Sun Chief takes next steps

A solar farm took the next step toward becoming a reality.

Jay County Commissioners approved road use and decommissioning agreements Monday with Sun Chief Solar, Scout Clean Energy’s proposed solar farm just northeast of Redkey.

Scout’s plans call for a 100-megawatt solar facility located on approximately 1,200 acres in the same area as Bitter Ridge Wind Farm, which was completed last year. It would have setbacks of 250 feet from homes, 75 feet from wetlands, 50 feet from roads and 30 feet from property lines.

County attorney Bill Hinkle reviewed agreements with commissioners and noted most of the terms are similar to previous projects. The company will need to put up a $4.7 million bond in order to ensure the roads — county roads 400 South, 500 South, 700 West and 800 West are among them — will be returned to their current state, or better, following project construction. Also, he continued, about 2.6 miles of underground transmission lines for the solar farm will be added.

As stated in the decommissioning agreement, a bond will be posted for future decommissioning of the project. (It is estimated to operate between 35 and 40 years.)

Construction is estimated to begin in 2023. Operations may begin as soon as the end of that year.

Scout still has to seek approval for a tax abatement and an economic development agreement with the county.

Two other companies are also in the midst of solar development in Jay County. Invenergy presented its plans in February for a $150 million, 155-megawatt facility (Skycrest Solar) on about 2,500 acres in Penn and Jackson townships, and Leeward Renewable Energy shared plans with commissioners in July for a $150 million, 150-megawatt solar farm (Rose Gold Solar) on about 1,340 acres just north of Dunkirk.

Sun Chief Solar and Rose Gold Solar are expected to visit Jay County Council on Wednesday to seek preliminary approval for a tax abatement.

Also Monday, commissioners agreed to make the 80-hour sick leave pay for county employees with COVID-19 retroactive to Jan. 1. (Previously it extended to July.) Commissioner Chad Aker noted he had heard from some employees who requested it be made retroactive to March.

The policy was originally put in place in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and commissioners reinstated it Sept. 29 through the end of 2021. It includes time off for employees with the virus or those caring for family members diagnosed with COVID-19.

Highway superintendent Donnie Corn told commissioners all road conversions planned for this year –– approximately 7 miles –– have been completed. County roads converted from stone hard surface are 200 East between 100 North and 200 North, 450 East between 500 North and 600 North, 450 East between 600 North and Indiana 67, 300 South between Como Road and 700 West, 350 South between Indiana 67 and 700 West and 1225 West between 600 and 700 South.

Construction on U.S. 27 near county road 400 North has been completed, he continued. He added that Indiana Department of Transportation will be doing road work near Redkey in 2022, with work scheduled for just west of town on the overpass and also north and south of Redkey on Indiana 1. (Indiana 67 and Indiana 1 will be closed during that time.)

His department is waiting to hear on a price for a new transmission for a dump truck, which likely won’t be fixed until the start of 2022. One of the department’s mowers will also need to be replaced.

County clerk Jon Eads reported he doesn’t believe there will be any redistricting changes locally this year. (On a state level, he added, the northern third of the county will now be part of District 19, represented by Republican Matt Lehman of Berne, while the remainder of the county remains in District 33, represented by Republican J.D. Prescott of Union City.)

Commissioners Brian McGalliard and Rex Journay also requested another potential contract with Core Facilities Inc. president Matthew Stechly for his maintenance supervision services with an option for visiting select county buildings on an annual basis. They requested both an annual and semi-annual option in the contract at a meeting in September. On Monday, commissioners reviewed only one potential contract with semi-annual visits. The $12,620 agreement, which would be split into two payments, would last for 36 months.

In other business, commissioners Aker, McGalliard and Journay:

•Signed a contract with Appraisal Management Research Company of Rochester for reassessment. The service, which takes four years, will cost approximately $61,000. That price has increased about 13%, according to county assessor Robin Alberson, from the last reassessment process that began five years ago.

•OK’d a proposal for a county income survey. Jay County Development Corporation executive director Travis Richards explained the process will include mailing about 500 letters and potentially visiting residents door-to-door.

•Heard from Jay County Community Development director Christy Shauver and Richards, who shared updates on various projects and developments.

•Paid a $11,985 claim from Havel for new parts for the Jay County Sheriff’s Office chiller and a $5,000 claim from Jay County Humane Society for animal control services.

•Selected a $895.99 bid from Fastenal of Portland for a new 10-foot rolling ladder at Dunkirk Emergency Medical Services base.