Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, September 7, 2010,
Item 22
22.
consider and take appropriate action on request for financial incentives from project helios, a solar energy initiative in northeast Travis County.
I think we ought to give some indication of how we plan to go because it will take some time to put together a contract if we choose to move on this, Commissioner Davis.
>> yes, judge.
before we go there and as far as the action on this particular item, I would like to number 1 say that the -- there's several e-mails that have come into my office in strong support of this particular project.
we have accumulated those particular e-mails and in fact even as early as -- as late as today, we received e-mails from several groups showing support again of ms. Samuelson who is the wife of former county communication Davis samuelson who kind of in my mind is an anchor in that blackland prairie neighborhood association.
we heard several persons allude to the incentives of things -- as you know right now this is all ag land.
of course ag exemptions really don't yield that much revenue as far as collections of what the land is being used for.
in fact in this particular case I think it's a little more than 700 some odd dollars for ag exemptions on the agricultural land in this particular area.
of course now by offering such a type of situation here as far as what's being brought in the improvements and things of that nature, being brought on the same particular area we're talking about generating something that's going to be well over one million dollars of -- of revenue here to the -- to the Travis County that we would not have been bringing in.
of course, then all of these things that we have heard before the environmental aspects of things going green, as I stated earlier, we are trying to free ourselves as much as possible from fossil fuel strangle hold that has a tight grip around our throats in this country.
and if we don't divorce ourselves from it, it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
I think this green initiative is something not only doing here from this perspective, but also looks into areas where we have taken a lead as far as even the construction of our buildings.
where they have a lead silver and gold certification as far as dealing with the buildings that we have been constructing.
so this is all kind of working hand and foot and again this is the largest -- this is the 60-megawatt solar power facility, which is the largest in this particular part of the country.
so it is definitely a plus, plus, plus situation.
and I can understand folks concerns.
so there will be other input earlier, later, that we've heard.
so -- so, judge, I would like to close with that.
but that's basically I just want to lay it out, let the clerk know that she will be receiving all of these e-mails of -- of persons that have supported this overwhelmingly and y'all know how cautious I am bin put participation.
I'm a very cautious person.
I want to make sure that it's exhausted to its extreme.
so again those are just some of the things and so -- judge, if you would like to structure -- get a contract constructed on this particular section, I would like to move approval of it.
>> that we ask legal to put together a contract consistent with the terms that mr. Rhoades laid out at the beginning of the public hearing for this court's consideration and that we ask legal to get with representatives from project helios to put a -- a draft contract in as final shape as possible and present that to the court expeditiously, is that included in your motion, Commissioner Davis.
>> yes, judge.
>> and second, Commissioner Eckhardt.
>> yes.
>> sure does.
>> any discussion on the motion?
>> yes, sir.
I would ask our staff as well as representatives from helios to include these two items inside our negotiation.
one, I believe strongly, as for mayor cooke enunciated, I too am not a big fan of one size fits all and preferential tax treatment.
however this project is a tailored negotiation for a very specific preidentified priority, both at the local level, the state level and at the federal level and has the potential to tip the balance making solar less expensive for future generations, needing a domestically produced clean energy source, meaning.
I would like a negotiation on -- because I'm mindful that I don't want this property to sit fallow or to be land banked for future other use should the project not go, I'm sorry, mr. Hodde, is it hodde?
you brought up a very good point with regard to projects that don't end up making and sit there fallow, I would like there to be a condition included with regard to going into production by a mutually agreeable date.
I would also like to see -- to whatever extent appropriate, inclusion in the contract any mitigation promised to the residents with regard to transportation, infrastructure runoff, that kind of thing.
my understanding is from the research that I have done as well as staff has done that this project, unlike most other economic incentive deals that the chamber of commerce brings to us, does not require infrastructure improvements in order to sustain it.
so that's good news.
but to the extent that there are any -- any externals that need to be dealt with, I would like to see that included into the negotiation so that the county can utilize our contract with helios as a way to enforce the promises to the residents.
with that I'm obviously very, very much in favor of the project.
>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
thank you very much.
>> thank you, judge.
>> thank the citizens that came down, also the applicant.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, September 7, 2010, 2010 12:30 PM
