Chiefland Tossing Out Welcome Mat to Power Companies

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

After several minutes of uncertainty about whether to do it, Chiefland City Commissioners Monday finally agreed to send letters to Duke Energy and Central Florida Electric Cooperative inviting them into the city.

The headquarters of CFEC lies just across the street from the city limits, and Duke Energy’s sprawling solar electric generating facility wraps around the CFEC office, extending for half a mile eastward.

Commissioner Rollin Hudson made the suggestion to invite the two companies into the city. Hudson heads the city’s Annexation Committee which hasn’t met for quite some time but could be convened if Hudson decides it’s a good time to move forward.

He wasn’t sure what type of reaction the city would get from the two power companies. He didn’t use the word annexation when he talked about bringing CFEC and Duke Energy into the city. He wants to extend an invitation.

“We’re going to get an answer from them, either it’s a big no or a long drawn out, not at this time but thanks for the offer,” Hudson said.

CFEC’s main office was located for decades in downtown Chiefland but the cooperative moved to a new location off U.S. 129 just outside the city limits several years ago. The city lost that tax revenue.

Duke Energy wasn’t involved in securing county approval for its solar electricity facility but took ownership when the necessary permits from the state and county were secured by a different company.

The solar farm isn’t the prettiest thing on the block. Solar panels stretch endlessly to the horizon surrounded by a chain link fence topped by barbed wire. It looks much like a prison yard on the exterior.

Commissioners initially waffled on whether to support Hudson’s proposal to invite the power companies into the city, except for Commissioner Norm Weaver who supported it but couldn’t get enough backing from the board to take action.

Attitudes changed when Chiefland Police Chief Scott Anderson advised the board that the City of Gainesville recently annexed Gainesville Regional Utilities’ solar generation facility. He said it’s expected to generate $2 million annually in tax revenue.

“Why don’t we send the letters out,” Weaver suggested as soon as Anderson finished speaking.

“Where’s the collection plate by golly,” Hudson said.

Prior to the decision, Weaver complained about the board being a “do nothing” commission that shot down every idea that amounted to anything.

“Here we go again, doing nothing. I just give up. Scratch it,” he said when he didn’t hear any support for sending out the letters to the power companies.

“That’s not the right thing to say. If you want to see about it send the letters and get the answer,” responded Commissioner Lewrissa Johns.

“Everything we come up with there’s something wrong with it,” Weaver responded.

“All it takes is two stamps. Send it to them,” responded Hudson.

The comment from Anderson about the potential windfall in tax revenue from annexing a solar-generating facility broke the ice.

The do-nothing commission, did something.