The opportunity to build solar farms in Dakota County was given the green light by the Dakota County Board of Commissioners.
The board voted unanimously to approve a resolution that will allow solar farms to be built within the county after receiving no opposition during a public hearing at Monday’s county board meeting.
Only one person spoke in favor of the resolution during the public hearing, as Ethan Frazier with Mission Clean Energy suggested two small changes to the ordinance that did not change the intent of the ordinance.
Frazier suggested that battery energy storage systems are co-loaced as one system, and to also allow for setbacks to apply to the equipment and not to the zoning district.
Planning and Zoning administrator Joe O’Neill told the board that he had spoke with members of the nine-person board and did not hear any concerns with those changes.
The solar overlay district helps promote the use of solar energy in the county as an alternative to fossil fuels. An overlay district must be at least 50 acres and not affect neighboring landowners. The overlay district would be taxed as a business, and if the property closed out of the solar energy setup, it would return to an agricultural designation without having to rezone.
Incorporating the district overlay would tax that property as a business without affecting the taxing of surrounding landowners, according to minutes from the Fe. 18 meeting of the Dakota County Planning Commission.
Also at Monday’s meeting, the board heard from Dakota County Treasurer Stephanie Gatzemeyer, who reported on the recent tax sale of more than 300 parcels in the county. She said that 127 properties had their taxes paid up before the sale, and 129 properties were purchased with 48 not getting an offer before the close of the sale.
“We did excellent having only 48 left out of 304 (properties),” she told the board.
Total receipts from the sale were $236,399.37.
She did add that the 48 properties not sold had a total tax due of $2,146,004.80. The biggest chunk of that number belongs to the Big Ox Energy property which has sat vacant for several years since the plant closed in 2019.
Brenda Sale reported on the impact of the Voices For Food program during the Nebraska Extension Office’s quarterly report.
In its 10th year, the program has put more than 127,000 pounds of produce into the food system in Dakota County. In 2024, the program distributed 18,501 pounds of fresh produce to low-income families in the county.
The program’s success comes from the amount of volunteer support it receives, Sale said. Almost 130 volunteers have put in more the 1,750 hours to help the program. Of all the volunteer hours turned in by the Voices For Food program on a statewide level, Dakota County’s number of hours accounts for almost half, she said.
“It’s very good because of the people in this community,” she told the board.
In other action, the Board:
— approved a list of names for the resolution grievance board.
— approved an application request by Kim Hansen of Dakota County Victims Assistance for the Victims of Crime Act Grant.
— approved a disaster declaration from the March 19 blizzard that damaged a number of power poles in the county, causing a disruption of utility service.
— announced that they will open negotiations with three unions in the county for salary and benefit packages, including the county’s sheriff deputies, correctional officers and the road department. Board chair Matin Hohenstein said a date will be set after the completion of the current Legislative session in late May.
— awarded Thrasher Foundation Repair’s bid of $1,544.84 to deal with drainage issues around the jail and courthouse.
— approved change orders on the M Avenue project that will allow the road to be widened from 28 to 30 feet at no additional charge to the county.
— approved the hiring of Dean Pallas for the road foreman position.
— approved a gravel pricing bid from Boyden Sand and Rock of Hawarden, Iowa.
The county board’s next meeting is Monday, April 14 at 3 p.m. at the Dakota County Courthosue.
