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Kingston Board gives notice of intent to enter PILOT for Titan Ridge solar project
Summary
The Kingston City School District board voted to notify the owner of a proposed Titan Ridge solar energy system that the district intends to opt into a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement under state law, allowing the district to receive revenue from the project.
The Board of Education of the Kingston City School District voted unanimously to give notice of its intent to enter a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement for a proposed solar energy system to be built by Titan Ridge PVLCC.
The resolution (BOE 35) directs the district clerk to notify the owner of the project of the board’s ongoing intent to enter into a PILOT pursuant to state real-property tax law on qualifying solar projects. Board members moved and seconded the resolution after returning from executive session and called for a roll call vote; the motion passed with all voting trustees present voting yes and two trustees recorded as excused.
Board members said the action preserves the district’s ability to receive payments it would otherwise forgo if the district did not opt into a PILOT. The board noted that under state law solar projects can be tax-exempt unless a local taxing jurisdiction opts in and negotiates a PILOT.
The vote followed a short explanation on the fiscal effect: by opting into a PILOT the district retains a path to receive revenue from the project that would be exempt from regular property taxes absent a local opt-in. The resolution itself only gives notice of intent and requires further steps to finalize any agreement and the specific payment terms.
No details on the proposed payment amounts, contract terms, or project schedule were provided during the meeting. The district clerk was directed to notify the owner of the project as required by the resolution; further negotiation and any final PILOT agreement were not part of the vote recorded at this meeting.
The board did not discuss specific dollar amounts or a final contract at the meeting; those details will depend on subsequent negotiations and any formal agreement returned to the board for approval.
