The Highland County Board of Commissioners met in executive session Wednesday with representatives of National Grid Renewables (NGR) on matters described as “economic development.”
NGR Market Lead and Senior Developer Darek Hasek and developer Sarah Eberly met with the commissioners to discuss progress being made on the Dodson Creek Solar Farm Project, which is one of 10 solar electric generating facilities either in the planning or construction phase in and around Highland County.
Dodson Creek Solar is also one of three solar array systems now in the planning stages in the Lynchburg vicinity, and is proposed to occupy nearly 1,400 acres and generate 117 megawatts of power.
Two other proposed solar projects in addition to Dodson Creek Solar have been the subject of much consternation among Lynchburg area residents in recent weeks. They are Innergex’s 200-megawatt Palomino Solar Farm that is just south and northwest of the village, and Invenergy’s 300-megawatt Yellow Wood complex north of Lynchburg, just across the Highland/Clinton County line.
In order to address those concerns, Britton told The Times-Gazette that Matt Butler, an administrative officer of the Ohio Power Siting Board, will meet with Lynchburg area residents at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 8 at Lynchburg-Clay High School.
Also Wednesday, sealed bids were opened for an intersection improvement construction project at the Careytown Pike/Roundhead Road intersection.
The Shelley Company submitted a total bid of $1.44 million, with Miller-Mason Paving Company tendering a bid total of $1.08 million.
Duncan said the bid packages from both companies will be turned over to Highland County Engineer Chris Fauber for his evaluation and review.
Fauber said that there would be no immediate action on the bids since grant funding for the project from the Ohio Public Works Commission will not be released until July 1.
In other matters, 14 line item budget transfers and new fund establishment resolutions were approved, in addition to one contract with the Family and Children First Council and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities for the early intervention service coordination grant agreement.
Commissioners also approved a bid for the purchase of two new vehicles for the Highland County Sheriff’s Office to replace two high-mileage vehicles in the fleet.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
