After several months of debate, the City of Rushford Village has reached an agreement with OneEnergy Renewables, in partnership with MiEnergy, for a $3.3 million, one-megawatt solar array. Permitting was approved January 27, but the council halted a decision on a request for a 26-year land lease from the Village. Of particular concern to the council were the length of the land lease and the per-acre price being paid.
After some follow-up negotiations and information gathering from a sub-committee of Councilors Bob Hart and Roger Knutson, the council reached an agreement with OneEnergy at the February 18 meeting. Approved was the request for a ground-mount tracking array to be placed on a Village-owned parcel, up to three acres in size. The lease is at a rate of $750 per acre, with an option to extend the lease an additional 10 years at $1,000 per acre. At the end of the term, the Village would still retain ownership of the land and have the ability to seek other usage or to lease or sell the land to another party.
One specific detail hashed out was the reclamation of the site, following the lease term. Mayor Dennis Overland stated the seeding of the parcel to grass should be a condition on the Interim Use Permit. During the lease, the land around the array will be seeded with a pollinator mix. Udelhofen noted when the array is dismantled, minimal disturbance is done, but areas will be spot seeded, as needed.
Both Eric Udelhofen, OneEnergy Renewables Director of Project Development, and Kent Whitcomb, MiEnergy Director of Member Services, were present at the meeting. Councilor Mike Ebner will serve as council liaison and contact for the project. The council has asked for the city to be included in any ground-breaking events.
Community and Economic Development Associates’s (CEDA) specialist Rebecca Charles was also in attendance at the meeting to provide a recap on completed and ongoing projects and to seek approval for an American Association of Retired Persons grant application.
In 2019, CEDA assisted the Village with networking and projects including a land survey. That project continues through 2020 and is now at the stage of land inventory and letter to property owners. Properties have been vetted for suitability for possible development and have been reduced to 300 area parcels. Charles clarified that letters will go out to the 154 persons owning these parcels. Included with the letters will be a map of the Village. Charles hopes people will mark where they’d like to see new amenities and what types. She will also continue to reach out to the Department of Natural Resources’ recreational trails needs program and continue to pursue potential Safe Routes to School trail opportunities.
Charles has also been working with City Clerk Mary Miner on the possibility of an Americans With Disabilities Act park, funded largely through an Association of American Retired Persons (AARP) grant. The grant is due April first. Recipients will be announced in May and work will need to be completed on projects by November 2020.
“It’s a real fast turn around, but it’s all-inclusive and could bring all together all of this. There are currently no ADA-compliant parks in southeastern Minnesota. None. That might be a draw,” said Charles. “There are also DNR grants if you’re redoing the parking lot or extending, adding in bathrooms, or different types of turf.”
Should the city be awarded the grant, any projects would be funded by just a 10% city match. Charles would work to secure as much of that 10% through corporate and organization donations. However, the city needs to agree to cover the amount if donations are not secured. She estimated the project to be under $100,000. “The city portion would be $10,000 or less, but we would be working to lower that. With the DNR grant as long as you’ve got a good story, it’s possible, and the ADA park is.” There are city funds available to cover the matching cost.
All-in-one playground units are in the $50,000 range, according to Charles, but additional stand-alone pieces are $1,000-3,000. The ground covering currently under consideration is warrantied 10 years and needs care just twice a year.
“There are always ongoing maintenance costs,” cautioned Knutson. “There are always costs, always labor.” The council unanimously approved moving forward with the grant application. “This is exactly the kind of things we want to see,” added Knutson of the potential project.
“Yes, this is something tangible we can show the community,” said Charles.
The vacant council seat remains vacant for the time being. One letter of interest has been received by the city from a resident previously on the council. Overland stated he is meeting with additional interested persons this week. The applicant will fill the seat only through the end of the year. All council seats are up for grabs this election cycle.
The March 3 meeting will not be held due to the Presidential Nomination Primary. The next regularly scheduled council meeting is Tuesday, March 17, at 7 p.m., at the Village Hall. The public is encouraged to attend
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