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Council authorizes roughly $16,000 interest payment on wastewater‑plant solar loan amid Ameren delays
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Summary
Council authorized an interest‑only payment (approximately $16,000) to Mid America Bank on a loan used to prepay a vendor for a wastewater treatment plant solar array; the project remains delayed in Ameren's interconnection queue and is not yet producing energy.
The council voted to make an interest‑only payment of about $16,000 to Mid America Bank on a loan taken to prepay vendor Utopian Power for a solar array at the wastewater treatment plant.
City administrator Scott Coker (S4) reminded the council that about 18 months ago the council approved moving forward with the solar farm and that the city paid roughly $320,000 to the vendor to get the project started; the loan was intended as a short‑term financing mechanism. "We had to make a payment of around 320,000 to the vendor, Utopian Power," Coker said. He told the council the project remains delayed in Ameren's interconnection queue and therefore is not producing energy; staff plans to pay interest until the project moves forward.
Officials said staff expects Mid America Bank to provide the exact interest amount; S4 estimated the required interest payment at roughly $16,000 (one council member recalled an estimate near $15,300). Council authorized the interest payment on a motion that passed with all ayes.
