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Lake Elmo council asks staff to research solar farm options for closed landfill
Summary
The council asked staff and the city attorney to research legal and practical constraints for siting a solar farm on the city’s closed landfill, including whether outstanding general obligation bonds must be paid off before leasing the site for public benefit.
The Lake Elmo City Council heard a proposal on Oct. 21 asking the city to investigate whether the closed landfill could host a solar power installation and, if so, under what legal and financial conditions.
Tony Manzera, an Economic Development Authority member, urged the council to explore options for converting the capped landfill into a revenue-generating solar facility. He summarized the site’s history — dumping beginning in 1969, closure in 1975, subsequent remediation and Superfund-era activity — and said developers told him it may be technically feasible to mount panels without driven foundation posts.
Manzera asked staff and the city attorney to determine whether general obligation bonds tied to prior landfill remediation would need to be paid off before a lease or power purchase agreement could be executed, and to estimate the legal and staff time required for that review.
Staff said they had already opened industry outreach (including contacts at Excel) and recommended continuing technical and legal research. Council members suggested a workshop to review costs, legal exposure and business models before committing significant staff or legal time.
No formal council resolution was adopted; the council directed staff to obtain cost and legal estimates and to schedule a workshop to consider whether to pursue the idea further.
