UPDATE FROM THE MAYOR

SOLAR FARM APPLICATIONS FOR CONDITIONAL USE

As everyone is aware, there are currently two separate requests (Mission Clean Energy "Galena Project" and TED Renewables Branch Line Project "TED Project") being considered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (MAPC) and will then be reviewed by the Board of County Commissioners. The City of Clearwater Governing Body has had multiple conversations regarding the impact of both projects, with specific focus on the TED Project.

While it is not the place for the City to challenge the way land is utilized by property owners, as long as it meets all applicable laws, this solar farm project does present a concern for the long-term growth of the City and surrounding community. It is our belief that the solar farms will not only utilize property that could be developed for residential or commercial growth, but also severely restrict interest in living in this area.

In 2022, the City of Clearwater completed its 20-year Comprehensive Development Plan (2022–2042). In this plan, the Clearwater Planning Commission and the Clearwater City Council identified the growth of the City to be north and east. This was driven by a couple of key factors: the floodplain to the north and west and the pending plans that ARC95 would be extended to reach Clearwater in the future. ARC95 is a plan to create a southern bypass from Mulvane to Clearwater and then north to Kellogg. With this additional direct route to Interstate 35, both north and south, it will open direct access for commercial transport as well as residential and commercial growth along the route. This has not been finalized. However, it is felt that if the area became populated with solar farms, it could seriously impact future planning and the timing of development.

The City has what is called an "Area of Influence." Neither project enters Clearwater's Area of Influence. However, the TED Project borders our boundary at several points. County guidelines prevent any solar project from being located within a city's Area of Influence. It does, however, fall within the proposed growth area defined in the Comprehensive Development Plan.

In considering both projects, while there is concern for the impact of solar farms in the area, because of its proximity to the City, it was felt that the City did not have sufficient cause to voice objection to the Galena Project. It did, however, feel the need to formally voice objection to the TED Project. At the City Council meeting on May 26, the City Council unanimously passed Resolution 7-2026, "Expressing Opposition to Large-Scale Solar Projects in Proximity to the City of Clearwater Due to Potential Long-Term Impacts on Community Growth and Development." The resolution, along with a letter signed by all members of the City Council, will be presented to the MAPC and the County Commissioners next week.

I encourage those of you, both for and opposed to the solar farms, to continue to provide your comments to Sedgwick County Commissioner Jeff Blubaugh at Jeff.Blubaugh@sedgwick.gov.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to any member of the Governing Body.

CANCELLATION OF MUTUAL AND AUTO AID AGREEMENTS WITH SEDGWICK COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT #1 (SCFD1)

SCFD1 and the Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners have formally provided written 90-day notice to cancel current mutual and automatic aid agreements with several communities that are operated by volunteer fire departments. Clearwater is one of those communities.

Mutual aid agreements are essentially agreements between agencies that allow one agency to request assistance from another when needed. If resources are available, they would be provided. The current mutual aid agreement between Clearwater and SCFD1 has been in effect since 1996.

Automatic aid agreements are specific to structure fires and geographic boundaries. The Clearwater Fire Department is responsible for the Ninnescah Township boundary and provides first-response coverage for an extended two miles east and two miles north of the Ninnescah boundary. The current automatic aid agreement has been in place since 2011.

SCFD1 is its own taxing district. The Sedgwick County Commissioners serve a dual role as County Commissioners and as the Governing Board of SCFD1. Clearwater funds its own fire department with financial support from Ninnescah Township. Therefore, the residents of Ninnescah Township and the City of Clearwater do not pay into the SCFD1 tax. The latest estimate for the SCFD1 tax rate is 16.754 mills, while the tax impact of the City's budget for our fire department is 7.03 mills.

The basis for the cancellation of the agreements is to have everyone within the County pay SCFD1 taxes. After years of supporting each other, the secondary reason for cancellation is concern that volunteer fire departments are not staffed, trained, equipped, and provided leadership at the level SCFD1 believes is necessary to ensure the safety of firefighters and the residents they serve. We are very blessed to have a dedicated volunteer fire department that provides local response to both fire and EMS calls.

As a reminder, Clearwater does not have local transport resources, and ambulances, when needed, are provided by Sedgwick County EMS. To provide quicker on-site medical professionals who can assess situations and determine whether an ambulance is necessary, the County provides a Critical Response Vehicle (CRV-81), which is scheduled to report to Clearwater seven days a week for 12 hours per day. During the remaining 12 hours each day, and at times when the County resource is not staffed, Clearwater EMS-trained volunteers respond to all medical calls. EMS is a service provided to all Sedgwick County residents, as we all pay Sedgwick County taxes for that purpose.

Within the 90-day period, it is expected that the City and SCFD1 will come to an agreement to either: 1) develop a transition plan to join SCFD1; 2) provide a plan that satisfies SCFD1 that our fire department meets all stated concerns and negotiate a new mutual aid agreement; or 3) determine our ability to manage our volunteer fire department without an agreement under which SCFD1 would provide assistance. We have initiated immediate action by requesting a formal proposal from SCFD1 that would indicate how our community would be served by them. This will include location, staffing, equipment, and responsiveness expectations for both fire services (all incidents, not just structure fires) and EMS. We have also begun an internal review of our department to assess our effectiveness and overall capabilities.

Once we have gathered all of the necessary information, we will meet with our fire department and then open the discussion to the public for comments.

In the meantime, rest assured that our community continues to be covered by our fire department, and when needed, SCFD1 is still operating under the original agreements.

Please feel free to submit your thoughts and comments to me at bussery@clearwaterks.org.

Burt Ussery

Mayor