The provisions of this chapter shall be administered and enforced by personnel of the Jersey County Code Administrator office (herein referred to as "Code Official"). The applicant must submit the following information ten business days prior to the submittal of the special use application for a solar farm. The applicant is required to submit 25 copies, one original full size application package of all required documentation and one application with all exhibits submitted electronically, to the Code Official, together with the appropriate filing fee. The application shall include the following:
(A) Site plan with existing conditions showing the following:
(1) Existing property lines and property lines extending 100 feet from the exterior boundaries, including the names of adjacent property owners and current use of those properties;
(2) Existing public and private roads, showing widths of the roads and any associated easements;
(3) Location and size of any abandoned wells or sewage treatment systems;
(4) Existing buildings and any impervious surfaces;
(5) A contour map showing topography at two foot intervals. A contour map of surrounding properties may also be required;
(6) Existing vegetation (list type and percent coverage, i.e., cropland/plowed fields, grassland, wooded areas, and the like);
(7) A copy of the current FEMA FIRM map that shows the subject property, the 100 year flood elevation and any regulated flood protection elevation, if available;
(8) Surface water drainage patterns; and
(9) The location of any subsurface drainage tiles.
(B) Site plan with proposed conditions showing the following:
(1) Location and spacing of solar panels;
(2) Location of access roads, access points, and rights-of-way that will be utilized for both the construction and operation of the CSEF;
(3) Planned location of underground or overhead electric lines connecting the CSEF to a building, substation or other electric load;
(4) New electrical equipment other than at the existing building or substation that is to be the connection point to the CSEF;
(5) Sketch elevation of the premises accurately depicting proposed solar energy conversion system and its relationship to structure on adjacent land;
(6) The location of any wetlands, floodplain, drainage structures including surface ditches and subsurface drainage lines, underground mines, scenic and natural areas within 1,500 feet of the proposed CSEF, and the layout of all structures within the geographical boundaries of any applicable setback; and
(7) Vegetative screening shall be provided for any part of the CSEF that is visible to nonparticipating residences. The landscaping screen shall be located between the required fencing and the property line of the participating parcel upon which the facility sits. The vegetative screening shall include a continuous line of native evergreen foliage and/or native shrubs and/or native trees and/or any existing wooded area and/or plantings of tall native grasses and other native flowering plants.
(C) The applicant shall submit an executed agreement between the CSEF owner/operator and all road district authorities with infrastructure affected by the CSEF to the county. This agreement shall include, at a minimum:
(1) A final map identifying the routes that will be used;
(2) A plan for repairing and/or restoring the affected roads; and
(3) Other inclusions as specified by the County Board or affected road authority.
(D) Manufacturer's specifications and recommended installation methods for all major equipment, including solar panels, mounting systems and foundations for poles or racks.
(E) An itemized cost estimate for the entire construction of the project such as the following (may not be all inclusive):
(1) Cabling, DC connectors and combiner boxes; all AC components;
(2) Racking and mounting system; foundations and material for assembling and mounting the inverter;
(3) Fencing; camera security system; theft or fire protection equipment;
(4) Grid voltage cables and connectors; switch gears and control boards; transformers and stations; substation, housing and meters;
(5) All installation costs; trenching; transport costs;
(6) Electrical testing;
(7) Special inspections; construction labor costs; supervision costs; monitoring costs; and
(8) Stormwater, erosion and drainage costs.
(F) A description of the method of connecting the array to a building or substation.
(G) An interconnection agreement must be completed with the electric utility in whose service territory the system is located. Off-grid systems are exempt from this requirement.
(H) Decommissioning plan. A decommissioning plan shall be required to ensure that CSEFs are properly removed after their useful life.
(1) Decommissioning of solar panels must occur in the event that they are not in use for 12 consecutive months.
(2) The owner/operator will have six months to complete the decommissioning plan after operation of a CSEF stops being operational, or the county will take the necessary decommission steps.
(3) The plan shall include provisions for removal of all structures (including equipment, fencing and roads) and foundations, restoration of soil and vegetation, and a plan ensuring financial resources will be available to fully decommission the site.
(4) The Jersey County Board may require the posting of a bond, letter of credit or establishment of an escrow account to ensure the proper decommissioning. The posting of a bond may be required prior to the issuance of a commercial solar energy facility permit for construction.
(5) Jersey County reserves the right to require additional information or components to the plan as the county deems necessary to ensure that an adequate proposal is in place to decommission the facility in its entirety and that adequate funds are available. In the event that the State of Illinois enacts a law with regards to the decommissioning of a solar farm, the strictest requirements shall prevail.
(I) Complaint resolution. The applicant shall develop a process to resolve any complaints that may arise from neighboring property owners during the construction and operation of the solar farm. The process shall use an independent mediator and shall include a time limit for acting on a complaint that is received. The process shall not preclude the local government from acting on a complaint. The applicant shall provide to the nearby residents a toll-free phone number for complaints during the construction of the facility if a problem should arise. Applicants will respond to all complaints from persons directly affected by the commercial project within 48 hours, will attempt to resolve all complaints in a prompt and responsible manner, will keep a log of all complaints and the method of resolution, will make the log available to the county, and will agree to participate in a non-binding mediation for complaints that are not resolved, with the cost of such to be paid directly by the applicant.
(J) Material changes to the application are not permitted once the notice of the public hearing has been published, unless requested or permitted by the county.
(Ord. passed 5-9-2023)