TIF district plan approved

Jay County Plan Commission approved the economic development plan Thursday for the county’s tax increment financing (TIF) district.

It moves next to Jay County Commissioners, who meet in joint session with Jay County Council on Tuesday and in regular session June 24.

The TIF district encompasses about 191 acres southwest of Portland in Greene Township. Created about 15 years ago, it has been generating dollars used to pay off bonds associated with road work and sewer improvements near the ethanol plant in the area. Jay County made its final bond payment for the project in 2023. Jay County Redevelopment Commission has been looking into its options for how to spend the roughly $550,000 accrued annually for the next 13 years.

Its economic development plan details a list of potential projects for TIF dollars, which include: transportation enhancements, public safety enhancements, utility infrastructure, highway garage improvements, a new building for Jay County Solid Waste Management District, a new public safety building and planning and development of the county’s 68 acres on the western edge of Portland. Redevelopment commission members approved the plan May 22 and forwarded it to Jay County Plan Commission.

Consultant Ed Curtin of CWC Latitudes noted TIF funding could also be used as a local match for state and federal grants.

Plan commission member Jeanne Houchins asked if paying off the bonds associated with Jay County Regional Sewer District had been included in the list of projects. (Jay County Redevelopment Commission in March talked about potentially using TIF dollars for paying off the bonds. At that time, bonds from Jay County Regional Sewer District sat at $497,000 in principle with $253,075 in interest. They’re expected to be paid off by 2051.)

County attorney Wes Schemenaur said the idea had been considered but that it didn’t make the final plan.

“This can always be updated and amended, too,” he added.

Jay/Portland Building and Planning director John Hemmelgarn pointed out the county needs to have an economic development plan in place for its TIF district if it hopes to receive grants for projects in that area. He added that it lines up with the plan commission’s comprehensive plan, which was last updated in the 1990s.

Commission members Jeanne Houchins, Steve Ford, Steve McIntosh, Michelle Penrod, Brad Daniels, Scott Hilfiker, Dru Mercer and Todd Skirvin, absent Chad Aker, approved the plan.

Also Thursday, Jay County Plan Commission amended the development plan for Invenergy’s Skycrest Solar.

The $150 million, 155-megawatt facility is planned on about 2,500 acres in Penn and Jackson townships. Skycrest Solar is estimated to bring in an additional $55 million in assessed value.

The updated plan shifted construction start and end dates back by two years, with construction set to begin no later than Dec. 31, 2026, and to be complete by Dec. 31, 2028.

Pati McLaughlin of Jay/Portland Building and Planning noted per Jay County’s zoning ordinance that revisions must be approved by Jay County Plan Commission and explained it’s meant to prevent changes between the time of approval and construction. (She referenced a five-year gap from NextEra Energy’s initial plans for Bluff Point Wind Energy Center.)

Mike Hill, associate general counsel for permitting and local affairs at Invenergy, explained the need for a timeline extension was partially caused by an earlier shortage in solar panels. He noted Invenergy recently opened a solar panel factory in Columbus, Ohio.

Also, companies across the country have experienced delays with PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission organization that coordinates wholesale electricity movement across 13 states, including Indiana, and the District of Columbia. PJM revamped its analysis process in April 2022 for new services joining the power grid.

Hemmelgarn noted Invenergy is the only company planning a solar farm in Jay County so far that has received a final interconnection agreement with PJM Interconnection. (The first company to begin seeking approval from Jay County officials in 2021, Invenergy was “grandfathered” into the old analysis process with PJM Interconnection. Three other companies — Leeward Renewable Energy, Hodson Energy and Scout Clean Energy — are still working through the process.)

Jay County Council updated the timeline as well in its economic development agreement with the company Wednesday.

Invenergy will pay $1.75 million in economic development payments to the county over the course of four years. Per the updated agreement with Jay County Council, the first payment is now due no later than six months after construction begins. (It was previously required up to 120 days after the facility began generating electricity.) 

McLaughlin suggested notifying adjoining property owners and sending notices through the newspaper and radio because of the timeline change. Jay County Plan Commission approved the updated plan and agreed to McLaughlin’s suggestion.