Valley Center council tables second reading of solar ordinance after disposal, fencing questions

The Valley Center City Council on second reading moved to table Ordinance 1417-25, the proposed solar energy conversion systems ordinance, after council members and staff discussed adding requirements for decommissioning and disposal plans and clarifying fence and setback provisions.

City staff presented the ordinance changes at second reading, saying the only edits since the prior meeting were the addition of a definition and a requirement that the entire solar field be enclosed by at least a six-foot fence. A council member pressed for an explicit disposal plan for panels and batteries, saying the materials contain toxic metals and should not end up in local landfills. Staff said Sedgwick County’s ordinance includes a decommissioning plan as part of the approval process and offered to add a similar plan either in the approval process or in the abandonment section of the ordinance.

Members also discussed aesthetics and siting. One council speaker said they are not in favor of solar farms “within eyesight of the city,” noting concern about opening the door to visible arrays. Staff recommended adding an explicit written disposal and decommissioning plan to the submission requirements so the city would know how panels and batteries would be handled at end of life or if a site were abandoned.

After the discussion, a motion to table the ordinance passed; council directed staff to return with modified language clarifying where a decommissioning/disposal plan would be required and any additional edits to definitions and fencing requirements. The ordinance will return to a future meeting for further consideration.