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Valley Center council tables second reading of solar energy conversion ordinance amid decommissioning concerns
Summary
The City Council on Jan. 20 tabled second reading of Ordinance 1417-25, a proposed solar energy conversion systems ordinance, after members asked staff to add decommissioning and disposal-plan requirements and consider visibility concerns for large solar fields.
Valley Center city councilors on Jan. 20 postponed action on a proposed ordinance that would regulate utility-scale solar energy conversion systems, citing the need for clearer decommissioning and disposal plans and concern about the visibility of solar farms near the city.
Councilors heard a staff presentation of Ordinance 1417-25, described as the second-reading draft of a solar energy conversion systems ordinance. Staff said the most recent changes added a definition for “forbes” and a requirement that an entire solar field be surrounded by a minimum six-foot fence for safety. Staff recommended approval of second reading.
At the dais, a council member raised questions about Section 10 on abandonment and decommissioning and asked whether the ordinance should require applicants to submit a disposal plan for solar panels and batteries. The council member noted that solar panels and batteries contain metals that should not be placed in landfills and said an upfront plan would help the city avoid improper disposal if panels were damaged by hail or completely abandoned.
City staff replied that Sedgwick County’s ordinance includes a decommissioning plan as part of the approval process and that Valley Center could add a similar requirement either in the approval/site-plan submittal or in the abandonment section of the ordinance.
Other council members expressed opposition in principle to locating solar farms “within eyesight of the city,” saying the ordinance could open the door to visible solar fields near residential areas.
After discussion about wording and where to add a disposal/decommissioning requirement, a motion was made and seconded to table Ordinance 1417-25 to a future meeting so staff can revise the draft to include a decommissioning/disposal-plan requirement and clarify the changes. The motion to table carried.
The ordinance remains under consideration; staff and council indicated they will return with revised language addressing disposal planning and other clarifications before taking further readings.
