Committee approves IGA to direct solar-lease revenue from Landfill 2 into closure account

The Belvidere Committee of the Whole on March 23 voted to authorize the mayor to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with Boone County to place any revenues derived from solar leases at Landfill 2 into the landfill account for use in closure, monitoring and remediation costs.

The mayor said Landfill 2 is owned by Boone County but operated by the city under older intergovernmental agreements and that the city and county typically share closure and monitoring costs 50/50 until IEPA final closure approval. City staff said Boone County identified a mechanism to generate limited revenue from solar leases and proposed an IGA to ensure those funds are placed in the landfill account to defray ongoing monitoring and closure costs.

City and county staff said the amount is expected to be modest initially; one county official estimated roughly $10,000 annually. Alderman Peterson and others discussed how the city is named as the IEPA-certified operator and questioned the implications for city liability and long-term obligations. The motion authorizing the mayor to enter the IGA (mover: Alderman Frank; second: Alderman Hoynes) passed and will be presented to the county as well; the mayor said the city expects a final agreement after any minor county-requested modifications.

Why it matters: The IGA aims to ensure any revenue from solar development on county-owned landfill property is used only for landfill closure and monitoring, addressing both financial oversight and long-term environmental obligations tied to IEPA requirements. Council members discussed the city’s operator status and historical context of the allocation of responsibilities dating to the 1970s.

Next steps: The IGA will move forward to the county for consideration and may be modified slightly based on county review; staff will report revenue and accounting annually to the proposed coordinating committee.