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Council asks staff to draft BESS ordinance after fire-safety, setback concerns
Summary
Council asked staff to draft a battery energy storage systems (BESS) ordinance, favoring a Lake City–style approach with strengthened water-supply and setback requirements to address fire and hazardous-gas risks near residences and schools.
Council discussed proposed approaches to regulating battery energy storage systems (BESS), asking staff to prepare an ordinance based on Lake City's template and to strengthen provisions tied to water access and setbacks.
Staff described multiple local approaches: an outright ban used by San Marcos, an exhaustive special-use approach used by Kerrville, and Lake City's hybrid model. "Apparently, these they're they're mainly lithium ion," a staff speaker said, outlining the technology and its fire risks. Council and staff discussed setbacks from city lines, schools and residences, the risk of reignition after suppression, and the need for a site-specific approval mechanism (special use permit) if the council wants extra scrutiny.
Council directed staff to draft an ordinance for the next meeting, noting Dickinson's particular constraints — such as limited municipal water-service coverage — that could require stronger assurances from a proposing facility that adequate water would be available for firefighting.
