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Incumbent candidates Robbin Vaughn (left) and Robert Cody file applications Wednesday to be placed on the ballot for the upcoming May 2 school board election. Courtesy/SSISD
Existing project to continue; no acreage added
SSISD
At Monday’s regular meeting, the Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees followed Superintendent Mike Lamb’s recommendation to vote against amending the current tax value limitation agreement and reinvestment zone designated for the Solemio solar project.
Lamb clarified that the original tax limitation agreement and reinvestment zone designation the board approved in 2019 both remain unchanged. What the trustees voted against Monday was an amendment submitted in December by project developer Solemio to expand the proposed solar farm located in southwestern Hopkins County to include another 213 acres.
Regarding the Hopkins Energy project, a solar installation planned near Dike in the northern section of the county, trustees approved the designation of the Hopkins Energy LLC Reinvestment Zone. They also approved a tax limitation agreement for the project and adopted findings of fact.
Lamb told the Board he had “a productive meeting” with some of the concerned citizens who voiced concerns at the December special meeting.
“It was obvious that night [of the December meeting] that we just needed more dialogue before we [the Board] voted on anything,” Lamb said. “I think there were concerns at every angle, and we wanted to be respectful to their concerns. We knew if we didn’t come back to a meeting, the request for additional land would naturally die at the end of the year. That’s the compromise we made. I think after I was able to explain the true financial benefit SSISD stood to gain, it met one of the criteria that I felt most of the speakers spoke to, which was ‘If you’re going to do this, do it somewhere else.’ That’s what Sulphur Bluff is — it’s a somewhere else.”
Trustees also individually acknowledged they had no conflict of interest for either of the planned solar farm projects.
Other items discussed included the announcement of filing dates for the May 2 school board trustee election. Candidates must file between Jan. 15 and Feb. 14.
Trustees moved to postpone the Superintendent’s evaluation and approval of his contract until a special meeting set for Jan. 29.