Council pauses action on solar-farm rules, asks city attorney to research moratorium vs. prohibition

Council members spent a lengthy portion of the meeting debating proposed rules for solar farms and large solar developments after the item was brought back for action. The ordinance under consideration (26-42-87) would set standards, permitting conditions and definitions for solar energy projects inside city limits.

Several council members voiced opposition to locating a large solar farm within the downtown or city limits. One member said, "Nobody wants solar panel farm whatever you want to call it inside the city limits, especially in the downtown." (speaker 2). The city attorney (speaker 4) cautioned that the council must carefully choose between a temporary moratorium, a permanent prohibition or a regulatory approach and offered to research whether a consecutive 12‑month moratorium or an outright prohibition is permissible under state law.

Council debate also turned to technical definitions in the draft ordinance. The attorney explained the working threshold used in the draft: "The solar farm would mean … at least 50 kilowatts direct," and added context on scale and panel counts, noting 50 kW equates roughly to "80 to a 125 panels," which helps distinguish large systems from residential rooftop arrays.

Because members sought more legal research and clarity on definitions and policy intent, the council tabled formal adoption and directed staff and the city attorney to report back with comparative approaches (prohibition vs. moratorium vs. regulation) and model language. No ordinance adoption occurred at the meeting.