A AN ADDITIONAL PROPOSITION TO MAKE SURE THAT SOLAR IS ECONOMIC AT ALL. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU NOT TO ADOPT A SOLAR MORATORIUM AND I ABSOLUTELY PUT MYSELF AT YOUR DISPOSAL TO RELY ON FOR POTENTIAL ORDINANCE UPDATES OR OTHER QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT SOLAR ENERGY.

SOLAR INDUSTRY GENERALLY, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS [INAUDIBLE] I'M OUT OF BREATH.

I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS.

GO AHEAD. YEAH. OKAY.

SO YOU'RE WHO DO YOU REPRESENT? I REPRESENT A COMPANY CALLED CLENERA.

AND YOU'RE SPEAKING OF A I WILL SAY, I'LL SAY ALSO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REPRESENT THE ORGANIZATION CALLED CHESSA, WHICH IS THE SOLAR TRADE ASSOCIATION IN VIRGINIA.

SO WE WE ARE WE'RE ATTENDING TO AND REPRESENT THE INDUSTRY GENERALLY [INAUDIBLE] OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. AND YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING A SOLAR DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.

WHAT IS THAT? I'M THINKING MISHEARD ME.

I APOLOGIZE. OKAY, MAYBE I DID.

BUT I HEARD SOLAR DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.

DID ANYONE ELSE HEAR THAT? UM, I'M SORRY, I WAS REFERRING TO THE SOLAR CITING AGREEMENT.

OKAY. THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S THE THAT'S THE NEW NEWEST INSTRUMENT TO HOUSE THE FINANCIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PIECE.

AND I COULD HAVE MISHEARD YOU.

[INAUDIBLE] SO YOUR BELIEF IS THAT THE THE MORATORIUM SHOULD BE DISFAVORED.

IS IT YOUR VIEW THAT IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL? IT IS.

OKAY. AND YOU SAY THAT SOME LOCALITIES HAVE AN ORDINANCE AND SOME DON'T.

CORRECT. NOW ARE YOU? I'LL TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER.

OKAY. SOME LOCALITIES HAVE A SPECIFIC ORDINANCE LIKE YOU ALL, AND IN SOME, SOME LOCALITIES JUST HAVE IT LISTED AS A SPECIFIC USE THAT IS ALLOWED WITH A SPECIAL USE PERMIT OR CONDITIONS PERMIT.

AND THOSE GENERALLY APPLICABLE SUP OR CUP CONDITIONS WILL APPLY TO SOLAR DEVELOPMENT.

AND THEN SOME DON'T REGULATE SOLAR AT ALL.

AND THEN JUST IT'S.

IT'S REALLY [INAUDIBLE] NOW IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, WOULD YOU SAY IT'S IT'S SPLIT FAIRLY EVENLY WITH THOSE WITH ORDINANCES AND THOSE WITHOUT.

I WOULD SAY IT'S MOVING RAPIDLY THAT FOLKS ARE ADOPTING ORDINANCES.

SO I WOULD SAY THAT YOU ALL ARE AHEAD OF THE CURVE, BUT IT'S A MINORITY NOW THAT DO NOT HAVE SOME SORT OF ADDITIONAL SOLAR REGULATION BECAUSE IT IS IT IS A DIFFERENT LAND USE THAN OTHER USES TYPICALLY PERMITTED BY [INAUDIBLE] AND YOU REFERENCED A FIGURE OF FIVE TO

[00:20:06]

SO IS THAT A HYPOTHETICAL SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PROJECT OF TWO HUNDRED ACRES? I MEAN, I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH REALLY WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.

THAT SO THAT THAT BALLPARK IS FROM LIKE A LET'S SAY, A HUNDRED AND TWENTY HUNDRED AND THIRTY TO ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MEGAWATTS PROJECT.

OKAY. AND HOW MANY ACRES WOULD THAT BE? SO LARGELY DEPENDS ON SITE CONDITIONS, BUT YOU CAN BET THAT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY ACRE PROJECT, GIVEN EASTERN VIRGINIA'S DENSITY OF WETLANDS, ET CETERA, IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE ABOUT A THOUSAND ACRES [INAUDIBLE] AND THEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE ECONOMICS HAVE SHIFTED DRAMATICALLY TOWARDS THE LOCALITY.

YEAH, OKAY. AND ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH OUR HISTORY? I AM. YOU ALL APPROVED A NUMBER OF PROJECTS, ONE OF WHICH THE NAME OF WHICH SHOWS UP ON MY DOORSTEP MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK.

YOU GOT THE AMAZON PROJECT.

YEAH. AND YOU REFERENCED A LITTLE BIT OF DEPRECIATION AND THE THE TAXES THAT RELATE TO MACHINERY. CORRECT? AND YOU SAID IT SHIFTED DRAMATICALLY, DEFINE DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT SPECIFIC NUMBERS, MY OPINION, WHICH IS JUST SUBJECTIVELY, MY OPINION IS SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY DID NOT BENEFIT SIGNIFICANTLY MONETARILY FROM THE ONE LARGE PROJECT THAT WE HAD.

NOW THAT'S MY SUBJECTIVE OPINION.

THAT WAS 2017 APPROVAL.

YES. SO THIS NEW LEGISLATION IS EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2020.

OKAY, SO.

JUST GIVE ME JUST A QUICK SNAP.

JUST A QUICK SUMMARY OF HOW IT SWUNG TO THE GOVERNMENT'S FAVOR AND NOT BUSINESSES FAVOR WITH DEPRECIATION SCHEDULES BECAUSE MY CPA WOULD DISAGREE WITH YOU.

SO I WANT YOU TO EDUCATE ME AND I COULD BE WRONG.

ABSOLUTELY SO. THE OLD REGIME, MACHINERY, SCHOOLS, TAX SUBSIDIES, SUBJECT TO EXEMPTIONS AND DEPRECIATION.

[INAUDIBLE] THERE IS NOW A LOCAL OPTION TO CREATE A SOLAR REVENUE SHARE ORDINANCE, WHICH REPLACES THE OLD [INAUDIBLE] WITH A CAPACITY TAX AT FOURTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS PER MEGAWATT, SUBJECT TO THE 10 PERCENT ESCALATOR EVERY FIVE YEARS.

[INAUDIBLE] SO AS THE REVENUE GOES OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT, [INAUDIBLE] WILL KEEP, THIS IS JUST LET'S SAY IT'S A HYPOTHETICAL ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY MEGAWATT PROJECT [INAUDIBLE] WILL KEEP PACE WITH SOLAR REVENUES HERE FOR, LET'S SAY, THE FIRST 10 OR 12 YEARS. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU GET ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE LIFECYCLE OF A PROJECT, THAT'S WHEN REVENUE SHARE REALLY PICKS UP AND THE ESCALATOR KICKS IN.

SO IF IT WAS ON A GRAPH RELATING TO A PARTICULAR PROJECT, [INAUDIBLE] STARTS HERE.

AND GOES DOWN AND EVENTUALLY FLATTENS OUT REVENUE SHARE IS A STRAIGHT STRAIGHT LINE UP.

BUT CAN'T A COMPANY, OKAY, JUST SAY COMPANY X, THEY START THE PROJECT, GET IT APPROVED.

AND THEY HAVE THE OPTION OF THEIR DEPRECIATION ON THE FRONT END HEAVY OR THE BACK END HEAVY. AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO FLIP THE PROJECT.

OH, SO YOU ALL ADOPTED SOLAR REVENUE SHARE ORDINANCES.

YOU ALL ARE TAXING FOURTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS A MEGAWATT SUBJECT TO THE ESCALATOR AND THE DEPRECIATION QUESTION [INAUDIBLE] IS OUT OF THE QUESTION.

YOU ALL, AS A LOCALITY WOULD SAY, WE'RE GOING TO ASSESS SOLAR FACILITIES ON A PER MEGAWATT BASIS MOVING FORWARD.

AND YOU HAVE MOVED AWAY FROM THE [INAUDIBLE] AND THE DEPRECIATION SCHEDULE IS SET BY THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION.

IT'S THE SAME ONE APPLIED TO EVERY PROJECT ACROSS THE STATE.

AND THAT'S MOVING FORWARD, BUT NOT BACK.

CORRECT. NOW, YOUR EXISTING PROJECTS AND YOUR PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED [INAUDIBLE]. SO I GUESS THE DISTINCTION I WOULD MAKE IS SOLAR IN SOUTHAMPTON TO DATE.

IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT SOLAR IN SOUTHAMPTON WILL BE FROM A REVENUE PERSPECTIVE.

NOW WHAT DID YOU CALL THAT ORDINANCE? SOLAR REVENUE SHARE. OKAY, SO THE SOLAR REVENUE SHARE ORDINANCE WOULD BE SEPARATE FROM OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE THAT WE STARTED WORKING ON.

MIKE, WHEN DID WE HAVE THAT WORKSHOP TO START WORKING ON THE ORDINANCE? DO YOU REMEMBER THAT DATE? [INAUDIBLE] MAYBE THREE YEARS AGO, THREE OR FOUR.

[INAUDIBLE] YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR YES.

ADDING TO THE ZONING.

YES, IT WOULD GO TO A DIFFERENT PART OF YOUR CODE AS IT RELATES TO THAT.

AND I'D BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, IN THE WAY THAT I READ IT.

SO IT WOULD WORK IN CONJUNCTION.

[00:25:01]

IT DOESN'T RELATE TO ANY LAND USE APPROVAL WHATSOEVER.

OKAY. ONLY HOW YOU TAXED.

ALL RIGHT. MY NEXT QUESTION.

SO IF, HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, AND YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW MY POSITION HERE IN A SECOND.

ALL RIGHT. WE REPEALED THE CURRENT ORDINANCE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SINCE 2017 AND SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS UPON HOURS AND TALKED ABOUT THINGS THAT NO ONE IS EVER GOING TO KNOW THE ANSWER ON. UM, AND WE DID IT BY SPECIAL USE PERMIT, LIKE MANY LOCALITIES DO, RIGHT? WE COULD STILL HAVE THE SOLAR REVENUE ORDINANCE WITH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND STILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONTROL.

ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU.

THAT'S ALL. ALL THAT I NEED RIGHT THERE.

LET'S, UH, KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE.

WE'RE NOT HERE TONIGHT TO DECIDE ON AN ORDINANCE OR CONDITION PERMIT.

WE'RE HERE TO DECIDE SOLELY ON THE MORATORIUM.

AND THAT WOULD GIVE US TIME TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO.

THAT'S THE ISSUE HERE TONIGHT AND IT WOULD INTEREST YOU ALL.

I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE SOME FINANCIALS ON MODEL PROJECTS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, SO YOU COULD SEE WHAT YOU WOULD DO ON FROM A COMPARATIVE COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE UNDER THE [INAUDIBLE] REGIME VERSUS THE REVENUE SHARING REGIME ON JUST A HYPOTHETICAL PROJECT WITH A HYPOTHETICAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE VALUE, ETC.

IT'S CONSIDERABLE.

AND AND MOST MOST OF THESE LOCALITIES WHERE WE'RE PROPOSING A PROJECT THAT ARE CONSIDERING REVENUE SHARE AND WHEN WE'RE PROPOSING A CITING AGREEMENT THAT HAS SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VALUE, IT CAN BE A GAME CHANGER.

I MEAN, IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FINANCING PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS AND NOT OR IN ONE LOCALITY. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN IN THE RED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND WE'RE PROPOSING ONE PROJECT THAT WILL COMPLETELY FLIP THE COUNTY FINANCES ON ITS HEAD.

IT'S A WHOLE, A WHOLE NEW [INAUDIBLE].

THE OTHER THING I'LL SAY IN.

THE SOLAR INDUSTRY HAS GOTTEN A LOT BETTER AT HIDING PROJECTS, SO WE ALL DRIVE PAST PROJECTS THAT WERE APPROVED KIND OF IN THE EARLY DAYS FROM A BUFFERING AND SET BACK PERSPECTIVE. AND FRANKLY, THEY MAKE ME CRINGE BECAUSE IT'S MY JOB TO GO GET PERMITS FOR PROJECTS TODAY AND THOSE OLDER NOT WELL SET BACK, NOT WELL SCREENED PROJECTS ULTIMATELY MAKE MY JOB A LOT HARDER.

SO THE INDUSTRY IS RESPONDING TO THAT.

THEY ANTICIPATE HAVING TO HAVE ROBUST BUFFERS AND SETBACKS.

AND LIKE I SAY, THEY'VE GOTTEN A LOT BETTER AT HIRING PROJECTS AND UNDERSTANDING [INAUDIBLE] SET UP.

IF YOU'VE GOT IF YOU COULD PASS IT ALONG TO MS. LEWIS'S OFFICE, WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT'S CHANGED. ONE QUESTION, YES.

COUNTIES HAVE ADOPTED A SOLAR REVENUE SHARE ORDINANCE.

THE LANCASTERS, THE MOST RECENT ONE THAT I'VE BEEN IN CAROLINE COUNTY, HAS AS WELL.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY PROBABLY WILL WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, WE JUST WE JUST DEVELOPED A ENERGY STORAGE FACILITY THERE THAT THEY WANT TO USE THE CAPACITY TAX ON LAST FEATURE OF THE SOLAR REVENUE SHARING CAPACITY.

BECAUSE IT IS A CAPACITY TO TAX.

IT IS NOT A FACTOR IN YOUR LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX FOR CALCULATION OF SCHOOL COSTS.

SO TODAY, THE [INAUDIBLE] TAX PAID ON AN EXISTING SOLAR FACILITY IN THIS JURISDICTION OR AN INPUT INTO YOUR COMPOSITE INDEX CALCULATION FOR SCHOOL FUNDING.

SOLAR REVENUE SHARE IS NOT PART OF THAT FORMULA.

SO LOCALITIES A WE'RE SUBJECT TO STEEP DEPRECIATION SCHEDULE AND SUBJECT TO EXEMPTIONS.

AND THEN B TOOK A DING ON YOUR LOCAL ABILITY TO PAY WHEN LOOKING AT THE COMPOSITE INDEX CALCULATION. SO IT WAS IT WAS KIND OF A LIKE A DOUBLE WHAMMY FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE AND SOLAR REVENUE SHARE IS NOT A FACTOR THERE.

I COULD TALK ABOUT THIS ALL DAY.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS YOU HAVE TO RING ME IN.

I'VE GOT A QUESTION. YOU KEEP REFERRING TO THE LIFETIME OF A PROJECT.

WHAT'S YOUR DEFINITION OF A LIFETIME? SO THE INDUSTRY SAYS THAT THESE PANELS ARE ANTICIPATED.

OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE CONSIDER THE LIFETIME OF THE PROJECT NOW.

WHAT WE DO KNOW IS PANELS ARE INCREASING IN EFFICIENCY.

SO IT'S MY THEORY THAT IN 15 OR 20 YEARS, THE PANELS WILL BE MORE EFFICIENT SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE MEGAWATTS OUT OF A CERTAIN ACREAGE.

OH, SUCH THAT IT WILL BE FINANCIALLY BENEFICIAL TO THE LOCALITY AND I MEAN, THE DEVELOPER AND THE LOCALITY TO RETOOL THOSE PANELS AND ESSENTIALLY EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT, SO BEGINNING TO END OF A SPECIFIC PANELS 40 YEARS.

[00:30:02]

CORRECT. BUT IN THE EVENT THE CAPACITY OF THE FACILITY WOULD EVER INCREASE DUE TO INCREASES IN EFFICIENCY, ET CETERA, THAT MEANS YOUR PAYMENT GOES UP.

SO IN ESSENCE, YOU COULD TIE THE SAME AMOUNT OF LAND AND INCREASE THE OUTPUT, WHICH WOULD [INAUDIBLE]. FRANKLY, IT'S GOOD FOR EVERYONE.

SO WHEN THEY INCREASE THE MEGAWATT PER FACILITY, ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE COUNTY TO GET A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, AN AMENDMENT OR SOMETHING? DEPENDS ON [INAUDIBLE] WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS LEAVING IT OPEN ENDED SO THAT BUT MAKING SURE THAT THE COUNTY REMAINS ON NOTICE SO THAT IF THE MEGA WATTAGE INCREASES AND THE FOOTPRINT STAYS THE SAME.

THEN YOU ALL GET AN ADDITIONAL [INAUDIBLE].

A LOT OF LOCALITIES SAY, HEY, YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD A 150 MEGAWATT PROJECT, AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO INCREASE THE MEGAWATTS, YOU'VE GOT TO COME BACK TO US TO MAKE IT PERMANENT.

BUT MY PERSPECTIVE IS IF THE FOOTPRINT STAYS THE SAME AND THE OVERALL LAYOUT AND FUNCTION STAYS THE SAME, THE MEGAWATTS OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE [INAUDIBLE] SO LONG AS YOU ARE PUT ON NOTICE OF WHEN THAT MEGAWATT CAPACITY DOES INCREASE.

RIGHT. SO THERE WILL BE NO MEASURING OF HOW MANY MEGAWATTS A FACILITY PUTS OUT ON A PER YEAR BASIS. WELL, THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS TAX.

CORRECT. BECAUSE IT'S THE TAX IS BASED ON WHAT THEY CALL THE NAMEPLATE CAPACITY OF THE PROJECT. SO IF IT'S RATED AT ONE HUNDRED FIFTY MEGAWATTS, YOU ALL GET [INAUDIBLE].

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IT ACTUALLY PRODUCES, SO LONG AS IT'S SO LONG AS IT'S NOT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO EXCEED THE NAMEPLATE CAPACITY.

[INAUDIBLE] WELL, I DRIVE BY FACILITIES THAT YOU SEE THE PANELS THAT ROTATE, AND I WOULD IMAGINE IT'S DESIGNED FOR IT TO BE EFFICIENT AND B X NUMBER OF MEGAWATTS.

BUT THEN YOU RIDE BY AND YOU SEE SPOTTED OUT THERE THAT SOME OF THE PANELS ARE NOT PIVOTING AND YOU WOULD THINK THAT WOULD GO ON MAYBE A WEEK.

RIGHT. AND AND IT'S GONE ON FOR MONTHS.

SO SOMEBODY IS NOT MAINTAINING OR KEEPING AN EYE ON IT.

SO, YOU KNOW, TO ME, I WOULD THINK THEY'D WANT TO KEEP IT EFFICIENT, BUT IT BRINGS THE POINT THAT EFFICIENCY IS NOT NECESSARY, AND TO YOUR POINT THERE, YOU KNOW, IT IS BASED ON THE RATE PASSES [INAUDIBLE] ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING ALONG, AND I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE MR. RAILEY A SANITIZED SITE AGREEMENT SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE OUT THERE. I GUESS THE CLOSEST ONE WE'VE DONE TO YOU ALL, AND I THINK IT WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT'S DONE IN THE STATE IS OVER IN SUSSEX COUNTY.

THAT WAS THE COUNTERPOINT SOLAR PROJECT THAT WAS PERMITTED IN THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

AND THAT'S THE ONE WHERE WE.

ASSISTED IN ADDITION TO A NUMBER OF THINGS PURCHASED FIRE TRUCK, ALL ALL THAT INFORMATION.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HAVE YOU SEEN ANY STUDIES IN YOUR WORK THAT AND I GUESS WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED A STUDY BY MAGNUM ECONOMICS THAT WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT.

HAVE YOU SEEN IN YOUR EXPERIENCES ANY STUDIES THAT HAVE AN IMPACT OR THAT STUDY THE IMPACT ON THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF TAKING AGRICULTURAL WORKERS OUT OF THE OUT OF THE ECONOMY AS A RESULT OF THE PROJECT? SO YOUR QUESTION [INAUDIBLE] INSTEAD OF JUST GENERAL LOCAL LOCAL ECONOMY.

YES, SIR. YES, AND I BELIEVE [INAUDIBLE] HAS HAS HAS HAS OFFERED SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. AND THE CONCLUSION IS ON ON THE MACRO SCALE.

SO OVER STILL IS MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN THAT UNDERLYING AGRICULTURAL OR FORESTRY, FROM A MACRO TANGENTIAL RIPPLE EFFECT IN THE ECONOMY PERSPECTIVE.

ONLY SINCE THE SOLAR REVENUE SHARE AND THE SOLAR SIDING AGREEMENT CHANGES WOULD YOU SAY, THAT HAS CERTAINLY HELPED BECOME MORE SO SINCE THAT LAW HAS CHANGED AND THE LOCAL REVENUES HAVE INCREASED, T[INAUDIBLE] QUANTIFYING AND AND EXTRAPOLATING WITH HE CALLS LIKE THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF SPENDING, ET CETERA, AND WHAT THAT DOES ACROSS LOCAL AND

[00:35:06]

SORRY.

ENOUGH TO SEE WHAT SIDE EFFECTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE OR WHAT CONSEQUENCES? THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT.

I MEAN, EVERYBODY IS SAYING IT'S FINE.

IT'S GREAT. WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH IT.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

AND I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMEBODY FROM THAT INDUSTRY TO TELL US, OKAY, WE HAVE NO IDEA.

WELL, YOU'RE RIGHT. YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.

IT'S A YOUNG INDUSTRY. YOU KNOW, I MAKE THE POINT THAT WE'VE NEVER DECOMMISSIONED A SOLAR FACILITY. THEY'RE ALL TOO NEW.

BUT WE KNOW HOW TO DO IT AND WE KNOW HOW TO ESTIMATE THE COSTS.

BUT TO YOUR POINT? THIS IS THIS IS WE'RE STILL HANGING OUT.

I SEE US THAT WE'RE STILL THIS IS STILL A VERY, VERY MUCH A DEVELOPING INDUSTRY.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT WE KNOW, BUT THERE'S A LOT WE DON'T.

I CAN SAY THAT ONE OF THE REPORTS I READ THAT FLETCHER HAD DONE.

TOOK ACCOUNT FOR THE IMPACT OF THE REVENUE PAYMENTS TO THE LANDOWNER AND WHEN LANDOWNERS LIVE IN A JURISDICTION INNER LOCAL.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF THAT ADDITIONAL INCOME IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE PER ACRE.

I MEAN, IT'S IT'S ONE HECK OF A HECK OF A LAND USE FOR THOSE WHO OWN THE LAND.

AND WHEN YOU HAVE WHEN YOU HAVE THAT LOCALITY AND LOCAL LANDOWNERS WHO ARE INVOLVED, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OUT OF THE LANCASTER PROJECT WE HAVE.

THAT PROJECT IS PRIMARILY ON TIMBERLAND, BUT SAY ABOUT 30 PERCENT IS ONLY CURRENTLY ACTIVELY FARMLAND.

THOSE FARMERS WHO ARE ONLY USING PART OF THEIR PROPERTY THAT'S PART OF THE PROJECT HAVE MADE A VERY STRONG POINT THAT THAT GUARANTEED REVENUE YEAR OVER YEAR FROM THAT SOLAR LEASE IS A WELCOME BENEFIT TO SOMEONE WHOSE ANNUAL PAYCHECK IS NOT GUARANTEED.

SO IN THAT SITUATION, THOSE FARMERS HAVE SAID THAT KIND OF GUARANTEED INCOME IS ALLOWING THEM A TO DO TO TO FARM BETTER, [INAUDIBLE] TO EXPERIENCE SOME FINANCIAL SECURITY THEY HAVE OTHERWISE SO DONE RIGHT AND WITH THE RIGHT LANDOWNERS AND THE RIGHT PARTIES, IT CAN BE A REAL SHOT IN THE ARM TO THE LOCAL SELF.

HOW DO YOU FARM BETTER? [INAUDIBLE] HOW DO YOU FARM BETTER? I HAVE A SOLAR LEASE. WHAT'S THAT MEAN? I MEAN, THERE'S MORE MONEY COMING IN.

YOU CAN PAY YOUR BILLS, YOU CAN INVEST IN NEW EQUIPMENT, YOU CAN FARM YOUR THE REMAINDER OF YOUR LAND WITH A BETTER CASH FLOW.

YOUR BALANCE SHEET LOOKS DIFFERENT, SO IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT AS MUCH OF A YEAR TO YEAR REVENUE PERSPECTIVE. WELL, WE WE ARE A FARMING COMMUNITY.

YOU ALSO MADE THE COMMENT THAT IT HAD NO EFFECT.

YOU GET IN THE COMMENT EARLIER.

NO EFFECT ON THE FARMING ECONOMY.

HOW DO YOU SAY THAT WHEN YOU DISPLACE THE ACREAGE THAT WOULD TAKE WOULD BE FARMED? HOW HOW DOES IT NOT AFFECT THE FARMING ECONOMY? WELL, I COME AT IT FROM THE LANDOWNER PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? AND YOU OWN THE LAND SOLAR FACILITIES ON YOUR ON YOUR LAND GENERATING REVENUE AND MAYBE YOU'RE STILL FARMING LAND ELSEWHERE.

YOUR BALANCE SHEET LOOKS BETTER NOW.

I WILL. I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU LEASED LAND AND HAVE TO COMPETE WITH THE SOLAR FACILITY. THAT'S NOT A DIFFICULT SITUATION BECAUSE SOLAR CAN PAY MORE PER ACRE THAN A FARMER. IT'S IT'S A FACT, BUT IT'S YOUR PROPERTY AND YOU'RE LEASING IT.

YOU'RE IN A GOOD POSITION.

[INAUDIBLE] THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, IT REALLY, AND I'M AND THAT'S THINKING ABOUT OUR CLIENT BASE. IT'S A MIX AS TO ONES WHO WILL COME IN AND PURCHASE IN ONES WHO WILL LEAVE.

SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL SELL IT, YOU CAN'T GO ON IT.

THAT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF COMPLAINTS OVER THE NEWSOMS PROJECT.

THEY CAN'T THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY.

IT'S ON THE LEASE. IT'S GATED.

AND I'M REALLY GETTING OFF THE SUBJECT BECAUSE THIS IS ALL ABOUT MORATORIUM TONIGHT.

BUT I'M LIKE, WE MIGHT WANT TO HAVE YOU BACK AGAIN, POSSIBLY AS WE EXPLORE THIS FURTHER, BECAUSE YOU'VE SEEM YOU SEEM TO HAVE A POINT OF INTEREST AND WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT WE WORKED WITH.

BUT FROM THERE, THE APPRAISER COMMUNITY AND THE AND THE ECONOMICS COMMUNITY WHO WOULD BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND DO A WORK SESSION AND SPEAK ABOUT THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY IN THE STATE GENERALLY. BECAUSE LIKE [INAUDIBLE] IS A DEVELOPING INDUSTRY.

WE'RE TRYING TO ASSEMBLE AS MUCH HARD INFORMATION AS WE CAN BECAUSE WE'RE COMING TO

[00:40:03]

WE WANT TO GO INTO IT EYES WIDE OPEN.

I THINK WE'RE DOING BETTER AT THAT AS AN INDUSTRY THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

WELL, I JUST THOUGHT WITH YOU, WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO SOLAR.

WE ARE. I THINK I CAN SPEAK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM.

WE ALL LOVE OUR ELECTRICITY.

WE LOVE IT. WE JUST DON'T KNOW IF SOLAR IS RIGHT FOR SOUTHAMPTON.

THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION.

WE'VE GOT TO DECIDE IS IT RIGHT FOR OUR JURISDICTION? AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO EXPOSE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.

BUT WE DO APPRECIATE YOU COMING TONIGHT AND WE WILL CERTAINLY BE IN TOUCH.

MS. LEWIS. WE DO HAVE HIS CONTACT INFORMATION AND WE MAY ACTUALLY INVITE YOU BACK AGAIN.

SORRY. IT'S JUST IT'S AN EASY TO NICE CROWD OVER HERE FOR ME.

AND, UH, THE THE FOLKS WITH [INAUDIBLE] IT'S A REALLY GOOD COMPANY.

I HOPE HOPING, HOPING THAT THEY'RE GETTING THEIR OPTIONS TIED UP.

SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO TO MAYBE TALK BRASS TACKS AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION.

DO YOU HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON OTHER SOLAR REVENUE ORDINANCES THAT YOU'VE ADVISED ON OR CONTRIBUTED TO? THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

HYPOTHETICALLY, IF YOU WOULD COME BACK, BUT I'M SORRY, I'M COMING BACK AND I'VE GOT A SPREADSHEET I CAN SEND YOU TO JUST KIND OF DOES THE BASIC RUN OF WHAT A PROJECT DOES OVER ITS LIFETIME OF FOURTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS PER MEGAWATT WITH THE ESCALATOR, AND YOU CAN PUNCH INTO DIFFERENT PROJECT SIZES.

IF YOU WOULD SEND THAT TO MS. LEWIS, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

AND THE LAST POINT I'LL MAKE IS, YOU ALL KNOW THIS BECAUSE YOU PROVE SOLAR PROJECTS.

BUT WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WHEN LAND'S COMING OUT OF LAND USE, WHICH MOST OF IT IN RURAL VIRGINIA IS AND GOING INTO THE SOLAR USE, THE ASSESSED TAX VALUE THAT PER ACRE GOES ANYWHERE BETWEEN 10 TO 12 HOURS FROM WHATEVER IS LAND USE TO ABOUT TEN TO TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS AN ACRE. SO THAT IS KIND OF THE HIDDEN REVENUE INCREASE FOR LOCALITIES FROM SOLAR. YOU'RE STILL PAYING FULL FREIGHT AT A HIGHER INTENSITY OF USE ON YOUR UNDERLYING REAL ESTATE, SO YOU KNOW YOU BREAK UP THE STREAMS OF REVENUE GENERATED BY SOLAR FROM.

REAL ESTATE TAXES, SOLE REVENUE SHARE AND THEN POTENTIALLY ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS VIA SIGNING AGREEMENT, IT BECOMES BECOMES A PRETTY GOOD VALUE PROPOSITION.

THANK YOU. I GOT ONE OBSERVATION AND SOMETHING THAT I'VE NOTICED THAT SINCE JULY, WE'VE DONE A LOT ABOUT THE REVENUE, BUT DECOMMISSIONING IS A BIG CONCERN OF OURS.

AND AND THAT'S NOT GETTING ADDRESSED ENOUGH.

AND 40 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, THE COST OF DECOMMISSIONING THE FACILITY.

I DO NOT WANT TO SEE IT HUNG AROUND THE NECK OF THE CARNAGE THAT IT'S IN AND AND THAT NEEDS TO BE ENGRAVED IN STONE.

NOT NOT WHERE SOMEBODY CAN FILE BANKRUPTCY AND HIDE BEHIND AN LLC OR CORPORATION.

SO I'M NOT ASKING FOR AN ANSWER TONIGHT.

THAT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT IF YOU'VE GOT SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, YOU CAN FORWARD TO THAT. BUT THAT IS A BIG FACTOR FOR ME.

IT'S GREAT TO GET PAID NOW, BUT AT SOME POINT YOU GOT TO PAY LATER ON.

AND YOUR CONCERN IS ECHOED IN EVERY JURISDICTION WE'RE IN.

AND WHAT I CAN DO IS PROVIDE SOME USE PERMIT CONDITIONS ON DECOMMISSIONING THAT WE'VE COME UP WITH. IT DOES DOES THE BEST WE CAN DO TO TIE UP THAT LOOP OF THIS, OF THE POTENTIAL ABANDONMENT OF A PROJECT.

I HATE TO USE THAT WORD BECAUSE IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY.

STATE CODE REQUIRES SOLAR OPERATORS TO REEVALUATE THEIR FACILITIES EVERY FIVE YEARS AND UPDATE THE COST OF DECOMMISSIONING.

AND PROVIDE THAT UPDATE TO THE JURISDICTION THAT HAS TO BE DONE BY PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER STAMPED. SOME LOCALITIES ALLOW FOR THE CALCULATION OF SALVAGE VALUE.

SOME DON'T. THAT ENSURES THAT A INFLATION WHICH WE'RE ALL EXPERIENCING AND THEN B THE COST OF. RECYCLING AND DISPOSAL IS ACCOUNTED FOR OVER TIME, SO REQUIRED BY STATUTE EVERY FIVE YEARS TO UPDATE THAT ESTIMATE.

SOME EARLY PROJECTS DIDN'T HAVE A CONDITION TO THAT EFFECT.

THEY ALL DO NOW AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE PRETTY SPECIFIC.

SO LIKE I SAY, I PROVIDE THIS.

MODELING WITH ABANDONMENT OF A PROJECT IS POSSIBLE AND THAT IT DOESN'T TAKE BUT ONE PROJECT TO BE ABANDONED.

AND THEN ALL THE REVENUE WE'VE GAINED IS GONE.

IF THE COUNTY HAS TO PAY FOR THE CLEANING OF THAT AND SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ARE ULTIMATELY PURCHASED BY PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO IF YOU'RE A RIGHT PAYER, YOU'RE A GUARANTOR OF THAT PROJECT TO SOME DEGREE.

SO IN THOSE SITUATIONS, AS A PARENT GUARANTEE, YOU'LL SUFFICE.

BUT THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE OWNED AND BUILT AND OPERATE IN THE POWER SOLD BY A PRIVATE COMPANY. THERE'S A BOND TO THAT EFFECT.

WE'VE BUILT PROVISIONS INTO USE PERMIT WHERE THE COUNTING IS MADE PUT ON REGULAR NOTICE

[00:45:06]

PULL A LOT OF EXPERIENCE OUT OF THE SATELLITE, OUT OF THE RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION PROCESS AND THE BOND, THE BONDS THAT WERE ISSUED DURING THAT TIME, THE 2008 FINANCIAL CRISIS AND LOCALITIES HAVING TO FIGHT TO GET THE BONDS SECURED SO THEY CAN FOLLOW AND COMPLETE COMPLETE NEIGHBORHOODS AND A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED FROM THAT INDUSTRY THAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR. WELL, YOU MADE NOTE OF OWNERSHIP OF THE FACILITY, BUT SEE THOSE ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE BACK TO THOSE COMPANIES DO NOT OWN THE PROPERTY.

CORRECT. SO THAT THAT IS A RED FLAG TO ME.

I KNOW MOST OF THEM.

THEY DON'T WANT TO OWN THE PROPERTY.

THEY WON'T RELEASE IT. SO IN THIS CONDITIONS ON REFERENCE, WE AGREE TO ADD THE LANDOWNER AS AN ADDITIONAL INSURER AS IT RELATES TO THE SECURITY.

SO IN THE EVENT THAT THE COMPANY WERE TO GO BANKRUPT AND GO AWAY, THE LANDOWNER WOULDN'T BE SITTING IN THE VULNERABLE POSITION OF HAVING THIS THING ON THEIR PROPERTY THAT THEY COULDN'T GET RID OF. THEY COULD CALL THEM ON THAT BOND OR INSURANCE AS WELL.

THEY HAVE IT REMOVED. SO WE'RE COMING AT THE SAME WAY YOU ARE TRYING TO PROTECT EVERYBODY INVOLVED BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS ABANDONED SOLAR FIELDS IN 15 OR 20 30 YEARS.

WITH THAT SAID, I'M GOING TO CALL THE QUESTION SO WE CAN GIVE OTHER PEOPLE THE [INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT.

APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.

SO [INAUDIBLE] ANYONE ELSE TO COME FORWARD.

IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING RELATING TO THE MORATORIUM THAT WE ACTUALLY DISCUSSED THE TOPIC TONIGHT. YES, SIR.

COME ON, SIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

YES, SIR, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

GIVE ME A NAME, PLEASE, [INAUDIBLE] I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE MORATORIUM [INAUDIBLE] I GO BACK IN HISTORY A LITTLE BIT.

SMITHFIELD FOODS.

I REMEMBER WHEN THE HOG FARMS CAME OUT MUCH OPPOSITION TO HONG KONG.

THERE THEIR GROUPS OUTSIDE DOGWOOD ALLIANCE, THEY'RE NONPROFIT.

THEY'RE OPPOSED TO CUTTING ANY TREES.

WE HAVE OPPOSITION TO THE FARMING COMMUNITY AND I MADE AGRICULTURE MYSELF, RIGHT? PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, SEDIMENT DISCHARGE.

THERE'S A LOT OF OPPOSITION TO VARIOUS BUSINESS TYPES.

I FEEL THAT THE SOLAR INDUSTRY IS BEING CAUGHT UP IN THIS, AND I HOPE THE COUNTY CAN CAN TAKE THAT OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

TAKE THAT INTO AND REVIEW AND AND AND LOOK PAST THAT.

UH, AT THE PAST MEETING THE JOINT MEETING AT THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

EXCUSE ME, IF THE HASKELL THERE WERE THERE WERE SOME NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE PANELS, BUT KNOW ABOUT THE DISCHARGE OF THE HARMFUL EFFECT, HARMFUL CHEMICALS.

I'LL SAY IN THE PANELS, I HEARD NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE CITED FROM ANYBODY WHO SPOKE AND FEARED THE CHEMICALS OR THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS THAT COULD COME FROM THOSE THOSE PANELS AND NEGATIVE CHEMICAL FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.

THE GENTLEMAN WHO SPOKE BEFORE ME TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE REVENUE STREAM.

I DIDN'T HEAR ANYONE AT THE LAST MEETING DECIDE AN ALTERNATIVE.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO REPLACE? WHAT CAN YOU USE FOR A REVENUE STREAM IF YOU HAVE A MORATORIUM THAT BLOCKS THE REVENUE STREAM THAT THESE SOLAR FARMS WILL GENERATE? THESE SOLAR FARMS DO NOT REQUIRE MORE SCHOOL BUSSES, MORE INFRASTRUCTURE.

NONE OF THAT TAKES PLACE.

GRANTED, THERE ARE ALL POTENTIAL THREATS WITH THE REMOVAL OF THESE PANELS IF A SITE IS ABANDONED. I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FINANCE AND BANKING.

AN UPFRONT LUMP SUM BOND CAN BE PURCHASED AND WHETHER THE COMPANY GOES BANKRUPT OR NOT, THAT BOND IS IN PLACE.

UM, I HOPE THAT.

COMFORTS SOME OF THOSE MAKING THIS DECISION.

I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO TECHNICAL, BUT A UTILITY SCALE.

I HOPE THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL LOOK CAREFULLY AT HOW THEY DEFINE UTILITY SCALE.

[00:50:03]

IF THAT DEFINITION OF A UTILITY SCALE IS TOO TIGHT AND I'VE HEARD ANYTHING OVER TWO ACRES OR OVER X NUMBER OF KILOWATTS THAT WOULD ELIMINATE THE CHANCE FOR THESE COMMUNITY SOLAR FARMS THAT AREN'T OR NOT UTILITY SCALE.

SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.

WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE ON UTILITY SCALE? I HAVE HEARD COMMISSIONER JUSTIN SAY THAT HE FAVORS VIEWING THIS ON A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT BASIS.

THAT WAY, IF IT'S A GOOD PROJECT, IF THE PROJECT IS DEEMED APPROPRIATE, YOU CAN TAKE EACH PROPERTY AND EVALUATE IT ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.

THE OLD SAYING DON'T THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER.

I FIGURE THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT DOES JUST THAT.

UH, AGAIN, I HOPE THE COUNTY DOES NOT ADOPT SUCH A THAT SUCH A MORATORIUM.

I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD THAT CAN COME FROM SOLAR.

I'M AN AGRICULTURE MYSELF.

I'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT.

SOLAR PROJECTS CAN'T GO ANYWHERE, THEY HAVE TO BE WITHIN A CERTAIN PROXIMITY OF A HIGH VOLTAGE LINE OR A SUBSTATION.

YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO RUN MILES AND MILES OF POWER LINES.

THIS WILL DIE IN BY ITSELF LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF ACREAGE IT IS TRANSITION FROM AGRICULTURE TO SOLAR PROJECT.

I THANK THE BOARD, THE COUNTY, THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR ALL THE WORK, YOU ALL DO DO A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING A GOOD COUNTY FOR US TO LIVE IN.

I HOPE YOU WILL LOOK AT THE POSITIVES OF THIS AS WELL AS THE NEGATIVES.

AND CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YES, SIR. HOW WOULD A MORATORIUM AFFECT ANY OF THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT? HOW WOULD THEY AFFECT THE POSITIVE? HOW WOULD A MORATORIUM HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TONIGHT? I'M NOT SURE IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, BUT MY ANSWER WOULD BE THAT A MORATORIUM WOULD NOT ALLOW A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO BE PRESENTED.

THEREFORE, WE KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG IDEA, THEN THE MORATORIUM IS A TEMPORARY THING SO WE CAN DECIDE HOW WE WANT TO DO THIS.

WELL, THE TWO ORDINANCE OUR CONDITIONED USE FROM IT.

ULTIMATELY, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE FOR WILL PROBABLY BE ALLOWED, YOU KNOW, DOWN THE LINE.

WE'RE TRYING TO DECIDE TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, GET FOUR, WHETHER THE MORATORIUM FOR A YEAR, WHAT ARE WE SET? BUT IT DOWN THE LINE, IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT ANY OF THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT YOU SAY.

LET ME REPHRASE MY ANSWER, THEN, PLEASE.

WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR, IT WILL PREVENT ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR A SOLAR FARM TO BE DEVELOPED THAT WOULD ELIMINATE THESE POSITIVES WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.

SOMEONE SAID THEY'VE BEEN EXPLORING.

I THINK, MR. JOHNSON SAID, FOR THREE YEARS BEEN LOOKING AT A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.

I WOULD TAKE ME TO HAMMER OUT A GOOD CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IN THREE YEARS.

MY POINT IS A MORATORIUM IS NOT GOING TO AFFECT ANY OF THESE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE THINGS.

YOU KNOW IT, IT'S GOING TO DELAY THEM, MAYBE A YEAR.

OKAY, SO WHAT IS WRONG WITH TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TONIGHT.

WE'RE NOT HERE DISCUSSION ORDINANCE VERSUS CONDITION PERMIT.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PLAN ON DOING.

IF WE GOT A MORATORIUM, WE'D HAVE TIME TO SIT AND LOOK AT IT, SEE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE, WHAT PROBLEMS THEY'VE HAD, AND MAKE A VERY GOOD SCIENTIFIC MORAL DECISION ON WHICH ONE WE WANT TO GO. SO IN ESSENCE, IT MIGHT DELAY YOUR GRATIFICATION OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO.

BUT THAT WOULD BE, IN MY OPINION, THE BENEFIT OF THE COUNTY AND THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE. I UNDERSTAND.

I WAS MAYBE I'M UNDER THE WRONG IMPRESSION, I'M UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT'S WHAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR THREE YEARS, AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE TIMEFRAME THAT'S INVOLVED.

BUT I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON IT AND HOPE YOU CAN UNCOVER ALL THE FACTS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. [INAUDIBLE].

APPRECIATE IT. ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO COME FORWARD?

[00:55:22]

THANK YOU CAN DO A LOT MORE THAN YOU CAN ON THE TIMETABLE.

I WOULD SUGGEST THE MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS.

SO YOU GIVE YOUR TIME.

AND HE ADMITTED, GOT ALL THESE NEW IDEAS.

I'M GOING TO GO BEFORE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ALL THIS STUFF.

THEY HADN'T SETTLED ON ANYTHING.

JUST LOOK AT THE TROUBLE THE SOLAR PANEL PRESENTED TO THE COUNTY.

IT COSTS ITS CITIZENS.

EXTRA THREE TO FIVE CENTS ON THE ELECTRIC BILL, BECAUSE IT'S NOT EFFICIENT AND THEN YOU CAN'T SHOW ME THE EFFICIENCY OF PRODUCTION WHY DO WANT TO PUT THE CITIZENS, NOT JUST AT ONE PERSON [INAUDIBLE].

WHEN YOU GOT EIGHTEEN HUNDRED OTHER PEOPLE PAYING THE BILLS, PLEASE TAKE US POOR PEOPLE THAT DOESN'T NEED THESE NEW SO-CALLED FEEL GOOD PROPOSITION ABOUT POLITICAL OFFICIALS.

NO NEW TAXES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO AWAY WITH THE GAS ON THAT, FORCING TO PAY AT LEAST 30 DOLLARS EVERY TIME I FILL UP A LITTLE PICKUP AT THE GAS GUZZLER.

THAT IS A HUGE [INAUDIBLE].

ALL OF THIS IS TAXES.

LOOK AT THE TOTAL EFFECT OF THESE PROJECTS.

GOODNESS SAKES. DON'T JUST GO WELL, THIS PERSON IS GOING TO MAKE A MILLION DOLLARS OFF OFF A DEAL, AND HE'S GOING TO PAY THE POLITICAL OFFICIALS TO WRITE ARTICLES THAT WILL BENEFIT THEM. JUST LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE [INAUDIBLE].

WHAT'D IT DO. LIKE CHINA.

RUSSIA AND ALL THE FOREIGN COUNTRIES PAYING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO OUR PRESIDENT'S SON.

AND WHAT DID HE DO? CUT THE GAS ON AND PUT US IN A BIG HOLE IN ECONOMICS.

SO LOOK AT THE ECONOMICS OF EVERYBODY.

EVERYBODY, NOT JUST AT ONE PERSON, FOR GOODNESS SAKES.

AND THE HALF OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY BUILDING THAT ALL OF THE SOLAR PANELS.

DOESN'T EVEN LIVE IN THE COUNTY [INAUDIBLE] I MEAN, NORTH CAROLINA, OTHER COUNTIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.

WHAT BENEFIT IS WE'RE GETTING BESIDES LESS FARM WORKERS, LESS FERTILIZER, LESS BUSINESS? I JUST CAN'T SEE HOW NARROW MINDED WE ARE IN COMING UP WITH SOLAR PANELS. ALSO, TWO, [INAUDIBLE] FIVE YEARS I'M NOT A PREDICTER.

BUT WE CAN VERY EASILY LOSE THE WESTERN PART OF THE UNITED STATES [INAUDIBLE].

CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON, YOU NAME IT ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN THE WEST COAST.

WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GROW FOOD? AND I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD THE FIRST ONE GET UP HERE AND SAY.

THOSE SOLAR PANELS ARE GOING TO TAKE OUT THE CARBON OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE.

I WANT SOME GOOD OXYGEN.

AND THE ONLY WAY I'M GETTING OXYGEN IS BY THE PLANTS PRODUCING IT FORMING.

I CAN'T I CAN'T CAN'T SURVIVE ON SOLAR POWER BECAUSE THEY [INAUDIBLE] BENEFIT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

[01:00:03]

I'LL BE BACK. THANK YOU.

ANY COMMENTS? ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO COME FORWARD ? LAST CALL, ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO COME FORWARD? YES, SIR.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN [INAUDIBLE] FROM BLACK CREEK, VIRGINIA.

I AM ONLY GOING TO MAKE TWO STATEMENTS TONIGHT IF A MORATORIUM IS ILLEGAL.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF JURISDICTIONS AROUND US FOR BREAKING THE LAW.

AND THIS PAID EMPLOYEE WITH A SUIT ON HIM SPOKE THE FIRST TIME, IF YOU HEARD ONE THING HE SAID WAS HE ENJOYED THE SAME VIEW RANDALL HILLS SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR.

PUBLIC HEARINGS STILL OPEN.

ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO COME FORWARD? AGAIN, LAST CALL.

IF NOT, I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE HEARING.

THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE ONE'S CAME TO SPEAK TONIGHT.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.

THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE GO FORWARD.

MS. LEWIS, OUR NEXT MOVE NOW IS TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO NOW CONDUCT A CLOSED MEETING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING PROVISION AND PURPOSE SET OUT IN THE CODE OF VIRGINIA 19 50 AS AMENDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION TWO POINT TWO DASH THIRTY SEVEN ELEVEN A EIGHT.

CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED BY THE GOVERNING BODY TO HEAR AND RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE ASSOCIATED WITH ENACTMENT OF ZONING MORATORIA.

SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ARE GOING TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION WITH MR. RAILEY ON THE PHONE AND, WE WILL REMAIN INSIDE THIS ROOM IS THAT CORRECT. RIGHT? I MAKE A MOTION. WE GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.

AND THE BOTH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS NEED TO MAKE A MOTION AND APPROVE THAT. SO.

YOU WANT TO GO FIRST. I GUESS WE DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE TO GO SEPARATE OR WE ALL DO IT AT ONE TIME. WE NEED TO DO IT SEPARATELY.

YES. OK. SO ARE YOU ACTING AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR [INAUDIBLE] SECOND, HAVE PROPER MOTION AND A SECOND TO GO INTO A CLOSED MEETING ANY OTHER DISCUSSION AMONG THE PANEL WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS. IF NOT, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE ON A FAVOR OF GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION SAY, AYE.

ANY OPPOSED LIKE SIGN. IT IS UNANIMOUS.

OKAY. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE, AYE OKAY.

WE'RE NOW GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION.

IF NOT, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PRESENTED SAY AYE, AYE.

ANY OPPOSED LIKE SIGN. I OPPOSE SIX MONTHS TO VOTE FOR TWELVE MONTHS.

OK, I VOTE FOR TWELVE MONTHS [INAUDIBLE] I OPPOSE SIX MONTH.

OKAY, SO I HAVE.

OK, SO WE HAVE ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX IN FAVOR OF A SIX MONTH MORATORIUM, TWO OPPOSED TO A SIX MONTH MORATORIUM.

GUESS NOW I'LL COME DOWN THERE AND BE WITH MY GROUP.

ENTERTAIN A DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD.

NOW WE CAN GO ALONG WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OR WE DON'T HAVE TO GO ALONG WITH IT.

I MYSELF THINK WE CAN GET IT DONE IN SIX MONTHS, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH A SIX MONTH MORATORIUM.

[INAUDIBLE] IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I COULD MAKE ANOTHER MOTION TO THAT, CAN I NOT? I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT NOT FOR SIX MONTHS, FOR TWELVE MONTHS.

[01:05:19]

GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THAT UNLESS THERE'S OTHER.

IT WAS SIX MONTHS WAS BROUGHT UP AND WAS SECOND, JUST FOR CLARITY OUT THERE WE DON'T NEED A SECOND MOTION WAIT A MINUTE. WHAT ARE YOU VOTING ON? HAVE TO VOTE ON THE TWELVE MONTH.

THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY.

AND WE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL RIGHT LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE A VOICE VOTE ON THAT.

[INAUDIBLE] YES.

JASON? YES. NO.

ONE, NO. YES.

NO, NO, NO.

THREE FOUR. FOUR TO THREE TO NO.

SO THEN, I MADE A MOTION, WE GO WITH TWELVE MONTHS.

I MADE A MOTION WE GO FOR TWELVE MONTHS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF TWELVE MONTHS WE'LL START AT THE END, JONES NO.

[INAUDIBLE] YEAH.

NO. YES.

YES, YES. IT'S PASSED FOUR TO THREE THAT WE GO FOR TWELVE MONTHS.

OKAY. I GUESS, THAT'S ALL THE BUSINESS FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO DETERMINE.

WE HAVE MORE PLANNING COMMISSION BUSINESS TO GO OVER.

THAT'S CORRECT. YES, SIR.

OKAY. SO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THEN WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

SO MOVED, SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING TONIGHT.

I KNOW IT WAS A CONTROVERSIAL SITUATION AND MAYBE THERE ARE NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS, BUT WE'LL FIND OUT AT THIS TIME THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL HAVE A BRIEF RECESS.

[RECESS]

[RECONVENE]

[INAUDIBLE] OKAY SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH WOULD BE

[V. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - Discussion of utility scale solar amendments]

AND OF COURSE, THAT IS DISCUSSION ON THE UTILITY SCALE SOLAR AMENDMENTS.

SO MAYBE JUST FOR A FEW MINUTES AND WE WON'T WE WON'T KEEP YOU ALL MUCH LONGER IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK AND REVIEW SOME OF THOSE KEY ELEMENTS OF THAT WORKSHOP MEETING.

AND I THINK I THINK MS. LEWIS HAD THOSE ITEMIZED, AND I'M JUST I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR THE PAPER WHERE THEY WERE AT. I THOUGHT SHE DID A GOOD JOB TAKING THOSE POINTS UP AT THE AT THE MEETING.

OF COURSE YOU KNOW, IF CONSIDERED THE THE BUFFALO AREAS NEXT TO THE TOWNSHIP, THE INCORPORATED TOWNS AND THE AREAS THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED AS THE R ONE R TWO DESIGNATIONS ON THE COUNTY MAP, AS WELL AS THE, YOU KNOW, SHE HAD GOTTEN THE TECHNICAL

[01:10:03]

SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS, A LOT OF THOSE SOME OF THOSE TECHNICAL ISSUES HAVE ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED AND WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAKE A NOTE OF THOSE AND AS WE COME BACK THE NEXT FEW MEETINGS.

YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SUGGEST WE SEND FORWARD TO THE BOARD FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION? AND THEN, OF COURSE, THESE MARTYRS OF THE [INAUDIBLE] BUT WHAT'S COMING DOWN IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY? SO CALL ME MAKE SO A LITTLE MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN WHAT IT WAS WITH OUR FIRST PROJECT.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ENOUGH INFORMATION THERE TO GET A MORE COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING IS THAT SOME OF THE BENEFITS BY THOSE SOLAR INSTALLATIONS WILL BE PROVIDED TO GO INTO.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT.

BUT WE NEED TO GET SOME POINTS WRITTEN DOWN CONCRETE POINTS THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF OUR SUGGESTIONS TO THE BOARD FOR THAT CONSIDERATION AS WE GO AS WE GO FORWARD WITH AMENDING THE ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE TODAY, IS THAT IS THAT AM I SAYING THAT CORRECT? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE IN AGREEMENT TO THAT IS OUR PURPOSE AT THIS POINT.

AND WE'LL GET WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK MS. LEWIS, YOU KNOW, FOR ANY SPEAKER OR ANYONE THAT WE THINK WE NEED, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER CONSULTATION, WE HAVE TO COME FORWARD.

THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT VOLUNTEERED A TIME TO COME AND SPEAK WITH US, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE COULD HAVE SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATE TIME.

IT'S A MONUMENTAL TASK AND WILL AND WILL JUST WILL CERTAINLY BE AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE TO GET THIS JOB DONE.

HOPEFULLY IN A TIMELY MATTER.

WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE TO TAKE AWAY FROM TONIGHT, I BELIEVE IT'S THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ALL WANTED THE SAME THING.

THE ONLY DIVERGENCE OF OPINION WAS HOW LONG WE WANTED TO DO IT.

CORRECT. CORRECT.

WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.

WE'RE ON THE SAME TEAM.

SO AND I THINK NOT TO EXPAND ON THAT.

I THINK THE WORKSHOP PROVED THAT THAT JOINT MEETING, I THINK WE ARE ALL EYE TO EYE.

BUT I THINK THE TIME LIMIT, YOU KNOW, HEARING DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE TIME CONSTRAINTS WAS PROBABLY OUR DIVISION TONIGHT.

BUT I DO THINK WE HAD THE SAME INTERESTS.

IT SEEMED TO BE COLLABORATIVE THAT AS WE GO FORWARD, ONE OF THE THINGS IN THAT MEETING CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. REMEMBER THE LADY FROM DOMINION? YES. SHE SAID.

IF YOU DON'T WANT US IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WE DON'T WANT TO COME.

CORRECT. WELL, WE JUST WANT TO FIND OUT WHERE THESE PLACES ARE AT AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS WAS SCREENING THE FACILITY.

I THINK THAT CAME OUT TONIGHT.

IT IS A CHANGE IN A LITTLE BIT OF THE ORDINANCE ON SCREENERS.

I THINK WE HAD A LOT OF THAT WOULD LIKE FOR US TO DEFINE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LARGE SCALE FACILITIES AND SMALLER FACILITIES AND MAKE NOTE OF THAT.

AND I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE THE SOLAR ON TOP OF ROOFTOPS, YOU KNOW? THAT'S CORRECT. AND TRY TO WORK THAT THE LARGER FACILITIES HELP WITH THE COST OF INDIVIDUAL LAND OWNERS.

HOMEOWNERS PUTTING FACILITIES [INAUDIBLE] AND THEN THE BOND ISSUE VERSUS DECOMMISSIONING.

DECOMMISSIONING IS A BIG TOPIC FOR ME, AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY WANTS TO STAY AWAY FROM IT. BUT 40 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, CLEANING UP A FACILITY CAN BE.

WE'VE SEEN THAT IN THE NEWS, WITH THE MILITARY DUMPING DUMP SITES WITH THE MILITARY.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, 40 YEARS LATER, IT HAS TO BE CLEANED UP.

THERE'S ONLY ONE THING SURE ABOUT THIS MOST OF THE PEOPLE SITTING ON THIS BOARD TONIGHT, AND I'LL BE AROUND TO FIND OUT ABOUT, WELL, I'D WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM IT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS.

SO I JUST WANT TO HAVE A PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION AND I HAVE CONCLUDED AND I COULD BE WRONG.

YOU COULD BE RIGHT. I COULD BE WRONG THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION ON IT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION SO WELL.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN WE CAN LOOK AT DECOMMISSIONING COST AS IT IS NOW AND BE SURE THAT'S REEVALUATED EVERY THREE YEARS OR EVERY FIVE YEARS, BUT JUST MAKE SURE IT'S REEVALUATED. AND IT WAS BROUGHT UP TONIGHT THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR THREE YEARS. LOOK AT WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THREE YEARS, AND A LOT OF TIMES YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAY, REEVALUATE DECOMMISSIONING EVERY FIVE YEARS, YOU KNOW, TO ME, SHORTEN IT UP.

AND I STILL AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A BOND NOT GETTING PAID AND AND WE LEFT HOLDING THE

[01:15:05]

I REALIZE WE CAN NOT PROJECT THE COST 40 YEARS FROM NOW, BUT WE WON'T PUT AN ESCALATION CLAUSE IN THERE THAT THAT THAT CLAUSE GROWS WITH THE COST OF DECOMMISSIONING.

AND WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST ABOUT ALLOWING RECYCLING WHAT MONEY THEY GET FROM THAT.

AND I'VE BEEN OPPOSED TO THAT FROM DAY ONE.

I DON'T WANT TO BE IN A TRADING COMMODITIES WITH THE COUNTIES MONEY.

AND MAYBE WE HAVE A PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCE.

I THINK THAT OUR PROBLEMS ARE SO CATASTROPHIC WITH THE STATUTE BECAUSE WE RESTRICT IT TO M ONE. THAT'S WHY I'M OF THE ESSENCE THAT WE NEED TO REPEAL IT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SUCH A DISASTER. I DON'T LIKE IT AND I THINK.

THAT IT'S NOT THREE YEARS, I THINK IT'S SIX MONTHS, I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY IS JUST LIGHT SPEED AHEAD OF US.

AND I JUST THINK PROCEDURALLY, I JUST DON'T LIKE THE STATUTE AND I AND WHEN I GET INTO SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC THAT I THINK IS BAD, I GUESS MAYBE THAT'S OUR DIFFERENCE.

AND BUT I AGREE WITH YOU, I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT DECOMMISSIONING.

AND AND I THINK IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.

BUT I'M MORE HUNG UP ON SOME PROCEDURAL STUFF THAN THE SUBSTANTIVE STUFF.

THAT'S MY BIG THING THAT I AND I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT IT.

UM, BUT ALL THE LITERATURE OUT IN CALIFORNIA WHERE THEY'RE SO FAR AHEAD OF US, UM.

YOU JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT.

IT'S REALLY ALL WE CAN DO AND WITH OUR BANKRUPTCY CODE, WE'RE GOING TO BE STUCK WITH HOLDING THE BAG AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE DOING ALL OF THIS AMORTIZATION WITH CPAS DOING ALL THE MONEY IS THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE IT ALL ON THE FRONT END WITH THE TAX CREDIT AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE HOLDING THE BAG.

AND THAT'S JUST, I GUESS I'M TAKING THAT AS A GIVEN RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE SUCH A PROBLEM MOVING FORWARD.

MORE OF A 15 YEAR PROBLEM OR A TEN YEAR PROBLEM THAN A THIRTY YEAR PROBLEM.

BUT I REALLY, REALLY THINK THAT THIS IS DANGEROUS AND I THINK THAT THERE'S WARNING SIGNS ALL AROUND US, ALL AROUND US RIGHT NOW.

AND I WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS, BUT I TOOK MR. RAILEY'S ADVICE AND I VOTED SIX MONTHS.

SO BUT I THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY EVERYBODY IS AN AGREEMENT.

WE'RE JUST AT DIFFERENT PLACES IN THIS ORDINANCE AND IT'S JUST IN A TRANSITION PERIOD.

I MEAN, AS THE WORLD GOES GREEN BY WHAT, 20, 30, 50 PERCENT OF THE CALLS GOT TO BE ELECTRIC, IT'S SO MUCH CHANGED IT BY THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION.

WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LIVING DOCUMENT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON IT AS WE GO FORWARD.

SO WE JUST NEED TO FIND THE BEST OF THE BEST, INCORPORATE THAT AND CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WHAT CHANGES AND MAKE CHANGES ACCORDINGLY AS WE GO ALONG.

I MEAN, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A HARD DOCUMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR 20 YEARS. IT'S GOING TO CONSTANTLY CHANGE.

WELL AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I THINK WE'VE LEARNED A LOT IN THE LAST THREE, THREE YEARS AND WE LEARNED A LOT IN TWO YEARS WE WORKED ON IT PRIOR AND SOME OF WHAT WE LEARNED THE TWO YEARS PRIOR JUST GOT IGNORED WHEN THE SOLAR FACILITY CAME IN.

SO IT'S WE'RE LEARNING SOMETHING EVERY DAY AND WE LEARNED A LOT TONIGHT.

SO I AGREE WITH YOU.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REVIEW THIS EVERY TWENTY FOUR MONTHS, REALLY.

BUT WE ALREADY KNOW WE'VE GOT TO TIGHTEN SOME STUFF UP NOW.

AND. BUT THERE'S A THERE'S AN OBVIOUS PRESSURE, INTEREST, INTEREST TO DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS HERE, AND I THINK MY BIG CONCERN IS THE BEST USE OF THE LAND.

IT'S JUST SO MANY.

IT'S SO MANY ACRES IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.

SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY IS THE LARGEST [INAUDIBLE] COUNTY IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.

THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT THOUSAND ACRES IS THE NUMBER ONE PRODUCER OF PEANUTS.

IT'S THE NUMBER ONE PRODUCER OF SOYBEANS.

IT'S THE NUMBER ONE PRODUCER OF COTTON IN THE STATE IN THE OLD DOMINION.

WE ALSO CONSIDER WESTERN TIDEWATER NOW FOR THE TIDEWATER AREA TO GROW THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER FRONT OR WESTWARD MOVE, AND I REFER TO IT AS.

BUT ONCE THEY COME ACROSS THE BLACKWATER RIVER HERE.

HERE WE ARE. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER PRESSURE THAT'S GOING TO COME AND IT'S GOING

[01:20:05]

A VERY BALANCED NETWORK IN REFERENCE TO THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE COUNTY AND SURROUNDING AREAS.

AND TO UPSET, TO DRAMATICALLY UPSET THAT BALANCE IS GOING TO AFFECT A LOT OF OTHER INDUSTRIES NOW AT THE SAME TIME.

SOMETHING ELSE MAY EVOLVE.

I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE WAY IT WORKS.

BUT WHAT WE HAD TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE, WE HAD TO LOOK AT THE INVESTMENTS.

THAT ARE GOING INTO THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY SINCE THAT IS OUR LARGEST INDUSTRY IN ACCOUNTING AND THAT IS WHERE I THINK SOME OF MY ISSUES COME FROM IF WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT A FEW ACRES LIKE THE DEVELOPMENT ACRES FOR HOME STAYS AS SUCH IN A YEAR'S TIME, BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT PROJECT IN THE NEWSOMS [INAUDIBLE] AREA.

AND THAT'S THE ONLY PROJECT THAT'S BEEN APPROVED THUS FAR.

BUT WE GOT A BAD TASTE.

YOU JUST PUT A BAD TASTE IN EVERYBODY'S.

BEING, YOU MIGHT SAY THAT THE WAY IT WAS PUSHED ON US, WE'VE GOT NO BUT VERY LITTLE RETURN. I'M NOT SAYING NO, WE'VE PROBABLY GOT SOME RETURN VERY LITTLE RETURN.

THE PROMISES THAT WERE MADE NEVER CAME TO BE.

THEY CAME IN TO BUILD IT.

THEY LEFT. THEY BROUGHT THE FIREARMS, WHICH THE FUMIGATION SORT OF CERTIFICATION OF THE NURSERY STOCK. IT'S ONE OF THOSE.

OK, ONE OF THOSE POINTS OF CONCERN [INAUDIBLE] I HAD TO DEAL WITH THE FINANCE, AND I STILL BELIEVE THEY [INAUDIBLE] AND THAT'S DOCUMENTED BY THE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, BY THE WAY, THAT THEY CAME IN THOSE POTTED PLANTS WHEN THEY BROUGHT THEM IN.

BUT THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

THAT'S A LESSON LEARNED.

THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CLEARLY MENTIONS AND I'VE GOT IT LISTED SOMEWHERE IN MY NOTES HERE, BUT IT'S THE VARIOUS PAGES ABOUT THE LAND BEING OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE.

INCLUDING OUR FORESTED LANDS, OUR WATER, OUR CLEAN AIR, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROTECT THAT. UNLESS WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SO THAT THAT IS A LOT OF MY CONCERN AND I VALUE THE OTHER CONCERNS THAT YOU ALL HAVE AS WELL, SO WE WANT TO GET IT RIGHT. WE DID A LOT OF HARD WORK ON THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE AS SOME OF THESE PROPOSALS CAME FORWARD WITH. WE'VE SAW SOME PLACES THAT WE WERE LACKING A LOT OF THE REFERENCES WHO ARE MAKING IT TO OTHER COUNTIES AND IN THE STATE OF WHAT THEY HAD DONE.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE OUT ON A LIMB DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM ANYONE ELSE.

BUT IT'S A LOT OF THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED BECAUSE WE'RE AT A PIVOTAL POINT.

IF TWO MANY ACRES ARE DIVERTED TO SOME OTHER INDUSTRY.

NOT TO SAY I LOVE MY ELECTRICITY, OK, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S WATER OR I DON'T CARE IF IT'S SOLAR, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S GAS.

I DON'T CARE IF IT'S WIND, BUT I LOVE MY ELECTRICITY, OK? BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW TO COUNT IT FOR THE RESOURCES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THAT WE'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH. I JUST DON'T KNOW IT RIGHT HERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO DO A HEAVY CONCENTRATION. OF THIS TYPE OF INDUSTRY.

THAT'S THAT'S MY MAJOR CONCERN.

WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK NOT ONLY OUR LOCALITY, BUT LOCALITIES ALL ACROSS THE STATE ARE FACED WITH THE SAME THING BECAUSE FOR THE STATE OF VIRGINIA BY X DATE THAT THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, SO MANY MEGAWATTS OF POWER TO BE GREEN.

SO WE'RE NOT THE ONLY COUNTY FACED WITH IT.

IT MAY JUST SEEM THAT WAY, BUT IF YOU GET OUT AND ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES WITH ALL THE FARMS THAT COME UP.

I THINK WE NEED TO BE BETTER EDUCATED BECAUSE ONE THING IS UNDERSTANDING HOW THE GRID WORKS AND THE PART THAT SOLAR IS GOING TO PLAY IN THE FUTURE.

WE NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON THAT WE NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PANELS BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF INFORMATION PUT OUT THERE THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE TRUE.

SO WE NEED A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, IS THE SMALLER SCALE SOLAR.

IT SEEMS TO BE THE WAY A LOT OF LOT'S GOING NOW.

AND THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE YOU CAN SUPPLY POWER WITH A FIVE OR SIX THOUSAND HOMES IN THESE SMALL AREAS.

AND THAT'S WHY UNDERSTANDING THE FUTURE OF THE GRID IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE ALL THIS IS GOING TO PLAY A PART INTO IT.

[01:25:02]

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS.

AND THEN MAYBE WE COULD ENVISION A LITTLE BIT SOMETHING DIFFERENT HERE IN THE COUNTY, BUT NOT KNOWING THAT WE'RE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE SO. AND MR. TENNESSEE AND I APPRECIATE YOUR OPINION, AND I VALUE YOUR OPINION GREATLY, BUT I WANT TO SEE MORE EFFORT PUT FORWARD IN ROOFTOP OF THESE REALLY BIG WAREHOUSES, REALLY BIG BUILDINGS, OUR SCHOOLS, POSSIBLY, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OUR NEW COURTHOUSE ADDITION. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO INCORPORATE SOLAR.

THERE THE AMAZON BUILDING, I THINK, IN NORTHERN SUFFOLK.

I'VE BEEN WANTING TO KNOW, DO THEY, BECAUSE AMAZON IS A BIG PURCHASER OF SOLAR? I DON'T KNOW. I KNOW IT'S A HUGE BUILDINGPREACH.

WE NEED TO BE EDUCATED ABOUT WHERE CAN THEY GO? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE LIKE SOME OF THE ROOFTOPS HERE, AS WE HEARD IN THE LAST MEETING, MAY NOT HOLD THE BUILDINGS. THE OLDER SCHOOLS WEREN'T DESIGNED TO HAVE SOLAR POWER, SO FROM AN ARCHITECTURAL STANDPOINT, THAT MIGHT NOT BE A THING THAT WE CAN DO.

BUT THAT'S WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY WE NEED TO BE BETTER EDUCATED ON WHERE THEY CAN GO, HOW EFFICIENT THEY ARE, RIGHT, AND WHERE THEY NEED TO BE AT.

SORT OF LIKE WE DID WHEN WE HIRED AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT TO DO THE CELL PHONE TOWER BECAUSE THE SAME WAY, JUST LIKE NOW, YOU GOT PRIVATE INDUSTRIES COMING, WANTING TO BUILD THESE SOLAR FARMS [INAUDIBLE] THEY'RE BUILDING A CELL TOWER, YOU HAVE PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS BUILDING CELL TOWERS, TRYING TO SELL OUR SPOTS ON THE TOWER TO THE CARRIERS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE EDUCATED OURSELVES AND WE BOUGHT A CONSULTANT IN TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT NOW THAT WE DO IT RIGHT, MAYBE NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T GOT CELL PHONE RECEPTION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY VERY WELL.

WELL, BUT YOU KNOW, WE STILL NEED TO UNDERSTAND.

WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS HOW, HOW IT ALL PLAYS OUT BECAUSE SO WE ARE PLANNING FOR A FUTURE.

YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE ROUTE THAT IT'S GOING RIGHT.

LET ME LET ME SAY SOMETHING TO, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN RURAL ROCKINGHAM COUNTY.

IT'S NOT SO RURAL ANYMORE, BUT THEIR GROWTH UP THERE IS SO UNPLANNED AND HAPHAZARD.

EVERYBODY KNOW HERE THAT THE SUPERVISORS AND PLANNING COMMISSION IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY HAVE CONTACTED US.

THEY CONTACTED ME AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT OUR ORDINANCES AND STUFF.

OKAY, SO THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH US BEING PIONEERS IN THE SITUATION.

I THINK WE'VE DONE SOME GOOD WORK, AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE TO BE ABLE I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DEVELOP SOMETHING HERE IN SIX MONTHS THAT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR TWENTY YEARS. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK.

I AGREE. THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO PUT UP WITH FOR SIXTY EIGHT PERCENT OF YOUR ELECTRICITY? ALL RIGHT. THIS IS NOT GOING TO SUPPLY EVERYTHING THAT WE RUN.

IT'LL BE A VERY SMALL AMOUNT.

AND I MEAN, DOMINION, THE LADY FROM THE DOMINION, AGREE WITH THAT.

I ASKED HER IF THAT NUMBER WAS ON.

OKAY. SO ISN'T SOLAR POWER IS NOT THE POWER OF THE FUTURE.

IT'S GOING TO BE OBSOLETE IN A FEW YEARS.

THE NAVY HAS THESE LITTLE PANELS NOW.

THEY PUT ON SHIPS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SHOEBOX, WHICH ARE MORE EFFICIENT THAN A WHOLE FIELD FULL OF THESE THINGS WE HAVE NOW.

OF COURSE, THAT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.

BUT IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE ONE THE SIZE OF A SHOEBOX YOU PUT UP ON YOUR HOUSE, AND THAT'S ALL YOU NEED.

WELL, I'M GOING TO SUGGESTING YOU ALL STOP ME IF YOU WANT TO.

IT IS ABOUT QUARTER TO 10 O'CLOCK.

I DON'T WANT TO KEEP YOU ALL TOO LONG.

BUT HOW ABOUT AS WE RECESS TONIGHT, MS. LEWIS? I'LL ASK. I'LL ASK AGAIN AND I'LL PACK IT THAT YOU SEND OUT FOR WITH OUR NEXT MEETING. IF YOU WILL ITEMIZE THOSE, IT'S APPROXIMATELY SIX TO EIGHT POINTS OF INTEREST.

MAYBE WE'LL GO OVER THOSE AGAIN.

BE SURE AS WE PRESENT THOSE AND THEN THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU CAN BRING TO THE TABLE OR YOU READ OR HEAR, OR IF YOU KNOW THE PERSON THAT MIGHT BE A PERSON OF INTEREST TO COME AND SPEAK WITH US.

I WOULD CERTAINLY ASK YOU TO SHARE THE INFORMATION MS. LEWIS IF YOU GET THAT SCHEDULED.

I'D LIKE TO SEE MR. FOSTER COME AT THE NEXT MEETING IF WE CAN MAKE THE REQUEST FOR HIM TO COME. IS THAT OKAY WITH EVERYBODY IF HE COMES BACK NEXT MEETING, IF HE CAN? AND MR. HECK FROM FSC DI HAS AGREED TO COME TO YOUR OCTOBER MEETING.

WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO PUT HIM OFF? YEAH, THERE'S AN ENGINEER THAT JUST RECENTLY RETIRED FROM DUKE POWER.

I CAN'T REMEMBER HIS NAME RIGHT NOW.

I'VE GOT IT ON MY DESK, BUT HE'S WRITTEN SEVERAL EDITORIALS AND HAS BEEN IN NORTH

[01:30:02]

AND IF YOU READ WHAT HE PUTS IN THERE, IT'S SORT OF SCARY.

BUT YOU KNOW, I CAN TALK TO HIM.

I TRIED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM TODAY, BUT I COULDN'T, BUT I'LL TALK TO HIM AND SEE IF HE WOULD COME TO ME. HE'S RETIRED AND I THINK HE'S ABOUT 80 YEARS OLD, BUT.

THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED AT THE WORKSHOP.

YES. IF YOU COULD ITEMIZE THOSE AGAIN, JUST FOR A REFRESHER YES MA'AM.

NOW LET'S GO BACK TO THE NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR THE COUNTY OF FRANKLIN.

YES. HE WAS SCHEDULED TO COME NEXT MONTH.

DO YOU ALL WANT TO POSTPONE THAT ENGAGEMENT OR.

IF HE'S ALREADY SCHEDULED WE WOULDN'T WANT TO OFFEND HIM.

SO LET HIM COME ON HERE FIRST.

YOU WANT TO TALK TO MR. HECK FIRST. IT WOULD BE NICE.

HAVE HIM RUN IN. BECAUSE YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO HIM ABOUT THE LAND USE PLAN, ESPECIALLY FSC DIS FORESEEING NEEDS FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT HANDLE ON WHAT OUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ARE AND IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG FOR HIM TO PRESENT THAT. IT'S VERY INTERESTING IF YOU LISTEN TO HIM, THIS GUY, WHEN HE CAME TO APPLY FOR THIS JOB, HE KNEW MORE ABOUT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, THAN MOST OF US SITTING ON THE ON THE COMMITTEE TO SELECT HIM KNEW, THIS GUY HAD DONE THIS RESEARCH.

HECK AND THEN YOU WANT ME TO ASK MR. FOSTER TO COME BACK? YES. AND YOU WANT HIM TO TALK ABOUT WHAT DO YOU WANT HIM TO TALK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF THINGS OR THE SOLAR TECHNICAL SIDE OF THINGS OR THE LAND DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF THINGS? I WANT HIM TO TALK ABOUT AN ORDINANCE SIDE OF THING AND THE FINANCIAL AND HOW THE FINANCIAL ORDINANCE RELATES TO THE BASICS OF A LOCALITY ORDINANCE.

THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE, [INAUDIBLE] OK.

BUT THE FINANCIAL PART IS NOT OUR DECISION.

IT'S NOT. BUT WE'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND IT IN DRAFTING OUR ORDINANCE BECAUSE THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT IS TO FACILITATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOPEFULLY OUR NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUY CAN CHIME IN ON SOME OF IT.

DON'T HAVE ANY SAY IN THAT.

BUT THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND WE HAVE TO BE STEWARDS OF THE COUNTY THAT IF IT HAPPENS, WHEREVER IT HAPPENS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE HOME SCHOOL TOO, BUT IT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN, OKAY.

IT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN, NOT IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS, SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT, BUT IT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT SOME SCHOOLS HAVE IT, SOME IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA, NOT IN SOUTHAMPTON AND NO RURAL JURISDICTIONS SUFFOLK RIGHT NOW INCENTIVES FOR THESE MEGA WAREHOUSES TO PUT SOLAR ON TOP? I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME, ALL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE NOW IS IS AN OPEN, FLAT FEEL.

THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY IS LOOKING AT.

IS THAT THE BEST USE OF THE LAND? DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY HAVE IN THERE AS TO HOW MUCH POWER THEY CAN MAKE TO [INAUDIBLE] IF THEY'RE JUST RUNNING LIGHTS AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY CAN HAVE ENOUGH PANELS ON THERE TO DO THAT. BUT IF THEY HAVE REFRIGERATION OR MACHINERY MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT, THEY WON'T MAKE ENOUGH OFF A ROOFTOP TO BE ABLE TO.

NOW IT MAKES ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE MEGAWATTS, BUT IT BURNS [INAUDIBLE] STARTS OFF ON GAS AND BURNS [INAUDIBLE] AND SO THAT'S A BYPRODUCT OF THE PAPER BY THE FLUFF MAKING PROCESS.

PREVIOUSLY, THEY HAD POWER BOILS AS WELL.

THEY USED CHIPS AND ALL THAT STUFF LIKE THAT TO THEY MADE ENOUGH POWER TO SELL BACK ON THE GRID. NOW THEY HAVE TO BUY ALL THE POWER, DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO SELL IT, TO BUY.

SO BUT THEY CAN, THEY CAN SUFFICE THEMSELVES.

BUT NO OTHER FACILITY NONE IN THIS AREA THAT CAN DO THAT.

OKAY. AND WHILE THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FOURTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS A MEGAWATT BECAUSE IT'S A TAXATION ISSUE, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE FINANCIAL CONCERNS DON'T IMPACT THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DECISION.

RIGHT? AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DR.

EDWARDS SAID AT THE JOINT WORKSHOP WAS THAT HE WANTED THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO STUDY THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF UTILITY SCALE SOLAR DEVELOPMENT ON THE COUNTY'S TAX BASE.

[01:35:04]

OKAY. BUT ALSO DECOMMISSIONING WAS MENTIONED AS WELL, CORRECT? RIGHT, AND THAT IS YOU KNOW THAT AS YOU'VE LEARNED OVER THE PAST, HOWEVER MANY YEARS, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS, THAT'S A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK THE THINGS I MENTIONED THAT MR. FOSTER COULD ADD TO IT.

AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CANNOT KEEP THEIR HEAD IN A BUCKET OF SAND, BUT SO MUCH LONGER.

SO THEY ADDRESS IT WITH OTHER INDUSTRIES AND WITHIN THE SAME MINERAL MINE AND ENERGY DEPARTMENT WITH THE STATE.

THAT DEPARTMENT HAS.

THEY'RE JUST LOOKING UP IN THE SKY ON THE ENERGY PART.

SO THERE SHOULD BE SOME INPUT FROM THE STATE IN THAT AREA.

THEY DO IT WITH OTHER INDUSTRIES.

THEY SHOULDN'T TURN AWAY FROM IT WITH THE SOLAR INDUSTRY.

SO DECOMMISSIONING IS A BIG THING, AND DECOMMISSIONING IS DONE IN OTHER INDUSTRIES AND SOME LOCALITIES, WHEN SOMEONE WANTS TO BUILD A NEW WAL-MART, THAT WAL-MART HAS TO INCLUDE A DECOMMISSIONING PLAN BECAUSE IT'S KNOWN THAT IN 10 15 YEARS, THAT STORE IS GOING TO BE ABANDONED FOR THE NEW ONE DOWN THE ROAD.

SO DECOMMISSIONING MIGHT NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE SOLAR INDUSTRY, BUT IT TAKES PLACE IN OTHER INDUSTRIES.

ANYWAY THAT'S A TOPIC I'D LOVE TO HEAR A LITTLE MORE ON AND GET CAUGHT UP TO DATE, JUST LIKE WE GOT CAUGHT UP TO DATE ON SOME OF THE JULY 1ST ISSUES.

ALL RIGHT WELL THE TIME CLOCK IS CLICKING.

AS OF TONIGHT OR TOMORROW MORNING, WHAT IS IT? I THINK IT'S SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE FORWARD AND COME BACK TO OUR NEXT MEETING, YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION [INAUDIBLE].

NOW ONE OTHER THING, IF YOU COULD GET WITH MR. JOHNSON AND SEE WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE THAT WE COULD GET WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AGAIN, HOW DO WE APPROACH HAVING JOINT MEETINGS AND MAKING SURE ALL OF THAT IS LEGAL? AND WHAT WHAT KIND OF SCHEDULE IS GOING TO BE CONVENIENT FOR THEM AND WHETHER WE MEET ONCE A MONTH OR TWICE A MONTH? YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST KIND OF OUTLINE SOMETHING [INAUDIBLE] IF THAT'S AGREEABLE TO THE BOARD. OK ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? BUT MY INPUT WOULD BE WE HAVE WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE PROBLEM.

LET'S COME BACK NEXT MONTH TALKING ABOUT SOLUTIONS.

OKAY. I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS, RIGHT? AND SPEND SPEND OUR TIME TALKING ABOUT SOLUTIONS.

THANK YOU. AND WE'LL TAKE ONE TOPIC AT A TIME.

LET'S GET SOMETHING CONCRETE WRITTEN DOWN.

WE'LL TAKE IT ONE IF WE GET TWO OR THREE A NIGHT OR ONE PER NIGHT OR ONE SESSION OR WHATEVER. BUT LET'S GET IT CONCRETE AND THEN WE'LL GO FORWARD.

AND THEN AND THEN AT THE END, WE'LL HAVE A PROPOSAL THAT WE CAN OR A RECOMMENDATION SEND UP TO THE BOARD FOR THEY'RE APPROVAL OR WHATEVER.

THE VERY FIRST THING NEXT MONTH WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR MS. BEALE'S VOLUNTARY AG APPLICATION.

YOU DID THE THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE TYPICALLY WOULD HAVE IT TONIGHT, BUT WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF OTHER STUFF GOING ON. THAT WILL ONLY TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES.

ANYTHING ELSE OF IMPORTANCE COMING UP NEXT, MEETING ANYTHING ELSE SCHEDULED? NO, I RECEIVED NO APPLICATIONS.

ALL RIGHT. OKAY.

CAN WE GO NOW TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD? ANYBODY WHO HAS ANYTHING TO COME ACROSS THE BOARD TO COME AT THIS TIME, I'LL REMIND YOU ABOUT THREE MINUTES ON THE CLOCK.

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW SO YOU'RE FREE TO COME FORWARD.

ANYONE? LAST CALL.

ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD, OKAY.

GOT NO [INAUDIBLE] MATTERS TONIGHT IS ANYTHING ELSE, ANY OTHER BUSINESS FROM THE BOARD BEFORE WE ADJOURN.

ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE, MY AUDIENCE AND THE ONE WHO PARTICIPATED TONIGHT AND OF COURSE, OUR WONDERFUL BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMBERS THAT ARE STILL HERE AND OUR STAFF MEMBERS THAT STAYED ON OUR SHERIFF AND REPRESENTATIVE SHERIFFS APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE TONIGHT.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND STAYING WITH US TO THIS LATE HOUR.

IF NOBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO BRING FORWARD, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN,

[01:40:05]

I HAVE MOTION DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

I WISH EVERYBODY A SAFE TRIP HOME.

THANK YOU ALL.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.