Parish Council hears plans for solar farm

The St. Mary Parish Council heard about plans for a new kind of farm — a solar energy farm — that could be turning sunlight into electricity for thousands of homes in 2026.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the Parish Council passed a budget calling for $39.7 million in spending in 2024.
The solar farm is in development by ibV Energy Partners on a track south of the intersection of La. 87 and the Katy Bridge Approach Road.
The solar panels would occupy 410-450 acres of what has been agricultural land belonging to the Caffery family.
When in operation, the solar farm could generate 95 megawatts of electricity, enough to provide power for about 16,000 homes, said Steve Link, ibV project manager.
The panels would be an average 15 feet high as they track the sun, Link said.
The nearest the farm will come to nearby homes is 450 feet, he said, and it will be screened from the neighbors by trees and shrubbery. The farm would be surrounded by a fence of either woven wire or chain link and topped by barbed wire, he said.
Construction will create 272 jobs, Link said.
A resident of that area, Richard Fitzgerald Sr., said he represented other people who live near the proposed area.
ibV has been helpful by providing information about the project, Fitzgerald said. But there is a concern about the distance from the nearby houses.
“We’re only asking that you give us the most distance we can from our residences,” Fitzgerald told the council.
Fitzgerald also wanted to know whether the solar farm property would have to be rezoned to industrial and, if so, if all the Caffery family property in the area would be rezoned.
Planning and Zoning Directory Tammy Luke replied that neither the solar farm tract nor the other Caffery property would have to be rezoned from agricultural. But the solar farm would have to be approved for a specific use, she said.
Councilman J Ina wanted to know whether ibV will be seeking a tax break under the Louisiana Industrial Tax Exemption program. The program offers an exemption from up to 80% of property taxes on new industry or expansion of existing industry that creates jobs.
Attorney Don Caffery said there are no plans to seek ITEP relief. He said ibV is talking with parish officials about payments in lieu of taxes.
The combined budget approved Wednesday anticipates revenue of about $37.1 million and spending of about $39.7 million.
That would reduce the accumulated fund balance to $17.2 million.
The combined budget consists of 28 separate funds, the largest being the fund that pays for general government.
The general fund budget anticipates $9.4 million in revenue and spending of $10.5 million, leaving a fund balance of $1.1 million.
The biggest single revenue item is the $3.7 million expected to be raised through taxes.
On the spending side, the biggest category is general government with $7.5 million.
The other 27 funds represent separate accounting for individual parks, sales taxes in specific wards, roads, animal control, court functions and more.
Council members Gwendolyn Hidalgo, Dr. Kristy Prejeant Rink, the Rev. Craig Mathews, Ina, Mark Duhon, Rodney Olander and Les Rulf all voted for the budget. Members Scott Ramsey, Patrick Hebert, James Bennett and Dean Adams were absent.
Also Wednesday:
—Passage of a new parish personnel policy ordinance was derailed after a long discussion centering on questions from Mathews and Ina.
The talk was kicked off by the first question from Mathews about one of the first parts of the new policy: limits on the kind of issues that can be taken up by the Personnel Board.
Chief Administrative Officer Jean Paul Bourg said the Personnel Board’s purview would be limited to major issues such as salary, termination and demotion. Lesser matters such as counseling and reprimands would be handled by the chief administrative officer and the personnel director.
Mathews found that division to be too restrictive.
“If that’s the case,” Mathews asked, “why have a Personnel Board?”
Bourg and Hanagriff argued that broadening the scope of Personnel Board’s authority would amount to impractical micromanaging.’
Eventually, the council decided to call a special meeting for Monday to talk about issues related to the new policy.
—The council approved an increase in the monthly fee for residential trash pickup in unincorporated areas.
The fee will go up $3.80 to $22.80 per month, reflecting inflation and an increase in tipping fees at the parish landfill.
Olander, who eventually voted for the increase, noted that the fee went up $4 per month last year and that the council voted to pass the increase along to residents rather than continuing subsidizing the hike.
For people on fixed incomes, $4 a month here and $5 there add up, he said.
Discussion about absorbing the latest increase in the parish budget ended quickly after Finance Director Paul Governale said the increase would cost the parish $396,000 a year.
Mathews made a half-joking suggestion that the parish government require bear-proof cans parishwide. He said it’s unfair that although bear-proof cans cost more, residents pay the same price whether or not they’re required to have that type of receptacle.
“Let’s do it right now,” he said.
Bourg said a parishwide bear-proof can requirement would surely result in a more costly contract.
Rink suggested that the best way might be to charge residents with bear-proof cans more than others pay.
“If we’re talking about fairness, that’s where we should be,” Rink said.
But that’s not part of the increase passed Wednesday. The increase passed 6-1, with Duhon casting the only no vote.