2018-08-08 Wind Turbines MeetingWind Turbines Meeting
August 8, 2018
3:02 p.m.
Present: Commissioner Fund, Commissioner Jackson, Commissioner Stamper, Karen Witherspoon, John
Kliem, Matt Matayoshi, Dianne Dorey, Eric Eisenberg, Lee Napier
Recorder: Rieva Lester
Lee Napier recapped the commissioners’ July 16 meeting with
Paul Jewell.
Dianne Dorey said state-assessed utilities are utilities between
two counties, such as BPA transmission lines. She said the
owner’s value is divvied up between the various counties
involved. Dianne said state-assessed utilities provide a nice
bump at the beginning, but she stressed that they are volatile.
Dianne said wind turbines are considered personal property
but that they can count as new construction. She noted that
Thurston County will get a portion of the value.
She cautioned that the first-year value won’t be duplicated the
following year (or subsequent years) due to depreciation.
She said it appears roughly 19,300 acres will be leased for the Skookumchuck project. She said it sounds
like 1,000 acres will have to be removed from the Designated Forest Land program. She said the
compensating taxes will be a one-time windfall, albeit small, for the county and the various districts.
Dianne said the county and schools may negotiate mitigation during the permit process.
Eric Eisenberg and Dianne clarified that the mitigation request would be to help offset others’ future tax
obligations regarding levies linked to the turbines’ original pre-depreciation values.
Becky Butler asked if there would need to be a separate agreement
Lee Napier discussed including verbiage in the EIS or possibly creating a developers’ agreement.
Commissioner Stamper left at 3:34 p.m.
Eric discussed the use of a contract to cover the mitigation.
Dianne said RES Americas likely will set up the project then sell it to Puget Sound Energy (PSE).
Becky asked about the severance tax. Dianne said Lewis County does not have one. Lee said the county
may be able to levy a special severance tax.
TO-DO LIST / RECAP
Treasurer’s Office: Reach out to
Kittitas County regarding
severance taxes.
Eric Eisenberg: Reach out to
Kittitas County PA’s office
regarding land use and
development linked to their
wind turbines.
Commissioner Stamper returned at 3:37 p.m.
Commissioner Jackson left at 3:37 p.m.
Dianne suggested speaking to the assessors in Kittitas County and Columbia County about severance
taxes.
Eric said SEPA includes the study of socio-economic impacts. Eric said the SEPA allows counties to
impose mitigation related to the areas they study.
Commissioner Jackson returned at 3:41 p.m.
Becky discussed the need to identify the districts that have bonds and / or M&O levies that would be
affected.
Dianne said the mitigation amount can be determined using the following formula: use the project’s
original assessment as the top number and 20 percent of the original assessment as the bottom number
then divide that total evenly over 19 years to determine the mitigation amount.
Becky left at 3:51 p.m. and returned at 3:53 p.m.
Dianne said the turbines generally have a life expectancy of 20 years.
Dianne said the county should discuss cleanup, etc. regarding decommissioning. She said
decommissioning should be revisited every five years.
The group discussed fire concerns.
The group discussed reaching out to Walla Walla, Columbia, Whitman, Kittitas, Klickitat, Garfield and
Whitman counties regarding their experiences with wind farms.
Lee said the county’s military contact has met with representatives of the Skookumchuck project.
Dianne noted that the earliest the Skookumchuck project would affect the county would be the year
2020. Becky noted that compensating taxes and sales tax on materials may have an impact on 2019.
The commissioners said Lee can continue working with Eric, Erik and Dianne.
Meeting adjourned at 4:21 p.m.