Solar farm may crop up in northern Lee County

LEESBURG — The Lee County Board of Commissioners eased through a light agenda at its monthly work session Tuesday evening. The Board considered seven action items, approving five, rejecting one and tabling another.

The meeting opened with a request from Community Energy Solar’s Chris Killenberg for the board to consider a tax abatement on an option to lease 1,500 acres for a solar farm to be located in northeast Lee County just off Chokee Road.

The company currently has an option to lease the land and must turn in a bid to sell the electricity, or the farm itself, to Georgia Power. Killenberg told the board that bid would depend heavily on what kind of abatement the company could get from the county.

Killenberg pointed out the success of three solar farms in Taylor County because of favorable abatement deals.

“Typically, solar projects benefit from some sort of tax abatement,” Killenberg said. “I’ll be talking about this with your economic development people later.”

He added the facity would have the capability of generating between 100 and 160 megawatts of power.

The board also held a public hearing on the possibility of applying for a grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for a Small Cities Community Development Block Grant. The grant, up to $750,000, would be used to benefit low- and moderate-income people.

The activities for which these funds may be used are in the areas of housing, public facilities and economic development. However, there were no speakers at the meeting.

In action taken, the board approved one-year appointments of Ryan Carr and Jamie Knight to the Lee County Recreation Authority, and the appointment of Mike Sabot to the Aspire Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

The body also approved the transfer of money from Indigent Defense to Probate Court to cover cost of a pay increase for a new employee. Probate Judge Melanie Gehring has eliminated a position and, in turn, has increased the pay of one of the positions in her department to $14.75 an hour and has hired another position at $14.50 an hour. The budgeted pay rate for the Indigent Defense position was $11.96 per hour. Gehring’s office requested approval of the transfer of funds from Indigent to Probate to be able to fund these pay increases.

The board authorized the preparation and submission of a Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) funding cycle 2017 for work on Forrester Parkway or Armena Road. Board member Rick Muggridge said it was unlikely that the GTIB would approve both projects, and that if just one were approved, he would prefer it to be Armena Road.

The board approved consent joinder under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Lee County parties and Medequities Realty Trust (MRT) relating to the 50-bed hospital and medical office building to be located in the county. The MOU sets forth the obligations of the respective parties in the project and MRT’s willingness to proceed with the execution of the joinder.

The subject of the future of EMS services resurfaced and Commissioner Billy Mathis expressed his desire to see a new station located in the northern part of the county.

“In regard to EMS, I think we need to take a look at everything,” Mathis said. “Let’s look at expanding services and see where it takes us.”

That prompted a response from Commissioner Luke Singletary. “Just because were talking about it doesn’t make it a reality,” Singletary said. “We’re just tossing around ideas here.”

The board rejected a request from some county employees to use their private vehicles to conduct county business instead of utilizing county vehicles. A request from District Attorney Plez Hardin to consider a salary supplement for the assistant district attorney was tabled until the next Commission meeting.

The next regularly scheduled County Commission meeting is scheduled for Feb. 28.