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Board backs landfill gas lease, schedules solar ordinance hearings and pledges ARC guarantee for waters project
Summary
After a closed session, the Tazewell County Board approved dissolving prior landfill gas leases in favor of a new 20-year lease with an 80% royalty to the Industrial Development Authority, voted to advertise a solar-energy-facilities ordinance for public hearing and to hold a separate hearing on a site agreement with Interjects, and authorized staff to pursue an up-to $1,000,000 ARC grant guarantee tied to the Jonah Pure Salmon water/wastewater project.
Following an executive (closed) session under Virginia Code §2.2-3711, the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 5 took several development-related actions.
A board member (S2) moved to dissolve prior landfill gas leases held by the Tazewell County Industrial Development Authority and approve a new lease with the IDA. The motion described a 20-year term and an 80% royalty arrangement; the board approved the motion upon returning to open session, and the county attorney was authorized to make conforming amendments to the draft lease.
The board also voted to advertise a proposed county ordinance regulating the construction of solar-energy collection facilities and to set a joint public hearing with the planning commission. Separately, the board approved holding a public hearing on a site agreement with Interjects (described in executive session) before approving any site contract.
In the same set of motions, the board authorized county staff to make copies of the ordinance and the Interjects site agreement part of the motion record. A board member (S4) moved — and the board approved — a guarantee to the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) that the board would repay up to $1,000,000 of ARC grant funds made available to the PSA for the Jonah Pure Salmon water and wastewater project in the event Pure Salmon does not repay those funds; the county administrator was authorized to execute necessary documents and pursue a supporting bond.
Why it matters: the landfill gas lease is a long-term revenue arrangement with the IDA and may affect future county revenues and operations at the landfill; the solar ordinance and site-agreement hearings are the next steps in regulating siting of solar facilities and evaluating a specific developer agreement; the ARC guarantee commits the county to potential contingent repayment totaling up to $1 million if the private project does not proceed as planned.
What happens next: staff will finalize and record the landfill gas lease as authorized, publish public-notice materials for the solar ordinance and Interjects hearings, and pursue a bond and finalize documentation for the ARC guarantee if requested by the PSA.
Provenance: motions taken immediately after certification of the closed session.
