Public Hearings dominate meeting of Supervisors
Solar project proceeds on split vote
Six-year Road plan prompts public input
By WILLIAM PAINE
Patriot Publishing
The board room was filled nearly to capacity for Monday evening’s meeting of the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors, as four public hearings were on the agenda.
At the first public hearing, Morgan Sklar, Director of Finance for Pulaski County Public Schools, requested budget adjustments to the school fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Sklar asked for $2 million in funding for capital improvements and $2.7 million in pass through grant funding. The county’s debt retirement plan and PCPS’s carryover funds from previous years provided most of the capital improvement funds, whereas federal and state grant funding sources were sought out by school administrators.
“The school system has been very aggressive with obtaining grants and that makes up the lion’s share of this appropriation,” said County Administrator Jonathan Sweet.
The supervisors passed the school system’s budget adjustment unanimously.
At the second public hearing, Pulaski County Finance Director Patricia Cox presented a county budget totaling $172 million for the 2025/2026 fiscal year. According to Cox, county tax rates and fees will remain unchanged under this proposal, however, the budget is still open for some adjustments until it is officially adopted in May.
No one spoke at either of the two budgetary public hearings, as most of those in attendance came to express their concerns about one-of-the-two solar projects or the Six Year Secondary Road Improvement plan.
Two solar projects were set to be discussed but only one was considered for passage Monday, as the proposed Black Hollow Road solar farm was removed from the agenda immediately prior to the meeting.
Representatives for One Energy Renewables had come to ask the supervisors for a Special Use Permit to erect the Campion Solar Project on 31 acres of farmland owned by Daniel and Patricia Johnson. The proposed Campion Solar Project is designed to produce 5 megawatts of power and is set to be located at the end of Ben-Curt Lane in a field behind Pulaski County High School.
Markie Saunders, Pulaski County’s Director of Zoning and Planning, told the supervisors that One Energy Renewables met all the necessary requirements for constructing a solar farm. The Planning Commission voted 5 to 2 to allow for a special use permit so that the project could move forward.
“The project will provide local domestic energy, which will be distributed onto the existing lines to serve Pulaski County and the surrounding communities,” said Saunders. “This project will connect directly to Appalachian Power’s system and it is estimated the project will produce enough energy to meet the needs of approximately 1400 homes.”
Saunders added that the solar panels used for the proposed Campion Solar Project were made from crystalline silicon and posed no danger of leaching hazardous material into the environment. At a previous meeting, the supervisors rejected a solar farm proposal that was set to use solar panels containing cadmium, a known carcinogen. According to Saunders, the Campion Solar Project will use panels made from copper aluminum and a material like the silicon chips found in laptop computers.
Alyssa Miller of One Energy Renewables took the podium to explain that the Campion Solar Project would be surrounded by a 50-foot-wide buffer zone consisting of a fence and several trees. The fence will allow smaller animals to pass through but keep larger animals out. The trees in the buffer would be selected for their fast growing characteristics.
Additionally, Miller said that the land around the panels would be seeded with wildflowers and that sheep could potentially be allowed to wander among the solar panels to help control vegetation.
Miller said that One Energy Renewables would give a one-time payment to the county of $50 per megawatt for the Campion Solar Project, which would provide the county an extra $75,000 to put in county coffers. She added that this land could be returned to agricultural use after the project was decommissioned.
Supervisor Jeff Reeves asked if One Energy planned to sell the project after completion. Miller answered that One Energy had not yet made a decision regarding this but added that any company that bought the Campion Solar Project would be bound by the same contractual obligations as One Energy Renewables. As part of the contract, One Energy Renewables must pay to decommission the site at the end of its use.
Several individuals, many who came to speak about the proposed Black Hollow solar farm, came to the podium to express their concerns about placing another solar project in the county.
Before the vote, county supervisor Chris Stafford also expressed his concerns about this solar project.
“My own experience with solar development in our county since being elected has not been a positive one,” said Stafford. “I have constituents in my district who I’ve met with several times, who were notified of a change in the site plan that will now be bringing an electrical substation right up against their back yards. That last minute change was not included in the original plan that was presented to and approved by this board. These citizens are now paying out of pocket legal bills in fighting this with the State Corporation Commission. While I’m very supportive of property owner rights … I personally feel that our county would benefit by hitting the pause button on any future solar development at this time. Until we see the effects of any existing projects that are already under development and will very soon be under construction, I cannot support this proposed solar project at this time.”
Supervisor Mike Mooney agreed and he and Chris Stafford both voted against the Campion Solar Project.
However, the Campion Solar Project will move forward as Chairwoman Laura Walter, Vice Chair Dirk Compton and Supervisor Jeff Reeves all voted in favor of allowing the project to proceed. The Campion Solar Project is expected to be up and running by late 2026.
Concern over the county’s Six Year Secondary Road Improvement plan brought many concerned citizens to Monday’s meeting.
The proposed Six Year Secondary Road Improvement plan is listed in order of priority and starts with a paving proposal for Sayers Road (Route 726). The High Road (Route 830) in Parrott comes in at number two on the list and is also set to be paved sometime within the six year time frame. Next on the list, in order of priority, is Hedge Lane (Route 629), Booker Branch Road (Route 785) and Young Road (Route 732).
Parrott resident Katie Hardymon asked the Supervisors to keep the High Road near the top of the six-year plan while the other citizens who addressed the board spoke about roadways not listed on the six-year plan at all.
Five individuals took the podium to ask that a mile long section of Rock Creek Road be paved. Rock Creek Road resident Debbie Parish told the board that she counted 58 potholes on that short stretch of road. She and other residents spoke about the thick dust coming from the dirt roadway and asked that it be put on the six-year plan for paving.
At least a dozen people came to the meeting from the Waterfront Farms area in Draper to ask that a bridge that connects their neighborhood to the rest of the county be repaired or replaced. According to those who spoke, last year’s flooding damaged the bridge, which has been impassible due to flooding several times in the past. Several of those who spoke said that they would be open to sharing the cost of the bridge repair with the county.
Supervisor Dirk Compton asked that this cost sharing option be considered because if the bridge goes out, those living on Waterfront Farms will be totally isolated, as there is no other entrance to the neighborhood.
The Supervisors unanimously passed two resolutions at Monday’s meeting.
First, they passed an amended lease agreement with the New River Recreation board, which manages the annual county fair. According to County Administrator Sweet, the contract was simply updated with no major changes.
Secondly, the supervisors unanimously voted to authorize the issuance and sale of public facility bonds on the open market. The county’s Economic Development Authority will sell $10 million worth of bonds and these monies will be used to get the Sportsplex operational. The county plans to pay back the bonds using money from the cigarette tax, which nets the county $1/2 million each year.
The monthly drawing for the county’s One Bag Challenged continued as Chairwoman Laura Walters asked random people in the audience to pick a name out of a glass bowl, so that she could give away three $100 gift certificates.
“For the first two month of this year’s One Bag Challenge we’ve collected 1,386 bags and 212 tires,” said Walters. “We’re asking everyone in the county to pick up at least one bag because we don’t have inmates helping us anymore. So far, we’ve had 277 participants.”
This month’s recipients of the $100 gift card include: Amanda Dishon, Kevin and Maren Meredith and New River Grottoes.