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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br />9/15/2014 <br /> Date: <br /> Item No.: 14.e <br />Department Approval City Manager Approval <br />Item Description: Presentation by the St. Paul Port Authority (SPPA) Regarding the SPPA’s <br />Programs to Support Private Sector Solar Energy Installations <br />B <br />ACKGROUND <br />1 <br />The Community Development Department was contacted by the SPPA to inquire about whether <br />2 <br />the City of Roseville was interested in working with the SPPA to expand private sector solar <br />3 <br />installations. The SPPA had been contacted by St. Christopher’s Church seeking assistance in <br />4 <br />funding a solar installation on its property in Roseville. <br />5 <br />With the recent legal changes and new funding sources designed to encourage the development <br />6 <br />of private sector solar energy installations, the SPPA has been placed in a unique position to <br />7 <br />serve as a resource to communities throughout the state. Some of the programs require a level of <br />8 <br />staffing, expertise and scale of applications that could be difficult for smaller communities to <br />9 <br />maintain on their own, particularly with the rapidly changing legislative and financial conditions <br />10 <br />in this energy sector. <br />11 <br />In order to be able to operate within the City of Roseville and to outline the responsibilities and <br />12 <br />risk mitigation, the SPPA has provided a sample joint powers agreement template (Attachment <br />13 <br />A). A listing of the programs that SPPA is currently administering can be found in Attachment <br />14 <br />B). <br />15 <br />A representative from the SPPA will be in attendance to outline the joint powers concept and <br />16 <br />answer questions. <br />17 <br />It should be noted that the Planning Division is currently developing draft changes to the Zoning <br />18 <br />Ordinance to facilitate private sector solar installations. Two sections have been identified as <br />19 <br />potential barriers to solar installations at the scale that residents are now considering: <br />20 <br />(From Section 1011.10 Solar Energy Systems in All Districts) <br />21 <br />Paragraph 1011.10.B.3.b: <br />22 <br />Roof-mounted systems that are visible from the nearest edge(s) of the street frontage right(s)-of- <br />23 <br />way shall be reviewed and approved by Community Development staff to ensure the system <br />24 <br />meets the wind load standards for the roof and there are not major aesthetic impacts with the <br />25 <br />system to the surrounding properties. <br />26 <br />27 <br />Page 1 of 2 <br />