Williamsburg County Council adopts solar ordinance, backs grants and a $200,000 bond transfer

Williamsburg County Council on an early-May evening adopted an ordinance setting rules and standards for construction and operation of solar energy facilities and approved three financial actions including applications for federal and state grant funding and a bond transfer for fire equipment.

The council completed the third reading and adoption of Ordinance 2024-05, a measure supervisors described as establishing rules, regulations and reasonable standards for solar energy facilities and solar farms. A council member moved the ordinance, another seconded and the supervisor said, "Let the record reflect that there was no opposition to that adoption and ordinance of ordinance number 20 24 dash 0 5." The motion carried by voice vote.

The council also approved Resolution 2024-03 authorizing an application to U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development for a $750,000 community facilities grant to renovate the Alex Chapman Judicial Complex Auditorium to meet building and fire codes. The supervisor told the council the county would use the $750,000 for phase 1 of the work and then seek additional support from the congressional and state legislative delegations because the appropriation alone "was nowhere near enough to complete this project." The measure was moved, seconded and carried by voice vote.

On a separate item, the council approved Resolution 2024-04 to apply for up to $255,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding for a water and sewer improvement project on Baptist Road in the St. Mark community of Hemingway. The supervisor described resident complaints that "the water smells like sulfur" and is turbid; when asked about a local match he said he believed it to be "like a 10% match" and that he would confirm the exact requirement. The council approved the resolution by voice vote.

Councilors also accepted a finance committee recommendation to permit Williamsburg County Fire Chief Randy Swinton to transfer approximately $200,000 from a bond account (the supervisor said about $800,000 remains in the account) to buy replacement equipment the department identified as obsolete. The recommendation was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

None of the recorded items required roll-call tallies; actions were carried by voice vote with no opposition announced. Council members stressed urgency on the grant items so the county would not lose funding opportunities.

Next procedural steps: the council did not specify exact grant award dates or firm match amounts during the meeting; the supervisor said staff would return with confirmed dollar figures and additional details.