Oakland Plan, May 5, 2026

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:01]We have several items on the agenda tonight. Uh uh main one being the course farm solar solar farm.

[00:00:13]We're going to add something and that is input. Uh we're going to allow input from community members. If you want to speak to the plan committee itself, we ask that you sign up at the door and make a comment or that you want to make a comment. Um, we'll have the uh solar farm people explaining their project first and that may answer many of your questions. So, we'll give you the option to cancel it if you want to at the end of it.

[00:00:52]Um so right now uh our first uh order of business is call them the meeting to order.

[00:01:03]>> The roll call.

[00:01:04]>> Ro >> here.

[00:01:05]>> Payne here. Oart >> here.

[00:01:07]>> Jenkins >> here.

[00:01:08]>> Pencil.

[00:01:14]>> Um verification of notice. Can you tell us about that?

[00:01:18]>> Yep. I put it up on the website and then the clerk put it out at the three physical locations.

[00:01:28]Included in your packet is the minutes of the last meeting. If we can uh review those quickly uh and u I'd entertain a motion and second to uh accept that minutes as written.

[00:01:42]>> I reviewed and move to approve.

[00:01:45]I'll second.

[00:01:47]>> Motion made by Courtney and seconded by Laura. All those in favor?

[00:01:53]>> I opposed.

[00:01:55]>> So carried.

[00:02:08]Number four on our agenda is discussion and possible action on request by the course Kornstead Farms. LLC for conditional use to allow a 6 megawatt dual use solar farm in an A1 zone west of W 8375 Hope Lake Road on parcels 022 0613 03 22-0000 and also partial parcel 022 0613 03 23 B0000.

[00:02:51]And who do we have representing the farm?

[00:03:05]Peter Murphy.

[00:03:10]Um, I have brought uh handouts.

[00:03:15]I placed them in front of you and then there's some by the door as well.

[00:03:21]Um, thanks for the opportunity to tell you a little bit more about the project. Um, I'm joined tonight by my co-orker Nolan Stump and also a representative of the landowner, Adam Gussy, is seated in the back.

[00:03:38]uh just kind of walk through this presentation for folks. Uh start with a little bit more background about the project. We'll talk about the project components. We'll talk about land stewardship, community benefits, and then go through some frequently asked questions and then happy to answer any other questions that may arise.

[00:04:02]Um first a little bit more about One Energy. Um and and myself uh born and raised in Wisconsin, live in southeastern Wisconsin. Nolan also born and raised in Wisconsin and lives in uh lives in Stoton now. Um we are part of a team at One Energy that is focused exclusively on Wisconsin. Um and we are an indiv independent developer of community scale renewable energy projects namely solar projects at about this scale about five six megawatts. Um, we have, uh, our main office is in Madison. There's 51 people that work there, uh, including Nolan and myself.

[00:04:45]Um, we really emphasize projects that connect to the distribution grid rather than the transmission grid. And I'll talk about that a little bit more in a little bit. Um, but out of our Madison office, we have uh, you know, construction managers, we have engineers, uh, in-house civil engineering and electrical engineering, uh, developers like Nolan and myself, um, legal HR.

[00:05:14]We are also a public benefit corporation. So, in our bylaws, we are not solely beholden to maximizing uh, shareholder value. Um we have other priorities as well. Um people, planet, profit, the triple bottom line.

[00:05:34]So our turning the page here, our mid a little bit more about our Midwest experience. This is just a map of the projects that we've constructed in the upper Midwest. You can see we've got some projects in Minnesota and Iowa and Illinois and the lion share is in Wisconsin.

[00:05:50]Um last year uh we constructed 20 projects. The nearest one that we constructed last year was the Rock Lake Solar Project which is in the town of Waterlue. Um just north of 94. You can you can kind of see it as you drive by.

[00:06:05]Uh there's another project called Hackbarth in the town of Koskanong. Um both those projects are five megawatts.

[00:06:12]Uh they occupy 25 to 30 acres each.

[00:06:21]A lot of times folks will ask us how a site is selected for a solar project.

[00:06:26]And there's really kind of three fundamental uh tenants to that site selection.

[00:06:32]Um the first is a suitable site just from a a buildability perspective. So, um you want to be free of flood planes and uh unfarmed wetlands and uh you want to make sure that the depth of bedrock is is sufficient to accommodate steel I beams. Um you want to make sure it's relatively flat, relatively free of shade. We're not in the business of like clearing a forest or anything like that.

[00:06:58]Um second is the existing electrical infrastructure. So um for all of our projects and throughout the state of Wisconsin for any project um the public service commission essentially dictates the process by which you get a distribution study. So you submit a application an interconnection application to the incumbent utility. Um there's forms and payments associated with that. They take some amount of time, usually around six months, to study their distribution grid and um basically tell you what upgrades, if any, to the electrical infrastructure need to happen to accommodate a project of the size that you're proposing on the electric grid. So, um, sometimes what happens is, uh, a project is too large for the distribution grid and so you'd have to incorporate lots of, uh, lots of upgrades to either the feeder lines or the nearby substation or maybe you're too far away from a substation or too far away from feeder lines. And so there's different upgrades that are required and that those are those tend to be very costly. So when we site a project, we want to be relatively close to a substation and as close as possible to the three-phase lines. Um and in this case, there are threephase lines right on Hope Lake Road. And we got favorable distribution study results back from the utility. Um the third and the most important factor is the uh willing land owner. So someone who's willing to um lease their land and it's a lease, not a purchase, um but lease their land for 30 years. And in our lease, we have two 10-year options to extend. So it it's 30 to potentially 40 or 50 years. And that's really contingent on is the project um producing electricity as intended. Um the solar modules themselves are warranted for 30 years.

[00:08:53]So that coincides with that 30-year lease. Um Cornstep Farms LLC is um Kim and Scott. Uh the the land has been in their family for a few generations. Um this is a 35 acre of a 35 acre area of a larger roughly 350 acre farm.

[00:09:16]Um that picture is of Adam who's in the back row. They've already got solar on their farm. They they currently um produce uh cut flowers on the farm and there's you know questions about that we can Adam can probably speak to it a little bit more later. Um, but just moving on here through the presentation, just want to give a better sense of the actual location. So, we're about half mile uh to the east of uh County Highway A right on Hope Lake Road.

[00:09:50]All righty, let's talk about project components a little bit.

[00:09:55]So um the the the project is comprised of the actual hardware is uh bfacial panels mounted up top single axis trackers and steel racking steel I beams. Um so these next couple pages talk through that. Um starting at the top bfacial solar panels they look the same on the bottom side the side that faces the earth as the side that faces the sun. Um so they're able to take advantage of the albido solar albido effect. So basically any sunlight that's reflective off snow or vegetation underneath the modules, they're able to take advantage of that and turn that into electricity as well.

[00:10:36]Um the modules are about the size of a door. Um this demonstration module here is kind of it's the same technology in general in that it's photovoltaic. It's a photovoltaic module. Um but this one has this one has a polymer back sheet whereas um the modules that we use today and that are used throughout the the utility scale industry are bfacial. They don't have that polymer back sheet. They have it it's it looks the same on the top as it does on the bottom. Um these are mounted on top of a torque tube that runs north and south and that is the fulcrum or the pivot point for the solar panels. So they track the sun from about 50 degrees to the east throughout the day. They turn 50 degrees to the west at the end of the day. And so um the bfacial modules and the single axis tracking uh together that that basically leads to about 20% greater efficiency than if you had a um fixed tilt static non-moving solar project. Um how are they in the ground? The steel I beams are directly driven into the ground about 10 feet. Um they the pile reveal is about five feet. So the the Uh the I-beams stick out of the ground about five feet and the torque tube is mounted on top of that. Um we get to this in a in a couple seconds, but we invest in more steel so that we do less grading and maintain hydrarology topography of sites u to the greatest extent possible. And I'll talk a little bit more about that in a second.

[00:12:24]Next in terms of components on the left side of of this page here we have the virtual centralized inverters.

[00:12:33]So on any solar project be it on your home or or in a field like this. Um inverters convert direct current that flows from the solar modules to alternating current which is what we use on the grid. Um so there will be 24 of them. we locate them centrally in the site. Um, and then the uh the transformers, uh, there will be two of those. They're similar to what you would see outside of a school or a department store. See transformers all the time. Transformers step up or step down voltage. In this case, they're stepping the voltage up to match what's on the distribution lines currently. So um the electricity and the voltage of the electricity is is produced by the the site is the same as what's on the existing distribution lines.

[00:13:29]Um those the I- beams and the inverters are all on steel um steel I beams. So the inverters you can see they're mounted on the steel I beams. The transformers are on a steel skid that is itself on top of steel I beams. This makes it easy to remove later. Um, but also means that there's there's no like uh there's no pavement within the site.

[00:13:52]Um, we'll have an agricultural style perimeter fence. So, deer fence. Uh, you see them all the time, similar to what you'd see around like an orchard or uh my friend up north sees them around cranberry bog all the time. It's uh wood posts pounded in the ground about four feet. They're about 8 feet tall. uh woven wire fence at the bottom. Um in Jefferson County, they've asked that we that we put the the wider openings at the bottom uh in the past. So the opening at the bottom would be 7 in by 6 in and then the narrower openings are at the top. So it's 3 in x 6 in. Um, I would presume that we would do this in this case as well, but it it made it into the conditions of our of our last two, I'm sorry, of our last three uh projects.

[00:14:43]Um, and so it allows for uh small critters to get through the fence. Um, but our goal is to exclude deer, uh, exclude humans. It is a requirement of the National Electric Code to have uh the fence around the project.

[00:15:01]Um, see anything else on that? The posts are themselves are about 20 feet apart spacing.

[00:15:09]Uh, throughout the site, uh, we plan to have, uh, permanent vegetation in the form of native pollinator habitat. So, a native prairie seed mix. Um, we are also talking with the land owner about, so like I said before, uh, Kim Kornststead has a cut flower operation adjacent to the, uh, the parcel, um, that the project is being proposed on. And so, what she would like to do is have a section within the project fence that would, um, basically supplement her the cut flower business. Um, so we were working on that. Uh there, you know, there's obviously some logistical considerations to be made, but um we're really excited about that.

[00:15:51]We have um about 300 acres today grazed by sheep and we have some we have a project that is growing vegetables as well. Um so we're really interested in agriculture of of projects like this and the ability to do that is really exciting to us. Um on projects that don't have an agricultural dual use uh we have native pollinator habitat throughout the sites.

[00:16:18]Um like I said before we invest in more steel so we can do less grading. So where you might see uh other projects or other you know other developments of different kinds doing you know they'll get site control and then they'll do kind of like a mass grading of a site.

[00:16:35]We try to avoid that. there may there may be some grading required but on a mostly flat site. Um you can invest in more steel so to basically accommodate that torque tube on a on a plane if you have a little bit of topography. You can imagine you know a hill kind of like this uh you need different you need to get that 10 feet of embedment but also a flat plane on top. So you need to have different lengths of steel in order to do that. Um, but it's basically part of our ethos to do low impact solar developments. Um, which is why we have these smaller projects. Uh, more steel, less grading. They're easier to return to pre-construction condition when they're eventually decommissioned.

[00:17:22]Um, and they maintain the existing to the extent possible the existing topography and hydrarology. You want to make sure the drainage patterns are are the same as as preconstruction.

[00:17:38]The next page is the the site layout.

[00:17:41]So, it's uh blown up there, but it's here in the presentation as well. Um the there's a gravel access drive. So, it's it's 16 ft wide aggregate access drive comes to the south off of Hope Lake Road. um enter the site through a gate at the very northeast.

[00:18:04]Um and it's basically, you know, a big rectangle. It's not um it doesn't straddle the road. It's not on both sides of the road. Um it's not it's not kind of everywhere you look where I know in in Jefferson County around here, you know, driving into Cambridge there's solar kind of everywhere. Um this is six megawatt project. It's going to stay six megawatts. Um, it's not it's not a foothold. It's not there's no there's no uh plans for making it a sprawling much larger project. This is this is it.

[00:18:41]Um, see, yeah, just kind of the the vitals of the project on the next page.

[00:18:54]The fenced area is about 33 and a half acres. Um, it'll produce enough electricity to power about the equivalent of 1,600 average Wisconsin households. It connects to the existing three-phase distribution lines on Hope Lake Road. And that electricity flows to the nearest load. So, the nearest homes and businesses to the project would get the electricity.

[00:19:21]Um, and then like I said, native pollinator habitat throughout.

[00:19:30]Moving on to land stewardship. Um, like I said before, native pollinator habitat. Um, pollinators contribute to crop yields. 75% of the food we eat depends on pollinators to some extent.

[00:19:43]So, not corn, um, but the food that we eat, um, does depend on pollinators. and we have less than 0.1% of Wisconsin native prairie left. So, um we get really excited about the prospect of uh seeding these with native prairie mixes as in part because it's somewhat of a conservation effort. Um these deep rooted prairie flowers uh improve soil nutrients over time uh rather than you know they're they're not tilled. um there's no uh herbicides or or fertilizers um being used on a you know on an annual basis and so the land gets to rest gets this good microbial content in the soil um water infiltration improves as these the the root structures on on native prairie go far deeper than um you know cash crops like soy and corn which are just a few inches underground.

[00:20:44]Um, so they they do take a a while to establish though. On the next page is kind of some steps kind of basically want to set expectations for what a solar site looks like in the first few years. Um, you know, in year zero, uh, not likely to see a lot. We plant a cover crop um before construction starts. Um, usually annual oats or annual rye. Um then year one um gonna have generally three times mowing the site and then subsequent years mowing in late spring um and late late fall, I'm sorry, late summer. Um not removing any top soil from the site, it all stays there. any grading that needs to happen.

[00:21:31]You do the double cut method where you put the top soil to the side, do the the grading or earth work that needs to happen and re recover it with top soil.

[00:21:42]And then at the end of construction, that permanent seed mix with the um native pollinator habitat goes in.

[00:21:52]The next page is just some pictures of uh some of our other projects. Uh we have beekeeping at a couple of our projects. Uh the honey that comes off those is very tasty. Big fan. Um and then just some flowers and couple pictures of sheep. We are not proposing um sheep grazing on this site though.

[00:22:14]Uh handful of more slides. Uh community benefits. So um we're producing uh electricity locally to be consumed locally. Again interconnecting to those existing three-phase distribution lines, not the big transmission lines that are regional and can send power up to Canada or south to Louisiana or what have you on the on the larger grid. This is local.

[00:22:43]um obviously contributes to energy independence when we're producing our own energy locally.

[00:22:50]Long-term um this is different than other types of developments say like a housing development because it can be removed and in fact it is planned to be removed. We submit a decommissioning plan. We'll talk a little bit more about that in a second. But when we say pre preserves farmland long term at the end of the useful life of the project when it is all removed the land will be extremely fertile. it will have had a chance to rest for 30 to 50 years with that deep rooted prairie.

[00:23:18]Um they're quiet, they do not pollute as an energy source. Um and all those things aside, a lot of times towns and counties just want to hear kind of, you know, the dollars and cents of the community benefits. So, um, through the Department of Revenue, um, the project would pay into this utility aid payment, uh, what do you call it? I guess it's a a system or a program or it's a it's a requirement from the Department of Revenue. Um, but the way that the way those funds flow essentially is it's a total of $30,000 for the county and the town. uh 17,000 of which goes to the county, 13,000 of which goes to the town um on an annual basis. I believe it's paid out uh every six months or so. I think it's July and and December. Um there's more on the utility um the utility aid process and um the formula to arrive at these numbers in that uh department of revenue report that's linked there.

[00:24:24]Um, we love to give tours uh to folks.

[00:24:27]We've The picture at the top left here is a a tour of a project that we gave to a middle school um in FondeLac. Got a ribbon cutting for a a project that we um helped enable. And then we've got a tour of a project on the bottom right as well. Um and then solar projects like this create jobs.

[00:24:52]Solar installer is one of the fastest growing jobs in the United States. Has been for a while. Uh we support solar workforce development with various partners including the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. We use uh union labor and uh pay prevailing wages. So these are really family supporting jobs.

[00:25:08]Uh Now I'll get into some frequently asked questions.

[00:25:19]So like I said um you know the project is planned to be decommissioned eventually at it at the end of its useful life. Um our lease requires the project owner uh so the company to remove the project within one year of the project no longer producing power.

[00:25:33]So when it reaches the end of its useful life, it needs to be decommissioned. Um we submitted a decommissioning plan. So in addition to the the legal responsibility of the lease, it's also built into the the permit application.

[00:25:46]So the conditional use permit includes the decommissioning plan.

[00:25:51]um the project owner is responsible for decommissioning, not the land owner, not the town, not the county for um and we work with recyclers today because solar modules sometimes arrive to the site. Uh damaged in shipping or sometimes, you know, people mess up when when you're installing solar panels, you can bash them up against something and break them. So, there's a couple companies that we work with, the Retrofit Company and Antility, um and they basically palletized solar modules and they take them to their facilities and they recycle them. Um the components of a project is of modules are aluminum, glass, silicon. Uh they're not toxic. There is a there's a form of solar panel that uh in includes cadmium teluride in it. Um we don't use those.

[00:26:42]It's about I think it's like 5% of the market. We use monochrystalline solar modules. Um so very simple silicon is uh the most the second most abundant element on the the planet after oxygen.

[00:26:58]Um aside from the modules you know there's the steel uh you got copper wire um and then there's transformers uh and inverters but the vast majority of the um the mass of the project is is recyclable.

[00:27:17]Um this next slide answers the question about project costs. You a lot of times folks say like this is you know solar is an expensive boondoggle. Solar is actually you know it used to be very very expensive. Back in 2009 when one energy was founded this this chart shows the cost the cost of electricity from various sources over time. And so on the far left you can see the gold uh utility scale solar at $359 per megawatt hour. It was the most expensive of this of these sources of electricity. And so it was prevailing knowledge at the time and really since among a lot of people that like solar is just too expensive. It's never going to work. Maybe it'll work sometime someday.

[00:28:07]Um and I remember hearing that back then. And um I've been in the solar industry for uh about 13 years and have seen the costs come down precipitously.

[00:28:18]And the reason solar projects are happening around the state um at the really large ones but also at this size and also on folks homes is because solar has just gotten much much much more affordable. And today it's the lowest cost electron on the grid.

[00:28:38]So it's these lines are comparing the cost over time between utility scale solar and gas plants, gas peaker plants, nuclear, coal, geothermal, gas combined cycle, um, and then onore wind.

[00:28:56]So 91% of new energy that was added to the US grid in last year was solar and half of that was in the state of Texas of all places.

[00:29:10]Another question we often get is, you know, what about property values? Um, we we try to stay a breast of the research that's coming out about this because it is, you know, it's a hot topic. It's something that comes up.

[00:29:22]People people raise this question all the time. Uh the research that we've been able to find um especially the the research that takes lots of uh projects and parcels into account shows that solar may have a a small impact on property values. Um but it's usually in the realm of 0 to 2% and there's ample evidence that solar in the upper Midwest actually increases property values by about that much.

[00:29:54]So the next couple slides kind of just show that um there's a study of 8.8 million properties, the I think it's the largest study to date. Um and you can see the comparison of different variables, but in the Midwest um it's one of the rare places where solar actually increases property values.

[00:30:20]Um another question we often are asked is about health and safety. Is it safe?

[00:30:24]Uh are are solar panels? Um are they toxic? Is there anything that leeches?

[00:30:30]That type of question. Solar projects are safe for people and wildlife. Uh again, we have 300 acres grazed by sheep. The sheep love it under the the solar modules. It's shady for them. Um they're they get less heat stress. Um they don't leech any chemicals. again aluminum, glass, silicon, uh wire similar to ROMX that connects the modules among each other. And then there's, you know, some polymer for the combiner boxes. Um steel, they don't create heat zones, radiation, or cause storms. Sometimes we hear about stuff like this that folks have heard on Facebook or elsewhere uh where there's uh it's alleged that there's some kind of like heat dome produced by solar modules and um it's the way solar I think it just like reflects a misunderstanding about how solar works.

[00:31:28]There's there are, you know, there are projects in uh in the southwest that that wanted to basically take a bunch of mirrors and reflect sunlight into a single point and melt salt uh as a way to produce electricity. That's maybe where that originates, but that's not at all what this is. What we're doing is sunlight reaches a solar module, that sunlight is converted, that energy is converted to electricity and sent to inverters and then to transformers and then to the power lines. So any energy any heat produced would be a massive opportunity cost, right? The solar modules are designed to absorb and then send electricity away. Uh send absorb energy, send energy away, not produce heat. Um they don't cause stray voltage. We've had our projects studied.

[00:32:21]Um they are uh they need to be inspected by the Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS. Um they need to be compliant with National Electric Code and National Electric Safety Code. Um they're extremely well grounded. Usually you see stray voltage in um like along singlephase lines. You might have like a like a pole barn that's not properly grounded. Uh solar projects are extremely well grounded.

[00:32:50]Um solar is on homes, it's on hospitals, it's on schools. It's it's there's 5 million solar arrays around the United States and county.

[00:33:04]Uh folks a lot of times will ask about the use of farmland as well. Um in fact, just you know before the the uh meeting started, we were talking with um some folks um who are here. Uh and the you know the I think the the twinge of um you know kind of discomfort I guess is that a lot of solar has gone up in Jefferson County rel in a relatively short period of time. Um the we're not c we're certainly not advocating that all farmland is used for solar. Um that would be obviously disastrous.

[00:33:44]Farmers are already contributing to energy independence in the US. 37% of our corn crop goes to ethanol. Um when we're producing power on site and then exporting it to the distribution grid directly, we're producing energy uh in a much more efficient way. So when compared to corn for ethanol, so just one and a half% of our current rangeand in the United States could produce enough energy to run half our economy and you could still graze sheep and and cattle. We're working on uh under those modules. So it is solar is compatible with farmland um and it can be compatible with farmland when done properly and that's that's something that we are passionate about.

[00:34:36]Um so again kind of dovetailing with with that is the question about the project scale. And so I really want to [clears throat] I I want to demonstrate that the size project that we're proposing tonight differs substantially from the scale of of a lot of the projects that you may have seen around the county today um and and nearby. So these larger transmission level projects like the picture on the left here, they serve the transmission grid. Um so those that power is is produced in a location and then similar to say a coal plant that electricity can be sent long distances over transmission lines. And I tried to scale the pictures so that they're roughly from the same kind of vantage point to show the the difference in scale. Um but a 300 megawatt project compared to a six megawatt project are smaller distribution level projects connect to the existing three-phase lines and the power just goes to the nearest load. So that's local homes and businesses. Um and it's studied against basically like what exists today. What what uh the substation the the utility knows what the substation is uh what kind of power is being drawn from the substation and so basically they study that against what kind of power will be produced by the solar project and that factors into those those upgrades that could or would be required.

[00:36:02]Another question we get often is why don't you just stick to rooftops and parking lots? Um we agree. Uh you know I spent seven and a half years in the residential and small commercial uh solar space helping put folks put solar on their homes. Um and the fact is it's just it's less efficient. Like I said before, when you got the bfacial modules and they're tracking the sun throughout the day, you have to have those steel footings, you can't really do that on a rooftop. Um, you certainly can't do it affordably on a rooftop. Same with a parking garage or a parking structure because you have to get the steel way up high above the height of an SUV or or you know, sprinter van. Um, so it's just it's not really feasible. It's way more costly.

[00:36:50]Um, the modules are the technology is more efficient to do it. Um, way. So, you're you're producing more power by doing it this way um at a lower cost, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't put solar on your home. Still still an advocate for that. Um and then just a handful of other questions. So, folks ask about um glare. Uh we submitted a a a glare analysis. Uh there's a third party tool um called Forge Solar that was initially developed by Sandia National Labs for aviation. Um, we submit the project to Forge Solar. It runs this analysis and and says like is there going to be glare and at what viewpoints? There's no no anticipated glare. The reason for that is basically like the modules tracking the sun. The they reflect. If there were glare, it would reflect back at the sun. And um they modules are are designed not to glare because they're trying to absorb sunlight, not reflect it. Um yeah and we have a airport and solar is on here because we we have a project adjacent to an airport. Um so the glare is you know aviation aviators are notoriously sensitive to glare. So noise uh folks may wonder about you know how much noise do these things produce? Um you know they make about the sound that you would expect from like a refrigerator. Um and so we locate the noise producing components centrally to the site. so that at the fence line or the parcel boundary, you're not going to hear anything. Um, even on like a very sunny day. Um, [clears throat] there's no critical habitat or species impacted.

[00:38:31]Uh, no odor generated.

[00:38:36]Um, after construction of the project, when when all is said and done, there would be maybe one or two trucks per month. Um during construction, you might expect uh 50 trucks with deliveries of equipment and then maybe a 100 dump trucks uh to build a aggregate access drive, but quiet neighbor um post construction.

[00:39:01]And then other permits that are required. So we need to um get a storm water and erosion control permit from the DNR.

[00:39:08]Um, and then we also need to get that electrical permit and inspection from uh DSPS, Department of Safety and Professional Services, basically demonstrating that we're in compliance with National Electric Code and National Electric Safety Code.

[00:39:23]Um, and my contact information is on the last page along with Nolan's and our website. Uh, and happy to answer any questions that you may have.

[00:39:36]>> [clears throat] >> I've got a couple of questions. Uh start off, [clears throat] you've got a 30-year uh lease that's renewable 210 year periods and the lifespan of the panels is 30 years.

[00:39:54]>> Uh does the renewability of the lease based is that based upon the lifespan of the panels?

[00:40:01]Yeah, it would basically be so um >> I mean they may they could last longer.

[00:40:06]Yeah. And you would renew then.

[00:40:07]>> I always liken it to the powertrain warranty on your car. So there are there are solar modules that were installed 30 years ago that are still producing um there's basically a a degradation value that's predicted upon manufacturing.

[00:40:23]They basically across the industry you expect about half a percent per year of degradation. So, at the end of 30 years, you might be at like 80% of name plate capacity. Um, but in any solar project, if if you're going to put one on your home, it's kind of the same calculus.

[00:40:41]You you pay upfront for like all the capital expenditure for a solar project is virtually all is in the first installation of the project. So, you're paying a way to think about it is you're paying for all the electricity upfront.

[00:40:56]you're locking in the cost of that electricity over time. And you want to you want the lifespan of the array to be as long as possible. You want it to be it behooves you then to recoup your investment. And then once you you achieve simple payback, it's free power.

[00:41:11]Basically, that's why people put solar on their homes. In Wisconsin, it's like a 12-year simple payback depending on utility territory and installer and cost and everything. Um, but it's a similar thing for this. So if if the project is still producing power um the way you would expect it to be and there's no you know systematic issues where the modules are degrading much faster um you would hope to see it extended for 10 years and then check again after that that first 10 year extension period and maybe another 10 years.

[00:41:44][clears throat] >> Uh the other question I have is the steel posts that you're putting in.

[00:41:50]I assume they're g galvanized.

[00:41:52]>> We the pictures in here um show galvanized I-beams. Um in the last year, the projects that we've constructed in 2025 and then the ones that we're constructing in 2026 do not have galvanization. They're uh they're basically overbuilt. There's some sacrificial steel in there knowing that they'll they'll rust over time. Um but we we've gotten away from galvanization.

[00:42:14]>> And those are hammered in the ground.

[00:42:17]>> Um there's basically two There's basically two uh kind of ways to do it. There's uh pile drivers that that just hydraulically kind of pound pound tap tap tap tap and then there's uh another machine that is strong enough to basically like it just presses.

[00:42:35]>> So it's one or the other depending on the contractor and their their equipment that they're using.

[00:42:40]>> So there's over a thousand of those posts that are going on. So >> uh yeah, probably about 2,000.

[00:42:44]>> Yeah. So how long does it take to bang those babies in the ground?

[00:42:47]>> Yep. Uh usually two to three weeks.

[00:42:53]>> Is there a lot of noise associated with it?

[00:42:58]>> It's the equivalent. I guess >> it's Yeah, it's hard. It's It's hard to uh kind of quantify, I guess. I mean, it's construction noise. It's like any, you know, you've got uh machines running for like a housing development or for any other kind of develop building of a of commercial building or whatever. It's It's similar to other construction noise. It's like a tap tap tap tap tap tap tap and then they move on to the next one.

[00:43:26]>> Okay.

[00:43:27]>> Do you have a set hours of operation when they can do that?

[00:43:31]>> Yeah. Um we usually, you know, if if it's a concern of a town or of neighbors or of the county, we we usually like it would be wise to put that in uh to the conditions. Um, usually contractors want to they want to start as early as possible and we're honestly saying let's do seven usually they say 7 to 7 or 7 to 5 is is pretty typical. Um, and then weekend hours usually differ.

[00:44:01]Um, but that's certainly you know in your hands to to specify if that's a concern.

[00:44:09]Yeah, I think we the solar farm that's being built right now, I believe it's 7 to 7 >> during the week and shorter hours on the weekend.

[00:44:19]>> You know, maybe not maybe 10 uh on week weekend days just to, you know, let people >> get a break.

[00:44:29]>> Yeah, usually um yeah, 7 to 7's pretty typical on weekdays and then maybe Saturday hours sometimes there's no work on Sundays type thing. It's pretty difficult.

[00:44:39]>> Yeah. I guess does anyone have an idea of what you would like to see as far as those hours? Like no Sundays or on Sundays?

[00:44:52]>> I think 7 to 7 weeks, 7 to 5 on Saturday and not and none on Sunday seems reasonable. And I don't think any of the residents have concerns.

[00:45:05]I think that sounds reasonable to me.

[00:45:13]>> Any other questions up here?

[00:45:16]>> I do have just a couple of questions and Peter, you're going to have to suffer the fact that this is my second.

[00:45:23]>> Welcome to the >> Thank you. So, I just want to make sure that I'm understanding our role and responsibility in this. My understanding is that by state statute, our job is to identify conditions that make sense for our community that we don't have a say on yes or no to the decision to have the solar farm here on Hope Lake Road.

[00:45:46]That's that's a given. And so our job is to figure out the conditions. So I just wanted to confirm that. And then the second piece is my understanding is that the conditions typically fall in four buckets. So there's the decommission and I think and reclamation and I really I feel like that that's addressed for me with the plan. The second bucket is around safety and that's the anti- and I feel like you address that with anti-glare and with the the fencing.

[00:46:18]The third bucket is typically around multiuse and um I think this is a reasonable multiuse plan. And then the fourth bucket is around the um what I would call actually I don't know what I would call or what the I don't know what the courts have called it but like the sort of uh visibility of the plan. So, I think that what I'm seeing in here, um, the only the only thing that's missing from my understanding of what we could add as a condition is the buffer zone, and I'm not and I'm wondering if you could specifically address that.

[00:47:02]>> Yeah. So, let's see.

[00:47:03]>> Because when I Yeah. Looking at the map.

[00:47:06]>> Yeah. If you pull up the the map, see if this is a good example.

[00:47:10]>> If you pull up the map on this page, Um, you know, usually when there's when we're proposing a vegetative screen, it's usually because there's residential neighbors that are much closer than this. Um, the nearest residential neighbor is uh 200 feet away, 213 feet away, and they have a a vegetative screen from their home. You can see it on the top left corner there.

[00:47:46]>> Yeah. Right up there.

[00:47:48]>> The folks on the northeast, they own the project. So, it's >> if you look And then if you look back to the map, I mean, there's a there's a huge farm field um in between the other I guess there's there's folks to the north um but we were set back about 400 ft away from the roadway.

[00:48:12]>> Um so you know one of the considerations when we are thinking about vegetation is we're trying to produce the lowest kilowatt lowest cost kilowatt hour that we possibly can. Um so vegetation drives up cost.

[00:48:30]>> Uh if there were folks that were abuing that that it made sense to screen uh we would have proposed that. We have other projects where we proposed screening because we communicate with neighbors.

[00:48:43]We had a neighbor meeting um and screening was not something that came up during that. Um so that's why it's not shown. you know, the the land owner doesn't want to have um you know, a bunch of trees in in the farm field.

[00:48:57]They're going to farm all the way around it. So, you're going to part of the year you're going to have corn up there. Um so, that's that's basically been our thought on that so far.

[00:49:11]>> Okay, that's a good point.

[00:49:14]So just to clarify what you had stated, we do have just for people in the audience or who um would watch this. So the Wisconsin state statute regulating the solar energy systems is 66.0401.

[00:49:32]So that is what governs this. And as Courtney mentioned, you know, we really cannot have ordinances that restrict solar from coming in. we can't really um you know just ban it and say no we can't have it. So yes, our best course of action as a town and the county is to um find ways to protect our citizens and the town itself and uh make all those conditions that we feel are best and that would be you know what we should be doing here today. Um and I too. Did you have any more Courtney you wanted to go over?

[00:50:16]>> The only um the only other one that I wanted just to bring back uh or I don't know enough detail so I'm going to hand it I'm going to toss you a softball Laura which is around uh ensuring that their timelines for completion of the project are done because of other projects that we have stacked up in the county. Yes. So, um, very recently we were awarded a grant from the DOT for 75% uh 70% uh for the the uh reconstruction of Hope Lake Road. And that is from where it begins at 18. it it goes north for a short period and then um moves east all the way to highway 89. So this is a joint project with the towns of Aelon and Lake Mills. We had thought about um doing that project in uh 2027, but the other communities agreed that we could wait until 2028 until this project was done. So it's really critical that we have the before the construction season in 2028.

[00:51:36]So, Peter and I had talked about that, you know, we can't have um their project going on the same time as construction.

[00:51:43]That's chaotic and we want to make sure that um that it's done so when we complete the road that there's no additional stress on the road.

[00:51:52]>> Uh so, that would be something that um we would need to have as a condition and it seems like that's not an issue for you. there shouldn't be any problems with that.

[00:52:02]>> Yeah, I mean we we can't uh we can't control for um you know global pandemics that that is that's out of our hands but everything that we're planning to do would be taking place in 2027. It would be finished by the end of 2027.

[00:52:19]Energized by by the end of 2027 >> and then yeah I mean we'd have to it really has to be done whether we have in place and the conditions if something happens that it's not completed. Um, I would say we would just uh the two items too that we would have to do is just have our town attorney go over all the conditions prior to meeting um with the the town board just to make sure that it's all in place that he feels comfortable with and also um the town engineer going over um the storm water and the erosion control plans just to review and approve. I don't think it's that big of a deal, but um I would like that done as well. And so um I would confer with the attorney just to see in the off chance that um the the project can be completed prior to our construction how we would work that out.

[00:53:26]How come you don't have a Why isn't there a battery? Like all these uh other solar projects out here on Kashkin on they got all these batteries. [snorts] >> Yeah. Um that's a good qu that's a great question. I've not been asked why we're not proposing a battery. It's usually is there a battery and then I say no and then there's relief. Uh there's we we don't have battery we haven't done any uh battery storage projects in Wisconsin yet. Um, yeah. So, it's it's just not it's not part of >> So, how do how do they convert the >> So, yeah, battery storage is uh is good for producing power, taking the power that's produced by the solar and then using it later on when the sun isn't shining. Um, this project would be just producing power when the sun is shining. Uh, it happens to coincide when to when there's people using electricity. So it just goes straight to the >> nearest load. Yeah. Yeah. To the nearest um home or business that's using power.

[00:54:33]>> So you talked about where it would hook up on Hope Lake. Would you have to go in the right of way and lay lines across that or is it how would that work where you connect?

[00:54:48]>> Yeah. So we're showing on the plan right now uh underground medium voltage and so basically they either bore or trench the um medium voltage line and then would probably go under uh they go under the road and then come up the um the riser pole. So you basically see like black conduit that has three lines coming out of it and then connecting to the three-phase lines. Um the design of that is the purview of the uh the utility. They basically they take our plans and then they have engineers that design the actual interconnection and they send us a sketch. Basically engineers talk to each other and they say yes this this is good and then that's that's part of it.

[00:55:37]>> Would they install a new one or is there there's existing one?

[00:55:41]>> Um >> like how far down the road is that? I do not know if they would need a new riser pole at that very location. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't, but it would it would look basically the same as what it looks like today.

[00:55:56]>> And that would be completed at the same time as >> Yeah, that's that's requisite to um the project energizing. So, usually um we'll submit like a service application in the early part of the year for the projects that we intend to construct that year.

[00:56:13]And then um that includes like the the interconnection application fee that that amount for any upgrades that are required that gets paid at the same time that we submit the service application.

[00:56:26]Um then the utility gets started on basically designing whatever substrate substation or uh feeder line upgrades need to happen and then the point of interconnection and then they basically you know if they need new equipment they source it. That can take time. there's like long lead items like that, like if they need transformer upgrades at the substation or anything like that. They they it all that just takes time to procure, but um usually by the fall um we're able to have everything kind of coinciding and energization usually happens in October, November, December time frame depending on when the construction starts on the project. So usually we're starting construction in April, May or June >> and part is the decommissioning plan.

[00:57:16]You do have um plans in there in the event that you sell to somebody else and there would be some liability or some kind of insurance policy. So, you know, 30 years from now, there's money to remove all of this.

[00:57:34]>> Yeah. So, um so all of the projects that we've constructed in we energy's territory so far, uh let me back up. In the state of Wisconsin, a solar project like this can either um can be monetized in two ways essentially. Either all the electricity is sold to the incumbent utility or the power generation asset the the solar project uh is sold to the utility. So in some cases we have owned the project and sold the electricity and in in some cases we have sold the project itself. Um And then usually we maintain the project. We're operations and maintenance and then vegetation maintenance contractors on the projects that we construct most of the time in Wii Energy's territory. All of the projects that we've constructed uh have ultimately been sold to WEI Energies.

[00:58:26]And that would be our goal for this project as well. So in the decommissioning plan, what is described is basically if the project weren't sold to the incumbent utility, uh that's regulated by the public service commission, then we would have a decommissioning uh security in place, so either bond, letter of credit, uh corporate guarantee, you know, what have you. Um but if it's if it if the project is sold to the incumbent utility, that utility is regulated by the public service commission. Public service commission requires investor owned utilities to have a line item for every power generation asset that they have for decommissioning. Um so it's uh it's ARRO on on their um annual report. Um and they're over 800 million. It's for every power generation facility that they have. So it's coal plants, it's natural gas plants, it's solar facilities, it's wind facilities, hydro, um nuclear, whatever they have, they have to by law, uh they have to set aside funds for decommissioning and removal.

[00:59:37]So in the event that the power the project was owned by a incoming utility that it would be regulated by the state that they have have to have that decommissioning cost set aside >> and as part of it everything is coming out of the ground all the wires the road poles.

[00:59:54]>> Yeah that's a and that's described in our decommissioning plan. Um, and it's also in the lease, but basically, so it's in the lease for the uh landowner's peace of mind, but then it's codified in the conditional use permit for the town and the county and and the public's peace of mind so that it's enforceable by law because it's the permit [clears throat] is enforceable.

[01:00:16]>> Okay, we've got the guests here tonight and Oh, outside just what just basically what you were talking about just where that would be located.

[01:00:41]>> Okay.

[01:00:42]>> Yeah. So, like if you drove by if you're driving down 94 and you look north um at mile mark 256, you'll see the Rock Lake Solar Project and There are five power poles kind of central in that project and they stick out and everything else is you know eight feet tall but these are eight whatever 30 feet tall or whatever they are. Um so we are moving to this starting this year we're moving to uh padmounted u switch gear. So basically all of the equipment associated with you know remote operation and and shut off and disconnects and safety of the site that's all much lower to the ground and not sticking up 30 ft casting a shadow on the solar models. Makes a lot more sense to do that.

[01:01:30][clears throat] >> Okay, we have uh five uh five people u on the list here tonight. I'm going to try and keep you to three minutes per comment. we can address the uh your comments to the plan committee and um we're not the experts and so we'll probably be asking Pete and Nolan for an answer if need be but we're here to listen to your comments and so [clears throat] first I have Todd and Robin >> Tuda I'm Todd and I live on Ripley Road and I just have a couple questions. Uh Peter was helpful and I explained to him I'm uninformed and um hope to learn something as well, but I have some um internet level concerns, you know, information you get on the internet. So, I'm not standing behind any representations that I make here, but um first I think there's risk and the bond is an important issue and I think that uh the board ought to you know I didn't hear where the bond or letter of credit is going to be placed.

[01:02:51]Who's going to be able to draw on it? Is that going to be in favor of uh Oakland Township? that that bond might not just take out uh you know an array after it's met its useful life and nobody else wants to pick it up. There could be a superseding technology that comes in renders this obsolete. There could be um uh there can be uh you know for example I think notwithstanding his representation that it's all local power our local is being drawn away for data centers and uh ultimately the AI business and these solar arrays I've read have they're at a point where 70% of the production of the power is for data centers that is a market that's ridiculously volatile and speculative maybe 15% of the ones commenced of 60 that'll actually be finished so all I'm saying is the fact that they may have understood the market as they come in might mean retiring early because whoever's holding the uh the lease on this at the point in time where it's not making money, they're not going to hold that bag very long. So, the township needs to be protected. Um the uh second thing um one energy as I understand it creates uh project companies and Peter can correct me if I've heard this wrong but this this project will have its own company and that company will hold the lease and he'll either sell the company to the public utility and then if it's sold to a public utility you won't get a bond But if it is not sold to a public utility, well, you'll be making friends with somebody you don't know. And Peter, after the winter of 27 and the project company gets flipped, is not going to be the person you're talking to, except perhaps on maintenance. Did I get that right?

[01:05:07]Now to that you you know if you have a problem you won't be talking to a service center in India unless you get assurances that you're going to have contacts when that happens who's actually going to be involved in this who are these people that they're going to be flipping it to if it's not a public utility and there should be assurances that that entity is an appropriate entity to take over responsibility. Third, just an aside, um I >> sir, we're beyond three minutes.

[01:05:38]>> Is it?

[01:05:39]>> And your point is well taken uh in terms of the financing in terms of the removal and we'll look into it.

[01:05:49]>> Yes.

[01:05:51]>> Whoever takes over will need to follow all of the conditions of the conditional use permit. They will be the keepers of that. and um and that would include any bond for decommissioning. They would have to then present that and that will be um we'll make sure that that is that our attorney has that included in in the conditions written down.

[01:06:19]>> Great. Um next we have Linda Dickoff.

[01:06:28]>> I'm Linda Dickoff. I'm an abuing property owner. Um, we're beyond, as I said, the radius of being notified of it, but we are still abuing property owners to the cornstead property on two sides. So, I when I found out about this and it's like, oh, letters were sent out to property owners. We did not receive one because we're beyond the radius.

[01:06:50]Another thing we found out is the we energy people will benefit from us. we must be right at the end of the aligned energy. We will not benefit from it.

[01:07:01]So, I mean, we're not against solar.

[01:07:04]This sounds like a good project versus the larger ones. Um, just, you know, thinking, you know, maybe down the road, maybe you can extend the radius for people with something like this to be notified.

[01:07:19]Like I say, it's sounds like it's going to be a good project. Um, my concern is hopefully down the road they don't the other which up to 18 and a they own like 130 acres along there. I just hope we don't see something like that going in as well.

[01:07:37]Like I say, not this sounds very good, but just being a concerned property owner when they said, "Oh, property owners were notified." Thank goodness I'm on the website and can see the stuff getting notices. So, that was just my only concern. and they've been very good at explaining everything. So, I mean, I feel very comfortable with it.

[01:07:59]>> Okay, >> that's really disconcerting. Thank you for coming.

[01:08:04]>> Thank you.

[01:08:04]>> May I ask just one follow-up question?

[01:08:06]>> So, the the things that we as a planning commission have control over. Was there anything that you wanted us to take into consideration specifically in terms of and I think the things we were talking about were things like hours of operation.

[01:08:22]>> Okay.

[01:08:23]I mean it sounds >> screening anything like that.

[01:08:27]>> We're west of it but our property is goopy but it does butt up to both sides.

[01:08:36]Okay.

[01:08:36]>> All right. Thank you.

[01:08:37]>> Those letters um were sent out um by one energy. They weren't sent out by the town and I um I confirmed with the county that before their public hearing through the planning committee for this will be sent to all um all property owners within a quarter mile of the site.

[01:09:08]>> Thank you, Linda.

[01:09:11]Next we have Angel.

[01:09:17]>> Okay. Sorry for >> Good evening, >> Angel Heb. I uh own some land in Oakland. Um I have a couple comments. Um I am not all that confident that um uh solar companies won't stab you in the as I have uh seen in Benery um promise up and down up and down across the state. They're going to do they're going to have sheep under their under their panels. They're going to put in, you know, pollinator habitats and that's not happened. They strip the top soil and they compact the crap out of the ground and there's nothing they can do about that.

[01:10:07]So, I would ask the board that before anybody makes any kind of decisions on what kind of um restrictions we'd like to put on them, um I would ask that you visit some municipalities where this particular company has had solar running for more than a couple of years to see what they actually do.

[01:10:33]Um because it was only They move fast. They try to get into municipalities as fast as they can under the radar and get things signed before the public even knows what's going on.

[01:10:48]And I and this a quarter mile a quarter mile radius.

[01:10:55]>> That's the county they >> I think we could do better as a as a township. I think we could do better.

[01:11:02]There's a lot to be said about what is legal and what is right and what uh we should be doing for our neighbors.

[01:11:12]That's some things you don't write in the law, but you know they're they're right. There's no one but one house within a quarter mile of me.

[01:11:24]So, there's one property owner that should be notified on if I want to put something up. I That's not a long ways.

[01:11:35]Um, I guarantee if I put in a manure pit, it's going to be a lot further than a quarter mile that's going to affect.

[01:11:44]>> Are you do you live on Lake Road?

[01:11:47]>> No, I live on Red Cedar Lake.

[01:11:50]>> Oh, >> which is also um I feel like we could probably do a better job of um buffering as I can't be thousand feet of the lake with many things. So again, there's a lot to be said about what's legal and what's right.

[01:12:09]Um, and that's all.

[01:12:11]>> Thank you. Thank you.

[01:12:12]>> Thank you for your comments [clears throat and cough] >> and Joy Gra.

[01:12:33]Okay, I only have a few comments.

[01:12:36]First one is um all Tano Oakland is getting is $13,000 a year from this. So, we're not making a lot of money on this.

[01:12:46]Um and second is all the energy is going to Wii Energies.

[01:12:52]There are not a lot of town of Oakland residents that are serviced by Wii Energies. So, we're not getting a benefit from that either. When I went to the library presentation, they said the person I talked to kept mentioning this will be good for the chicken farms.

[01:13:12]Well, the chicken farm is in Town Lake Mills and that might be the business you're talking about that will benefit from this. I don't think there would any other benefit business that would benefit from this. Um, >> I don't I'm not sure. I'm supposed to be asking them questions probably, >> but that's something to think about.

[01:13:34]Town Oakland really isn't benefiting.

[01:13:38]And the next one, um, I've heard a lot of problems with the deer population with the town of Christianana Solar Farms. There have been herds of deer that have been out of place and even gotten stuck. inside the fences and there needs to be something done. Um DNR needs to be working on the deer population. They're saying they want to keep the deer out, but then they you have cattle or sheep um grazing underneath the panels. I don't understand how they can do that if you have to have a fence around it. And um another thing is for safety. Um are the fire departments counseledled or trained on how to react to a fire if there's a fire resulting from the panels. I think I've heard a comment from I don't know if it was Lake Mills or Fort that said they weren't trained at all on how to respond to any of the um emergencies or fires that might occur as a result of the panels.

[01:14:57]And let's see. So, the steel beams, they're just pounding pounded into the ground. There's no concrete or anything stabilizing.

[01:15:07]>> They're just >> what was mentioned.

[01:15:09]>> Okay.

[01:15:11]Um, and birds. I don't know this is true or not, but I've heard um horror stories of birds not being able to fly over these panels safely.

[01:15:26]So, I'm concerned about the wildlife.

[01:15:28]I'm concerned that this isn't benefiting the town of Oakland at all, basically.

[01:15:33]And um if you have to go under the road to get to the the poles, is that pole in the town of Oakland or in the town of Lake Mills?

[01:15:46]>> If it's on the other side of the road, that would be Lake Mills there, >> right? So it it doesn't it's not even hooked up in the town of Oakland.

[01:15:59]>> Thank you.

[01:16:00]>> Your comments are noted.

[01:16:03]>> Thank you much.

[01:16:06]>> And lastly, we have Jerry Cole.

[01:16:16]>> Good evening. My name is Jerry Cool. Um, I'm a property owner. We have the LLC that's just south and east of the cornstead property, Eastfield Pad Long Sod Farm and part of the Jeff Trigger Willard Trigger Farm. It's got about 150 acres. Um, I've known the Cornsteads for over 50 years. You know, served on many many committees with Dick uh Dick Hornstead who's passed now. But uh um I think this this project uh um I like the size of fit the 35 acres.

[01:16:53]There's restrictions on it and um you know from the working hours and your discussion and I I'm in favor I'm in favor of all those. So I'm just here to really support um a neighbor that I think is doing the right thing.

[01:17:10]So thank you.

[01:17:13]>> Thank you.

[01:17:15]>> [clears throat and cough] >> Jim, can I ask a follow question?

[01:17:19]>> Sure, Jim.

[01:17:20]>> A couple of the people had some concerns. So, my I have a question for you all about um monitoring the site >> like how is the site monitored for for some things that in case there's a fire or something, but also more specifically the habitat that's going to be planted there? Do you at any of your sites? Do you have any third party monitoring groups? All the all the Leopold Foundation, Xers, any any other groups that that could come and there might be some information that could be shared.

[01:17:48]Um some research something questions that could be answered by this is long term. How do the birds react? Is there is there more birds nesting there? Um do you start to see more uh butterflies?

[01:18:01]You know, what what species might be there that uh that weren't there before?

[01:18:05]And so that could be part of the educational programs for kids or schools or >> Yeah. So um so the first question was about monitoring. So uh yeah there the projects like this are monitored uh 247 um data monitoring for you know if there's any issues. Um national electric code requires instant shutdown. So if there's a fault or if there's anything it's under a second that it just disconnects uh automatically otherwise uh it's controlled uh through radio um by the utility. Um but we have access to the data acquisition system DAS. Uh so our our personnel are monitoring projects. Um but the utilities also monitoring projects. Um to the the point about fire departments, uh we do fire department trainings. Um we have uh not sure how many we have done. Um but basically happy to do that. Uh it's usually um fire department's first time on a solar site and so they're happy to see it up close and ask questions of our uh field engineers and usually Nolan or I or a colleague will will attend those as well. Um birds uh birds love solar projects. Um, I think I'm not sure if there's a if there's an image of a a robin's nest in this presentation, but we have pictures of birds nesting in sites. Uh, you know, compared to um a corn field or a soy soybean field. This is its habitat. It's pollinator habitat. So, you're going to see more insects. You're going to see more butterflies, more bees. You're going to see the fe the things that feed on those creatures. Um and that in you know that includes birds. I I think uh uh to is it Miss Graphin? Um, I think to her point about hearing things about about birds not being able to safely fly over solar projects, that gets back to that um concentrated solar technology that I talked about where they you have like a field full of mirrors uh in the desert that all concentrate sun a reflection of sunlight to a single point. it gets really hot and there's like a classic um like video of a bird catching fire in flight from that and this is just a completely different technology than that. I I don't know how many of those projects ended up getting built. Um but that technology is pretty much um reserved for the Southwest and I think it's been largely abandoned uh because this is just this is easier to build and more efficient. There's really nothing to burn in the solar field, is there?

[01:20:57]>> Right. The the components. Yeah. It's it's steel, it's aluminum, it's glass.

[01:21:02]There's not a lot of fuel. We mow the sites. Um the the the the species that we plant. The seed mix is low stature prairie. Um and we mow it so that it doesn't get, you know, we want it to stay under the the leading edge of the solar module. Um but we also mow it regularly. to your question about monitoring what species are in there.

[01:21:25]You know, we don't want noxious weeds.

[01:21:26]We have vegetation management personnel that work for us. Um and then we also have thirdparty contractors that visit sites as well. And so um they will basically do like a meander survey.

[01:21:39]They'll walk around. They'll document the locations where there's uh you know undesirable species. usually spot treat or pull um depending on the the species or or its hardiness or you know woody stuff is treated differently than than stuff that isn't woody. Um but yeah, we we take good care of our sites and um you know getting the pollinator habitat established. It does take a couple years. So I think uh you know I can't speak to what other solar developers do. Um I we often have to answer for what other solar developers do, but I can't I can't really like I don't know their processes. Uh I know that you know I think if if you wanted to see a project that's been around for a couple years uh we constructed Hackbarth Solar in 2024.

[01:22:28]It's a 5 megawatt project in town of Koskanong um on old 26 and I we could probably arrange for a tour of that if the plan commissioner town board like wanted to see a project up close. Um, I would have to, you know, do some logistical maneuvering to make that happen, but I would like to try at least if that's of interest. Um, the let's see I think I think that was pretty much it. Uh, the other just the concern about it not benefiting town of Oakland. I mean, currently the tax bill on these parcels is a total of like $350. I think that's what it was paid in 2025. Um and so that bringing that up to 13,000 um is not nothing. Uh but yeah, point taken.

[01:23:21]>> Regarding the the fire department, I did send the plan over to the fire chief um for his review. Um, you know, you know, one of the concerns that we had talked about, it seems like it would be fine is is the access road just ensuring that the size is appropriate, that they could get in there in event that somebody's there and needs assistance or if there's a fire, but it sounds like um the chances of fire are slim. But of course, we should have them trained and he was willing to do whatever he needs to do with meeting with everybody to um ensure that um all personnel are properly trained for that. Um so he does have he does have a copy of that.

[01:24:08]>> Excellent.

[01:24:11]>> And the the panels are only eight feet tall at the highest. Is that correct?

[01:24:18]Yeah, they're the average height of the at their tallest extent. So when they're fully, you know, pivoted facing east or facing west at the end of the day, um average height is a maximum of about 8 feet. You know, if there's if there's topography at you're standing under it might be a little bit more or a little bit less just depending on uh the lay of the land. But um yeah, maximum height on average at the full full tilt is about 8 feet.

[01:24:48]Peter, I was listening to your presentation obviously uh along with the rest of us and I'm [cough and clears throat] impressed with the the efforts that you're making to keep things in as natural as possible and improve the land um and attract animals and birds and insects.

[01:25:08]Um, one of the overwhelming things that I hear um in the township and driving from Madison to Jefferson is over solar panels. Uh, they're novel. That's the novelty is gone >> and they're not pretty.

[01:25:29]um looking at the visions and goals of the township and county. Uh two points that are brought out. Uh one is to our long range plan is to maintain the rural character of the town.

[01:25:46]Um and it doesn't say that we're not going to become a utility graveyard.

[01:25:55]um which I think we're all concerned about.

[01:26:00][clears throat] The other point is the maintain the attractiveness of the landscape is viewed from the highway and the roads in the township. So that's not necessarily the neighbors. It's all of us as we drive down the road and see see what can you do?

[01:26:24]Well, um, you know, taking that into consideration, we set the project back, um, so it's not right up against the the roadway like some of the other projects in in the community that are, uh, pretty close and highly visible for quite a stretch. Um, the if you look if you look at the north section, the the neighbors to the northwest are already screened. There's a vegetative screen that predates us. Um so as you're coming in from the from the west, uh you may be able to see it from from farther off, but as you approach it would be obstructed by existing vegetation. Um similar on the other side. Um and it's, you know, it's not uh I guess I would say like the the sheer scale of it just not comparable to the the ones that are uh that give you the sense that they're kind of surrounding and everywhere, you know, >> I'm aware of that and uh and that's why I think that uh maybe the investment on your part isn't going to be that great to put some bushes that are 8t high or some small trees and even even if you're going to go and farm it afterwards, that stuff can be removed pretty easily. But, uh it would make a big driving down the road to say, "Oh, there's another solar farm." Um, rather than did you see that deer? You know, you know, um I >> it's a what a little bit less than the length of a football field there.

[01:28:11]>> Jim, are you thinking about it being then the north right at the north? Well, I guess it would be the south edge of the road between the [clears throat] road and the property.

[01:28:27]>> We have a space from this property.

[01:28:29]>> Uhhuh.

[01:28:30]>> For this property, that's an open field.

[01:28:32]>> Uhhuh.

[01:28:33]>> And um so someplace in here, the closer you get to the road, the the shorter the plantings need to be.

[01:28:42]>> I see. And >> I believe this is a is a rise over here.

[01:28:48]>> Yeah.

[01:28:49]>> And coming down the road. I don't know that you would see it from >> from the west.

[01:28:57]>> I'm not sure about that, but I did drive out there today to take a look.

[01:29:02]>> What about from the east?

[01:29:04]>> There's no over here. Okay.

[01:29:06]>> Yeah. Okay.

[01:29:08]>> So, all we're talking about is here primarily.

[01:29:11]>> Uhu. And again with well if you're growing corn there you're certainly not good >> right. Yeah. I mean um one thing we did talk with um one of the land owners about planting hydrangeas uh in the front. Um she was interested in that. That was I mean that was her initial idea. I don't know if she's I don't know if her heart is set on that but she was she mentioned hydrangeas.

[01:29:39]Um, so if we could be creative in that way, um, and have it kind of compatible with the the cut flowers element, I think that would be really cool.

[01:29:48]>> Great.

[01:29:51]>> Okay. So, we can list that down.

[01:29:54][clears throat] >> Yeah, that'd be great. I think I agree.

[01:29:59]That's what I've heard a lot, too. Just the way it looks >> as you drive around the community. If this would have been the first or the only I mean this seems like a model project, >> right?

[01:30:12]>> But people have a they have a frame of reference now and and so this is going to get lumped.

[01:30:18]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[01:30:26]Jim, in terms of what's next, so I I see I've heard five conditions that the planning commission is interested in moving in having our attorney review. So, do we at this point do we just need a motion to share the five topics with our with the attorney to turn them into conditions or what's the how does this work? Yes, procedurally that's what would particularly happen. We would take all of our >> um conditions here as well as everything else that's that they have also um proposed >> and have him review the whole the whole thing >> and then um we can have him write out everything >> so that the the board can review it. We can send it to the county saying that this is our recommendation. this is what we would like to see. But most of them will just be what he's proposed as far as decommissioning, taking everything out, all of that. We would just reiterate, >> right? Right. Okay.

[01:31:30]>> And then also just the um yeah the engine the engineer look through that.

[01:31:35]So, I would say once they have reviewed everything, it'll probably be um not the May meeting because that's only in two weeks, but the June meeting it would be better to get everything in place first and that seemed um >> good with you.

[01:31:54]>> That's fine. I guess our request to the plan commission for tonight is uh recommendation to the town board for consideration.

[01:32:04]>> Yeah. So, We do recommend the project with >> with Yep. All right.

[01:32:14]>> So, we would recommend we would look for a motion to recommend to the board to support this project based upon the conditions as outlined.

[01:32:27]And we've just added visual screening >> and we added hours of OP. We did it I I'm happy to do this. So, I move that we recommend to the town board uh approval of the um conditional use permit as specified in the documents provided to us on March 9th from one energy renewables and ensuring that the following five conditions are met. Number one, the hours of construction are 7 to 7 for weekdays, 7 to 5 for Saturday, and no work on Sunday. Number two, that the project is completed by December 31st of 2027 or suspended until the road project is completed or something about the timeline.

[01:33:20]Number three, that uh the that one energy renewables provides training to the appropriate fire department.

[01:33:32]Yeah, >> it's like most >> uh number four that there's a screen across the north edge of the property.

[01:33:39]And then I think the number five is just a double check around the decommission and how that what that looks like if the property is sold.

[01:33:50]I'm sorry. The project is >> I think I got it. [clears throat] >> Any other comments about that?

[01:34:02]>> Second.

[01:34:03]>> I'll second.

[01:34:05]>> All those in favor?

[01:34:07]>> I carry.

[01:34:19]Thank you.

[01:34:20]>> You bet. Thank you.

[01:34:24]>> Next possible planning committee date is June 2nd, >> 2026 and I would entertain a motion to adjurnn.

[01:34:34]>> So moved.

[01:34:35]>> Motion to adjurnn.

[01:34:37]>> Second.

[01:34:38]>> Made seconded by Thomas.

[01:34:41]>> All in favor? I. I. I. Do we have anything?