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Reno County approves intent to issue industrial revenue bonds for Meadowlark renewable natural gas project
Summary
At its July 8 meeting, the Reno County Commission approved a resolution of intent (Resolution 2026-28) authorizing the county to begin the process that could allow industrial revenue bonds for a Meadowlark renewable natural gas facility; the vote was unanimous. The resolution preserves potential federal tax-exempt financing and a sales tax exemption while conditions remain to be satisfied.
The Reno County Commission on July 8 approved Resolution 2026-28, a non-binding resolution of intent to issue industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) to support a renewable natural gas facility proposed by Meadowlark.
The vote came after county bond counsel Kevin Cowan explained the main purpose of the measure: to preserve the ability to treat project costs as eligible for federal tax-exempt bond reimbursement and to allow Meadowlark to qualify for certain sales tax exemptions during construction. "So that's part of the timeliness of this," Cowan said, describing the 60-day reimbursement look-back the county would establish by adopting the resolution.
Meadowlark's representative, introduced as Casey, said the company would take landfill biogas, clean it into pipeline-quality methane and use the renewable natural gas as a revenue source for the landfill. "We will be taking the biogas from the landfill and cleaning it up and turning it into pure methane, which is renewable natural gas," Casey told the commission, and added the project has secured a construction contractor, is close to finalizing two easements and plans a fuller presentation on July 22.
Commissioners emphasized the action before them was a step in a longer review. Cowan and staff noted the resolution includes conditions precedent and does not finalize bond issuance; the county will still need to complete legal and tax-code analyses and satisfy conditions before any IRBs are issued.
The commission moved and seconded the resolution and approved it by roll call. The clerk recorded all five commissioners voting in favor. The record shows the motion advanced the county's ability to reimburse Meadowlark for qualifying pre-issuance costs and to preserve sales-tax incentives while staff and counsel complete further analyses.
What happens next: Meadowlark will return at the July 22 meeting with a fuller project status report, and staff and bond counsel will continue tax-code and condition reviews before the commission would consider final bond issuance.
Votes at a glance: Resolution 2026-28 (advisability of issuing industrial revenue bonds) ' Approved by roll call; motion carried unanimously.
