[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6223208,"mediaKeyId","3576831-dfa9ab90c4af6117b267594acd737451","parentId",3576831,"title","Bastrop imposes 12-month moratorium on solar-farm approvals, cites application irregularities","audioSeconds",1980,"startMs",2850000,"endMs",4830000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3576831-dfa9ab90c4af6117b267594acd737451&start=2850&end=4830","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3576831-dfa9ab90c4af6117b267594acd737451/thumbnail_2850000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6223208/Bastrop/Morehouse-Parish/Louisiana/Bastrop-imposes-12-month-moratorium-on-solar-farm-approvals-cites-application-irregularities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223208-fd05c3652ea043057890e5ee22069e6b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164416&Signature=QZUPIMogQLO-gQY7~qK3Psn43dxXA8sIaECe0t~QLWuEVp6CVnfQNH7gPNkr3Rmnaj~wFP7yV-~f4edDfPAF528n6fILhonlFWOLJ13DVmXnw0Xg-RxMXo53Ne-weUvMeThc6hZKk-kAqcM3AqwBq0dIoAbxt4pt324TK-mejPpLrBgiKGVNKTLrQj4BSE~bLLeqLa-eWUgWEP6BJWr~ac8ZhZbOP3CbHX3SYkJGY-5R3sr4pf2fZgXILOHHUdFEsRCfCND8D3uO7~qcML-yaMkOwVwkl8DeF-VcAwrzjCSd5x5niPxuR-D~~s8XvZAimr0MO2F65ZahYTHhzk9orw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-29T08:26:11.15Z","article","The Bastrop City Council on Monday approved an ordinance imposing a temporary moratorium of up to 12 months on approvals for additional solar farms and on planning and zoning decisions that would ordinarily be made by the planning and zoning administrator or the board of adjustments.

City attorney Jones, who led the ordinance discussion, told the council the move would give the council time to review and revise planning and zoning ordinances and make clear who has final decision-making authority. \"The state's law allows you to place a moratorium for not longer than 12 months on anything,\" Jones said while explaining the draft ordinance and its scope.

Council members said the action was prompted by what they described as irregularities in permit and occupational-license paperwork for at least two proposed solar projects inside the city limits, including a file labeled with the project name Golden Beam Power LLC (also appearing in paperwork as Sunbeam Solar LLC) for a Colliers Lane address. Council members said they found incomplete application records in the municipal files — in one copy the only boxes filled in were \"project name\" and a decision field marked \"approved\" — and asked staff and the city attorney to review whether those approvals had proper signatures and documentation.

Attorney Jones said the moratorium is effective back to the date of the ordinance's introduction (advertised April 17 in the council discussion) and that decisions or permits issued between that introduction date and the council’s adoption may require case-by-case legal review. \"From this day going forward, if you adopt a moratorium, I will tell you I have no issue with that,\" Jones said; he advised that potential legal exposures for actions taken between April 17 and the adoption date would need to be handled on a case-by-case basis and recommended executive-session review for litigation strategy.

The council amended the draft moratorium language to clarify the title and scope and then approved the ordinance as amended. Council members also asked staff to provide full copies of applications, occupational-license documentation, and any earlier signed originals for the sites in question so the council and attorney can review records in advance of planned ordinance and code revisions.

Why it matters: Council members said the moratorium is intended to stop additional administrative approvals while the council and staff clarify rules for special-use permits, administrator authority and appeals so that zoning decisions affecting large sites inside the city limits are handled transparently and with documented authority.

What’s next: Staff and the city attorney will assemble the project files and recommended ordinance revisions. The council also discussed tabling a related ordinance revising procedures for special-use permits (ordinance 4-42-82, referred to in the hearing) and returning that drafted code change at a future regular meeting after public notice and staff follow-up.

Actions recorded: The council voted to approve the moratorium ordinance as amended (the amendment narrowed/clarified the published title and restated the ordinance’s effective period to begin on the April 17 introduction date and last up to 12 months). The ordinance passed by a council majority; a roll-call vote was recorded in the minutes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Special Call Meeting May 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved a 12-month moratorium on approvals for additional solar farms and on planning/zoning administrator and board-of-adjustments decisions while it revises zoning and special-use procedures; the move followed council concerns about incomplete or unclear applications for sites inside city limits.","taxTitle","Bastrop, Morehouse Parish, Louisiana","taxId",69771,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6223212,"Bastrop council adopts millage resolution, rejects roll-forward option",543,1201000,1744000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3576831-dfa9ab90c4af6117b267594acd737451&start=1201&end=1744","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3576831-dfa9ab90c4af6117b267594acd737451/thumbnail_1201000.jpg","/articles/6223212/Bastrop/Morehouse-Parish/Louisiana/Bastrop-council-adopts-millage-resolution-rejects-roll-forward-option","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223212-24576e404b531fcf9fec796527f1e48f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164416&Signature=BmpvZWOsLEyvoHS35k5VBxfxNQQ8g~v3Sc4IE~8shnlcZvAt3gvspqcscUeQUwr1qPfOVAPwClrWPE7tYIlb5gXHw6-UiUb8qBuxjhp4ORMXv~VE~Vuf-xDn8WzBO53KbWGUXFPwHy6fXPbSCZ8kkuRyTbgWPBpvvCHVISaRuCITEXyzcgSQX17xcO9rzWxGg6ruNbw8xI7EKoMSOREVAdqJm94yRD-3Be93sT~i-AxMEeoFRTBjNVcc3Y5MLDrNXrJetmygSyr0sffNEQwwQsdsICFh0~mGoHdZVoOKMbeMpdV68IUucw9dxHdLePv-TyhN5D01wfS6NxBxU--mKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bastrop City Council voted to adopt Resolution 25-20-98 on set millage rates for tax year 2025 and rejected Resolution 25-20-99, which would have rolled millage rates to their maximum authorized levels.

City finance staff told the council the meeting was scheduled to meet a state deadline and to comply with guidance from the legislative auditor’s office. \"This agenda is prepared according to the requirements of the legislative auditor's office,\" city staffer Meredith Holmes told the council during the hearing.

The adoption keeps the city’s rates at the prior-year levels rather than increasing them to the maximum the city could levy under previously approved voter authorizations. Holmes said the city’s 2024 reassessment year produced fluctuations in assessed values and reiterated that the council still may choose to increase rates up to previously approved maximums until the next reassessment cycle in 2028.

Holmes told the council the 2023 tax roll collections totaled about $3,230,000 (listed in the staff packet as $3,230,000.00) and that 2024 collections were still in process. She said failing to adopt a rate would impede the assessor's ability to prepare tax bills and that the council had to act to meet the state filing timeline.

Council members debated two documents: Resolution 25-20-98 (to maintain the current rates) and Resolution 25-20-99 (to adopt adjusted/maximum millage rates). The council amended the title of 25-20-98 to remove the phrase \"all other taxes\" from the published title and then voted to approve 25-20-98 as amended and to reject 25-20-99.

Why it matters: adopting 25-20-98 gives the assessor the rate information needed for billing and keeps the city’s tax rate at the level the council said it preferred, while rejecting the roll-forward option preserves the council’s decision not to increase the city’s tax burden at this time.

What’s next: Staff said the city will publish the adopted resolution and provide the council with supporting documents and the next budget materials at the June packet so the incoming administration and public can review them before final budget adoption.

Actions recorded: The council voted to approve Resolution 25-20-98 (as amended in title) and voted to reject Resolution 25-20-99. The meeting record identifies the motions, the amendment to 25-20-98 to strike the phrase \"all other taxes\" from the title, and that both votes were passed by the council during the session. The staff packet and council discussion are available as part of the official minutes.","The Bastrop City Council voted to adopt Resolution 25-20-98, keeping property millage rates at the prior year’s levels, and voted to reject a second resolution that would have rolled rates forward to their maximum authorized levels.","actionData","errors"]

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Bastrop imposes 12-month moratorium on solar-farm approvals, cites application irregularities

Bastrop council adopts millage resolution, rejects roll-forward option