Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pace Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clay County approves Show Me PACE membership to allow commercial energy financing
Summary
Commissioners voted to join the Show Me PACE district, enabling commercial property owners to finance energy-efficiency and solar projects through a lien-based assessment mechanism; staff said the county is a nonparty and PACE bills will be handled by a third-party servicer.
The Clay County Commission voted to join the Show Me PACE district (Ordinance 28) after staff and a Show Me PACE representative outlined how the program would operate for commercial projects.
Josh Campbell, Missouri Energy Initiative administrator for Show Me PACE, described the program and said the first local project in the county is for Walnut Creek Winery with contractor Solar Guys USA. He summarized the advantages that lead businesses to use PACE: "PACE is a 20-year fixed interest term ... it can be paid annually at the end of the year, so a business with seasonal cash flow can manage payment timing," he said.
Campbell and staff emphasized the county’s limited role. "The county should not be a party to PACE funding agreements," the program documents state; instead the district administers assessments and a third-party servicer bills the property owner directly. County Assessor Tracy Baldwin requested written confirmation that the assessor and recorder would receive copies of each executed notice; Campbell acknowledged the obligation and said the district would provide the notices and record assessment liens with the recorder of deeds.
Commissioner Johnson asked why the county must opt-in; Campbell and staff explained state law requires local jurisdictions to join a PACE district for projects to be available in that jurisdiction. Concerns about lien priority and foreclosure consequences were discussed; Campbell said PACE assessments take priority only for amounts delinquent at time of foreclosure and that mortgagee consent is required at closing.
Commissioner Wagner moved to approve Ordinance 28; the motion passed on roll call 5-0. The county will hold a seat on the PACE advisory board and receive quarterly updates from the program administrator.
Next steps: Show Me PACE will provide copies of executed notices of assessment to the county assessor and recorder when projects close; staff will coordinate an advisory-board representative and quarterly reporting.
