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Commissioners plan attorney‑led workshop after solar developers request abatements; reinvestment zone options raised
Summary
Developers proposing solar farms on county roads 549 and 550 requested some form of tax abatement; commissioners directed staff to schedule a workshop with the county’s attorney to review reinvestment zone (TIRZ/IRZ) options and the county’s criteria before developer presentations.
Mills County commissioners discussed two separate solar‑farm proposals near County Roads 549 and 550 and directed staff to schedule an attorney‑led workshop to consider tax abatement and reinvestment‑zone options.
Commissioners said two development teams have toured proposed sites on both sides of a roadway that crosses two precincts. Both developers reportedly asked for "some type of abatement," prompting commissioners to seek legal guidance on whether the county should create reinvestment zones and how many such zones would be appropriate.
The court asked county staff to contact the county attorney to arrange a workshop — preferably in‑person — to walk through criteria, possible abatement structures and the legal steps needed to implement a reinvestment zone (sometimes used to enable tax abatements). Commissioners said they want counsel present before taking further steps or hosting developer presentations.
No formal decision to grant abatements or to create reinvestment zones was made at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to contact Attorney Jeffrey Allen (name provided in the discussion) to coordinate availability for a workshop, tentatively targeting June 25 for a related presentation and scheduling the attorney prior to developer meetings.
