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07-12-2021 Meeting Minutes BOC July 12, 2021 1 PERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS JULY 12, 2021 MEMBERS PRESENT OTHERS PRESENT Gordon Powell Heidi York, County Manager Kyle W. Puryear Brenda B. Reaves, Clerk to the Board C. Derrick Sims Robert Hornik, County Attorney Charlie Palmer Patricia Gentry The Board of Commissioners for the County of Person, North Carolina, met in regular session on Monday, July 12, 2021 at 9:00am in the commissioners’ boardroom 215 in the Person County Office Building. Chairman Powell called the meeting to order and offered an invocation. Vice Chairman Puryear led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. DISCUSSION/ADJUSTMENT/APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Chairman Powell stated the need to add two Closed Sessions to the agenda: 1) to consult with the attorney and 2) economic development project update. A motion was made by Commissioner Gentry and carried 5-0 to add the two Closed Sessions to the agenda and to approve the agenda as adjusted. CLOSED SESSION #1 A motion was made by Commissioner Sims and carried 5-0 to enter into Closed Session #1 per General Statute 143-318.11(a)(3) at 9:03am for the purpose to consult with the county attorney in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege with the following individuals permitted to attend: County Manager, Heidi York, Clerk to the Board, Brenda Reaves, County Attorney, Bob Hornik, Planning Director, Lori Oakley and Planner I, Angela Blount. Chairman Powell called the Closed Session #1 to order at 9:05am. A motion was made by Commissioner Sims and carried 5-0 to return to open session at 9:30am. July 12, 2021 2 PUBLIC HEARING: PETITION SUP-01-21 – A REQUEST BY ROXBORO STOR-N-LOCK, INC. FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A SELF-STORAGE BUSINESS AT A SITE LOCATED ON CARVER DRIVE IN ROXBORO, NC (TAX MAP & PARCEL 132-3) IN THE B-2 (NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING) ZONING DISTRICT: A motion was made by Commissioner Sims and carried 5-0 to open the duly advertised public hearing for a request by Roxboro Stor-n-Lock, Inc. for a special use permit to allow a self-storage business at a site located on Carver Drive in Roxboro, NC (Tax Map & Parcel 132-3) in the B-2 (Neighborhood Shopping) Zoning District. The public hearing set to hear a request by Roxboro Stor-n-Lock, Inc. for a special use permit to allow a self-storage business at a site located on Carver Drive in Roxboro, NC (Tax Map & Parcel 132-3) in the B-2 (Neighborhood Shopping) Zoning District required a quasi-judicial zoning decision whereby witnesses are to be sworn in and subject to cross examination, no ex parte communication and requires findings of fact. Chairman Powell administered the Oath of Sworn Testimony to the following individuals who would offer testimony during the public hearing: Ms. Lori Oakley, Mr. Mathew Sams, and Mr. Stephen Wilson Planning Director, Lori Oakley stated all state statutes and planning ordinance requirements have been met for this public hearing. She requested her Staff Report be entered into record. July 12, 2021 3 July 12, 2021 4 July 12, 2021 5 Ms. Oakley shared the following presentation with the group: July 12, 2021 6 July 12, 2021 7 July 12, 2021 8 July 12, 2021 9 July 12, 2021 10 July 12, 2021 11 July 12, 2021 12 Speaking in favor of the request by Roxboro Stor-n-Lock, Inc. for a special use permit to allow a self-storage business at a site located on Carver Drive in Roxboro, NC (Tax Map & Parcel 132-3) in the B-2 (Neighborhood Shopping) Zoning District were the following: Mr. Mathew Sams of 917 Ridge Road, Roxboro stated his comments were pretty simple and straightforward. He said they are the adjacent property and was here to hear the changes and see the difference between the previous site plan to this one. Today seeing a cart path located between the two properties and the entrance is located on Carver Drive. The previous agreement for commercial traffic, specifically 18-wheelers that use the Stor- n-Lock, offered to move to this new property, felt very beneficial for Ridge Road, a) for the high school traffic with the tractor trailers backing in there blocking the entire Ridge Road for a significant amount of time – they currently do avoid most school hours of coming and going and moving them to this property would be pretty beneficial. Mr. Sams said today they had no qualms with this property change; this change was very beneficial for the whole city as everybody needs a place to store items safely and securely so considering the changes that on the books he appreciated the time for the Board to listen to everyone feelings. Mr. Stephen Wilson (the applicant) of 121 Jenny Lane, Timberlake said he did not have any statement to make and asked if he needed to make a statement. Clerk to the Board, Brenda Reaves stated he did not have to make a statement however if he wanted to offer any testimony, this was his opportunity. Mr. Wilson said he would answer any questions that anyone might have. Ms. Reaves noted Mr. Wilson was available for questions from anyone. Commissioner Gentry stated she had a quick question; she asked Mr. Wilson what was the need to change the building layout from the previous to what was displayed on the screen and Mr. Wilson stated it was due to a jurisdictional water (stream) identified that caused the building layout to change. There were no individuals appearing before the Board to speak in opposition to a request by Roxboro Stor-n-Lock, Inc. for a special use permit to allow a self-storage business at a site located on Carver Drive in Roxboro, NC (Tax Map & Parcel 132-3) in the B-2 (Neighborhood Shopping) Zoning District. A motion was made by Vice Chairman Puryear and carried 5-0 to close the public hearing for a request by Roxboro Stor-n-Lock, Inc. for a special use permit to allow a self- storage business at a site located on Carver Drive in Roxboro, NC (Tax Map & Parcel 132- 3) in the B-2 (Neighborhood Shopping) Zoning District. July 12, 2021 13 CONSIDERATION TO GRANT OR DENY REQUEST BY ROXBORO STOR-N- LOCK, INC. FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A SELF-STORAGE BUSINESS AT A SITE LOCATED ON CARVER DRIVE IN ROXBORO, NC (TAX MAP & PARCEL 132-3) IN THE B-2 (NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING) ZONING DISTRICT: A motion was made by Vice Chairman Puryear and carried 5-0 to approve the request by Roxboro Stor-n-Lock, Inc. for a special use permit to allow a self-storage business at a site located on Carver Drive in Roxboro, NC (Tax Map & Parcel 132-3) in the B-2 (Neighborhood Shopping) Zoning District with the following conditions be placed on the Special Use Permit, as recommended by Planning staff: 1. The applicant is to obtain all permits necessary from the County Planning and Zoning Department and Building Inspections Department. 2. The applicant is to obtain all permits necessary from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Vice Chairman Puryear stated the request met the following Findings of Fact: 1. That the use will not materially endanger the public health or safety if located where proposed and developed according to the plan as submitted and approved; 2. That the use meets all of the required conditions and specifications; 3. That the use will not substantially injure the value of adjoining or abutting property, or that the use is a public necessity; 4. That the location and character of the use, if developed according to the plan as submitted and approved, will be in harmony with the area in which it is to be located and in general conformity with the Comprehensive Plan. July 12, 2021 14 PUBLIC HEARING: PETITION SUP-02-21 - A REQUEST BY THE APPLICANT, BEREA SOLAR, LLC, ON BEHALF OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS, ELIZABETH CHRISTIAN AND CATHERINE PHELPS, JOHN AND LINDA MANGUM, MALCOLM MANGUM, JR. AND MARY SUSAN WILLIAMS, MATTHEW MOORE, JEFFRY HENDRIKS AND EM & RM LLC, (ELVIN MANGUM) ON TAX MAP AND PARCEL NUMBERS A110-7, A110-2, A110-31, A110-29, A110-6, A111-5 AND 0961- 06-5906 (GRANVILLE COUNTY PIN), TOTALING 920 ACRES LOCATED ON BEREA, BETHANY CHURCH AND ISHAM CHAMBERS ROADS, FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ESTABLISH A LEVEL 3 (10 ACRES OR GREATER) SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM: By reference, the attached Deposition of Hearing dated July 12, 2021 (prepared by Veritext Legal Solutions and reported by Audra Smith) is to be incorporated in the minutes of the Person County Board of Commissioners in the above referenced matter. The following is a representative of the order of the events as described in the depositional legal proceedings. A motion was made by Commissioner Gentry and carried 5-0 to open the duly advertised public hearing for a request by the applicant, Berea Solar, LLC, on behalf of the property owners, Elizabeth Christian and Catherine Phelps, John and Linda Mangum, Malcolm Mangum, Jr. and Mary Susan Williams, Matthew Moore, Jeffry Hendriks and EM & RM LLC, (Elvin Mangum) on Tax Map and Parcel numbers A110-7, A110-2, A110- 31, A110-29, A110-6, A111-5 and 0961-06-5906 (Granville County PIN), totaling 920 acres located on Berea, Bethany Church and Isham Chambers Roads, for a special use permit to establish a Level 3 (10 acres or greater) Solar Energy System. The public hearing set to hear a Special Use Permit request by the applicant, Berea Solar, LLC, on behalf of the property owners, Elizabeth Christian and Catherine Phelps, John and Linda Mangum, Malcolm Mangum, Jr. and Mary Susan Williams, Matthew Moore, Jeffry Hendriks and EM & RM LLC, (Elvin Mangum) on Tax Map and Parcel numbers A110-7, A110-2, A110-31, A110-29, A110-6, A111-5 and 0961-06-5906 (Granville County PIN), totaling 920 acres located on Berea, Bethany Church and Isham Chambers Roads, for a special use permit to establish a Level 3 (10 acres or greater) Solar Energy System required a quasi-judicial zoning decision whereby witnesses are to be sworn in and subject to cross examination, no ex parte communication and requires findings of fact. Chairman Powell administered the Oath of Sworn Testimony to the following individuals who would offer testimony during the public hearing: July 12, 2021 15 Ms. Lori Oakley, Ms. Angela Blount, Mr. Tom Terrell, Ms. Jen Lester, Mr. Nick Kuhn, Mr. Rich Kirkland, Mr. Ben Hitchings, Mr. Chris Sandifer, Mr. Tommy Cleveland, Mr. Rex Young, Ms. Mary Susan Williams, Mr. John Mangum, Ms. Elizabeth Christian, Mr. Norman Boyette, Mr. Paul Lynch, Mr. Chris Weaver, Mr. Barton Warren, Ms. Lisa Hall, Ms. Bonnie Jones, and Ms. Cindy Lynch. Planning Director, Lori Oakley introduced Angela Blount, Planner I to present petition SUP-02-21. Ms. Blount stated all state statutes and planning ordinance requirements have been met for this public hearing. The Staff Report for SUP-02-21 is hereby entered into record. July 12, 2021 16 July 12, 2021 17 July 12, 2021 18 July 12, 2021 19 Ms. Blount shared the following presentation: July 12, 2021 20 July 12, 2021 21 July 12, 2021 22 July 12, 2021 23 July 12, 2021 24 July 12, 2021 25 July 12, 2021 26 July 12, 2021 27 Speaking in favor of the request by the applicant, Berea Solar, LLC, on behalf of the property owners, Elizabeth Christian and Catherine Phelps, John and Linda Mangum, Malcolm Mangum, Jr. and Mary Susan Williams, Matthew Moore, Jeffry Hendriks and EM & RM LLC, (Elvin Mangum) on Tax Map and Parcel numbers A110-7, A110-2, A110- 31, A110-29, A110-6, A111-5 and 0961-06-5906 (Granville County PIN), totaling 920 acres located on Berea, Bethany Church and Isham Chambers Roads, for a special use permit to establish a Level 3 (10 acres or greater) Solar Energy System were the following: Mr. Thomas Terrell, Jr. of 230 N. Elm, Greensboro, NC with Fox Rothschild, LLP, counsel representing the applicant Ms. Jennifer Lester of 420 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC with Kimley-Horn Mr. Nicholas Kuhn of 420 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC with Kimley-Horn Mr. Richard Kirkland of 9408 Northfield Ct., Raleigh, NC and a State Certified General Appraiser Mr. Ben Hitchings of 2018 Wilson St., Durham, NC Mr. Chris Sandifer, P.E., of 3118 Green Rd., Spring Hope, NC and a member of the Nash County Planning Board Member Mr. Tommy Cleveland, P.E. of 4141 Laurel Hills Rd, Raleigh, NC, a NC professional engineer Mr. Rex Young of 606 Wade Avenue, Ste. 102, Raleigh, NC Ms. Mary Susan M. Williams of 109 Westlake Dr., Henderson, NC, property owner Mr. John B. Mangum of 1101 Bethany Church Road, property owner Ms. Elizabeth M. Christian of 200 Southglen Dr., Cary, NC, property owner July 12, 2021 28 Speaking in opposition to the request by the applicant, Berea Solar, LLC, on behalf of the property owners, Elizabeth Christian and Catherine Phelps, John and Linda Mangum, Malcolm Mangum, Jr. and Mary Susan Williams, Matthew Moore, Jeffry Hendriks and EM & RM LLC, (Elvin Mangum) on Tax Map and Parcel numbers A110-7, A110-2, A110-31, A110-29, A110-6, A111-5 and 0961-06-5906 (Granville County PIN), totaling 920 acres located on Berea, Bethany Church and Isham Chambers Roads, for a special use permit to establish a Level 3 (10 acres or greater) Solar Energy System were the following: Mr. Norman Boyette of 2156 Emerald Ln., Franklinton, NC Mr. Paul Lynch of 395 Union Grove Church Rd., Hurdle Mills, NC Mr. Chris Weaver of 542 Satterfield Farm Rd., Timberlake, NC Mr. Barton Warren of 3833 Helena Moriah Rd., Rougemont, NC Ms. Lisa Hall of 387 Camp Creek Ln., Rougemont, NC Ms. Bonnie Jones or 181 Camp Creek Ln., Rougemount, NC Ms. Cindy Lynch of 395 Union Grove Church Rd., Hurdle Mills, NC A motion was made by Commissioner Sims and carried 5-0 to close the public hearing for a request by the applicant, Berea Solar, LLC, on behalf of the property owners, Elizabeth Christian and Catherine Phelps, John and Linda Mangum, Malcolm Mangum, Jr. and Mary Susan Williams, Matthew Moore, Jeffry Hendriks and EM & RM LLC, (Elvin Mangum) on Tax Map and Parcel numbers A110-7, A110-2, A110-31, A110-29, A110-6, A111-5 and 0961-06-5906 (Granville County PIN), totaling 920 acres located on Berea, Bethany Church and Isham Chambers Roads, for a special use permit to establish a Level 3 (10 acres or greater) Solar Energy System. July 12, 2021 29 CONSIDERATION TO GRANT OR DENY REQUEST BY THE APPLICANT, BEREA SOLAR, LLC, ON BEHALF OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS, ELIZABETH CHRISTIAN AND CATHERINE PHELPS, JOHN AND LINDA MANGUM, MALCOLM MANGUM, JR. AND MARY SUSAN WILLIAMS, MATTHEW MOORE, JEFFRY HENDRIKS AND EM & RM LLC, (ELVIN MANGUM) ON TAX MAP AND PARCEL NUMBERS A110-7, A110-2, A110-31, A110-29, A110-6, A111-5 AND 0961-06-5906 (GRANVILLE COUNTY PIN), TOTALING 920 ACRES LOCATED ON BEREA, BETHANY CHURCH AND ISHAM CHAMBERS ROADS, FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ESTABLISH A LEVEL 3 (10 ACRES OR GREATER) SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM: Commissioner Gentry proposed a continuation to the August 2, 2021 Board meeting allowing more time to go over the data that was presented and the testimonies that the Board heard. She added she would like a site visit. Mr. Hornik suggested the Board consider two separate motions: 1) to continue this item to the Board’s August 2, 2021 meeting and 2) to reopen the public hearing to a date certain at which time the Board may go and see the property, if so desired. Mr. Hornik added as an alternative, the Board could visit the site individually and when the Board reconvenes, every one of the commissioners should report if and when a visit to the site took place, what was observed and whether or not the visit would impact their ability to make an unbiased, fair decision. Commissioner Puryear stated it would work out best for everyone’s schedules to visit the site individually. A motion was made by Commissioner Gentry and carried 5-0 to continue consideration to the August 2, 2021 Board meeting to allow time to go over the data presented as well as make individual site visits. A motion was made by Commissioner Gentry and carried 5-0 to reopen the public hearing to continue to August 2, 2021. Mr. Hornik said after the Board reconvenes the meeting on August 2, 2021, commissioners should disclose and allow for any kind of rebuttal time, and then close the public hearing. This way all of the information will have been gathered. Mr. Hornik asked each of the commissioners to disclose any ex parte communications, either orally or in writing thus far, disclose generally what those communications were and state whether they were able to make an unbiased, fair decision on the application. Chairman Powell stated he had received two emails, one from Ray Foushee and the other from Anthony Horton noting he did not reply to either and that their stated concerns about this solar farm would have no impact on his decision. Commissioner Gentry stated the two emails were directed to all five commissioners. Vice Chairman Puryear confirmed he received the same two emails and they had not swayed his opinion. July 12, 2021 30 Commissioner Palmer said that neither of the emails had an impact on his thoughts as far as developing this site. He added he already developed his thoughts way before they emailed him. Commissioner Gentry said she received the same emails from the same two men to which she did not respond to them. She added she did speak with Ray Foushee as he happens to be her neighbor and they both said they could not talk about this. Commissioner Sims confirmed he had received the same emails and that he did not respond to either one of them, and it was not going to sway his decision in any way. Chairman Powell announced a brief recess at 12:12pm; the meeting reconvened at 12:23pm. INFORMAL COMMENTS: The following individuals appeared before the Board to make informal comments: Mr. John Seepe of 277 Barefoot Landing Ln., Semora, NC addressed the Board related to its public comment period noting of all 100 counties in NC, he could not find anyone that held public comments for less than 30-minutes; he added some counties allow individuals to bequeath their time to others while others were silent in that arena. Mr. Seepe stated a RFQ was discussed back in December and he requested a status of such shell building two months ago to which he has not received an answer; he noted he did not have confidence in his county government. Ms. Liz Bradsher of 976 Estate Rd., Semora, NC asked the Board why hadn’t a task force been formed as stated by the EPA for the citizens on what will happen to the coal plants. Ms. Bradsher noted an email dated June 17, 2021 from Tanya Evans to support a proposed resolution related to the closing of the plants on or before 2024 for Hyco or on or before 2027 for Mayo without having certainty of what will happen to the plants. She added Person County is the only county with two coal plants that are a tremendous asset; she asked what will happen to the lakes, the land, the jobs, the plants, and the people. Ms. Anderson Clayton of 546 Flat River Church Rd., Roxboro, and Chair of the Person County Democratic Party addressed a GOP blog post written by Commissioner PJ Gentry that addressed ineffective government as she noted all members of the Board belong to the same party. Ms. Clayton stated she works virtually for a broadband group expanding broadband throughout rural communities, which was something she would like to see the County focus on, as there are still parts of the county not connected. She added the digital economy was where the county could invest and emphasize. Ms. Clayton asked the Board to focus on issues and not on politics. July 12, 2021 31 DISCUSSION/ADJUSTMENT/APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA: A motion was made by Vice Chairman Puryear and carried 5-0 to approve the Consent Agenda with the following items: A. Approval of Minutes of June 8, 2021, B. Approval of Minutes of June 10, 2021, C. Approval of Minutes of June 21, 2021, D. Budget Amendment #1, E. Pay and Classification Schedule, F. Person Industries’ Record Destruction, G. Person County Schools Application to NC Education Lottery for Public School Building Capital Fund in the amount of $1,050,000 for North End Parking and Queue, H. FY2022 Home and Community Care Block Grant for Older Adults Agreement for the Provision of County-Based Aging Services, I. Health Department Fee Requests for the administration of COVID-19 first and second doses to submit claims to insurance companies, and J. Tax Adjustments for July 2021 a. Tax Releases b. NC Vehicle Tax System pending refunds NEW BUSINESS: TAX COLLECTOR SETTLEMENT: Tax Administrator, Russell Jones stated as required by General Statute 105- 373(a)(3), an annual settlement for taxes for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021 and all previous years must be made with the governing body of the taxing unit. Mr. Jones shared the following presentation with the Board: July 12, 2021 32 Mr. Jones noted the below numbers are unadjusted noting the uncollected reflects $137,582.17 less than last year uncollected. County Manager, Heidi York and the Board praised Mr. Jones and his staff for achieving the highest percentage ever collected at 99.08% for real and personal property. July 12, 2021 33 Mr. Jones noted Collections for Stormwater Fees were at 98.21%, City collections at 99.01%, inclusive of DMV and the Fire Tax collections when factored in DMV were at 99.39%. July 12, 2021 34 Mr. Jones said the 5-Year Comparison Overall collection rate includes DMV but with no adjustments for bankruptcy bills. July 12, 2021 35 Mr. Jones noted there were 1,000 accounts that had garnishments and 250 accounts with a bank attachment. He noted Kania brought in $97,714.63 in foreclosures at no cost to the County. July 12, 2021 36 Based on last year’s numbers, Person County ranks #8 in the state with its collection rate and #2 in the County’s peer group. July 12, 2021 37 Mr. Jones noted the next reappraisal might take place in 2025 if the market continues as it is currently. A motion was made by Vice Chairman Puryear and carried 5-0 to accept the Tax Collector Settlement Report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. ORDER TO COLLECT TAXES: Tax Administrator, Russell Jones stated as required by General Statute 105-321, the governing board of the taxing unit must issue an order of collection to tax collectors. This gives the tax collector legal authority to collect taxes. Mr. Jones requested a motion from the Board of Commissions to direct Tax Collector to collect taxes for 2021 and all-delinquent taxes from prior years. A motion was made by Vice Chairman Puryear and carried 5-0 to direct Tax Collector to collect taxes for 2021 and all-delinquent taxes from prior years. July 12, 2021 38 July 12, 2021 39 REAPPOINTMENT OF COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR: Tax Administrator, Russell Jones said as required by General Statute 105-294(a), the Person County Board of Commissioners must appoint a Tax Assessor. The Board of Commissioners appointed the current tax assessor, Russell Jones, on July 10, 2017 for a 4- year term, which expires this month. The current tax assessor is certified by the North Carolina Department of Revenue as an Assessor, and therefore eligible for a 4-year appointment. It is customary for counties to appoint an Assessor for the full 4-year term. Mr. Jones requested the Board to appoint a County Tax Assessor for a designated term and administer the oath. A motion was made by Commissioner Palmer and carried 5-0 to appoint Russell Jones as Person County’s Tax Assessor for a 4-year term. Chairman Powell administered the oath to Mr. Jones. Vice Chairman requested the Chairman and fellow commissioners to excuse him from the meeting to which the Board consented. Vice Chairman Puryear left the Board meeting at 12:53pm. PERSON AREA TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD BY-LAWS UPDATE AND APPOINTMENT: Transportation Director, Kurt Neufang for the Person Area Transportation System (PATS) presented to the Board an update to the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) By- Laws noting the Person County Board of Commissioners is the governing board for the TAB which serves in an advisory capacity. Mr. Neufang noted the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) requires that the Board of Commissioners approve updates to the TAB By-Laws. Mr. Neufang explained the recommended update to the By-Laws include increasing the number of TAB members from 13 to 14. The additional position would be designated for a City of Roxboro representative, which would enhance collaboration with city staff on efforts to improve transit services in our community. It also includes updating the “Occupational Affiliation” description for the Economic Development member to “Economic Development/Chamber of Commerce” to expand representation of the business community on the TAB. Mr. Neufang recommended consideration of Vernell Davis’s application for appointment to the TAB in Economic Development/Chamber of Commerce position for a 3-year term noting she is employed by Louisiana Pacific and a member of the Roxboro Chamber of Commerce. A motion was made by Commissioner Sims and carried 4-0 to approve the requested update to the Transportation Advisory Board By-Laws and to appoint Vernell Davis to represent in the Economic Development/Chamber of Commerce position on the Transportation Advisory Board for a 3-year term. July 12, 2021 40 APPOINTMENT TO THE JUVENILE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL AND KERR TAR REGIONAL COG: Clerk to the Board, Brenda Reaves stated David R. Carter, Chief Court Counselor had previously designated Brian Matlock to be his designated representative on the Person County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC). Mr. Matlock is no longer working in Person County and Mr. Carter would like the Board to recognize and appoint him, in his capacity as the Chief Court Counselor, to this designated position on the JCPC. Ms. Reaves said the term for this positon was set to expire on December 31, 2021 and requested Board consideration to appoint David R. Carter to serve effective immediately to serve out the unexpired term as well as a new 2-year term to December 31, 2023. A motion was made by Commissioner Gentry and carried 4-0 to appoint David R. Carter to the JCPC in his capacity as the Chief Court Counselor to fulfill the unexpired term of Brian Matlock as well as a new 2-year term to expire December 31, 2023. Ms. Reaves noted for some time, Person County has advertised for two citizen alternates for the Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments (COG) board representing the private sector or the retired community for an unexpired term. Diane Cox, Executive Director of the COG informed the County that some of the member governments do appoint alternates that have the authority to vote and count towards quorum if one of the designated member government-voting members are not able to attend a meeting. Jimmy Clayton, former commissioner and retired citizen, has submitted an application for appointment to serve as an alternate on the COG Board representing the retired community for an unspecified term. A motion was made by Commissioner Sims and carried 4-0 to appoint Jimmy Clayton to serve as an alternate on the Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments (COG) board for an unspecified term. DESIGNATION OF VOTING DELEGATE TO NC ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Clerk to the Board, Brenda Reaves stated voting credentials for the 2021 NC Association of County Commissioners Annual Business Session scheduled on August 14, 2021 in New Hanover County must be submitted by August 9, 2021 in order for Person County’s delegate to participate in the association’s annual election of officers and policy adoption. Ms. Reaves requested Board consideration to designate Commissioner Sims, who was registered to attend the Conference in-person, as Person County’s delegate. A motion was made by Commissioner Gentry and carried 4-0 to designate Commissioner Sims to serve as Person County’s voting delegate at the 2021 NC Association of County Commissioners Annual Business Session on August 14, 2021. July 12, 2021 41 CONSIDERATION OF THE ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE FOR COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES: Commissioner Gentry requested to put this item on the Board’s August 2, 2021 agenda so that Vice Chairman Puryear could participate to which all consented. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT: Chairman Powell announced a Groundbreaking Ceremony for the construction of a new hangar would take place at the Raleigh Regional Airport at Person County on July 14, 2021 at 9:00am. MANAGER’S REPORT: County Manager, Heidi York had no report. COMMISSIONER REPORT/COMMENTS: Commissioner Palmer commented it was a good meeting. Commissioner Gentry stated she had attended the National Association of Counties annual conference virtually and highlighted some of the topics included broadband, economic development, water property rights, workforce innovation, equity, regional growth, academia, aviation, and demographic trends. She added that mortgage rates were not projected to rise higher than 4% as the market should continue through the next two years. Commissioner Sims commented that he liked the 10-minute public comments period as is noting it is a time to listen to the comments from the public and not address or dialogue unless during the commissioner report/comments period. Vice Chairman Puryear was absent for commissioner report/comments. July 12, 2021 42 CLOSED SESSION #2 A motion was made by Commissioner Palmer and carried 4-0 to enter into Closed Session at 1:14pm per General Statute 143-318.11(a)(4) for the purpose of discussion of matters relating to the location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body, including agreement on a tentative list of economic development incentives that may be offered by the public body in negotiations with the following individuals permitted to attend: County Manager, Heidi York, Clerk to the Board, Brenda Reaves, Economic Development Director, Sherry Wilborn and County Attorney, Robert Hornik. Chairman Powell called the Closed Session #1 to order at 1:15pm. A motion was made by Commissioner Sims and carried 4-0 to return to open session at 1:31pm. ADJOURNMENT: A motion was made by Commissioner Gentry and carried 4-0 to adjourn the meeting at 1:31pm. _____________________________ ______________________________ Brenda B. Reaves Gordon Powell Clerk to the Board Chairman Deposition of: Hearing July 12, 2021 In the Matter of: Person County Board Of Commissioners Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376) | Calendar-carolinas@veritext.com | www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 PERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 2 PUBLIC HEARING 3 --------------------------------- 4 IN RE: 5 PETITION SUP-02-21 6 BEREA SOLAR, LLC, Applicant, on behalf of the property owners 7 ELIZABETH CHRISTIAN and CATHERINE PHELPS, JOHN AND LINDA MANGUM, 8 MALCOM MANGUM, JR., AND MARY SUSAN WILLIAMS, MATTHEW MOORE, JEFFRY 9 HENDRIKS AND EM & RM LLC (Elvin Mangum) on Tax Map and Parcel numbers 10 A110-7, A110-2, A110-31, A110-29, A110-6 A110-5 and 0961-06-5906. 11 ----------------------------------------- 12 13 14 JULY 12, 2021 15 9:46 A.M. 16 Roxboro, North Carolina 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Reported by: Audra Smith Page 1 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 APPEARANCES 2 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS: 3 Gordon Powell, Chairman Kyle W. Puryear, Vice Chairman 4 Charlie Palmer Patricia J. Gentry 5 C. Derrick Sims 6 OTHERS PRESENT: 7 Clerk to the Board: Brenda Reaves County Manager: Heidi York 8 Counsel representing the Board: Robert E. Hornik, Jr., Esq. 9 Presenters: Lori Oakley, AICP, Planning Director Angela Blount, Planner I 10 11 COUNSEL REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT: 12 Thomas Terrell, Jr., Esq. FOX ROTHSCHILD LLP 13 230 N. Elm Street, Suite 1200 Greensboro, NC 27401-2171 14 Also Present on behalf of the Applicant: 15 Rex Young, Esq., Oakhurst Energy Development Attorney 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Page 2 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 INDEX 2 APPLICANT EXHIBIT PAGE 3 Notebook presented to Board 14 4 * * * * * 5 ** SWORN PRESENTATIONS, STATEMENTS AND TESTIMONY ON 6 BEHALF OF THE PETITION/APPLICANT ** 7 PAGE 8 OPENING STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY TERRELL: 14 9 TESTIMONY ON BEHALF OF PETITION/APPLICANT: 10 JENNIFER LESTER, P.E., Kimley-Horn 27 11 NICHOLAS KUHN, RLA, CPRP, Kimley-Horn 30 12 RICHARD C. KIRKLAND, JR., MAI 32 13 BEN HITCHINGS, FAICP, CZO 41 14 CHRIS SANDIFER, P.E., CEM 44 15 TOMMY CLEVELAND, P.E. 53 16 REX YOUNG, ESQ. 53 17 CHRIS SANDIFER, P.E., CEM 72 18 LANDOWNERS' STATEMENTS: 19 MARY SUSAN WILLIAMS 74 20 JOHN MALCOLM 77 21 ELIZABETH CHRISTIAN 79 22 23 24 25 Page 3 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 ** SWORN PRESENTATIONS, STATEMENTS AND TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION 2 TO PETITION ** 3 PAGE 4 NORMAN BOYETTE 81 5 PAUL LYNCH 83 6 CHRIS WEAVER 91 7 BARTON WARREN 94 8 LISA HALL 98 9 BONNIE JONES 100 10 CINDY LYNCH 102 11 12 ** REBUTTAL STATEMENT AND TESTIMONY ON BEHALF OF THE 13 PETITION/APPLICANT** 14 STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY TERRELL 109 15 TESTIMONY ON BEHALF OF PETITION/APPLICANT: 16 CHRIS SANDIFER, P.E., CEM 111 17 18 QUESTIONS BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 19 BY MS. GENTRY 113 20 BY MR. SIMS 115 21 BY MS. GENTRY 118 22 ** SURREBUTTAL STATEMENT AND TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION 23 OF THE PETITION/APPLICANT** 24 PAUL LYNCH 120 25 Page 4 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 P R O C E E D I N G S 2 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Next item on the agenda 3 is the public hearing. This will be number 3. 4 Is that correct? 5 MS. REAVES: That's correct, Item 3. 6 MR. POWELL: We would like to view/open, 7 as advertised, the public hearing to consider 8 Petition SUP-02-21, a request by the applicant, 9 Berea Solar LLC, on behalf of the property 10 owners, Elizabeth Christian and Catherine 11 Phelps, John and Linda Mangum, Malcolm Mangum, 12 Jr. and Mary Susan Williams, Matthew Moore, 13 Jeffry Hendriks and EM & RM LLC (Elvin Mangum) 14 on Tax Map and Parcel Numbers A110-7, A110-2, 15 A110-31, A110-29, A110-6, and A111-5 and 16 0961-06-5906. (Granville County PIN), totaling 17 920 acres located on Berea, Bethany Church and 18 Isham Chambers Roads, for a special use permit 19 to establish a Level 3 (10 acres or greater) 20 Solar Energy farm. 21 Do we have a motion? 22 MS. GENTRY: So moved. 23 CHAIRMAN POWELL: All in favor say "aye." 24 (All county commissioners answered aye.) 25 MR. POWELL: Again, this is a Page 5 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 quasi-judicial zoning decision whereby 2 witnesses are to be sworn in and subject to 3 cross-examination. No ex parte communication, 4 and required, findings of fact. 5 MS. REAVES: Because we have so many 6 people to be sworn in, the attorney has advised 7 that I will call the names of those who have 8 signed up and you can stand at your place and 9 be affirmed, raise your right hand and be 10 affirmed. 11 So those that are offering testimony are: 12 Tom Terrell, Jen Lester, Nick Kuhn, Rich 13 Kirkland, Ben Hitchings, Chris Sandifer, Tommy 14 Cleveland, Rex Young, Paul Lynch, Cindy Lynch, 15 Norman Boyette, Paul Lynch again, Chris Weaver, 16 Barton Warren, Lisa Hall and Bonnie Jones. 17 This is all the folks who have signed 18 up -- 19 MR. TERRELL: We have two -- 20 MS. REAVES: -- in favor of in and in 21 opposition to. 22 MR. TERRELL: We have two landowners, 23 Ms. Williams and John Mangum. 24 Have you-all signed up? 25 Is it too late for them to sign up? Page 6 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 MS. REAVES: I think it's fine, yep. 2 Please come forward, please. And if I 3 called your name, if you would stand up, 4 please. 5 (Mary Susan Williams, John R. Mangum and 6 Elizabeth Christian added their names to the 7 Speaker Registration "In Favor Of.") 8 MS. REAVES: Chairman, I think you can 9 administer the oath. 10 MR. POWELL: Because we have a sizable 11 number, I'll read the oath, and at the end, you 12 will simply say "I do," if you don't mind. 13 I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will 14 tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but 15 the truth as testimony offered in the public 16 hearing for Petition SUP-02-21. A request by 17 the applicant, Berea Solar LLC, on behalf of 18 property owners, Elizabeth Christian and 19 Catherine Phelps, John and Linda Mangum, 20 Malcolm Mangum, Jr. and Mary Susan Williams, 21 Matthew Moore, Jeffry Hendriks and EM & RM LLC 22 (Elvin Mangum) on Tax Map and Parcel Numbers 23 A110-7, A110-2, A110-32, A110-29, A110-6, 24 A111-5 and 0961-06-5906 (Granville County PIN), 25 totaling 920 acres located on Berea and Bethany Page 7 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 Church and Isham Chambers Road, for a special 2 use permit to establish a Level (10 acres or 3 greater) Solar Energy farm. 4 (Witnesses affirmed.) 5 MR. POWELL: Thank you. 6 Ms. Oakley. 7 MS. OAKLEY: Mr. Chairman, Members of the 8 Board, for SUP-02-21 today, Angie Blount, staff 9 planner, will be presenting this case to you. 10 MS. BLOUNT: Good morning. 11 MR. POWELL: Good morning. 12 MS. BLOUNT: This is a special use permit 13 request for Case Number 02-21. Here we go. 14 This is a request by the applicant, Berea 15 Solar LLC on behalf of the property owners, 16 Ms. Elizabeth Christian, Catherine Phelps, John 17 and Linda Mangum, Malcolm Mangum, Jr. and Mary 18 Susan Williams, Matthew Moore, Jeffry Hendriks 19 and EM & RM or Elvin Mangum. This is for the 20 following tax map numbers, A110-7, A110-2, 21 A110-31, A110-29, A110-6, A111-5 and then one 22 that is located within Granville County, which 23 is known by the Tax Map 0961-06-5906. This is 24 located on Berea and Bethany Church and Isham 25 Chambers Roads. Again, it is a special use Page 8 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 application to establish a Level 3, which is 10 2 acres or greater, Solar Energy System. This is 3 to include 920 contiguous acres in separate 4 ownership. 5 This is a map of the property. You'll see 6 that to the north of the properties are -- it's 7 wooded. There is some pastureland. To the 8 west of the properties, it's also wooded and 9 farm or pasturelands. There are scattered 10 single-family dwellings. To the west is the 11 Granville County line, and to the south is 12 Durham County, and it is also wooded and -- 13 with some pasture and farmlands with, again, 14 scattered single-family dwellings. 15 The next map shows that the area is zoned 16 RC or Rural Conservation. This is true of the 17 entire area. 18 The Future Land Use map identifies the 19 parcels as rural residential. Rural 20 residential allows for low-density residential, 21 agricultural, forestry, churches and limited 22 commercial uses. Our analysis is that this 23 Level 3 request for a Level 3 Solar Energy 24 System, it's comprised of seven parcels. All 25 of the parcels are zoned, again, Rural Page 9 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 Conservation. Level 3 is 10 acres or greater. 2 It's allowed in this district with a special 3 use permit. 4 The site plan shows existing vegetative 5 buffers at the required 150 feet and proposed 6 buffers of 150 feet to be planted. The site 7 plan shows a 300-foot setback from any dwelling 8 and 50-foot buffers on either side of a stream. 9 The site plan also depicts the approximate 10 location of access for each tract. 11 Okay. There's one of my maps. This shows 12 some of the properties that are at the north 13 part. The green indicates the 150-foot buffer 14 that already exists. The yellow is what would 15 be planted to that standard. They also show 16 a -- let me see if I can find it -- sorry about 17 that. 18 Okay. Along this easement there, there's 19 an electrical easement, power line easement 20 that goes through there. You'll see where it 21 says POI, which stands for the point of 22 interconnectivity. This is where they plan to 23 have it low to the grid. This is the lower 24 half of those parcels. It shows the access 25 where they plan to access each lot from the Page 10 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 roadways. That's shown also -- again, the 2 green is the existing 150-foot vegetative 3 buffer. The yellow is what would be planted to 4 that standard. 5 There's an overall view which shows it 6 hugs that Granville County line, comes down 7 almost into Durham County. 8 The proposed site plan meets the setback 9 and buffering requirements set forth in the 10 Solar Energy System Ordinance where applicable, 11 and is an allowed use within the RC or Rural 12 Conservation district with a special use 13 permit. 14 Approximately half of the perimeter 15 requiring 150-foot wide vegetative buffers are 16 already existing. 17 If the board approves this request, 18 planning staff would recommend the following 19 conditions to be placed on the special use 20 permit. The riparian buffers for Cub Creek 21 located on Parcel A110-6 need to be added to 22 the site plan. This was left off, and I 23 brought it to their attention, and they have 24 indicated they've done the research and that it 25 would appear on the site plan. Page 11 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 The applicant is to obtain all necessary 2 permits for the Solar Energy System project and 3 adhere to all requirements listed in the Person 4 County System Ordinance and the planning 5 ordinance. 6 I had some stats on watt power. This is 7 an 80 megawatt farm. None of the -- the height 8 limit is 15 feet. None of these solar panels 9 would exceed that in height. The total amount 10 that they're planning to place, it's 230,920. 11 It's 80 megawatts of power combined, all of 12 those solar power panels together. 13 The site plan shows access to each site is 14 from a state maintained roadway. The property 15 is located within the Neuse and Pamlico 16 Watersheds and will be subject to Falls Lake 17 Watershed rules regulating land disturbance. 18 I know that we have representatives from 19 Berea Solar here today, as well as some of the 20 owners. Everything having to do with the case 21 was duly advertised and carried through per 22 state statute. That's all the presentation 23 that I have. If you have any questions, I'll 24 try to answer them. 25 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: The parcel that, is Page 12 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 there -- my understanding is there's a parcel 2 in Granville County? 3 MS. BLOUNT: There is a parcel that -- 4 part of it exists over into Person. It's ours 5 as far as zoning regulations and ours to zone. 6 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Thank you. 7 MS. BLOUNT: Uh-huh. 8 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Public comments at this 9 time? 10 MS. REAVES: Yes, sir. We have quite a 11 few to speak in favor of, as well as in 12 opposition to. So the first speaker to speak 13 in favor of is Mr. Tom Terrell. 14 MR. TERRELL: Mr. Chairman, I'm Tom 15 Terrell with the law firm Fox Rothschild, 230 16 North Elm Street in Greensboro. I'm here today 17 representing Berea Solar, the applicant, but 18 Berea Solar is a wholly owned site specific LLC 19 of Pine Gate Renewables, which I'll introduce 20 to you very quickly. 21 We understand that this is a hearing on 22 evidence. Your county adopted very specific 23 standards, and it's our duty to present 24 evidence to you showing that we have met those 25 standards. Page 13 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 To do that, there are six experts we have 2 here today. Most of what those experts have to 3 say has been reduced to writing, and that's why 4 you have a notebook in front of you. I've 5 asked each of them to keep their comments to a 6 higher level of about five minutes each, so 7 that we don't take your entire day today. 8 I would like to walk you through the tabs 9 in this, just so you know the evidence that's 10 in front of you. And as I do this, I would 11 like, first, to introduce the entire notebook 12 into evidence. 13 (Applicant's Exhibit presented to the 14 Board.) 15 MR. TERRELL: I'll just go through these a 16 tab at a time very quickly. The first tab is a 17 project overview. It gives you a lot of what 18 Angie has already provided for you. 19 At the second tab, we have Development and 20 Ownership. There are two companies. Oakhurst 21 Energy is represented by Mr. Young here today. 22 Oak Hurst is the developer for this site, but 23 Pine Gate Renewables, which is one of the 24 largest and most active energy companies in 25 North Carolina, will be the long-term owner, Page 14 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 operator and manager. 2 We have some information here on Pine 3 Gate. They will be the ones who build it; they 4 will be the ones that handle everything. 5 And if you look at the tab behind it, 6 there's -- it says Commitment to 7 Sustainability. I don't get to say this about 8 other companies that I represent, but Pine Gate 9 has a true commitment to sustainable 10 everything. They put up fencing that allows 11 wildlife to go through instead of just having a 12 wildlife corridor so that a facility does not 13 block wildlife from where they have food 14 sources, mating, things like that. 15 They also, where they can do this, they 16 work and have and allow farmers to have sheep 17 inside these facilities. They do -- they have 18 a pollinator program where they plant 19 pollinator grasses to aid local agriculture. 20 And they recently have established a 21 partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation -- 22 and this is in here as well -- where for every 23 tree that comes down for solar panels, they 24 plant two. So this is their commitment as a 25 company. Page 15 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 The next tab is Economic Benefits. We 2 attach a study to this that shows -- this was 3 done by a nonprofit that when you take all the 4 solar farms in North Carolina and look at what 5 their tax value was before they became solar 6 versus what their tax value was to the county 7 after it was converted, it's about a 2,000 8 increase on average, which is important because 9 there are communities like Person County who 10 are losing things like coal plants as Duke 11 decommissions these facilities. And 12 counties -- it's not just unique to Person -- 13 are looking for ways to replace that tax base 14 because you have schools that you have to pay 15 for and you have other services. Solar farms 16 increase that tax base, but at the same time 17 they don't draw on your services. So there's a 18 tremendous economic benefit from that that we 19 outlined there quickly. 20 The next tab is the Site Plan. I'm going 21 to have somebody come up and introduce that 22 very briefly. I would say on this point, 23 though, that this site that is here before you 24 today, you may think of as large, no solar farm 25 ever again will be a 5 megawatt, 50 acre. Duke Page 16 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 Energy has taken over the market here based on 2 legislation adopted in 2017. You have to apply 3 to Duke Energy, and in order to have your 4 facility accepted, you pretty much have to have 5 a large site. 6 And in this case, you have to have a much 7 larger site because of the setbacks and the 8 buffers in order to get the amount of panels 9 that are required. There are some small sites 10 still being done, but those are what are called 11 "legacy sites" that have been in a pipeline and 12 approved in years past. 13 Some of you -- I don't know how many of 14 you are brand new to this type of hearing, but 15 we did put a little tab in here on the law of 16 quasi-judicial proceedings that explains 17 essentially you've decided that a solar farm 18 goes in this zoning district. All we have to 19 do is present competent, material and 20 substantial evidence, and we take that very 21 seriously, and we have a summary of that. 22 And in the following, if you wanted to see 23 the exact language, we have the SUP standards. 24 Following the SUP standards, there's something 25 we call a General Statement of Compliance that Page 17 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 has everything, all of our evidence summarized. 2 After that, we have two different tabs on 3 Health and Safety. One from Mr. Sandifer and 4 one of Mr. Cleveland. They will be 5 addressing -- this is actually a larger topic, 6 and each of them will be addressing it from 7 different angles. 8 The tab following that, we want you to 9 know that Pine Gate uses Tier 1 panels. You 10 really can't get financing for this unless you 11 use a Tier 1 panel. We explain what a Tier 1 12 panel is. 13 And behind that, we show you the specs of 14 the panels. Pine Gate purchases from Canadian 15 Solar, and we have -- we can't promise it will 16 be Canadian, but this is where they buy from. 17 We don't know if they'll continue to be in 18 business or what the prices will be at any 19 given time, but that's where they have been 20 acquiring their equipment. 21 Chemical Control comes up as an 22 environmental question: Are the chemicals 23 dangerous? And Mr. Sandifer is going to 24 explain they're a lot less than agriculture, 25 and they're done by licensed applicators, and Page 18 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 everything is within all EPA and State 2 guidelines. 3 We often hear about stream protection as a 4 matter of environmental health. This is part 5 of the public health and safety equation, and 6 we have a lot of information here. It's 7 written sort of in bullet form to show that 8 this site is somewhere around 4 percent 9 impervious. It's very, very, very low percent 10 impervious. It's 7 or 8 times less than the 11 trigger for having to put in a stormwater 12 device, but we have a civil engineer who will 13 go over that briefly. 14 The next tab, we are testifying that we 15 meet all of your specifications and conditions, 16 but we have an engineer who will say that to 17 put it into the records. 18 We are required to have a maintenance plan 19 and a decommissioning plan. Both of those are 20 at the next two tabs, just in case you wish to 21 look at that. 22 The bottom line is, when the plant is 23 finished, Pine Gate has to pay a bond to make 24 sure that they're to remove it -- it's a very 25 quick process; most everything is recyclable -- Page 19 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 and in this case, it's only about $400,000 is 2 the estimate of what it would be. That's a 3 good-faith engineering estimate. 4 We have to demonstrate that this will not 5 substantially injure the value of adjacent or 6 adjoining property. This is done in this case 7 by a licensed appraiser, Mr. Richard Kirkland. 8 I'm going to introduce him to you in just a 9 moment. He has been called, many times "the 10 world's leading expert on the impact of solar 11 farms on adjoining property." He has done 12 these studies using public data in 13 approximately 20 states, somewhere between 7- 14 and 800 studies, and he uses only the standards 15 required by the Appraisal Institution and the 16 North Carolina Appraisal Board. It's a fixed 17 study, but once again, it is based upon data 18 that shows how people are spending money in the 19 marketplace. 20 The next tab is Harmony Consistency. We 21 have several people who will be addressing 22 this, but I would like for you, if you will -- 23 I'm going to walk you through a few pages. If 24 you go a few pages into that, there's a 25 little -- it's like four pages after it, it Page 20 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 says Photos Illustrating Harmony. 2 If you find the first one, that's actually 3 from up in Rougemont. Many of you have 4 probably driven past that. It's right across 5 from the Hanson Quarry. This is what, I think, 6 Person County is trying to avoid with a solar 7 farm. They're very low to the ground, but 8 there's nothing there to prevent you from 9 seeing it. I emphasize: This is what it will 10 not be. 11 The next page, I put out here to show you 12 the existing site is not pristine farm 13 buildings. There's a lot of infrastructure on 14 this site that has -- it's starting to fall 15 down. It's very -- I speak from experience. 16 It's very expensive to farm. 17 The page after that shows a lot of 18 equipment that is right up in a stream buffer 19 that's currently on the site. Why? Because 20 there's nothing preventing that on a -- if it's 21 on agriculture. If it's in a solar farm, that 22 50 feet has to be maintained. 23 And there are a couple more pages showing 24 things that shouldn't be right in or at or 25 against a water feature, are there right now. Page 21 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 You can see also in the next page, you're 2 starting to see the infrastructure is on the 3 site. I show you the equipment that's on this 4 farm. These are photographs from farm 5 structures on this site. These tractors are 6 allowed. There is nothing in a solar farm that 7 you will hear outside this facility. There is 8 something called an inverter. Those inverters 9 are like loud air conditioners, but you get 10 farther away from them, you cannot hear them 11 over the ambient noise. I have never heard an 12 inverter outside a solar facility. 13 There's some photographs that showed you, 14 "This is what neighbors see now." And if you 15 were an adjoining owner of this property, there 16 are 90-foot towers out there that have 17 transmission lines. Those 90-foot towers 18 cannot be shielded from public view by any 19 vegetation. They have been there for decades, 20 and this is part of the landscape. 21 And then I have some -- in addition to 22 that, I have some photographs that were taken 23 on Bethany Church Road that show you, even from 24 the roadway, this is what you see. There are 25 several photographs, you know, showing double Page 22 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 rows of transmission towers. 2 And then there's a -- on page 13 of these 3 essays, I want to show you, there are four 4 photos that illustrate how what 20 feet of 5 vegetative buffer does in one place where it's 6 not that thick. At the top, you see the area 7 behind. At the bottom, you see is the buffer, 8 and then you go across the street, and you see 9 how much shielding is done by the pines that 10 are there. 11 And then on pages 15 and 16, 17 and 18, 12 you see what the existing buffer is on Berea 13 Road and Bethany Church. This is illustrative. 14 These are not selective photos. This is 15 everywhere. 16 Now, if you look at page 19 -- this is my 17 favorite illustration, I've never done this -- 18 but this is Mr. Young. He and I were visiting 19 the site. He's standing at the roadside, and I 20 asked him to do long paces into the brush to 21 mark off 20 feet. And if we need him to 22 testify that's what he did, he will affirm 23 that. You see him from the road, but he goes 24 20 feet in. 25 And if you look on that second page -- Page 23 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 second photograph, you can see his gray shirt 2 at the far left in that photograph, that's 3 20 feet. And this is before the leaves have 4 come out. This was done in late March, early 5 April, and you can see the deciduous trees had 6 not come. I know where he is in the last 7 photograph. If we could move on. I apologize 8 for that lengthy walk-through those photos. 9 We have a rendering from Kimley-Horn that 10 shows you what the buffer will be, and we'll 11 have a landscape architect. That is the next 12 testimony coming up. And he'll tell you, it's 13 going to take $2 million, or just a few dollars 14 under that, to plant this buffer, so it's not 15 an inexpensive one. 16 We have, the next tab, what other 17 people -- and these are county commissioners 18 and others from other places -- say about solar 19 and how they welcome it. And then I can go 20 through these next tabs very quickly. 21 One of the standards we have to 22 demonstrate is that it will not materially 23 endanger -- I'm sorry -- substantially injure 24 the value of adjoining property or it's a 25 public necessity. And both Mr. Cleveland and Page 24 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 Mr. Sandifer have information here on public 2 necessity, and what they will tell you is that 3 as Duke is decommissioning its coal plants, as 4 we have issues with approving a nuclear 5 facility -- there will never be a new nuclear 6 facility ever approved because of public 7 opposition. Solar has become and is becoming 8 our next move for our country to make sure that 9 we have a reliable source of energy for homes, 10 schools, churches, businesses, the places we 11 live and the places we work. You can't do this 12 effectively on small acres. You have to have 13 large. And as we move to the tracker systems 14 that trap sun, we put batteries in these 15 places. They are getting more and more and 16 more efficient. And they will tell you, when 17 it comes to efficiency, they're actually more 18 efficient data-wise -- and the numbers support 19 this -- than any other form of energy, and they 20 use governmental data to demonstrate that. 21 And then finally toward the end, I did put 22 in here -- we have a five-page letter that we 23 sent to adjoining owners where we explained to 24 them that they will not be able to see it, hear 25 it; it won't generate traffic; that it won't Page 25 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 generate dust; that it will be a neighbor 2 they're unaware of. 3 And when we had our neighborhood meeting, 4 I will tell you nobody -- and I really mean 5 nobody -- showed up that did not want this. We 6 had -- we gave our personal information. 7 Nobody reached out to express opposition. 8 I was a little bit surprised to see people 9 signing up, I think, maybe to speak against it, 10 but they did not take the opportunity to come 11 to the neighborhood meeting, if they did. 12 And then finally, our last item in here, I 13 realize that this is hearsay, so we're going to 14 have them speak as well. These are property 15 owners who are paying taxes in Person County 16 who are here asking for a reasonable use of 17 their land, and they're asking you in these 18 letters, and they'll ask you in person, to 19 allow them to increase the taxes that come to 20 you. They're going to ask you to allow them to 21 do something that's reasonable -- they think 22 they've earned the right to do that -- that 23 does not harm their neighbors. 24 And with that, I'm glad to answer any 25 questions, and if we don't have any, I would Page 26 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 like to call up Jen -- or Jennifer Lester who 2 is with Kimley-Horn -- and she will introduce 3 the site plan. She will address how this 4 use meets all conditions, and she'll briefly 5 address stream protection because that's a 6 matter of environmental health. 7 Jennifer. 8 MS. LESTER: Good morning. My name is Jen 9 Lester. I'm a licensed professional engineer 10 in the state of North Carolina. I hold a 11 bachelor of science in civil engineering from 12 the University of Alabama, and currently a 13 project manager at Kimley-Horn & Associates 14 located at 421 Fayetteville Street in Raleigh, 15 North Carolina. 16 I've worked on over 80 solar sites across 17 North Carolina, the southeast, and the 18 Mid-Atlantic areas. Ranging from preliminary 19 design, detailed design to construction admin, 20 that includes grading, stormwater and erosion 21 and sediment control, which does cover 22 protections to stream and wetlands from 23 construction stormwater runoff. 24 MR. TERRELL: Mr. Chairman, we would like 25 to tender Ms. Lester as an expert in civil Page 27 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 engineering. 2 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Okay. Thank you. 3 UNIDENTIFIED MALE SPEAKER IN GALLERY: 4 Please stay in the microphone. Please. Thank 5 you. 6 MS. LESTER: As a recap, the site is 7 approximately 910.5 acres. It's located in 8 southeast Person County frontage, primarily 9 along Berea Road and Bethany Church Road. The 10 POI is located to the north of the site along 11 the existing overhead transmission line, which 12 runs diagonally across the site and across 13 Berea Road. 14 Let's see. The existing land cover is 15 primarily agricultural fields and wooded areas. 16 The proposed use will be primarily stabilized 17 meadow grass and approximately 3 percent 18 impervious area, which covers access roads, 19 inverter pads, substation pad, and piles. 20 Based on the change in land use, 21 stormwater runoff for the site is anticipated 22 to decrease in the final condition. 23 You'll also see internal to the site, 24 streams and wetlands which have been field 25 delineated at this time. There will be a Page 28 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 50-foot riparian buffer around them. It's the 2 intent of the site to avoid these, to the 3 extent possible. We're required for crossings 4 on roads or electrical wires, if any impacts do 5 occur, they will be permitted accordingly 6 through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and 7 Person County. 8 During construction, you'll see a series 9 of erosion control measures around the site, 10 likely silt fence in low-lying areas, a series 11 of diversion ditches and temporary sediment 12 basins. 13 You'll also see limited construction site 14 access. Called out on the site plan, and 15 internal laydown areas which will cover 16 equipment and materials to the site. 17 All design for the site will meet or 18 exceed North Carolina Department of 19 Environmental Quality and Person County 20 requirements. 21 Generally, zoning is the first step in the 22 process. So before construction can begin on 23 the site, we will need to acquire other 24 permits, including ones from NCDOT, NCDEQ, the 25 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Person Page 29 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners Testimony on behalf of Applicant: Nick Kuhn, RLA, CPRP 1 County. This is the same as any other type of 2 development; a church or a school or 3 subdivision would go through the same process. 4 So happy to answer any questions. 5 MR. TERRELL: Would you just state, is it 6 your opinion that this facility will meet all 7 the conditions and specifications required in 8 Person County? 9 MS. LESTER: Yes, that's correct. 10 MR. TERRELL: Okay. Thank you. 11 I'd like to call Mr. Nick Kuhn, an 12 architect from Kimley-Horn. 13 MR. KUHN: Good morning. My name is Nick 14 Kuhn. I'm a professional landscape architect, 15 licensed in the state of North Carolina with 16 the firm Kimley-Horn, located at 421 17 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. 18 I have a bachelor of science in landscape 19 architecture from Ohio State and a master's in 20 landscape architecture from N.C. State. 21 As part of that, we'd like to talk a 22 little bit about the landscape vegetation 23 buffer -- 24 MR. TERRELL: Before you do that, I'd like 25 to tender Mr. Kuhn to be an expert in landscape Page 30 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners Testimony on behalf of Applicant: Nick Kuhn, RLA, CPRP 1 architecture. 2 CHAIRMAN POWELL: So noted. Thank you. 3 MR. KUHN: Thank you. 4 The landscape vegetation buffer for this 5 project would include some illustrations here 6 on the board and you have in your packets as 7 well. 8 This project is -- majority of the 9 perimeter is existing vegetation buffer. There 10 are areas shown on the site map shown in -- 11 highlighted in yellow that would include 12 proposed landscape vegetation buffer. In many 13 of those areas, the landscape that is proposed 14 will be supplemental to the existing 15 vegetation. Many of the areas along those 16 corridors include existing buffers, but do not 17 meet the 150-foot width. So it will be 18 supplemental to those areas. 19 This image here shown on the board is a 20 depiction of what the 150-foot proposed buffer 21 condition would be, and it's my opinion, as a 22 professional, that you will not be able to see 23 the solar panels behind or any of the 24 facilities of the solar generation behind those 25 buffers. Page 31 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 The proposed buffer vegetation is also 2 shown in plan view to the left side of that 3 image, and the proposed conditions would 4 include a mixture of evergreen and deciduous 5 trees to meet or exceed Person County 6 requirements for that vegetation. 7 So it's our opinion with a mixture of 8 those vegetations, we would have screening of 9 those facilities on a year-round condition; so 10 even during leaf-off plant conditions, during 11 winter. 12 In addition, those plants, the trees would 13 be supplemented with a mixture of evergreen 14 shrubs throughout the perimeter as well. 15 In combination, a total of over 16 $2 million investment in landscape architecture 17 throughout the perimeter; approximately, 2,400 18 trees and over 12,000 shrubs planted. 19 The actual species would be selected based 20 on time of construction and the availability of 21 the plants, but they would meet the 22 requirements and performance guidelines for the 23 counties. 24 MR. TERRELL: Thank you, Nick. 25 I'd like Mr. Richard Kirkland to come Page 32 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 forward. 2 MR. KIRKLAND: Good morning. Hi. My name 3 is Rich Kirkland. I'm a state-certified 4 general appraiser. I've been appraising in 5 North Carolina for about 25 years. I'm also a 6 MAI through the Appraisal Institute, and I 7 regularly appraise agricultural properties, I 8 appraise residential development land, look at 9 commercial properties and general development, 10 conservation easements and impact analyses. 11 MR. TERRELL: And with that, I would like 12 to tender Mr. Kirkland as an expert in the 13 appraisal of land. 14 CHAIRMAN POWELL: So noted. 15 MR. KIRKLAND: I was asked to look at this 16 project and look at whether or not the property 17 as proposed would have an impact on adjoining 18 property values. I've been looking at solar 19 farms and property value impacts for about 12 20 years. In that time, I've looked at over 800 21 solar farms, and I've worked in, I believe, 22 about 18 different states at this point. 23 Mostly here in North Carolina because this is 24 where I'm based. 25 As far as looking at these, the way we Page 33 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 look for an impact on property value is we do a 2 matched pair analysis or a paired sales 3 analysis. You simply look at the property that 4 sold next to a solar farm and compare that to 5 similar properties that are not next to a solar 6 farm to see if there's anything you can measure 7 as far as an impact to those sales prices. 8 We've done that here in North Carolina 9 looking at 23 different solar farms that are 10 included in the report that I believe you have 11 a copy of now. From that, I was able to pull 12 56 matched pairs. Each one of those matched 13 pairs, those sales, we compared to three other 14 homes that are nearby that are not next to the 15 solar farm, just to see if we can find any 16 impact. And we're consistently finding no 17 impact on property value. We see some go a 18 little low, some go a little high. Mostly in 19 the plus or minus 5 percent range, which is 20 really the static we would find in any real 21 estate transaction. I can look at two 22 identical homes in the same subdivision, and 23 they won't sell for the exact same price. 24 There's always a little bit of friction and 25 variability in those prices. Page 34 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 The aggregate of the price I pulled I'm 2 finding is roughly plus one, plus two percent, 3 meaning there's a slight higher price, on 4 average, next to a solar farm. But it's in 5 that static area. It's not a meaningful bonus 6 or enhancement. It just means it falls in that 7 -- this is just normal real estate 8 transactions. 9 And I found the same thing to be true when 10 I looked naturally as well. I've looked at 37 11 solar farms across the United States, mostly in 12 the southeast. We pulled 94 matched pairs for 13 those. 14 We're looking at homes that range from 15 $100,000 up to $1.6 million homes that adjoin 16 these solar farms. I've got matched pairs as 17 close as 100 feet from the closest point on a 18 home to the closest solar panel, and I believe 19 the highest home price I've looked at is about 20 $1.6 million, and that home was -- I looked at 21 two of those -- or three of those, actually, 22 that are roughly 200 feet from the closest 23 point of those homes to the closest solar 24 panel. 25 So again, the data is showing no impact on Page 35 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 property value for a wide range of different 2 property types. 3 This project here, the closest home is 4 going to be at least 300 feet away. So again, 5 that's much further away than the distance I'm 6 seeing for a wide range of property values, 7 including million dollars homes. 8 So it's my professional opinion that the 9 project, as proposed, will have no impact on 10 the adjoining property values; that -- and also 11 that it is a harmonious location for solar 12 farms. 13 Part of what we've been doing, looking at 14 all these solar farms -- we've looked at over 15 800, and we've quantified what are the 16 adjoining uses around solar farms? And we've 17 looked at it based on the number of adjoining 18 parcels but also the number of adjoining 19 acreage. And when I look by the number of 20 parcels, the most common adjoining property use 21 is residential; and when I look by acreage, the 22 most common adjoining use the agricultural. 23 This is where solar farms have been 24 located throughout North Carolina, throughout 25 the southeast and across the nation where, Page 36 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 essentially, you've got the open space where 2 you can put in the panels, but you also have 3 infrastructure which comes with the housing to 4 pull that out and put that on the grid. 5 So this is a harmonious location. And 6 that's further supported by the fact that 7 there's no impact on property values. If 8 there's something disharmonious about adjoining 9 uses, you would typically find an impact on the 10 property values. 11 So again, it's my professional opinion 12 that this is a harmonious location for a solar 13 farm. It will have no impact on property 14 values. 15 I'd be happy to go into greater detail or 16 answer any questions. 17 COMMISSIONER PURYEAR: Where did you list 18 your comps that were used? 19 MR. KIRKLAND: They are listed in the 20 report starting on pages 17 and they go on 21 through -- let's see -- about 48. 22 MR. PURYEAR: And the comps that were used 23 are comparable, the same size of 900 plus 24 acres? 25 MR. KIRKLAND: Again, I've looked at Page 37 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 projects as much as up to a 620-megawatt 2 facility up in Virginia; that's a Spotsylvania 3 project. We have matched pairs, three home 4 sales next to that project, and it's actually 5 much larger than this. 6 But as far as projects that are, say, 7 50 megawatts or larger, I got two, three, 8 four -- I've got four of the solar farms that 9 are identified in there are in the 75 to 10 80-megawatt projects, and they range up to 11 2,000 acres or more in some of those. Again, I 12 look at the size of the solar farm, not the 13 acreage because there tends to be lots of -- 14 the parent tracts might be 2,000 acres, but the 15 number of acres actually in use is going to be 16 something significantly less than that due to 17 buffers, wetland areas, and things like that. 18 COMMISSIONER PURYEAR: Thank you. 19 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Any other questions? 20 MR. TERRELL: I have one question of 21 Mr. Kirkland. 22 You probably -- in fact, I'm sure that you 23 have been at more solar farm hearings than any 24 human being throughout North Carolina. 25 Would you estimate for this -- this might Page 38 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 be an unfair question -- how many special or 2 conditional use permits' hearings you've been 3 at over 12 years and how many counties or other 4 jurisdictions have made the finding that a 5 solar farm was harmonious with the area around 6 it? 7 MR. KIRKLAND: Again, I would have 8 to guess. It would just be a guess. 9 MR. TERRELL: A good faith estimate. 10 MR. KIRKLAND: I mean, I would say I've 11 been at least 300 or 400 in North Carolina. 12 As far as the number of counties, I would 13 say about -- I don't know -- 70 of the 100 14 counties in North Carolina roughly. 15 MR. TERRELL: How many have made the 16 finding of solar farm, of those, is harmonious 17 with the area around it? 18 MR. KIRKLAND: Most of those. Again, 60 19 to 70. 20 MR. TERRELL: Okay. Is that sixty to 21 70 percent? 22 MR. KIRKLAND: Yeah -- well, no, 60 to 70 23 counties; I've probably been to 70 counties. 24 MR. TERRELL: Okay. Of the three or 25 more -- 350 solar farms, how many of those for Page 39 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 each of those farm applications did the board 2 make the finding that the solar farm was 3 harmonious with the area? 4 MR. KIRKLAND: The vast majority. I don't 5 know how to assign that percentage, but most of 6 them. 7 MR. TERRELL: Are you familiar with anyone 8 that's been turned down on that issue. 9 MR. KIRKLAND: Well, I'm familiar with 10 some that have been turned down on that issue, 11 but -- 12 MR. TERRELL: Are you familiar with what 13 happened in the courts afterwards? 14 MR. KIRKLAND: Yes. Most of those, if 15 they've been appealed, have been all upheld -- 16 or overturned, excuse me, and permit granted. 17 MR. TERRELL: Okay. 18 CHAIRMAN POWELL: No other questions. 19 Thank you, sir. 20 MR. KIRKLAND: Thank you. 21 MR. TERRELL: To fully address the issue 22 of harmony and consistency, briefly is Mr. Ben 23 Hitchings. 24 MS. REAVES: Can you provide an address? 25 Because I don't have that. Page 40 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 MR. HITCHINGS: Yes. 2018 Wilson Street, 2 Durham. 3 Good morning, Chairman Powell, Members of 4 the Board. My name is Ben Hitchings. I'm the 5 principal of Green Heron Planning based in 6 Durham, a planning consulting firm. I've 7 worked for more than 25 years as a planner and 8 a planning director in several communities in 9 North Carolina. I'm also an adjunct faculty 10 member at UNC School of Government. I hold a 11 master's degree in planning from UNC, and I'm a 12 fellow of the American Institute of Certified 13 Planners and a Certified Zoning Official in 14 North Carolina. Pleasure to be with you this 15 morning. 16 MR. TERRELL: I would like to tender 17 Mr. Hitchings as an expert in land use 18 planning. 19 CHAIRMAN POWELL: So noted. Thank you. 20 MR. HITCHINGS: The fourth finding before 21 you has two parts: That the proposed project 22 is in harmony with the area, and that it is in 23 general conformity with the comprehensive plan. 24 So often when we develop our zoning 25 requirements, we're working to make sure that Page 41 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 we allow property owners to use their land as 2 long as they do so in a way that doesn't impair 3 the ability of their neighbors to also use 4 their property. 5 So when we talk about whether a proposed 6 project is in harmony with the area, we're 7 looking to see if it is compatible with its 8 surroundings; that it doesn't conflict with 9 neighboring properties. 10 As we've heard, this solar farm is a quiet 11 use that doesn't generate dust, odors or 12 vibration. So often, our views of a place and 13 of a particular property are shaped by the 14 views that we have from the adjacent roadways. 15 This project will have a 150-foot vegetative 16 buffer around the entire perimeter and a 17 300-foot setback from adjacent residential 18 areas. 19 And I drove this site, and there's -- 20 it's -- the road is also sort of set down, so 21 the lay of the land, I think, also supports 22 maintaining a similar character to what is 23 already there, as you drive the roads around 24 the site. 25 In addition, the solar panels themselves, Page 42 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 as we've heard, will not exceed 15 feet in 2 height. As a result, this vegetative buffer 3 will screen the project and help ensure that it 4 is compatible with its surroundings. 5 Now, moving on to the second item. When 6 we evaluate a project for general conformity 7 with the comprehensive plan, we're looking at 8 the plan goals and also the Future Land Use 9 Map. You-all have a 2001 adopted Land Use Plan 10 which includes the following goals: Goal 11 Number 1 calls for promoting an orderly and 12 efficient land use development pattern which 13 allows for a variety of land uses while being 14 sensitive to environmental concerns. 15 We've heard testimony this morning and, in 16 my opinion, this project supports that goal. 17 There's also an implementation strategy, 18 1.5.3, that calls for discouraging low-density 19 residential development in rural areas where 20 investment in public infrastructure is not 21 economically viable. So this activity provides 22 another way for property owners to have an 23 economically beneficial use of their property 24 in a way that maintains the working landscape. 25 It's a working landscape when this facility is Page 43 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 in place. 2 Objective 2.1 of the plan calls for 3 promoting continued economic investment through 4 retention and expansion of existing industrial 5 concerns, and the recruitment of new industries 6 and commercial businesses. This project 7 supports that goal as well, and doesn't -- in a 8 way that respects the county's goals for 9 community appearance and the natural 10 environment consistent with Goals 4 and 7 in 11 your adopted plan. 12 As a result, in my professional opinion, 13 the proposed project is in harmony with the 14 area and in general conformity with the 15 comprehensive plan. Thank you. 16 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Any questions? Thank 17 you. 18 MR. TERRELL: We have two more speakers 19 Mr. Chairman. First, Mr. Chris Sandifer. 20 MR. SANDIFER: Good morning, Chairman 21 Powell, Members of the Board. Thank you for 22 hearing me. My name is Chris Sandifer. I live 23 at 3118 Green Road, Spring Hope, North 24 Carolina. I'm an independent consulting 25 engineer. Received a bachelor of science in Page 44 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 electrical engineering from Clemson University. 2 I'm a professional engineer registered in the 3 state of North Carolina. I'm a licensed 4 contractor in North Carolina with an unlimited 5 classification. I worked 30 years with Duke. 6 The last portion of that was the 7 interconnection of renewable energy resources. 8 Grew up on a farm. I live on a farm. And 9 right now, I have 100 acres of panels that are 10 on lease for photovoltaic generation. 11 I'm engineer of record for scores of 12 renewable energy projects, and I have made 13 multiple visits to 50 or more sites, maybe 100, 14 for either doing inspections, construction, or 15 final inspection for those sites. So I've been 16 around them for the last 12 years. Also, to 17 this month starting my third term on the Nash 18 County Planning Board. 19 MR. TERRELL: As a member of the Nash 20 County Planning Board, you have approved how 21 many solar farms? 22 MR. SANDIFER: 37. 23 MR. TERRELL: Mr. Chairman, given his 24 experience, I would like to tender Mr. Sandifer 25 in two areas: First, as an electrical engineer Page 45 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 with knowledge of the mechanics of a solar 2 facility; and number two, on the harmony of a 3 solar farm with surrounding areas. 4 CHAIRMAN POWELL: So noted, sir. 5 MR. SANDIFER: Thank you. 6 Just give you a brief overview of how 7 those photovoltaic solar panels are going to 8 work, we will drive piles into the ground, 9 they're pressed in the ground. Attach brackets 10 to those piles that rotate. We'll put 11 monocrystalline silicon panels on those racks, 12 and they will track the sun, and they will 13 convert the sunlight into DC electricity. The 14 electricity is then run into an inverter. That 15 inverter then transforms that DC into AC, and 16 then we run that through a transformer to match 17 the voltages to the existing power line that 18 goes across the property. 19 So there's nothing new about this 20 technology. It's not a piece in here that's 21 not been around for 50 or more years. Some of 22 it much longer than that, and there have been 23 no studies to indicate that there are any 24 long-term ill effects to the technology we're 25 using. Page 46 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 The farmland is not hurt. I wouldn't put 2 100 acres of my land in it if I thought it was 3 going the hurt the land. 4 As a farmer, I know how much chemicals we 5 use. Typically, these farms, to maintain them, 6 use approximately 10 percent of the herbicide 7 rates that would normally be on a row crop on 8 an annual basis, and they use zero percent of 9 the pesticides that a row crop farmer would 10 use. There's no call for using pesticides in a 11 solar farm, so none of that would be used. 12 They're advantageous for us because it 13 will keep the land intact for the next 14 generation. And so from that standpoint, we 15 think they're a good harmonious use for our 16 family farm. 17 The North Carolina Utilities Commission 18 has to issue a Certificate of Public 19 Convenience and Necessity for any project that 20 would be connected to the grid, and so those 21 folks have realized -- I think I stated 22 earlier -- regardless what you may think about 23 nuclear power, it's very difficult to get one 24 of those licensed in the United States and 25 probably will be a long time. I work for the Page 47 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 utility. We normally figured it would take ten 2 years just to go through the licensing's 3 process before we would even start 4 construction. So that's a long-term issue. 5 Right now, Duke has decommissioned over 50 6 coal plants in the last ten years. They tout 7 that they will be 50 percent of their emissions 8 reduced by 2030. By 2050, they claim they will 9 be net zero. So this is the direction, not 10 just Duke, but Dominion Energy, they're moving 11 in this direction as well. 12 In that report, you would see that I 13 talked about the efficiency and a bunch of 14 advantages of using solar, whether you're 15 talking about land use or water or whatever. 16 But the Department of Energy puts out a 17 report, the 2021 report on energy production. 18 They list solar -- and this is without any type 19 of subsidies -- solar is the least cost. They 20 have something they call levelized cost of 21 electricity production, and that takes in the 22 initial kind of investment, O&M, fuel and all 23 that, and to operate a solar facility, a 24 photovoltaic solar facility is the least cost 25 of any type of electrical production that we Page 48 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 have. 2 Photovoltaics are generally about 60 times 3 more efficient than photosynthesis. I would 4 just like to state, without hesitation or 5 equivocation, in my professional opinion, this 6 project, if installed the way it's proposed, 7 would not materially endanger the health and 8 safety of anyone in Person County. 9 I'm glad to answer any questions you may 10 have. 11 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Is there a purchase 12 agreement with Duke for this project to 13 purchase electricity? 14 MR. SANDIFER: There will be. I don't 15 know if they have one now. It may already be 16 in place. That's a business decision -- I 17 don't know -- for it. It very likely -- 18 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: So right now there's 19 nothing that says for sure this energy will be 20 purchased by any utility company? 21 MR. TERRELL: He would not know that, but 22 Rex Young can answer your question. 23 MR. SANDIFER: That's a business question. 24 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Thank you. 25 UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE SPEAKER IN GALLERY: I Page 49 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 have a question. Is there any chance -- 2 MR. POWELL: We're in process here. We'll 3 get to you. We'll get to you. 4 MR. SANDIFER: Are there any other 5 questions? I'm sorry I can't answer -- 6 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. I thought you 7 were the -- 8 MR. SANDIFER: I'm just the electrical 9 guy. That's a business question. I can't 10 answer that. 11 MR. YOUNG: I'm happy to answer that, if 12 that's okay. 13 MR. SANDIFER: Any other electrical 14 questions? 15 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Any other electrical 16 questions here? 17 MR. HORNIK: You're on the Nash County 18 Planning Board. 19 MR. SANDIFER: Yes, sir. 20 MR. HORNIK: How many of these solar farms 21 have you reviewed as a Nash County Planning 22 Board member? 23 MR. SANDIFER: Oh, gosh, I don't have that 24 number. Probably fifteen. There were some 25 before I came on the board. Page 50 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 MR. HORNIK: Were you ever on a board that 2 found there was not harmony -- 3 MR. SANDIFER: No, never. 4 MR. HORNIK: -- for the solar farm? 5 So every time, as a board member, the 6 finding on the harmony issue was favorable? 7 MR. SANDIFER: Yes. 8 MR. HORNIK: Was harmonious? 9 MR. SANDIFER: And we're just a 10 recommended board, our planning board. The 11 board of commissioners has approved all 37 and 12 they found the same findings of fact that you 13 guys have, and each time they found that they 14 were harmonious. 15 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: For a total of how 16 much acreage of all those solar farms would you 17 estimate? 18 MR. SANDIFER: The largest probably in one 19 spot is probably 2,000 acres, but it's more 20 than one farm; it's a 50-acre -- I mean, a 50 21 megawatt and a 75 megawatt, and they're just 22 adjacent. I think there are a couple small 23 ones there, but I would say they probably 24 average -- 25 Did you say in acres? Page 51 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Well, you've said 2 something like 37 solar farms? 3 MR. SANDIFER: 37. Yeah, but most of them 4 are not a thousand acres plus, most of them are 5 small -- 6 (Overlapping speakers.) 7 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. So anything, 8 let's say, over 100 acres, between 100 and a 9 thousand acres, how many solar farms were that 10 large in Nash County? 11 MR. SANDIFER: I would say five. 12 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. So you're 13 talking, 5-, 6-, 8,000 acres? 14 MR. SANDIFER: I would say probably 15 5,000 acres. 16 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. Do you know 17 what percentage of the overall acreage of the 18 county that represents? 19 MR. SANDIFER: Probably less than 20 one-tenth of one percent, but it will be less 21 than that. I don't know how many -- 22 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. 23 MR. SANDIFER: -- maybe one-hundredth of 24 one percent. It's negligeable -- 25 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. Thank you. Page 52 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 MR. SANDIFER: Any other questions? 2 MR. TERRELL: We would like to answer your 3 question. The bottom line is you can't go this 4 far unless you have a power purchase agreement. 5 But I think Rex -- 6 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: I know that. That's 7 why I asked. 8 MR. TERRELL: But Mr. Young can answer 9 that. 10 MR. YOUNG: That's right. I do appreciate 11 the question. Just for the record, we do 12 have -- Berea Solar does have a power purchase 13 agreement signed with Duke Energy for this 14 power. 15 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Thank you. 16 MR. TERRELL: Mr. Thomas Cleveland will 17 also address the issue of health and safety. 18 MR. CLEVELAND: Thank you. 19 Good morning, Board. 20 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Good morning. 21 MR. CLEVELAND: My name is Tommy 22 Cleveland. I reside at 4141 Laurel Hills Road 23 in Raleigh, and I'm here to speak about public 24 health and safety. My background is an 25 undergraduate and master's degrees in Page 53 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 mechanical engineering from N.C. State, and 2 I've spent my entire about 15-year career in 3 solar energy. Most of that at North Carolina 4 State University, and then for the last four 5 years, I've worked for a nonprofit, private 6 consulting company that does inspections for 7 Duke Energy of solar farms across North 8 Carolina and South Carolina. 9 In that role, I've been responsible for -- 10 on behalf of Duke -- commissioning about 50 11 solar farms across North Carolina and South 12 Carolina. 13 When I was at N.C. State University, I was 14 at a program or a center that was originally 15 called The Solar Center, and then it changed 16 names to the North Carolina Clean Energy 17 Technology Center, and I was one of just a 18 handful of engineers there as the industry 19 started in North Carolina, and a lot of 20 questions from communities around the state 21 came to me about potential impacts or health 22 and safety impacts. 23 So I was already teaching a class on 24 solar, I knew a lot about solar and answered 25 the questions I could at that time and did Page 54 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 extensive research to be able to answer the 2 questions I couldn't initially answer in that 3 area of health and safety. 4 I'll stop there. Yes. 5 MR. TERRELL: I would like to tender 6 Mr. Cleveland as an expert in three areas: 7 First, mechanical engineering; second, in the 8 construction and operation of solar farms; and 9 three, on the trends in renewable energy. 10 CHAIRMAN POWELL: So noted, sir. 11 MR. CLEVELAND: Thank you. 12 In your notebooks in front of you, there's 13 three different documents that I've written, 14 and I'll -- I've organized my -- a few minutes 15 of speaking today around those documents. 16 There's that -- there's a North Carolina 17 State University paper that I was a lead author 18 of that's under the Health and Safety Cleveland 19 tab, and that was -- and I'll talk more about 20 that, but I was the lead author of that paper. 21 There's the shorter statement about this 22 project, it kind of summarizes my thoughts on 23 potential health or safety impacts from the 24 proposed project. 25 And then under the tab Necessity and Page 55 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 Efficiency - Cleveland, there's a letter I 2 wrote to Person County dealing with some issues 3 that had arisen -- or I understood had arisen 4 as concerns in Person County. And I'll start 5 by talking about a few of the points in that 6 letter, and then move to the items that are 7 covered in the N.C. State paper. 8 That letter largely addresses just that 9 utility-scale solar is a mature technology, and 10 that it's really proven its use and its value 11 and its safety over the last decades, 12 especially in the last decade or so. 13 Just a few of the points in that letter, 14 North Carolina gets about 7 percent of our 15 electricity from utility-scale solar, so it's 16 today already producing a significant amount of 17 electricity. And Duke, the largest utility in 18 the state, their plans show that number 19 dramatically increasing in the next 15 years, 20 and then continuing to increase beyond that. 21 There's a federal government agency, the 22 U.S. Energy Information Administration that 23 produces lots of data about energy in the U.S., 24 and in alignment with some of the numbers that 25 Mr. Sandifer presented about the lowest cost Page 56 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 ways to produce electricity, and in there I've 2 got an analysis by this agency that looks at 3 just one step further -- what they call -- how 4 economically competitive are these different 5 technologies, and they take a ratio of: What 6 is the value of that electricity they produce 7 considering when they produce it, how reliably 8 they produce it compared to what it costs to 9 produce the electricity? 10 And their analysis finds that there's two 11 technologies that are above the rest. One of 12 those is a certain type of natural gas plant 13 and the other one is utility-scale solar. So 14 they're finding that that's the most -- one of 15 the two most economically competitive ways to 16 produce electricity now in the U.S. 17 And then a final point from that letter is 18 an EPA calculator that I've applied to 19 utility-scale solar in North Carolina. They've 20 done analysis to say, Well, what are the public 21 health benefits of various kinds of renewable 22 energy? 23 When you produce renewable electricity, it 24 means you're burning less of some other 25 resource, primarily natural gas and coal. And Page 57 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 across the Carolinas, they looked at 2 utility-scale solar and calculated out over the 3 life of that project, the public health 4 benefits of reduced air pollution, water 5 pollution is something like one-and-a-half to 6 three-and-a-half cents per kilowatt hour, which 7 is, you know, approaching the cost or the value 8 of the electricity itself. 9 So multiply it out over the life of this 10 project, 30-year life of the project, 80 11 megawatt, would be about $80 million of public 12 health benefits just from cleaner air, cleaner 13 water according to that EPA calculator. 14 And then I'll move on to what's covered in 15 that N.C. State paper. That paper was 16 published in 2007 as a university white paper 17 and a public information paper, and it's been a 18 go-to resource for our local governments 19 throughout North Carolina as well as other 20 states to help answer some of the questions 21 about public health or safety. 22 Now, I wrote that by doing an exhaustive 23 search on all the existing and publications on 24 these topics, largely from governmental and 25 university research agencies, so it's very well Page 58 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 documented where all the information is coming 2 from, and then it was peer reviewed by some 3 state and natural experts before being 4 published. 5 Just broadly, it sets out that there's 6 clearly some health benefits of solar, just 7 like shown in that EPA calculator. But the 8 vast majority of the paper looks at possible 9 negative health impacts. And when we looked at 10 all the research available, we thought four 11 were worth investigating. Toxicity, EMF, which 12 is electromagnetic fields, electric shock and 13 then fire safety, and I'll talk briefly about 14 each one of those. 15 Fire and electric shock, there's really no 16 particular risk. There's very little in a 17 panel that can burn. There is electric shock 18 risk to people working on the project, but it's 19 no different than any other electricity work, 20 and the project has to be built to National 21 Electrical Code and use proper UL-listed 22 equipment, so there's particular risk there and 23 no risk to public safety. 24 EMF, or electromagnetic fields, is an area 25 of energy that comes in a whole lot of Page 59 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 different frequencies. Our cellphones and 2 Wi-fi use pretty high frequency. Coming off of 3 AC electricity is a really super low 4 frequency -- they call it ultra low 5 frequency -- of 60-hertz-type EMF, and it 6 doesn't travel very far and it doesn't have 7 enough energy to impact our bodies. 8 I had a solar farm -- all the AC parts of 9 the system, so the overhead wires and inverters 10 and transformers all produce this kind of 11 60-hertz EMF, but it doesn't travel very far 12 from those sources. So somebody outside the 13 fence wouldn't experience any additional EMF 14 from what they already experience in their 15 daily life from the electronic devices in the 16 home. 17 And then the solar panels all produce DC 18 electricity which has no frequency associated 19 with it. So it has a static electric field and 20 magnetic field, and those don't have any impact 21 on human health, and they're very weak fields 22 at that. 23 So the conclusion there is there's no 24 increase to EMF to anybody outside the project. 25 Even if there was, the scientific consensus is Page 60 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 that there's not a negative health impact of 2 that 60-hertz type of EMF. 3 Toxicity, this is where a lot of concerns 4 come from. I think it's easiest just to look 5 at what's in a panel. This project is going to 6 use silicon-based panels. So about 80 percent 7 of the weight is glass, tempered glass front 8 and aluminum frame. You've got some layers of 9 plastic, silicon cells and a small amount of 10 metal to conduct that electricity around the 11 cell -- around the panel. And the only 12 component of all that that has some degree of 13 hazard is lead. There's a lead-based solder in 14 the panels. That's only about 30 percent lead. 15 It's only a few grams per panel, and they're 16 using encapsulated layers of plastic to make 17 sure moist air and water never gets to that -- 18 those inside portions where lead is. So 19 there's no way for that lead to get out when 20 the panels have been damaged. 21 Even broken panels, there's been many 22 studies showing insignificant amounts of lead 23 would come out of a broken panel. You can go 24 all the way to the -- to a worst case, and 25 there was a large study about this by an Page 61 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 international energy group. Worst case, you 2 have a whole bunch of broken panels, a whole 3 utility-scale solar, I believe it was a 4 100-megawatt site they studied in that project. 5 Piled all those just on the ground, basically 6 an illegal landfill, just dumped it on the 7 ground, no control of wastewater or 8 groundwater, and it found that even a worst 9 case scenario they could think of, a well just 10 right outside of that site, people drinking out 11 of that well their whole life still would have 12 no impacts. In fact, the water in that well 13 would essentially be unaffected. It would 14 still meet all EPA and international water 15 quality requirements. 16 So the conclusion is, while there is this 17 tiny amount of lead in the panels, there's no 18 risk to public health in any worst case 19 scenario you could imagine. 20 And there's federal regulations that 21 define how you treat waste at the end of its 22 life. So it would have to go to a proper 23 landfill. That's if the panels aren't 24 recycled. It's very likely the panels would be 25 recycled. It's possible to recycle parts of Page 62 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 the panels today, particularly the glass and 2 the aluminum and the copper wires. But it's 3 been shown in other countries it's possible to 4 recycle more than -- more than 95 percent of 5 what's in a panel, and the expectations are 6 broadly that that technology will be in place 7 and in the market by the time these panels are 8 at the end of their life in about 30 years or 9 maybe 40 years. 10 So I'll stop there and conclude that based 11 on all that I'm presenting and have written, 12 it's my professional opinion that the proposed 13 facility would not materially endanger public 14 health or safety. 15 MR. TERRELL: Mr. Chairman, I have only 16 one question. 17 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Yes, sir. 18 MR. TERRELL: Do you find lead solder in 19 most, if not all, household electronic 20 appliances? 21 MR. CLEVELAND: You would. And not 22 encapsulated just behind a plastic cover. Much 23 easier exposure there. 24 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: We're talking about 25 small amounts of solder? Page 63 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 MR. CLEVELAND: That's correct. 2 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Do you know how many 3 smart parts per panel, how many areas? Just 4 curious. 5 MR. CLEVELAND: Most panels have -- 6 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: 10, 15, 20? 7 MR. CLEVELAND: -- 60 or 70 cells, and 8 it's between each cell. 9 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. So -- 10 MR. CLEVELAND: Probably more than 100. 11 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: My other question -- 12 my other question is, with the technology 13 changing as rapidly as it is, why are we 14 banking on 30, 40-year solar panels? Why are 15 these panels not having a life expectancy less 16 because technology is advancing so rapidly, in 17 ten years these panels may be outdated and 18 inefficient. 19 MR. CLEVELAND: Once you've installed 20 those panels, almost all your costs are -- have 21 already been spent. It doesn't cost very much 22 to maintain them. 23 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: That's why it's a 24 30, 40-year long-term play for somebody because 25 it's very profitable. Page 64 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 MR. CLEVELAND: But it means you would not 2 replace, even if better panels come along in 3 two years, once you got something installed 4 that's working well, producing lots of valuable 5 electricity, the next site you build might use 6 the new technology, but there wouldn't be a 7 reason to change out what's already existing, 8 what you built that's working well that is 9 going to work well for over 30 years. 10 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: What happens when 11 they don't work? 12 MR. CLEVELAND: Well, whatever problem it 13 was, gets fixed. I mean, there can be problems 14 that occur. I haven't seen any problem that 15 couldn't be fixed at a reasonable cost. The 16 projects are insured. Most problems would 17 either be an easy maintenance fix or something 18 that will be covered by insurance. 19 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. But I mean, I 20 guess what comes to mind is from your 21 standpoint as an expert, what happened in Texas 22 this last year, there wasn't a solar available 23 because there was no energy to feed them. What 24 happens in a case like that? 25 MR. CLEVELAND: In the case of Texas, at Page 65 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 those times solar produced as much as they were 2 expecting it to, so it did perform as expected. 3 It was other parts of the grid that had 4 trouble. It wasn't -- it wasn't a solar 5 problem in Texas. It was -- it was some amount 6 of wind problems and it was largely natural gas 7 problems, but it was not a solar problem in 8 Texas. 9 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: But it was part of 10 the grid, though. I think it was all part of 11 it. But I'm just saying, what happens when 12 they don't work? I mean, I'm just curious, 13 from your professional standpoint, what do you 14 do then? 15 MR. CLEVELAND: They get fixed just like 16 anything else that doesn't work, but it's not a 17 -- they're a super reliable technology. It's 18 not been a problem. 19 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. Thank you. 20 MR. TERRELL: Ms. Gentry, when you -- for 21 the record, so we're clear, when you say "they 22 don't work," do you mean -- 23 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: I asked if they 24 don't work. 25 MR. TERRELL: If they don't work, are you Page 66 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 referring to the panel or the inverter or a 2 transformer? 3 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Or weather or sun. 4 Any given -- what happens when they don't work, 5 what's the benefit then? 6 MR. TERRELL: Okay. Would you address -- 7 MR. CLEVELAND: I misunderstood -- 8 MR. TERRELL: Okay. Would you address -- 9 address that question, and then also add 10 whether you've ever seen a solar farm not to 11 work under those circumstances. 12 MR. CLEVELAND: Yeah. I was addressing if 13 something basically breaks or is not working 14 properly. 15 But the question about what about when the 16 sun's not shining, either at nighttime or poor 17 weather, that's to be expected; it's already 18 built into the expectations from the utility. 19 Obviously, they're not going to produce at 20 night and, obviously, there's cloudy days, and 21 the utilities or the grid operator in that 22 region predicts the weather, with reasonable 23 accuracy. And when you have multiple solar 24 farms across a large region, they could very 25 accurately predict, as a group of producting -- Page 67 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 producing units, how much are they going to 2 produce in the next day or the next hour, and 3 they can just adjust other sources, based on 4 those predictions. 5 It's not unlike what utilities have done 6 forever on the load side. They can't control 7 load, electricity use, but they can predict it 8 fairly well, and they just make adjustments. 9 They do the same thing for generation -- 10 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: With solar you can't 11 flip a switch and make sure that it keeps 12 running because that's the reliability part of 13 it. 14 MR. CLEVELAND: It's different than other 15 generating sources, but it still produces very 16 valuable electricity. And the problem with not 17 being able to control it totally is not an 18 issue for the utilities. They can handle that 19 intermittency and non-controlability. 20 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: I guess one of my 21 other questions, too, is I'm curious in a 22 recent trip up through the midwest going 23 through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, going up into 24 the Great Lakes state, I noticed that there was 25 a huge solar panel manufacturing facility off Page 68 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 of the interstate and it was football fields 2 long of solar manufacturing, and I noticed 3 outside this facility, all the HVAC systems 4 that were running this plant -- and I was 5 curious as to why they didn't use solar energy 6 to run that plant. 7 Would you happen to know why that the 8 companies manufacturing and producing and 9 promoting the product aren't using the product 10 in their facilities? I found that interesting. 11 MR. CLEVELAND: No, I don't know. 12 As one small example, Tesla -- I know 13 Tesla is making some small number of solar 14 panels, and they use solar panels on top of all 15 their buildings, but in that case I couldn't 16 answer that. 17 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Thank you. 18 COMMISSIONER PALMER: I do have a 19 question, sir. 20 MR. CLEVELAND: Yes, sir. 21 COMMISSIONER PALMER: What type of liquid 22 is inside these panels? 23 MR. CLEVELAND: There's no liquid in the 24 panels. 25 COMMISSIONER PALMER: Okay. So what Page 69 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 happens if a disgruntled farmer takes his 2 bulldozer and goes across the field and 3 destroys all of your solar panels? 4 MR. CLEVELAND: Right. 5 COMMISSIONER PALMER: How long -- not 6 saying it's going to happen in Person County 7 but it is possible. 8 MR. CLEVELAND: Yes, sir. 9 COMMISSIONER PALMER: So how long would a 10 thousand-acre site like this right here, just 11 say they did that at multiple places across the 12 state. I mean, we're talking about how good it 13 is, which it is, it's good. It's clean energy; 14 we love it. We shut down all these power 15 plants just like the case she's talking about 16 in Texas, stuff froze up. Lost power for 20 17 some days. They rationed power. So what 18 happens in the long term as far as keeping the 19 citizens comfortable, winter, the summer, you 20 get -- the weather pattern, whatever it is, and 21 your structures are torn all to pieces. 22 MR. CLEVELAND: It would take -- 23 COMMISSIONER PALMER: Have you ever heard 24 of a case of that happening? 25 MR. CLEVELAND: I've never heard -- it Page 70 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 would take a farmer a long time to tear up a 2 thousand acres of solar panels. 3 COMMISSIONER PALMER: With a bulldozer? 4 MR. CLEVELAND: With a bulldozer. Long 5 enough that somebody would -- to think about 6 doing that at multiple places. I guess what 7 I'm saying is it would -- 8 COMMISSIONER PALMER: Just say terrorist 9 attack. 10 MR. CLEVELAND: I mean, from a terrorist 11 attack point of view, solar is much more secure 12 and resilient than other generating sources 13 that you have a power plant, attack one power 14 plant, you hit a lot more generation than a 15 solar field that's spread out over a thousand 16 acres. I don't see it being a risk to solar. 17 I see that kind of risk occurring with other 18 generating sources that would be more easily 19 you'd take out a lot of production in a single 20 attack or a small location. 21 And the system has 24/7 electrical 22 monitoring of electrical metering throughout 23 the site. So if it starts not working and 24 you're not producing power from all the various 25 points around the site they expect, the people Page 71 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 monitoring the system would know immediately 2 it's not producing correctly and send somebody 3 out to look into it. 4 COMMISSIONER PALMER: Okay. You answered 5 all that good. 6 One more question. Why are we still using 7 lead solder when we have silver solder now? 8 MR. CLEVELAND: Yeah. So it still works 9 the best. Mr. Sandifer can -- 10 MR. SANDIFER: The Canadian Solar does not 11 use lead in their solder. They do not. That's 12 the one that's proposed. That's the one they 13 have. They don't use lead soldering. If the 14 company -- and I've done calculations on them 15 to answer your question, if they ever had a 16 dove shoot out there on that place and they 17 took a one ounce -- a one ounce -- one lead 18 shot -- and you can't kill unlimited doves with 19 one shot, okay? A lot of people go out with a 20 box of shells and don't kill them. One ounce, 21 three-lead is equal to all the lead that would 22 be in 400 panels. That's -- 23 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Right. That's why I 24 asked. Because they're small solder. 25 MR. SANDIFER: It's a small amount, but Page 72 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 they don't even use them -- Canadian Solar does 2 not even use lead in their solder. 3 COMMISSIONER PALMER: That was just my 4 curiosity -- 5 MR. SANDIFER: I will answer, having 6 worked for utilities for 30 years, the very big 7 danger, especially after 9/11, was the 8 substations. If you want to put people in the 9 dark, you're not going to waste time with a 10 bulldozer on panels, take a .30-06 and go to 11 about three or four substations, you'll put 12 North Carolina in the dark. 13 That is where we are -- have the most 14 vulnerability, if that's what you're talking 15 about with reliability. 16 COMMISSIONER PALMER: Yes. This combined 17 question of all -- 18 (Overlapping speakers.) 19 MR. SANDIFER: If you're talking a 20 terrorist attack, that would be the simplest 21 way. 22 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Thank you. 23 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Any other questions? 24 MR. TERRELL: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, 25 this ends our official presentation of the Page 73 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 evidence as to the standards. I know that 2 there are some landowners who wish to speak and 3 there are other folks, I think, have signed up 4 to speak in opposition. 5 Possibly, I'll exercise my right to 6 cross-examine -- I don't think I will -- and we 7 may exercise our right to rebuttal. We'll 8 decide that at the time. 9 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Okay. Thank you, sir. 10 And Madam Clerk. 11 MS. REAVES: All right. I think we'll 12 hear from landowners next. Mary Susan 13 Williams. 14 MARY SUSAN WILLIAMS: Good morning, 15 Chairman Powell and Members of the Board. 16 Thank you for allowing us to have time to 17 address you this morning. We're landowners in 18 the project and write to you in support of 19 permitting this project. I would like to 20 quickly give you some background information on 21 the land we own here in Person County. This 22 land was owned by our grandfather, inherited by 23 my father, our father, in 1982. 24 As another lesson, my brother, Malcolm, 25 Jr., worked on the farm in the summers and Page 74 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 hunted there in the fall and winters. 2 In 2001, our father, Malcolm Mangum, 3 decided to plant pines on a portion of the 4 land. 80 to 90 acres were planted for future 5 use. 6 Unauthorized hunting has always been 7 problematic; and in 2010, approximately 35 to 8 40 acres of our planted pines were burned. 9 This happened on Good Friday, the day before 10 turkey season opened. 11 The forestry service determined it was 12 caused by an open flame, possibly from a 13 campfire. We learned at that time we needed to 14 be much more involved with who was on our 15 property and why they were there. 16 We are excited about the possibility of 17 our land being used for solar power generation. 18 We're strong proponents for renewables and feel 19 clean energy is vital to a better future. 20 We're also convinced that our solar partners 21 are responsible and will provide a facility 22 that will be a great asset to Person County in 23 North Carolina. 24 Together, we have tried to be good 25 stewards of our family property and believe a Page 75 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 solar power generation facility is the best way 2 for us to utilize this land and move forward 3 towards a more carbon-free future. 4 Thank you for considering this request to 5 allow Berea Solar LLC to operate in your 6 jurisdiction. 7 Respectfully myself, Mary Susan Williams, 8 and my brother, Malcolm Mangum, Jr. 9 And on a side note, I just want to 10 emphasize that my family has always been 11 responsible, tax-paying landowners. We've 12 continuously contended with people, especially 13 hunters, on our land, all unauthorized, and I 14 emphasize without written permission. Even 15 refusing to leave when asked to face-to-face. 16 The solar facility will allow us as 17 landowners to provide a harmonious facility for 18 the area. One that will benefit our 19 environment as well as giving us, the 20 landowners, peace of mind about the land we pay 21 taxes on. Our choice to protect our land and 22 the environment is to proceed with a solar 23 facility, and we ask for your affirmative vote 24 in this manner. 25 Thank you again for your time. Page 76 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners Statement by landowner: John Mangum 1 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thank you. 2 MS. REAVES: Next, we have John Mangum of 3 Bethany Church Road. 4 JOHN MANGUM: Good morning, Chairman 5 Powell and other Members of the Board. I first 6 want to thank you for allowing us this 7 opportunity to come and discuss the proposed 8 solar project and your consideration of the 9 project. 10 My wife Linda and I both support and 11 recommend this project for approval because of 12 the benefits that it will be able to provide 13 for the county, for us, our family, for the 14 life of the project, as well as the positive 15 environment impact from creating a zero carbon 16 emission generation facility. 17 My father purchased the property following 18 World War II. This -- the majority of this 19 property was part of Camp Butner during the -- 20 it was an infantry training base back in the 21 middle of World War II. 22 Once the federal government demolished 23 Camp Butner, the previous landowners were 24 allowed to come back in and repurchase the 25 land, so my father purchased it then and both Page 77 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners Statement by landowner: John Mangum 1 him and my mom and Linda, my wife and I, have 2 been paying property taxes for a little over 70 3 years on this property, which -- we've been a 4 vital part of Person County for a long time. 5 And it was -- he purchased this property 6 with the vision of leaving it to his children 7 and his grandchildren so they could have a 8 little piece of the family farm for the future. 9 And this project will help us be able to 10 maintain that ownership trail back to his 11 grandkids and the next generation, so that's a 12 positive for us as a family. 13 Both my parents -- you know, my dad grew 14 up in Person County, my mom's -- she grew up in 15 West Burlington, Iowa. They managed [sic] 16 Chicago, Illinois and they wanted to move back 17 to the family farm. That's how important it 18 was for him to move back to the family farm. 19 We're asking that you respect our rights 20 as property owners and taxpayers and allow us 21 to pursue the property's highest and best use, 22 especially because with the increased buffers, 23 the project will not have an impact on our 24 community. 25 I mentioned highest and best use, because Page 78 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners Landowner statement: Elizabeth Christian 1 the area where the property is located is in 2 southern Person County. It's located within 3 the Flat River/Upper Neuse River basins, which 4 has certain stormwater requirements that have 5 an impact on residential construction. 6 My wife and I experienced this when we 7 built our home at 1101 Bethany Church Road. 8 Having to navigate the stormwater requirements 9 with, you know, the requirements for surveying 10 and minimal disturbance, so we went through 11 that process. And we understand when people, 12 you know, choose to build a house in that area, 13 some of the struggles that you will experience 14 by doing that. So this will allow us to -- 15 this allows the best use of that property. 16 In summary, we'd like to ask that you 17 honor our property rights and approve this 18 project. It will be a benefit for both our 19 family and Person County. Thank you. 20 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thank you. 21 MS. REAVES: The next property owner is 22 Elizabeth Christian of Cary. 23 ELIZABETH MANGUM CHRISTIAN: Hi, my name 24 is Elizabeth Mangum Christian. The property on 25 Berea Road has been in our family for well over Page 79 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners Landowner statement: Elizabeth Christian 1 100 years and hope it can remain in our family 2 for future generations. We have many relatives 3 buried in the Mt. Tabor Cemetery down the road 4 from our farm. 5 My father Sam Mangum, deceased, loved this 6 property and I know he would have been proud to 7 see a solar facility developed on it. 8 We have been paying taxes in Person County 9 for decades and feel we have the right to 10 develop the property as we see best. 11 I believe a solar facility will not only 12 benefit our family, but provide substantial 13 income to Person County. I'm confident that 14 the way the project will be set up it will not 15 have a negative impact on our neighbors. 16 I spoke with Dale Winstead who lives 17 directly across the road from our farm, and he 18 told me he was very excited about the solar 19 coming to the area. 20 The project will bring more clean, 21 renewable energy to North Carolina, and I think 22 it will be a wonderful, new thing for Person 23 County. Thank you. 24 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thank you. 25 MS. REAVES: Next Mr. Rex Young of Wade Page 80 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners Speakers in opposition to petition: Norman Boyette 1 Avenue in Raleigh. 2 MR. YOUNG: That's all right, thank you. 3 I'll pass. 4 MS. REAVES: Okay. All right. Ms. Cindy 5 Lynch, are you speaking in favor of the 6 project? 7 CINDY LYNCH: Not particularly. 8 MS. REAVES: All right. You signed up on 9 that. I just wanted to make sure because I saw 10 your husband signed up on the other list. 11 All right. Then that will conclude the 12 speakers for "in favor" of this project, and if 13 it pleases the board, we'll proceed to the "in 14 opposition" to speakers. 15 The first one on our list is Mr. Norman 16 Boyette of Franklinton, North Carolina. 17 NORMAN BOYETTE: Good morning, 18 Mr. Chairman, Commissioners. I'm Norman 19 Boyette. Here on behalf of the Voluntary Ag 20 District in Person County. 21 I'm going to be making comments on Berea 22 Solar permit. The project, if it's approved, 23 is going to take out of production of 920 acres 24 of prime farmland, woodland. It will be 25 another blow to the long-standing agricultural Page 81 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners Speakers in opposition to petition: Norman Boyette 1 community and to humanity in general in the 2 loss of that land that provides food and fiber 3 for our sustaining. 4 While solar production is fascinating, it 5 is by no means efficient. It takes 6 approximately 4.5 acres of farmland to produce 7 one megawatt of solar energy. And as you've 8 heard in previous testimony, these projects are 9 large scale. To be equivalent to taking the 10 production of the Mayo facility that we have in 11 Person County, it would take 5 to 6 square 12 miles of land to equal that production. That's 13 a lot to think about. 14 The farmers in this area work very hard to 15 be stewards of the land, to preserve and 16 nurture that land to produce a bountiful 17 harvest for their families and for the members 18 of this community. The farmland taken out of 19 that production may no longer come back. 20 You may even hear or you've read words of 21 the sun being free and it's infinite. One 22 thing is finite; it's the land. Remember that. 23 Just one last point I'd like to make is 24 just about the beauty of the land. We recently 25 came back from a trip from a family reunion, Page 82 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 and taking the longer route, meandering through 2 the country, we got to see the beauty of the 3 forestland which, by the way, takes out a lot 4 of the carbon dioxide out of the air that so 5 many proponents are talking about. 6 We walked -- we rode by rows and rows of 7 farmland with crops growing. It was a very 8 soothing drive. So as you go out and about 9 into the country, think about that. And when 10 you're riding by these large farms, solar farms 11 as well, look at all of the metal, the glass, 12 the silicon, the copper, the lead, other 13 proponents that are in this technology. 14 So I just ask you, as commissioners and as 15 fellow citizens, to strike a balance to the 16 needs of our energy and our food and fiber that 17 sustains us, and remember the large scale of 18 this land. They will keep coming back and 19 asking for more to keep this production up. 20 We've got to sustain that land. Please oppose 21 the project. Thank you. 22 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thank you. 23 MS. REAVES: Next we have Mr. Paul Lynch 24 of 395 Union Grove Church Road. 25 PAUL LYNCH: Thank you. Good morning, Page 83 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 Commissioners. 2 Before you is a proposal for a special use 3 variance to use 920 acres of mixed farmland and 4 woodland for the installation of a 280,000-plus 5 panel solar farm that will, during peak hours 6 on a nice sunny day, put 80 megawatts of AC 7 power into the grid. 8 Now, let me start by saying, it's not a 9 bad project. This is not something that's 10 going to cause great harm to Person County in 11 and of itself. But we need to go into this 12 with our eyes open as to the impacts of not 13 just this project, but what's certainly coming 14 in the near future and their impacts on Person 15 County. 16 My name is Paul Lynch. I live in Hurdle 17 Mills. I have a bachelor of science in 18 environmental engineering from Rutgers 19 University. I have over 35 years' experience 20 working in the power industry, and I'm CEO of a 21 company that designs and supplies specialized 22 equipment for power plants such as coal, 23 gas-fired nuclear geothermal and solar thermal 24 projects, and I will state I have not been 25 involved with photovoltaic projects and I do Page 84 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 not represent myself as an expert in that 2 specific area. 3 Your task is to sort through all the 4 information provided and evaluate the 5 applicant's satisfying four key findings of 6 facts to meet that special use criteria. 7 I'd like to focus on items 3 and 4 on that 8 list. Item Number 3, that requires the project 9 will not substantially injure the value of 10 adjoining or abutting property. 11 The applicant presented considerable 12 information addressing this issue, and it is, 13 of course, a key concern for property owners 14 around the site. They present what is clearly 15 a one-sided collection of testimony that shows 16 there's no negative impact. This is, of 17 course, to be expected. 18 I submit, however, that it is within this 19 board's prerogative to obtain additional expert 20 opinion in this matter that is not paid for by 21 the applicant and may not be so supportive of 22 the applicant's assertions. 23 Before accepting the applicant's 24 information prima facie, additional time should 25 be taken to evaluate this further. You-all, as Page 85 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 the elected representatives of the citizens of 2 the entire county, should do all that is 3 reasonable to assure residents that this has 4 been examined carefully and it can have 5 reasonable assurance that the applicant's 6 representations are, in fact, valid. 7 Item Number 4: The application goes in 8 considerable effort to show that solar farms 9 are harmonious with rural land use. Now, 10 harmony is in the eye and the ear of the 11 beholder. How is it harmonious to take 900 12 plus acres of farmland and woodland, strip it 13 down to bare dirt everywhere inside the buffer 14 zone and cover it with aluminum and silicon? 15 There's a disconnect there. To call it 16 harmonious frankly is, in my opinion, silly. 17 If the project has merit, evaluate it on those 18 merits, not on an absurd, subjective 19 interpretation of what harmonious means. It's 20 green; silicon, aluminum, yeah, green. 21 Now, although my following comments are 22 not directly addressing the findings of fact 23 criteria, I think it's important that everyone 24 keep in mind certain aspects of what these 25 projects mean. Page 86 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 When evaluating the value of this project 2 to the county, in terms of economic 3 development, a reasonable question to ask would 4 be: How many long-term -- meaning other than 5 construction jobs -- will this project provide? 6 The answer is very few. Subcontracted 7 site maintenance, cutting weeds, spraying the 8 weeds and so forth, are not permanent jobs. 9 Panel maintenance and replacement are 10 specialized jobs that will be subcontracted 11 from outside the county. From a jobs-providing 12 standpoint, this job is irrelevant. From any 13 jobs standpoint, there's nothing here. I had 14 to dig very deep into the solar 15 manufacturer's -- the solar panel 16 manufacturer's website to find the info and 17 confirm this, but over 95 percent of this 18 Canadian company's solar panels are 19 manufactured in -- 20 Anybody want to guess? 21 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER IN THE GALLERY: 22 China. 23 PAUL LYNCH: China gets all the good 24 manufacturing jobs, and we get to deal with the 25 hazardous waste. The decommissioning cost Page 87 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 study in applications does not seem reasonable 2 either, especially when those costs are 3 extrapolated out 30 plus years. Consideration 4 must be given to periodic reevaluation of those 5 costs so that the county taxpayer's not saddled 6 with overruns years from now to clean up the 7 site. 8 Careful consideration should be given to 9 the requirement of performance bonds and 10 maintenance bonds in the site plan process. If 11 the developer should not complete the 12 project -- and, yes, it does happen -- for any 13 reason, the taxpayer must not be stuck with 14 huge liability to either complete the project 15 and sell it or scrap it. 16 The taxpayers must also be protected in 17 the event that the developer and their 18 contracted operator and maintenance company do 19 not do satisfactory work to maintain the site. 20 And by the way, I could find no references 21 given by the developer on their website, which 22 I would call charitably minimalist. So there 23 is nothing to ascertain that they have a 24 history of successful project operation and 25 maintenance. Page 88 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 Now, what is the impact on the electric 2 cost to county residents? This question is 3 rather studiously avoided, not just for this 4 project, but for green energy projects in 5 general. 6 Now, putting aside the developer obtaining 7 millions of dollars in federal and state 8 subsidies to make the project even remotely 9 feasible, what is the avoided cost for power 10 that Duke will have to pay the developer for 11 each kilowatt of power fed into the grid? 12 They have at least a preliminary PPA, but 13 I heard no testimony given as to what the cost 14 per kilowatt hour is going to be on any kind of 15 projected basis. We just don't know, okay? 16 I think that that information is important 17 for people to know when evaluating the 18 desirability of these kinds of green energy 19 projects. 20 Now, I suggest it's important to keep in 21 mind when you consider the impacts of projects 22 like this on Person County in the future a few 23 interesting facts. Someone else alluded to 24 this, but I want to go into just a little bit 25 more detail quickly. Page 89 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 This project will put 80 megawatts into 2 the grid on cloud-free, sunny days. 3 The Hyco and Mayo plants will produce in 4 total at full output 3400 megawatts of power, 5 24/7 rain or shine. Doing the math, using 6 solar panels to obtain the same net 7 output -- again, on nice sunny days only -- 8 will require about 40,000 acres or a parcel of 9 land 20-by-20 miles in area. Does that number 10 sound familiar? It happens to be the size of 11 Person County. You have to cover every square 12 bit of land in this county with panels to get 13 the same power output as the two coal plants, 14 and that's just on nice, sunny days. What 15 about on cloudy or stormy days? What about at 16 night? Where does the power come from then and 17 why should we be concerned about this? 18 This is what it comes down to, ladies and 19 gentlemen, Person County is a rural area with a 20 lot of open space, farmland and woodland, et 21 cetera. We also have, thanks to those two coal 22 plants, extensive transmission infrastructure 23 that makes siting these types of projects here 24 attractive and relatively economical. 25 We will be seeing more, possibly many Page 90 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 more, of these large scale solar project 2 applications because of these two facts. 3 I would suggest, respectfully, that this 4 board undertake a professional land use 5 planning study to determine what criteria we 6 need to put into ordinances to ensure that 7 Person County is not turned into an aluminum 8 and silicon jumble up and down the transmission 9 line system. 10 The current solar use ordinance is a good 11 start, but we need a comprehensive plan to 12 determine where such sites, especially 13 utility-scale, are feasible and reasonable. 14 As I said at the beginning, this project 15 on its own is not necessarily bad or not in any 16 interest [sic] to Person County, but going 17 forward a lot of these will be something 18 altogether different. Thank you very much for 19 your time. 20 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thank you, sir. 21 MS. REAVES: Chris Weaver of Satterfield 22 Farm Road, Timberlake. 23 CHRIS WEAVER: Wow, that was awesome. 24 That was unbelievable. I'm not an expert. I 25 have a degree in biology, a minor in chemistry. Page 91 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 I'm pretty darn good at shoveling horse manure. 2 I have installed solar. I have installed wind 3 generators, and I've been a business owner. 4 I don't -- I think the two of you are the 5 only business owners on the board. 6 I don't think you've ever had a business. 7 You work for somebody. 8 You work for somebody. 9 Your clientele comes to you voluntarily; 10 my clientele always came to me voluntarily. I 11 don't know how, but I'm in the business of 12 Welsh ponies. I would love to have a law that 13 says everybody in this county must buy a Welsh 14 pony. 15 This project is going to force everybody 16 in the county to purchase their electricity. 17 They're not making this electricity. They're 18 not planning this electricity for themselves to 19 run their -- you know, their refrigerators at 20 their home. They're purchasing -- they're 21 going to do this to sell it back to every 22 single one of us. That's compulsory. We're 23 all going to be forced to buy into this type of 24 business agreement. 25 I didn't sign up for this plan. This is Page 92 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 not my business. This is their business, and 2 I'm going to be forced to participate in. 3 You know, I'm big on personal property 4 rights, but now you're asking me to 5 participate? You're telling everybody in the 6 county they have to participate. 7 You know, it will be wonderful if they 8 opened up a bowling alley, a movie theater, a 9 Palace Point. Nobody forces anybody to go to 10 those places, but now you're going to handcuff 11 me. You're going to handcuff me to a 12 project -- I'm not saying you are, but that's 13 the potential of this type of project. 14 Somebody -- Duke Energy, somebody way back 15 in the day made it a law that all excess power 16 has to be turned over -- has to be purchased by 17 the local utility. I don't know who coddled 18 that law together but it's probably the same 19 people who sent that resolution over two weeks 20 ago, you know? I don't like that. We don't 21 need that. As free people, we don't need to be 22 tied to such stuff. If you got a fantastic 23 product, everybody should be beating down the 24 door trying to get to you. You should not have 25 to handcuff everybody in the county to a Page 93 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 business idea. 2 If y'all can think of something else that 3 will help me sell Welsh ponies, I'd love it, 4 but I'm not going to force everybody to 5 purchase one. 6 So I think the land use, the special -- 7 the special use permit is such a trivial way to 8 look at a project of this magnitude. I mean, 9 the guy that just got one before, a little 10 Stor-n-Lock. That's about what I would call a 11 special use permit should be used for, 12 something like that. Okay? This is 13 something -- his business doesn't chain 14 everybody else. Does not demand compulsory 15 participation. This project does. I believe 16 it deserves a lot more scrutiny than something 17 simple and as frivolous as what we're doing 18 right now. Thank you. 19 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thank you. 20 MS. REAVES: Barton Warren of Helena 21 Moriah Road, Rougemont. 22 BARTON WARREN: Well, the lawyers got me 23 blocked, I can't get up there. 24 Thank you, sir. 25 Commissioners, how lucky I was and am and Page 94 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 continue to be from Person County. My 2 grandfather was a district attorney and -- of 3 Person and Caswell County back in the day, way 4 before a lot of people in this room were born. 5 My mother and my father made sure that we 6 spent time with our grandfather in the summer, 7 which was around Chub Lake. My mom is from 8 Moriah. I'm actually speaking on her behalf. 9 My dad has since passed. My family owns land 10 in five counties: Durham, Person, Granville, 11 Lee, and Moore. 12 We're fortunate landowners, and I was 13 fortunate to come from a great family of 14 farmers and hard workers. 15 Out of those five counties and out of the 16 farms that my family has, not one solar farm is 17 on that. Not one solar farm. 18 And we've been approached. Hell, my mom 19 was approached by the cell tower in one of our 20 Moore County spots. No, that's not going to 21 happen. 22 But to take such a pristine piece of land, 23 though it's not ours, and put 920 acres of 24 something that these guys led us to believe was 25 not dangerous. Page 95 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 Now, I'm not an attorney. I'm not a 2 biologist. I have a double major from High 3 Point University, political science and 4 history. As my dad called it, that's an "I 5 don't want to go to work" degree. 6 But nonetheless, I do have friends who are 7 attorneys, who are engineers, who are Clemson 8 graduates, who are Duke graduates, who are, 9 unfortunately, Carolina graduates, and not one 10 of them has told me in the engineering 11 department -- two of my best friends, one a 12 Clemson grad and one a UVA grad over beer and 13 fellowship, not one of those engineers has told 14 me that solar panel is safe. It was a 15 consensus -- 16 MR. TERRELL: I'm just going to object for 17 the record that this is a hearsay. It can't be 18 considered in an evidentiary hearing. 19 BARTON WARREN: Well, you said it was 20 safe. I'm saying it's not. 21 MR. TERRELL: You don't have experts who 22 said that. 23 BARTON WARREN: I have experts who are 24 friends. 25 MR. TERRELL: Well, the attorney will Page 96 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 explain. 2 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Mr. Warren, Mr. Warren, 3 proceed, please. 4 BARTON WARREN: Yes, sir. That being 5 said -- 6 CHAIRMAN POWELL: We do note the 7 objection. But continue. 8 BARTON WARREN: There is arsenic, there is 9 mercury, selenium; you name it, it's in solar 10 panels. 11 My mother lives within 500 feet. She 12 raised me for 53 years, and believe me, all 53 13 years it took her to raise me. 14 I hate for her kitchen to be looking 15 straight at solar panels. 16 Now, keep in mind, my mama is fiscally 17 responsible enough that she can pick up and 18 move. But in the latter fact, it's just a 19 dangerous situation for each and every one 20 who's around. 21 And I want someone to explain to me the 22 great economic impact to Person County. I just 23 don't see it. I don't see it at all. 24 Commissioners, I really appreciate your 25 time. God bless Person County, and it's a Page 97 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners Speaker in opposition to Petition: Lisa Hall 1 shame that a once beautiful, rural county is 2 now going to be a site for sore eyes. Thank 3 you. 4 MR. POWELL: Thank you. 5 MS. REAVES: Lisa Hall from Camp Creek 6 Lane, Rougemont. 7 LISA HALL: Good morning. 8 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Morning. 9 LISA HALL: I have property that is 10 adjoining 500 feet from the proposed project. 11 My son has property that adjoins the project, 12 and my mother also has property adjoining the 13 project. We are not in Person County, though. 14 We are in Granville County. And I just hate to 15 see the -- I guess the beauty, the wildlife, 16 the nature, you know, be destroyed by putting 17 in these solar panels when we don't know for 18 sure that there are not risks to health and the 19 underground water and the watershed and things 20 that are needed, you know, to keep the 21 community going. 22 Those are my main concerns is healthcare. 23 The underground water, we do have well water 24 back there. Property value. Let me just look 25 at my little notes again. Page 98 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners Speaker in opposition to Petition: Lisa Hall 1 And that was part of Camp Butner at one 2 time as it was mentioned. I don't know if that 3 particular area adjacent to me that's part of 4 this project has been checked for shrapnel and 5 stuff. I know that our property was checked 6 about eight years ago and shrapnel was found in 7 that area, so I don't know if that's something 8 that has been brought up and considered as part 9 of this project. 10 So those are just kind of my concerns to 11 bring forward. 12 Fencing. Well, the fencing keep the 13 wildlife from getting in there and being 14 harmed. You know, I've seen one come in to 15 Person County here, and it looks like deer 16 could probably jump in there if they wanted to. 17 I don't know. There's a lot of wildlife out 18 there. 19 I was walking this morning and five deer 20 ran across the driveway in front of me right 21 there at the -- at one of the sites. I had a 22 turkey literally fly over my head this morning, 23 so it's just -- things like that that I would 24 hate to see go and not be preserved if this 25 goes forward. Page 99 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 And it's really all I have to say. And 2 I'm very nervous as you can probably tell. I'm 3 shaking like a leaf. 4 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Don't worry about it. 5 LISA HALL: And I don't have any degrees 6 or anything. My degree is from hard knocks and 7 bruises and learned everything the hard way and 8 figuring it out. But those are just my key 9 points. 10 We've been up there about 36 years, and 11 I'd hate, you know, for that land to not be 12 able to be used for future generations. 13 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thank you. 14 MS. REAVES: Next we have Bonnie Jones 15 from Camp Creek Lane, Rougemont. 16 BONNIE JONES: Good morning, everyone. I 17 have no degree, no specialty, just heartfelt 18 concern for the land and the surroundings. I'm 19 just a little resident there. I own land that 20 adjoins to one of the sites where there would 21 be affected. 22 I wake up in the morning, I can walk out 23 and I hear wildlife, I can see wildlife, and 24 it's wonderful to hear sounds as such. You 25 can't go everywhere and have the joy and to Page 100 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 understand and to see and if you enjoy such. 2 I understand that it's not going to 3 produce odor, dust and vibration into the area, 4 but there's much more to be concerned about 5 what will take in effect into the area, and in 6 my opinion, from the data even I've heard here 7 this morning, the data I've read, there's not 8 enough data to prove that I won't get cancer 9 from it or my children, my grandchildren if we 10 stay where we are. There's no data to prove 11 the harm, not what I think, but there is no 12 data to prove it, long-term, what's going to 13 happen. 14 I'm not as fortunate as some people say I 15 can just pick up and leave and sell out. I 16 don't know anybody would want to put themselves 17 in a risk. I could not honestly sell to anyone 18 and not tell them what was coming because, I 19 mean, that would -- I just couldn't do that. 20 So I feel like I would really lose value 21 and money in my home, and by doing so, you 22 know -- also, no one has told me this morning 23 what determines how long they're going to use 24 this land for solar. And after that, what 25 happens to the land? Is it suitable for Page 101 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 anything after that? 2 Also, I'm -- like I said, I'm concerned 3 about what is it going to do to our health. 4 Can you guarantee me I'll be healthy 25 years 5 from now? I'm not going to get any effect 6 whatsoever from this? I don't think so. 7 I have -- I do have one profession, 8 healthcare. I've been there. So I know what 9 I'm talking about when I say can you prove it? 10 Look on how many programs on TV, Call if 11 you've been exposed to this, call if you've 12 been exposed to that. 13 Now, somebody's paying out a lot of money. 14 Are we, Person County, ready to pay out that 15 kind of money? Will Pine Gate be ready to pay 16 out that kind of money? Who's going to take 17 care of the people? 18 I thank you for listening to me and 19 letting me express my concerns. Thank you very 20 much. 21 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thank you. 22 MS. REAVES: Our last speaker to conclude 23 this public hearing is Cindy Lynch, of Union 24 Grove Church Road, Hurdle Mills. 25 CINDY LYNCH: Good morning, Commissioners. Page 102 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 Since we're talking about qualifications, I 2 thought I'd give mine such as they are. 3 I graduated from Rutgers University with a 4 bachelor's degree. Part of that time, I was 5 taking land use courses, and I've taken land 6 use courses from other institutions. I've been 7 involved land use for over 30 years, including 8 time as a land use administrator, as a zoning 9 administrator, planning board, and also zoning 10 board member. 11 Now, this mostly happened in New Jersey, 12 so I basically am coming to you here from the 13 future. What has happened -- what happened in 14 New Jersey, which is why I'm not there anymore, 15 I don't want to happen here. Even though I've 16 been here only a short time, I can't believe 17 it; I have fallen in love with Hurdle Mills and 18 Person County. I want to protect this area. I 19 love it. So that's why I keep coming and 20 talking to you because I love it here, and I 21 want to protect it and I don't want it to turn 22 into New Jersey. 23 So my first point is, although some people 24 don't like that this is a special use permit, I 25 like that it's a special use permit because Page 103 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 this gives you the ability to look at this 2 beyond just the ordinance issues, beyond just 3 do they have the setbacks, do they have the 4 buffers? It sounds like they do. But you have 5 four other criteria that you need to look at 6 this and determine is this really the best use? 7 Is it really the best thing for Person County? 8 It may be helpful to some property owners, but 9 you need to look at what's best for the whole 10 county. 11 Now, I have a question -- can I ask a 12 question of some of the experts who already 13 testified? 14 MR. HORNIK: Make your presentation to the 15 board and then if we have questions we can ask 16 them. 17 CINDY LYNCH: Okay. All right. well, my 18 specific question is -- and it's pretty 19 specific -- is how they're going to handle the 20 undergrowth. Sometimes it's handled 21 mechanically, sometimes it's handled 22 chemically. I've heard something about sheep, 23 which would be fun; just watch out for the 24 manure, but I'd like to hear specifics because 25 that could really make a difference on the Page 104 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 impact for the community and the surrounding 2 area when we're talking chemicals, talking 3 mechanical. 4 Now, I understand that there's been 5 testimony that, you know, farms put lots of 6 chemicals down, and I'm not a farmer -- well, 7 not really, so I'll agree with that. But note 8 that a lot of farms are going organic, so that 9 may not continue to be the case. 10 Now, we've heard from the attorney here 11 that there's -- Duke is in the process, they 12 need to accept these things, and they need them 13 to be large. If it's not large, it sounds like 14 they're not interested. So it sounds to me 15 like we're going to have more of these coming 16 down the pike. And so I'm asking that you look 17 at this very, very carefully. 18 Now, you put together a pretty good 19 ordinance, you got some nice setbacks in there 20 which is going to help protect the rest of the 21 county, so that's great. But there may be some 22 other things. And as you listen to this 23 testimony, there may be some other things that 24 have been brought to mind that may be some 25 concerns. Listen to those concerns. Because Page 105 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 once you approve something, even though I know 2 they're going to say, Well, every property is 3 individual. Let me tell you, when it goes to 4 court, the judge is going to look at what you 5 did last time, and if you approved it last 6 time, you're going to have a hard time not 7 proving it again and again and again and again. 8 So you got to get the first big one right. 9 It's really, really important. 10 You might even want your planning 11 committee -- sorry, Lori -- your planning 12 department to look at how many other areas in 13 Person County could this affect? How many 14 other areas that we have that are large parcels 15 and how many more times might this happen? 16 Now, we've been talking about megawatts, 17 and we heard some testimony that this has been 18 put forth as an 80-megawatt facility. But the 19 power plants we currently have are 3,400. So 20 we could potentially have 40 more of these to 21 produce that same kind of power. Of course, 22 that's only the power during the sun, so you'd 23 need even more. And we already heard that 24 there's like 37 of them in Nash. So you could 25 have a whole lot of people knocking on your Page 106 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 door. Again, the importance of looking at this 2 very, very carefully. 3 And then we talked about how this is 4 farmland and this is woodland, and once you 5 lose farmland, it's very hard to get it back. 6 And it's not just this farmland. What I have 7 seen from New Jersey is once you start losing 8 farmland -- and I've said this to you before 9 and I'm going to keep saying it to you because 10 I've seen it and it's not good; you start 11 losing that critical mass. And all those 12 services that those farmers need start 13 shrinking and shrinking and shrinking. And 14 before you know it, the farmers that really 15 want to stay who have sons and daughters who 16 want to keep doing it, they can't because they 17 don't have those auxiliary services that they 18 need. So it's important that you keep that 19 critical mass. 20 Is this going to make a difference? 21 Probably not. But what about the next one and 22 the next one and the next one. 23 And I know you're only voting on one now, 24 but that's why it's important to get this right 25 because you lose that critical mass, you're Page 107 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 going to lose your farms, and you know what? I 2 don't know about you, but I really like to eat, 3 and we've just seen in the past, what, year or 4 two, our empty shelves at the supermarket 5 because they couldn't get food to us because 6 transportation broke down. It's really nice to 7 have farms right in your community where you 8 can go over and get eggs when you need it and 9 get some vegetables when you need it. You 10 don't want to lose your farms. 11 So I'm speaking for the farms, watching 12 for that. And ladies and gentleman, you have 13 the ability, as you wrote your ordinance, that 14 you can look at this for special reasons. 15 Is this really the best thing for the 16 county? Thank you. 17 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thank you. And 18 that's -- those are the last, did you say? 19 MS. REAVES: Yes, sir. 20 MR. TERRELL: We have a right to some 21 rebuttal, and I think your attorney -- 22 MR. HORNIK: Right. You asked to reserve 23 some time for rebuttal, as I recall. 24 And we had, at least, that one question 25 about the undergrowth that I think you -- Page 108 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 Ms. Lynch just asked. 2 JOHN SEEPE: His experts' information, I'd 3 like to challenge it if he gets to challenge 4 it. 5 MR. HORNIK: He's the applicant. He gets 6 to rebut what people have said. There may be a 7 chance for surrebuttal, too, but let's let this 8 go at this point. 9 MR. TERRELL: Thank you. 10 First of all, Mr. Lynch, was very 11 definitive to you, not wanting to see metal and 12 aluminum and glass in a rural area. 13 Would you hold that up, Tommy? 14 This county just passed an ordinance that 15 says, This is what you have to have. This is a 16 landscape architect that says you will not see 17 the solar panels. 18 What Mr. Lynch will see when he drives 19 down Berea Road or Bethany Church Road are the 20 90-foot transmission towers that have been 21 there for decades. 22 Thank you. 23 So I just want to put that to bed. 24 I didn't catch the name of the gentleman 25 who sells Welsh ponies, but just because Page 109 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 someone proclaims something with great emphasis 2 or emotion does not mean it's correct. Nobody 3 in this room and nobody in this county by law 4 can buy this power. There is no contract. 5 There is nobody in this room who is being 6 forced to use this power. This power is being 7 sold to Duke Energy. That is where this power 8 is being sold to Duke. It is not going by any 9 contract to somebody here. 10 And then I would like to address my final 11 comment before I ask somebody to address the 12 undergrowth. The woman who was a planner from 13 -- who has come down from New Jersey. She 14 says, What if we get 40 more here like they 15 had 37 in Nash County? 16 And Nash County, most of -- the vast 17 majority -- I will turn to Mr. Sandifer for 18 correction -- were 5 megawatts because those 19 were all the facilities that were done. Those 20 were the 40, 50-acre projects. Nobody was 21 doing these. It was not until Duke Energy took 22 control of the pipeline in 2017 that the large 23 projects became mandatory. 24 Most of them left the eastern part of the 25 state and are now moved to the Piedmont and Page 110 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 western part. 2 Mr. Sandifer, would you address how the 3 undergrowth of the panels is handled? Is it 4 mechanical? Are there any applied chemicals? 5 MR. SANDIFER: Thank you. I was actually 6 thinking of two things when you said that, but 7 the vegetation is controlled mechanically. 8 They will just mow. That's how it's done. 9 And -- but around the posts, they may have 10 some equipment pads, but you know, you can't -- 11 they may weed-eat those. That's mechanic also, 12 but sometimes they will spray a herbicide 13 around the posts, which is a very small area. 14 The same application concentration, but the 15 rate per acre is generally in the neighborhood 16 of 10 percent of what you would use if it were 17 a row crop in, say, soybeans or something like 18 that. 19 And there was some question about the 20 rates. I just want to comment that though you 21 may not be forced to buy the electricity from 22 this, typically the rates that Duke is paying 23 for this renewable energy is avoided cost, 24 which right now is in the neighborhood of 25 4-and-a-half cents per kilowatt hour, so that's Page 111 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 what they're paying the developer, operator of 2 this farm. 3 If anybody is familiar with their electric 4 bill, you probably know you're paying slightly 5 more than 4-and-a-half cents per kilowatt hour. 6 So the fact that they have entered into a 7 long-term contract with this developer helps 8 stabilize the cost tremendously, because we 9 don't know what the price of gas is going to 10 be. Natural gas is really cheap right now. 11 It's a third of what it was ten years ago, but 12 what will it be next month or next year? Two 13 years from now? No one knows. The price of 14 gas, natural gas could triple. 15 We saw what it did -- exactly what we saw 16 it do in Texas, and when the price of natural 17 gas got so high there, the producers for 18 electricity who use natural gas couldn't even 19 afford to make electricity anymore. They had 20 to shut off. And so -- and they had to turn 21 their generators off, which almost caused a 22 catastrophic failure there. 23 So the solar is -- has a much more 24 economically stable because the price of 25 electricity -- the price of sunlight, as far as Page 112 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 we know, is not going to go up in the next 20, 2 30, 40 years. 3 So does that answer the questions? 4 MR. TERRELL: Thank you. 5 And that completes my rebuttal, it 6 completes our presentation, and I believe that 7 we have -- in fact, I say with confidence, that 8 we have submitted competent, material and 9 substantial evidence as will be required under 10 the laws of this state and your ordinance 11 entitling the applicant to a permit. 12 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thank you very much. Do 13 we have a motion to -- 14 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: I have a couple 15 questions to the attorney, if I may? Yes. 16 Can you tell me who Silver Pine Energy 17 Holdings is? 18 MR. TERRELL: There had been several 19 companies that have partnered with each other 20 over time in different projects. Pine Gate and 21 Silver Pine Energy have combined -- 22 For how many? Two projects? 23 MR. YOUNG: Several projects but now it's 24 all Pine Gate Renewables. 25 MR. TERRELL: But this is a -- it's a past Page 113 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 combination of expertises to do several solar 2 farms. 3 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. So this is 4 the investment partners, the initial investment 5 partners on this project for -- 6 MR. YOUNG: Initially, yes, ma'am, but now 7 Pine Gate Renewables is the only -- 8 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Right. But I'm just 9 saying -- 10 MR. YOUNG: -- owner of the project now. 11 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. 12 MR. YOUNG: Silver Pine is no longer 13 involved. 14 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: And I'm not sure if 15 I'm pronouncing this right, but Azelio Solar 16 was the name of Berea before. Do you know why 17 the name was changed? 18 MR. TERRELL: It was Azelio Solar. That 19 was when it was a Cypress Creek project. It is 20 now owned by another company. They have their 21 own nomenclature. I don't think it was for my 22 particular reason other than an arbitrary 23 decision to have a different name. 24 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. I see that's 25 common that solar companies change their name Page 114 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 quite frequently. Thank you. 2 MR. TERRELL: I will add the Pine Gate 3 does not -- or did not known the LLC Azelio 4 Solar. 5 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Right. That was 6 Silver Pine. 7 MR. TERRELL: Yes. 8 COMMISSIONER SIMS: Mr. Chair, I have a 9 question. 10 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Yes, sir. 11 COMMISSIONER SIMS: Wildlife 12 sustainability. I see, looking at your 13 documentation you have provided us with, and 14 I'm looking at the fencing, permeable fencing. 15 Is that what's going to be used at that site? 16 MR. YOUNG: Yes, sir. 17 MR. TERRELL: Yes. If that meets the 18 county regulations for fencing, it would be. 19 And to be clear, wildlife permeable 20 fencing meets all of the requirements of the 21 National Electric Code. These are openings 22 that are way too small for the smallest of a 23 human being to get through. There is no safety 24 issue, but there are many smaller animals, 25 though, that can get through though. Page 115 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 COMMISSIONER SIMS: My question -- the 2 reason why I brought that up again, I read 3 about that and I see where the smaller mammals 4 [sic] can get through the fencing. Has there 5 been any kind of study on what the effect is 6 with the deer? Because I know the deer -- and 7 you're talking about a 15-foot high fence is 8 what I thought I heard. Now, I could be wrong. 9 Is it not? Was that not what we said? Did 10 someone say that and I misunderstood? 11 MR. TERRELL: That's not correct. 12 MR. YOUNG: The maximum height of the 13 panel, the fencing will be seven feet tall. 14 COMMISSIONER SIMS: Seven feet tall. But 15 again, has there been any impact on the larger 16 wildlife with the fencing. 17 MR. TERRELL: Actually, standard fencing, 18 yes. Let me answer. I live in very rural 19 area, I have a farm. I don't if you've ever 20 seen a deer jump a fence, but we have our 21 electric fence is about five feet high. Deer 22 can clear it very well. 23 But there are people who are in the 24 construction side of the solar farms who have 25 many, many stories where they're required to Page 116 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 put in a six feet of fence plus three strands 2 of barbed wire where they have found deer who 3 have tried to come over and who have been 4 seriously injured by that. 5 So this is part of the culture of 6 sustainability of what they call "solar 7 culture" at Pine Gate is to have fencing that 8 is friendly to all the wildlife, and that would 9 be seven feet without the barbed wire. That 10 would be the proposal. 11 COMMISSIONER SIMS: I was going to say, I 12 deer hunt, so I know exactly what deer can do. 13 MR. TERRELL: Yes. 14 COMMISSIONER SIMS: But I also know when 15 you put fencing up, 910 acres, certainly will 16 change their pattern more than likely. They 17 won't just always jump over the fencing and 18 keep going. It will change their pattern, it 19 will change some things. I was wondering if a 20 study had been done on that. 21 MR. TERRELL: No, but a deer is not going 22 to be harmed if they clear a seven-foot fence. 23 And I think if you know deer, they can clear -- 24 most of them can clear a seven-foot fence and 25 they can get in and out. Page 117 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 COMMISSIONER SIMS: Well, I know larger 2 deer, yes; smaller deer have a little bit more 3 trouble. 4 MR. TERRELL: Right. 5 COMMISSIONER SIMS: But that's okay. You 6 answered my question. I appreciate it. Thank 7 you. 8 MR. TERRELL: We're glad to answer any 9 more if there are any. 10 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Any other questions? 11 COMMISSIONER PURYEAR: No. 12 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Can I ask a question 13 of our planning and zoning? 14 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Yes. 15 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: In the ordinance, 16 there's something that caught my eye. It says 17 very limited commercial use. Can we define 18 what a very limited commercial use is? Is 19 there a parameter for that? 20 MS. OAKLEY: Are you referring to 21 comprehensive land use plans? 22 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Yeah. Where it says 23 in here "all the requirements are being met" 24 and I'm reading through here going "a very 25 limited commercial use," that is the zoning, Page 118 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 the RC zoning Rural Conservation. In there it 2 says "very limited commercial use," so what is 3 limited commercial use? 4 MS. OAKLEY: That is just a description. 5 RC is our most -- or let me rephrase that -- 6 least restrictive zoning district that we have 7 in the county so far as it allows a lot of 8 permitted commercial uses by right. Some 9 require a special use permit. 10 So under each jurisdiction or each zoning 11 classification, you have just a general 12 description. So while it says "limited 13 commercial use," if you go to the Table of 14 Uses, not so limited. There's actually -- 15 (Overlapping speakers.) 16 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Yeah. There's no 17 definition as to exactly what that means. 18 MS. OAKLEY: There's not. You just then 19 have to go to Table of Uses and go down RC, and 20 you'll see there's a lot of allowable uses in 21 this district and others that require a special 22 use permit. 23 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: But it doesn't limit 24 the commercial, it just says -- 25 (Overlapping speakers.) Page 119 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 2 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: -- that needs to be 3 cleared up. 4 MS. OAKLEY: Agreed. We need a new zoning 5 ordinance. (Sotto voce comment.) 6 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Any other questions? 7 Anyone? Do we have a motion to close the 8 public hearing? 9 PAUL LYNCH: Mr. Chairman, point of order, 10 sir, if I may? 11 MR. HORNIK: This is your hearing. 12 Ordinarily you don't take points of order from 13 the public. 14 PAUL LYNCH: I would like to rebut -- 15 address the attorney's rebuttal of what I said 16 because he mischaracterized it? 17 COMMISSIONER PURYEAR: Mr. attorney? 18 MR. HORNIK: That's up to you with a lot 19 of rebuttal. It's up to you whether you want 20 to allow a surrebuttal. You might just limit 21 him to a couple minutes. 22 PAUL LYNCH: It will be very short, I 23 assure you. 24 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Mr. Lynch, okay. 25 PAUL LYNCH: May I? Page 120 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Yes. 2 PAUL LYNCH: Sir, with all due respect on 3 your rebuttal, what I -- I never once addressed 4 the visual impact of this project. Not once in 5 anything I said. 6 What I questioned was, the concept of 7 harmony, harmonious use of this property by 8 putting -- by taking 900 whatever acres, 9 stripping it down to dirt and covering it with 10 aluminum and silicon. Is that harmonious with 11 farmland, woodland, open space? That was my 12 question. That's what I suggested. 13 I did not say that visually it's going to 14 be a problem; never once. Thank you. 15 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Okay. If no other 16 questions, do we have a motion to go out of 17 public hearing? 18 COMMISSIONER PALMER: So move. 19 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Motion to go out of 20 public hearing. All in favor, say "aye". 21 (All county commissioners answered aye.) 22 MR. HORNIK: Before -- I thought we were 23 going to have a little discussion about whether 24 we're closing the public hearing or not. If 25 we're ready to close the public hearing, that's Page 121 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 great. 2 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: What did we miss? 3 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Did we take up Item 4 Number 4? 5 MR. HORNIK: If we're closing the public 6 hearing, I just wanted to make sure that's what 7 we wanted to do. 8 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Yeah. 9 MR. HORNIK: I think we had a unanimous 10 vote on that. 11 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Yes, we did. 12 CHAIRMAN POWELL: And item Number 4 on the 13 agenda would be consideration to grant or deny 14 the request. 15 So do we have a motion along that line 16 from anyone? 17 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Mr. Chairman, I 18 would like to propose a continuation to the 19 August 2 meeting allowing us more time to go 20 over the data that we've been presented and the 21 testimonies that we've been presented, and I 22 also, as -- I don't know about the other 23 Members of the Board, but I would like a site 24 visit, and I will confer -- 25 MR. HORNIK: I suggest we do that in two Page 122 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 separate motions. 2 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Okay. 3 MR. HORNIK: The first motion was to 4 continue -- 5 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Continue -- 6 MR. HORNIK: -- item 4 until the August 2 7 agenda. 8 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Correct. 9 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Any discussion on that? 10 Hearing none, all in favor say "aye". 11 (All county commissioners answered aye.) 12 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Opposed. Motion cared. 13 The second part. 14 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: And I would like 15 to -- I, for one as a board member, I would 16 like to do a site visit. I know that we were 17 told that we shouldn't do so. We should depend 18 solely on testimony. I've got maps. I've got 19 data. I've got information. I want a visual 20 on what I'm asked to make a determination as a 21 county commissioner on behalf of the Person 22 County citizens. 23 UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE SPEAKER IN GALLERY: 24 Thank you. 25 MR. HORNIK: What I have suggested to the Page 123 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 board members, if they're going to go, should 2 all go together at a time where the applicant 3 is there or has -- can be there. It would be a 4 meeting of the board, so members of the public 5 can be there, too. 6 I'm not telling you you're going to have a 7 lot of time to talk and lobby. 8 As a matter of fact, I'm going to warn 9 everybody right now, no lobbying. Do not speak 10 to your commissioners about this. If you do, 11 you jeopardize whatever decision they make. 12 This is a quasi-judicial process. It's 13 unlike when they're adopting an ordinance where 14 you can talk to them about anything at any 15 time, whenever you want to. 16 With a quasi-judicial process, the board 17 is supposed to make its decision based solely 18 on the information that's presented to them at 19 a public hearing. 20 If they receive calls, receive emails 21 before they make a decision, they're going to 22 have to disclose that on the record so that the 23 applicant and the public, everyone is aware of 24 who spoke or tried to speak with the 25 commissioners about the application. Page 124 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 So I want to impress upon you the -- kind 2 of the seriousness of that particular aspect of 3 this proceeding. It's a quasi-judicial 4 proceeding. It's just like being in a court of 5 law -- not exactly, as you can see sitting 6 here -- but where this jury and judge, I 7 suppose, they're both, are supposed to base 8 their decision solely on the evidence presented 9 to them during the hearing process. 10 So I want us all -- and spread the word -- 11 be very careful so as not to jeopardize, at 12 least the procedures here. We want to make 13 sure that procedurally we're clean. So that's 14 my kind of lecture. 15 JOHN SEEPE: So we have to hold our peace 16 until August? 17 MR. TERRELL: Mr. Chairman, the issue we 18 want to raise to the board is, we closed the 19 public hearing and now we'll be taking in 20 apparently new information. 21 So either we need to unclose the public 22 hearing on the first instance; or two, make 23 sure that when the information comes back, 24 everything that the board thinks they have 25 learned from a site visit is subject to Page 125 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 rebuttal. 2 Now, I do object to this as a general 3 matter because board members aren't the experts 4 at a hearing. The experts are and those who 5 present facts. So we may object to this in a 6 later forum, but I do want that on the record. 7 MR. HORNIK: Here's what I suggest. 8 UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE SPEAKER IN GALLERY: 9 Of course he does; of course he does. 10 MR. HORNIK: This is kind of what I was 11 getting at without trying to lead the board 12 before, is that if you want to go out and see 13 the place, I suggest make a motion now to 14 reopen the public hearing, to continue it to a 15 date certain at which time we'll go and see the 16 property, if that's what you want to do. 17 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: All right. I'll 18 make a motion to reopen the public hearing 19 then. 20 MR. HORNIK: Do we have a second on that? 21 COMMISSIONER PURYEAR: No second. 22 CHAIRMAN POWELL: No. 23 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: No. 24 CHAIRMAN POWELL: You heard the motion, 25 all in favor say "aye". Page 126 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 (All county commissioners answered aye.) 2 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Opposed? None. Motion 3 cares. 4 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Now I need to make a 5 new motion to continue this, for a continuance 6 of this. Now, based on the fact, that we're 7 all going to go as a collective board, are we 8 going individually to take a site visit? 9 Because I don't know what the feeling of the 10 other board members are. I just know for 11 myself, I need a visual in order to make a good 12 decision. 13 MR. HORNIK: My preference would be if 14 you're going to go, all go together. Just 15 schedule 15 minutes or 20 minutes and do it as 16 a meeting. 17 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: All right. Keeping 18 in mind that several of us are also full-time 19 working, either business owners or employees, 20 and I'm sure that the gentleman, Mr. Tom, you 21 have a business operation that you run. So we 22 need to coordinate, is August 2 going to give 23 us enough time or do we need to move it to the 24 next August meeting? Which will be the 25 August 16th meeting to ensure that we have Page 127 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 enough time to assemble everybody together for 2 this. 3 COMMISSIONER PURYEAR: We can call a 4 meeting for the entire board. So you would 5 have to do public notice. 6 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Which is a ten-day 7 notification, correct? 8 COMMISSIONER PURYEAR: Forty-eight hour. 9 MR. HORNIK: For the meeting, yes. 10 COMMISSIONER PURYEAR: Special meeting. 11 That means anybody that wants to come can come 12 and be there. 13 MR. HORNIK: The alternative is if you go 14 individually, right, whenever you want to, the 15 next time we reconvene on this, ever one of you 16 is going to say "I went to the site on such and 17 such a date and this is what I observed and it 18 doesn't impact my ability to make an unbiased, 19 fair decision." 20 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: So we have the 21 option of doing it individually or collectively 22 as a board? 23 MR. HORNIK: I think you have that option, 24 but you should decide how you're going to do it 25 right here, right now. Page 128 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: I'm fine with 2 whatever the board's pleasure is. 3 COMMISSIONER PURYEAR: Probably work out 4 better individually with everyone's schedule. 5 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: For personal 6 schedules, yeah. 7 So I make a move that we, as individuals, 8 have enough time to make site visits, if we so 9 chose to do so, and then reconvene this hearing 10 on August 2nd. 11 CHAIRMAN POWELL: So you're saying it's up 12 to us individually -- 13 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Yes. 14 CHAIRMAN POWELL: -- to go? 15 MS. YORK: With the understanding it has 16 to be disclosed. 17 MR. HORNIK: Yes. Then what I would 18 suggest is, at that point, after you-all come 19 back and disclose, then we can allow for any 20 kind of rebuttal time or something if you want, 21 and then we close the public hearing. This way 22 all of the information will have been 23 gathered -- 24 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Encapsulated. 25 MR. HORNIK: -- and the process. Page 129 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 And I guess we might as well do it now, 2 too. I will ask each of the chair and each of 3 the board members to disclose if you had any ex 4 parte communications, either orally or in 5 writing thus far, disclose generally what those 6 communications were and state whether you 7 remain able to make an unbiased, fair decision 8 on the application. 9 Start with the chair. 10 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Thus far, I've had two 11 emails from -- do I need their names? 12 MR. HORNIK: Yeah. 13 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Mr. Ray Foushee and 14 Mr. Hornton, Anthony Hornton which I did not 15 reply to either, and their stated concerns 16 about this solar farm will have no impact on my 17 decision. 18 MR. HORNIK: Regarding those two, are 19 those the two gentlemen who -- 20 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Emailed all of us. 21 COMMISSIONER PALMER: All of us, yes. 22 MR. HORNIK: Same emails went to all five 23 of you? 24 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Yes. 25 COMMISSIONER PURYEAR: Same emails, same Page 130 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 two people; has not swayed my opinion. 2 COMMISSIONER PALMER: Same two 3 individuals, I assume both are local. Neither 4 one of them had an impact on my thought as far 5 as developing this site. I already got my -- 6 I've already developed my thoughts, and -- way 7 before they emailed me. 8 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: Same emails, same 9 two gentlemen. Did not respond to them. I did 10 speak with Ray Foushee. He happens to be my 11 neighbor and we both said we can't talk about 12 this. 13 COMMISSIONER SIMS: Same emails, and I did 14 not respond to either one of them, and it is 15 not going to sway my decision in any way. 16 MR. HORNIK: Thank you. 17 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Is that matter closed? 18 MR. HORNIK: Right. 19 CHAIRMAN POWELL: Next on our agenda is 20 informal comments. 21 COMMISSIONER GENTRY: I was going to say 22 can we take a five-minute recess? 23 CHAIRMAN POWELL: We will take a 24 five-minute recess. Be back at 12:20 p.m. 25 (The hearing adjourned at 12:16 p.m. and Page 131 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 continued until August 2, 2021.) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Page 132 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 1 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA ) 2 COUNTY OF FORSYTH ) 3 REPORTER'S CERTIFICATE 4 I, Audra Smith, Registered Professional Reporter 5 in and for the above county and state, do hereby certify that 6 the deposition of the person hereinbefore named was taken 7 before me at the time and place hereinbefore set forth; that 8 the witness was by me first duly sworn to testify to the 9 truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth; that 10 thereupon the foregoing questions were asked and the foregoing 11 answers made by the witness which were duly recorded by me by 12 means of stenotype; which is reduced to written form under my 13 direction and supervision, and that this is, to the best of my 14 knowledge and belief, a true and correct transcript. 15 I further certify that I am neither of counsel to 16 either party nor interested in the events of this case. 17 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand 18 this 16th day of July, 2021. 19 20 21 <%19326,Signature%> 22 Audra Smith, RPR, FCRR 23 Notary Number: 201329000033 24 25 Page 133 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners & &1:9 5:13 7:21 8:19 27:13 0 02-21 1:5 5:8 7:16 8:8,13 0961-06-5906 1:10 5:16 7:24 8:23 1 1 18:9,11,11 43:11 1.5.3 43:18 1.6 35:15,20 10 5:19 8:2 9:1 10:1 47:6 64:6 111:16 100 4:9 35:17 39:13 45:9,13 47:2 52:8,8 62:4 64:10 80:1 100,000 35:15 102 4:10 109 4:14 1101 79:7 111 4:16 113 4:19 115 4:20 118 4:21 12 1:14 33:19 39:3 45:16 12,000 32:18 120 4:24 1200 2:13 12:16 131:25 12:20 131:24 13 23:2 14 3:3,8 15 12:8 23:11 43:1 54:2 56:19 64:6 116:7 127:15 150 10:5,6,13 11:2 11:15 31:17,20 42:15 16 23:11 16th 127:25 133:18 17 23:11 37:20 18 23:11 33:22 19 23:16 19326 133:21 1982 74:23 2 2 24:13 32:16 122:19 123:6 127:22 132:1 2,000 16:7 38:11 38:14 51:19 2,400 32:17 2.1 44:2 20 20:13 23:4,21 23:24 24:3 64:6 70:16 90:9,9 113:1 127:15 200 35:22 2001 43:9 75:2 2007 58:16 2010 75:7 201329000033 133:23 2017 17:2 110:22 2018 41:1 2021 1:14 48:17 132:1 133:18 2030 48:8 2050 48:8 23 34:9 230 2:13 13:15 230,920 12:10 24/7 71:21 90:5 25 33:5 41:7 102:4 27 3:10 27401-2171 2:13 280,000 84:4 2nd 129:10 3 3 5:3,5,19 9:1,23 9:23 10:1 28:17 85:7,8 3,400 106:19 30 3:11 45:5 58:10 61:14 63:8 64:14 64:24 65:9 73:6 88:3 103:7 113:2 30-06 73:10 300 10:7 36:4 39:11 42:17 3118 44:23 32 3:12 3400 90:4 35 75:7 84:19 350 39:25 36 100:10 37 35:10 45:22 51:11 52:2,3 106:24 110:15 395 83:24 4 4 19:8 44:10 85:7 86:7 111:25 112:5 122:4,12 123:6 4.5 82:6 40 63:9 64:14,24 75:8 106:20 110:14,20 113:2 40,000 90:8 400 39:11 72:22 400,000 20:1 41 3:13 4141 53:22 421 27:14 30:16 44 3:14 48 37:21 5 5 16:25 34:19 52:13 82:11 110:18 5,000 52:15 50 10:8 16:25 21:22 29:1 38:7 45:13 46:21 48:5 48:7 51:20,20 54:10 110:20 500 97:11 98:10 53 3:15,16 97:12 97:12 56 34:12 6 6 52:13 82:11 60 39:18,22 49:2 60:5,11 61:2 64:7 620 38:1 7 7 19:10 20:13 44:10 56:14 70 39:13,19,21,22 39:23 64:7 78:2 72 3:17 74 3:19 75 38:9 51:21 77 3:20 79 3:21 8 8 19:10 8,000 52:13 80 12:7,11 27:16 38:10 58:10,11 61:6 75:4 84:6 90:1 106:18 [& - 80]Page 1 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 800 20:14 33:20 36:15 81 4:4 83 4:5 9 9/11 73:7 90 22:16,17 75:4 109:20 900 37:23 86:11 121:8 91 4:6 910 117:15 910.5 28:7 920 5:17 7:25 9:3 81:23 84:3 95:23 94 4:7 35:12 95 63:4 87:17 98 4:8 9:46 1:15 a a.m.1:15 a110-2 1:10 5:14 7:23 8:20 a110-29 1:10 5:15 7:23 8:21 a110-31 1:10 5:15 8:21 a110-32 7:23 a110-5 1:10 a110-6 1:10 5:15 7:23 8:21 11:21 a110-7 1:10 5:14 7:23 8:20 a111-5 5:15 7:24 8:21 ability 42:3 104:1 108:13 128:18 able 25:24 31:22 34:11 55:1 68:17 77:12 78:9 100:12 130:7 absurd 86:18 abutting 85:10 ac 46:15 60:3,8 84:6 accept 105:12 accepted 17:4 accepting 85:23 access 10:10,24,25 12:13 28:18 29:14 accuracy 67:23 accurately 67:25 acquire 29:23 acquiring 18:20 acre 16:25 51:20 70:10 110:20 111:15 acreage 36:19,21 38:13 51:16 52:17 acres 5:17,19 7:25 8:2 9:2,3 10:1 25:12 28:7 37:24 38:11,14,15 45:9 47:2 51:19,25 52:4,8,9,13,15 71:2,16 75:4,8 81:23 82:6 84:3 86:12 90:8 95:23 117:15 121:8 active 14:24 activity 43:21 actual 32:19 add 67:9 115:2 added 7:6 11:21 addition 22:21 32:12 42:25 additional 60:13 85:19,24 address 27:3,5 40:21,24 53:17 67:6,8,9 74:17 110:10,11 111:2 120:15 addressed 121:3 addresses 56:8 addressing 18:5,6 20:21 67:12 85:12 86:22 adhere 12:3 adjacent 20:5 42:14,17 51:22 99:3 adjoin 35:15 adjoining 20:6,11 22:15 24:24 25:23 33:17 36:10,16,17 36:18,20,22 37:8 85:10 98:10,12 adjoins 98:11 100:20 adjourned 131:25 adjunct 41:9 adjust 68:3 adjustments 68:8 admin 27:19 administer 7:9 administration 56:22 administrator 103:8,9 adopted 13:22 17:2 43:9 44:11 adopting 124:13 advancing 64:16 advantageous 47:12 advantages 48:14 advertised 5:7 12:21 advised 6:6 affect 106:13 affirm 7:13 23:22 affirmative 76:23 affirmed 6:9,10 8:4 afford 112:19 ag 81:19 agencies 58:25 agency 56:21 57:2 agenda 5:2 122:13 123:7 131:19 aggregate 35:1 ago 93:20 99:6 112:11 agree 105:7 agreed 120:4 agreement 49:12 53:4,13 92:24 agricultural 9:21 28:15 33:7 36:22 81:25 agriculture 15:19 18:24 21:21 aicp 2:9 aid 15:19 air 22:9 58:4,12 61:17 83:4 alabama 27:12 alignment 56:24 alley 93:8 allow 15:16 26:19 26:20 42:1 76:5 76:16 78:20 79:14 120:20 129:19 allowable 119:20 allowed 10:2 11:11 22:6 77:24 allowing 74:16 77:6 122:19 allows 9:20 15:10 43:13 79:15 119:7 [800 - allows]Page 2 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners alluded 89:23 alternative 128:13 altogether 91:18 aluminum 61:8 63:2 86:14,20 91:7 109:12 121:10 ambient 22:11 american 41:12 amount 12:9 17:8 56:16 61:9 62:17 66:5 72:25 amounts 61:22 63:25 analyses 33:10 analysis 9:22 34:2 34:3 57:2,10,20 angela 2:9 angie 8:8 14:18 angles 18:7 animals 115:24 annual 47:8 answer 12:24 26:24 30:4 37:16 49:9,22 50:5,10,11 53:2,8 55:1,2 58:20 69:16 72:15 73:5 87:6 113:3 116:18 118:8 answered 5:24 54:24 72:4 118:6 121:21 123:11 127:1 answers 133:11 anthony 130:14 anticipated 28:21 anybody 60:24 87:20 93:9 101:16 112:3 128:11 anymore 103:14 112:19 apologize 24:7 apparently 125:20 appealed 40:15 appear 11:25 appearance 44:9 appearances 2:1 appliances 63:20 applicable 11:10 applicant 1:6 2:11 2:14 3:2,6,9 4:13 4:15,23 5:8 7:17 8:14 12:1 13:17 30:1 31:1 85:11 85:21 109:5 113:11 124:2,23 applicant's 14:13 85:5,22,23 86:5 application 9:1 86:7 111:14 124:25 130:8 applications 40:1 88:1 91:2 applicators 18:25 applied 57:18 111:4 apply 17:2 appraisal 20:15,16 33:6,13 appraise 33:7,8 appraiser 20:7 33:4 appraising 33:4 appreciate 53:10 97:24 118:6 approached 95:18 95:19 approaching 58:7 approval 77:11 approve 79:17 106:1 approved 17:12 25:6 45:20 51:11 81:22 106:5 approves 11:17 approving 25:4 approximate 10:9 approximately 11:14 20:13 28:7 28:17 32:17 47:6 75:7 82:6 april 24:5 arbitrary 114:22 arbor 15:21 architect 24:11 30:12,14 109:16 architecture 30:19 30:20 31:1 32:16 area 9:15,17 23:6 28:18 35:5 39:5 39:17 40:3 41:22 42:6 44:14 55:3 59:24 76:18 79:1 79:12 80:19 82:14 85:2 90:9,19 99:3 99:7 101:3,5 103:18 105:2 109:12 111:13 116:19 areas 27:18 28:15 29:10,15 31:10,13 31:15,18 38:17 42:18 43:19 45:25 46:3 55:6 64:3 106:12,14 arisen 56:3,3 army 29:6,25 arsenic 97:8 ascertain 88:23 aside 89:6 asked 14:5 23:20 33:15 53:7 66:23 72:24 76:15 108:22 109:1 123:20 133:10 asking 26:16,17 78:19 83:19 93:4 105:16 aspect 125:2 aspects 86:24 assemble 128:1 assertions 85:22 asset 75:22 assign 40:5 associated 60:18 associates 27:13 assume 131:3 assurance 86:5 assure 86:3 120:23 atlantic 27:18 attach 16:2 46:9 attack 71:9,11,13 71:20 73:20 attention 11:23 attorney 2:15 3:8 4:14 6:6 95:2 96:1 96:25 105:10 108:21 113:15 120:17 attorney's 120:15 attorneys 96:7 attractive 90:24 audra 1:25 133:4 133:22 august 122:19 123:6 125:16 127:22,24,25 129:10 132:1 author 55:17,20 auxiliary 107:17 availability 32:20 available 59:10 65:22 [alluded - available]Page 3 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners avenue 81:1 average 16:8 35:4 51:24 avoid 21:6 29:2 avoided 89:3,9 111:23 aware 124:23 awesome 91:23 aye 5:23,24 121:20 121:21 123:10,11 126:25 127:1 azelio 114:15,18 115:3 b bachelor 27:11 30:18 44:25 84:17 bachelor's 103:4 back 77:20,24 78:10,16,18 82:19 82:25 83:18 92:21 93:14 95:3 98:24 107:5 125:23 129:19 131:24 background 53:24 74:20 bad 84:9 91:15 balance 83:15 banking 64:14 barbed 117:2,9 bare 86:13 barton 4:7 6:16 94:20,22 96:19,23 97:4,8 base 16:13,16 77:20 125:7 based 17:1 20:17 28:20 32:19 33:24 36:17 41:5 61:6 61:13 63:10 68:3 124:17 127:6 basically 62:5 67:13 103:12 basins 29:12 79:3 basis 47:8 89:15 batteries 25:14 beating 93:23 beautiful 98:1 beauty 82:24 83:2 98:15 becoming 25:7 bed 109:23 beer 96:12 beginning 91:14 behalf 1:6 2:14 3:6 3:9 4:12,15 5:9 7:17 8:15 30:1 31:1 54:10 81:19 95:8 123:21 beholder 86:11 belief 133:14 believe 33:21 34:10 35:18 62:3 75:25 80:11 94:15 95:24 97:12 103:16 113:6 ben 3:13 6:13 40:22 41:4 beneficial 43:23 benefit 16:18 67:5 76:18 79:18 80:12 benefits 16:1 57:21 58:4,12 59:6 77:12 berea 1:6 5:9,17 7:17,25 8:14,24 12:19 13:17,18 23:12 28:9,13 53:12 76:5 79:25 81:21 109:19 114:16 best 72:9 76:1 78:21,25 79:15 80:10 96:11 104:6 104:7,9 108:15 133:13 bethany 5:17 7:25 8:24 22:23 23:13 28:9 77:3 79:7 109:19 better 65:2 75:19 129:4 beyond 56:20 104:2,2 big 73:6 93:3 106:8 bill 112:4 biologist 96:2 biology 91:25 bit 26:8 30:22 34:24 89:24 90:12 118:2 bless 97:25 block 15:13 blocked 94:23 blount 2:9 8:8,10 8:12 13:3,7 blow 81:25 board 1:1 2:2,7,8 3:3 4:18 8:8 11:17 14:14 20:16 31:6 31:19 40:1 41:4 44:21 45:18,20 50:18,22,25 51:1,5 51:10,10,11 53:19 74:15 77:5 81:13 91:4 92:5 103:9 103:10 104:15 122:23 123:15 124:1,4,16 125:18 125:24 126:3,11 127:7,10 128:4,22 130:3 board's 85:19 129:2 bodies 60:7 bond 19:23 bonds 88:9,10 bonnie 4:9 6:16 100:14,16 bonus 35:5 born 95:4 bottom 19:22 23:7 53:3 bountiful 82:16 bowling 93:8 box 72:20 boyette 4:4 6:15 81:1,16,17,19 82:1 brackets 46:9 brand 17:14 breaks 67:13 brenda 2:7 brief 46:6 briefly 16:22 19:13 27:4 40:22 59:13 bring 80:20 99:11 broadly 59:5 63:6 broke 108:6 broken 61:21,23 62:2 brother 74:24 76:8 brought 11:23 99:8 105:24 116:2 bruises 100:7 brush 23:20 buffer 10:13 11:3 21:18 23:5,7,12 24:10,14 29:1 30:23 31:4,9,12,20 32:1 42:16 43:2 [avenue - buffer]Page 4 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 86:13 buffering 11:9 buffers 10:5,6,8 11:15,20 17:8 31:16,25 38:17 78:22 104:4 build 15:3 65:5 79:12 buildings 21:13 69:15 built 59:20 65:8 67:18 79:7 bulldozer 70:2 71:3,4 73:10 bullet 19:7 bunch 48:13 62:2 buried 80:3 burlington 78:15 burn 59:17 burned 75:8 burning 57:24 business 18:18 49:16,23 50:9 92:3,5,6,11,24 93:1,1 94:1,13 127:19,21 businesses 25:10 44:6 butner 77:19,23 99:1 buy 18:16 92:13 92:23 110:4 111:21 c c 2:5 3:12 5:1 calculated 58:2 calculations 72:14 calculator 57:18 58:13 59:7 call 6:7 17:25 27:1 30:11 47:10 48:20 57:3 60:4 86:15 88:22 94:10 102:10,11 117:6 128:3 called 7:3 17:10 20:9 22:8 29:14 54:15 96:4 calls 43:11,18 44:2 124:20 camp 77:19,23 98:5 99:1 100:15 campfire 75:13 canadian 18:14,16 72:10 73:1 87:18 cancer 101:8 carbon 76:3 77:15 83:4 care 102:17 cared 123:12 career 54:2 careful 88:8 125:11 carefully 86:4 105:17 107:2 cares 127:3 carolina 1:16 14:25 16:4 20:16 27:10,15,17 29:18 30:15,17 33:5,23 34:8 36:24 38:24 39:11,14 41:9,14 44:24 45:3,4 47:17 54:3,8,8,11 54:12,16,19 55:16 56:14 57:19 58:19 73:12 75:23 80:21 81:16 96:9 133:1 carolinas 58:1 carried 12:21 cary 79:22 case 8:9,13 12:20 17:6 19:20 20:1,6 61:24 62:1,9,18 65:24,25 69:15 70:15,24 105:9 133:16 caswell 95:3 catastrophic 112:22 catch 109:24 catherine 1:7 5:10 7:19 8:16 caught 118:16 cause 84:10 caused 75:12 112:21 cell 61:11 64:8 95:19 cellphones 60:1 cells 61:9 64:7 cem 3:14,17 4:16 cemetery 80:3 center 54:14,15,17 cents 58:6 111:25 112:5 ceo 84:20 certain 57:12 79:4 86:24 126:15 certainly 84:13 117:15 certificate 47:18 133:3 certified 33:3 41:12,13 certify 133:5,15 cetera 90:21 chain 94:13 chair 115:8 130:2 130:9 chairman 2:3,3 5:2,23 7:8 8:7 13:8,14 27:24 28:2 31:2 33:14 38:19 40:18 41:3 41:19 44:16,19,20 45:23 46:4 50:15 53:20 55:10 63:15 63:17 73:23,24 74:9,15 77:1,4 79:20 80:24 81:18 83:22 91:20 94:19 97:2,6 98:8 100:4 100:13 102:21 108:17 113:12 115:10 118:10,14 120:6,9,24 121:1 121:15,19 122:3,8 122:12,17 123:9 123:12 125:17 126:22,24 127:2 129:11,14 130:10 130:13 131:17,19 131:23 challenge 109:3,3 chambers 5:18 8:1 8:25 chance 50:1 109:7 change 28:20 65:7 114:25 117:16,18 117:19 changed 54:15 114:17 changing 64:13 character 42:22 charitably 88:22 charlie 2:4 cheap 112:10 checked 99:4,5 chemical 18:21 chemically 104:22 chemicals 18:22 47:4 105:2,6 [buffer - chemicals]Page 5 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 111:4 chemistry 91:25 chicago 78:16 children 78:6 101:9 china 87:22,23 choice 76:21 choose 79:12 chose 129:9 chris 3:14,17 4:6 4:16 6:13,15 44:19,22 91:21,23 christian 1:7 3:21 5:10 7:6,18 8:16 79:1,22,23,24 80:1 chub 95:7 church 5:17 8:1,24 22:23 23:13 28:9 30:2 77:3 79:7 83:24 102:24 109:19 churches 9:21 25:10 cindy 4:10 6:14 81:4,7 102:23,25 104:17 circumstances 67:11 citizens 70:19 83:15 86:1 123:22 civil 19:12 27:11 27:25 claim 48:8 class 54:23 classification 45:5 119:11 clean 54:16 70:13 75:19 80:20 88:6 125:13 cleaner 58:12,12 clear 66:21 115:19 116:22 117:22,23 117:24 cleared 120:3 clearly 59:6 85:14 clemson 45:1 96:7 96:12 clerk 2:7 74:10 cleveland 3:15 6:14 18:4 24:25 53:16,18,21,22 55:6,11,18 56:1 63:21 64:1,5,7,10 64:19 65:1,12,25 66:15 67:7,12 68:14 69:11,20,23 70:4,8,22,25 71:4 71:10 72:8 clientele 92:9,10 close 35:17 120:7 121:25 129:21 closed 125:18 131:17 closest 35:17,18,22 35:23 36:3 closing 121:24 122:5 cloud 90:2 cloudy 67:20 90:15 coal 16:10 25:3 48:6 57:25 84:22 90:13,21 coddled 93:17 code 59:21 115:21 collection 85:15 collective 127:7 collectively 128:21 combination 32:15 114:1 combined 12:11 73:16 113:21 come 7:2 16:21 24:4,6 26:10,19 32:25 61:4,23 65:2 77:7,24 82:19 90:16 95:13 99:14 110:13 117:3 128:11,11 129:18 comes 11:6 15:23 18:21 25:17 37:3 59:25 65:20 90:18 92:9 125:23 comfortable 70:19 coming 24:12 59:1 60:2 80:19 83:18 84:13 101:18 103:12,19 105:15 comment 110:11 111:20 120:5 comments 13:8 14:5 81:21 86:21 131:20 commercial 9:22 33:9 44:6 118:17 118:18,25 119:2,3 119:8,13,24 commission 47:17 commissioner 12:25 13:6 37:17 38:18 49:11,18,24 50:6 51:15 52:1,7 52:12,16,22,25 53:6,15 63:24 64:2,6,9,11,23 65:10,19 66:9,19 66:23 67:3 68:10 68:20 69:17,18,21 69:25 70:5,9,23 71:3,8 72:4,23 73:3,16,22 113:14 114:3,8,11,14,24 115:5,8,11 116:1 116:14 117:11,14 118:1,5,11,12,15 118:22 119:16,23 120:2,17 121:18 122:2,11,17 123:2 123:5,8,14,21 126:17,21,23 127:4,17 128:3,6,8 128:10,20 129:1,3 129:5,13,24 130:20,21,24,25 131:2,8,13,21 commissioners 1:1 2:2 4:18 5:24 24:17 51:11 81:18 83:14 84:1 94:25 97:24 102:25 121:21 123:11 124:10,25 127:1 commissioning 54:10 commitment 15:6 15:9,24 committee 106:11 common 36:20,22 114:25 communication 6:3 communications 130:4,6 communities 16:9 41:8 54:20 community 44:9 78:24 82:1,18 98:21 105:1 108:7 companies 14:20 14:24 15:8 69:8 113:19 114:25 [chemicals - companies]Page 6 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners company 15:25 49:20 54:6 72:14 84:21 88:18 114:20 company's 87:18 comparable 37:23 compare 34:4 compared 34:13 57:8 compatible 42:7 43:4 competent 17:19 113:8 competitive 57:4 57:15 complete 88:11,14 completes 113:5,6 compliance 17:25 component 61:12 comprehensive 41:23 43:7 44:15 91:11 118:21 comprised 9:24 comps 37:18,22 compulsory 92:22 94:14 concentration 111:14 concept 121:6 concern 85:13 100:18 concerned 90:17 101:4 102:2 concerns 43:14 44:5 56:4 61:3 98:22 99:10 102:19 105:25,25 130:15 conclude 63:10 81:11 102:22 conclusion 60:23 62:16 condition 28:22 31:21 32:9 conditional 39:2 conditioners 22:9 conditions 11:19 19:15 27:4 30:7 32:3,10 conduct 61:10 confer 122:24 confidence 113:7 confident 80:13 confirm 87:17 conflict 42:8 conformity 41:23 43:6 44:14 connected 47:20 consensus 60:25 96:15 conservation 9:16 10:1 11:12 33:10 119:1 consider 5:7 89:21 considerable 85:11 86:8 consideration 77:8 88:3,8 122:13 considered 96:18 99:8 considering 57:7 76:4 consistency 20:20 40:22 consistent 44:10 consistently 34:16 construction 27:19,23 29:8,13 29:22 32:20 45:14 48:4 55:8 79:5 87:5 116:24 consulting 41:6 44:24 54:6 contended 76:12 contiguous 9:3 continuance 127:5 continuation 122:18 continue 18:17 95:1 97:7 105:9 123:4,5 126:14 127:5 continued 44:3 132:1 continuing 56:20 continuously 76:12 contract 110:4,9 112:7 contracted 88:18 contractor 45:4 control 18:21 27:21 29:9 62:7 68:6,17 110:22 controlability 68:19 controlled 111:7 convenience 47:19 convert 46:13 converted 16:7 convinced 75:20 coordinate 127:22 copper 63:2 83:12 copy 34:11 corps 29:6,25 correct 5:4,5 30:9 64:1 110:2 116:11 123:8 128:7 133:14 correction 110:18 correctly 72:2 corridor 15:12 corridors 31:16 cost 48:19,20,24 56:25 58:7 64:21 65:15 87:25 89:2 89:9,13 111:23 112:8 costs 57:8 64:20 88:2,5 counsel 2:8,11 133:15 counties 16:12 32:23 39:3,12,14 39:23,23 95:10,15 countries 63:3 country 25:8 83:2 83:9 county 1:1,1 2:7 4:18 5:16,24 7:24 8:22 9:11,12 11:6 11:7 12:4 13:2,22 16:6,9 21:6 24:17 26:15 28:8 29:7 29:19 30:1,8 32:5 45:18,20 49:8 50:17,21 52:10,18 56:2,4 70:6 74:21 75:22 77:13 78:4 78:14 79:2,19 80:8,13,23 81:20 82:11 84:10,15 86:2 87:2,11 88:5 89:2,22 90:11,12 90:19 91:7,16 92:13,16 93:6,25 95:1,3,20 97:22,25 98:1,13,14 99:15 102:14 103:18 104:7,10 105:21 106:13 108:16 109:14 110:3,15 [company - county]Page 7 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 110:16 115:18 119:7 121:21 123:11,21,22 127:1 133:2,5 county's 44:8 couple 21:23 51:22 113:14 120:21 course 85:13,17 106:21 126:9,9 courses 103:5,6 court 106:4 125:4 courts 40:13 cover 27:21 28:14 29:15 63:22 86:14 90:11 covered 56:7 58:14 65:18 covering 121:9 covers 28:18 cprp 3:11 30:1 31:1 creating 77:15 creek 11:20 98:5 100:15 114:19 criteria 85:6 86:23 91:5 104:5 critical 107:11,19 107:25 crop 47:7,9 111:17 crops 83:7 cross 6:3 74:6 crossings 29:3 cub 11:20 culture 117:5,7 curiosity 73:4 curious 64:4 66:12 68:21 69:5 current 91:10 currently 21:19 27:12 106:19 cutting 87:7 cypress 114:19 czo 3:13 d d 5:1 dad 78:13 95:9 96:4 daily 60:15 dale 80:16 damaged 61:20 danger 73:7 dangerous 18:23 95:25 97:19 dark 73:9,12 darn 92:1 data 20:12,17 25:18,20 35:25 56:23 101:6,7,8,10 101:12 122:20 123:19 date 126:15 128:17 daughters 107:15 day 14:7 15:21 68:2 75:9 84:6 93:15 95:3 128:6 133:18 days 67:20 70:17 90:2,7,14,15 dc 46:13,15 60:17 deal 87:24 dealing 56:2 decade 56:12 decades 22:19 56:11 80:9 109:21 deceased 80:5 decide 74:8 128:24 decided 17:17 75:3 deciduous 24:5 32:4 decision 6:1 49:16 114:23 124:11,17 124:21 125:8 127:12 128:19 130:7,17 131:15 decommissioned 48:5 decommissioning 19:19 25:3 87:25 decommissions 16:11 decrease 28:22 deep 87:14 deer 99:15,19 116:6,6,20,21 117:2,12,12,21,23 118:2,2 define 62:21 118:17 definition 119:17 definitive 109:11 degree 41:11 61:12 91:25 96:5 100:6,17 103:4 degrees 53:25 100:5 delineated 28:25 demand 94:14 demolished 77:22 demonstrate 20:4 24:22 25:20 density 9:20 43:18 deny 122:13 department 29:18 48:16 96:11 106:12 depend 123:17 depiction 31:20 depicts 10:9 deposition 133:6 derrick 2:5 description 119:4 119:12 deserves 94:16 design 27:19,19 29:17 designs 84:21 desirability 89:18 destroyed 98:16 destroys 70:3 detail 37:15 89:25 detailed 27:19 determination 123:20 determine 91:5,12 104:6 determined 75:11 determines 101:23 develop 41:24 80:10 developed 80:7 131:6 developer 14:22 88:11,17,21 89:6 89:10 112:1,7 developing 131:5 development 2:15 14:19 30:2 33:8,9 43:12,19 87:3 device 19:12 devices 60:15 diagonally 28:12 difference 104:25 107:20 different 18:2,7 33:22 34:9 36:1 55:13 57:4 59:19 60:1 68:14 91:18 113:20 114:23 difficult 47:23 [county - difficult]Page 8 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners dig 87:14 dioxide 83:4 direction 48:9,11 133:13 directly 80:17 86:22 director 2:9 41:8 dirt 86:13 121:9 disclose 124:22 129:19 130:3,5 disclosed 129:16 disconnect 86:15 discouraging 43:18 discuss 77:7 discussion 121:23 123:9 disgruntled 70:1 disharmonious 37:8 distance 36:5 district 10:2 11:12 17:18 81:20 95:2 119:6,21 disturbance 12:17 79:10 ditches 29:11 diversion 29:11 documentation 115:13 documented 59:1 documents 55:13 55:15 doing 36:13 45:14 58:22 71:6 79:14 90:5 94:17 101:21 107:16 110:21 128:21 dollars 24:13 36:7 89:7 dominion 48:10 door 93:24 107:1 double 22:25 96:2 dove 72:16 doves 72:18 dramatically 56:19 draw 16:17 drinking 62:10 drive 42:23 46:8 83:8 driven 21:4 drives 109:18 driveway 99:20 drove 42:19 due 38:16 121:2 duke 16:10,25 17:3 25:3 45:5 48:5,10 49:12 53:13 54:7,10 56:17 89:10 93:14 96:8 105:11 110:7 110:8,21 111:22 duly 12:21 133:8 133:11 dumped 62:6 durham 9:12 11:7 41:2,6 95:10 dust 26:1 42:11 101:3 duty 13:23 dwelling 10:7 dwellings 9:10,14 e e 2:8 5:1,1 ear 86:10 earlier 47:22 early 24:4 earned 26:22 easement 10:18,19 10:19 easements 33:10 easier 63:23 easiest 61:4 easily 71:18 eastern 110:24 easy 65:17 eat 108:2 111:11 economic 16:1,18 44:3 87:2 97:22 economical 90:24 economically 43:21,23 57:4,15 112:24 effect 101:5 102:5 116:5 effectively 25:12 effects 46:24 efficiency 25:17 48:13 56:1 efficient 25:16,18 43:12 49:3 82:5 effort 86:8 eggs 108:8 eight 99:6 128:8 either 10:8 45:14 65:17 67:16 88:2 88:14 125:21 127:19 130:4,15 131:14 133:16 elected 86:1 electric 59:12,15 59:17 60:19 89:1 112:3 115:21 116:21 electrical 10:19 29:4 45:1,25 48:25 50:8,13,15 59:21 71:21,22 electricity 46:13 46:14 48:21 49:13 56:15,17 57:1,6,9 57:16,23 58:8 59:19 60:3,18 61:10 65:5 68:7 68:16 92:16,17,18 111:21 112:18,19 112:25 electromagnetic 59:12,24 electronic 60:15 63:19 elizabeth 1:7 3:21 5:10 7:6,18 8:16 79:1,22,23,24 80:1 elm 2:13 13:16 elvin 1:9 5:13 7:22 8:19 em 1:9 5:13 7:21 8:19 emailed 130:20 131:7 emails 124:20 130:11,22,25 131:8,13 emf 59:11,24 60:5 60:11,13,24 61:2 emission 77:16 emissions 48:7 emotion 110:2 emphasis 110:1 emphasize 21:9 76:10,14 employees 127:19 empty 108:4 encapsulated 61:16 63:22 129:24 endanger 24:23 49:7 63:13 ends 73:25 energy 2:15 5:20 8:3 9:2,23 11:10 [dig - energy]Page 9 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 12:2 14:21,24 17:1,3 25:9,19 45:7,12 48:10,16 48:17 49:19 53:13 54:3,7,16 55:9 56:22,23 57:22 59:25 60:7 62:1 65:23 69:5 70:13 75:19 80:21 82:7 83:16 89:4,18 93:14 110:7,21 111:23 113:16,21 engineer 19:12,16 27:9 44:25 45:2 45:11,25 engineering 20:3 27:11 28:1 45:1 54:1 55:7 84:18 96:10 engineers 29:6,25 54:18 96:7,13 enhancement 35:6 enjoy 101:1 ensure 43:3 91:6 127:25 entered 112:6 entire 9:17 14:7,11 42:16 54:2 86:2 128:4 entitling 113:11 environment 44:10 76:19,22 77:15 environmental 18:22 19:4 27:6 29:19 43:14 84:18 epa 19:1 57:18 58:13 59:7 62:14 equal 72:21 82:12 equation 19:5 equipment 18:20 21:18 22:3 29:16 59:22 84:22 111:10 equivalent 82:9 equivocation 49:5 erosion 27:20 29:9 especially 56:12 73:7 76:12 78:22 88:2 91:12 esq 2:8,12,15 3:16 essays 23:3 essentially 17:17 37:1 62:13 establish 5:19 8:2 9:1 established 15:20 estate 34:21 35:7 estimate 20:2,3 38:25 39:9 51:17 et 90:20 evaluate 43:6 85:4 85:25 86:17 evaluating 87:1 89:17 event 88:17 events 133:16 evergreen 32:4,13 everybody 92:13 92:15 93:5,23,25 94:4,14 124:9 128:1 everyone's 129:4 evidence 13:22,24 14:9,12 17:20 18:1 74:1 113:9 125:8 evidentiary 96:18 ex 6:3 130:3 exact 17:23 34:23 exactly 112:15 117:12 119:17 125:5 examination 6:3 examine 74:6 examined 86:4 example 69:12 exceed 12:9 29:18 32:5 43:1 excess 93:15 excited 75:16 80:18 excuse 40:16 exercise 74:5,7 exhaustive 58:22 exhibit 3:2 14:13 existing 10:4 11:2 11:16 21:12 23:12 28:11,14 31:9,14 31:16 44:4 46:17 58:23 65:7 exists 10:14 13:4 expansion 44:4 expect 71:25 expectancy 64:15 expectations 63:5 67:18 expected 66:2 67:17 85:17 expecting 66:2 expensive 21:16 experience 21:15 45:24 60:13,14 79:13 84:19 experienced 79:6 expert 20:10 27:25 30:25 33:12 41:17 55:6 65:21 85:1 85:19 91:24 expertises 114:1 experts 14:1,2 59:3 96:21,23 104:12 109:2 126:3,4 explain 18:11,24 97:1,21 explained 25:23 explains 17:16 exposed 102:11,12 exposure 63:23 express 26:7 102:19 extensive 55:1 90:22 extent 29:3 extrapolated 88:3 eye 86:10 118:16 eyes 84:12 98:2 f face 76:15,15 facie 85:24 facilities 15:17 16:11 31:24 32:9 69:10 110:19 facility 15:12 17:4 22:7,12 25:5,6 30:6 38:2 43:25 46:2 48:23,24 63:13 68:25 69:3 75:21 76:1,16,17 76:23 77:16 80:7 80:11 82:10 106:18 fact 6:4 37:6 38:22 51:12 62:12 86:6 86:22 97:18 112:6 113:7 124:8 127:6 facts 85:6 89:23 91:2 126:5 faculty 41:9 [energy - faculty]Page 10 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners faicp 3:13 failure 112:22 fair 128:19 130:7 fairly 68:8 faith 20:3 39:9 fall 21:14 75:1 fallen 103:17 falls 12:16 35:6 familiar 40:7,9,12 90:10 112:3 families 82:17 family 9:10,14 47:16 75:25 76:10 77:13 78:8,12,17 78:18 79:19,25 80:1,12 82:25 95:9,13,16 fantastic 93:22 far 13:5 24:2 33:25 34:7 38:6 39:12 53:4 60:6 60:11 70:18 112:25 119:7 130:5,10 131:4 farm 5:20 8:3 9:9 12:7 16:24 17:17 21:7,12,16,21 22:4 22:4,6 34:4,6,15 35:4 37:13 38:12 38:23 39:5,16 40:1,2 42:10 45:8 45:8 46:3 47:11 47:16 51:4,20 60:8 67:10 74:25 78:8,17,18 80:4,17 84:5 91:22 95:16 95:17 112:2 116:19 130:16 farmer 47:4,9 70:1 71:1 105:6 farmers 15:16 82:14 95:14 107:12,14 farmland 47:1 81:24 82:6,18 83:7 84:3 86:12 90:20 107:4,5,6,8 121:11 farmlands 9:13 farms 16:4,15 20:11 33:19,21 34:9 35:11,16 36:12,14,16,23 38:8 39:25 45:21 47:5 50:20 51:16 52:2,9 54:7,11 55:8 67:24 83:10 83:10 86:8 95:16 105:5,8 108:1,7,10 108:11 114:2 116:24 farther 22:10 fascinating 82:4 father 74:23,23 75:2 77:17,25 80:5 95:5 favor 5:23 6:20 7:7 13:11,13 81:5 81:12 121:20 123:10 126:25 favorable 51:6 favorite 23:17 fayetteville 27:14 30:17 fcrr 133:22 feasible 89:9 91:13 feature 21:25 fed 89:11 federal 56:21 62:20 77:22 89:7 feed 65:23 feel 75:18 80:9 101:20 feeling 127:9 feet 10:5,6 12:8 21:22 23:4,21,24 24:3 35:17,22 36:4 43:1 97:11 98:10 116:13,14 116:21 117:1,9 fellow 41:12 83:15 fellowship 96:13 female 49:25 123:23 126:8 fence 29:10 60:13 116:7,20,21 117:1 117:22,24 fencing 15:10 99:12,12 115:14 115:14,18,20 116:4,13,16,17 117:7,15,17 fi 60:2 fiber 82:2 83:16 field 28:24 60:19 60:20 70:2 71:15 fields 28:15 59:12 59:24 60:21 69:1 fifteen 50:24 figured 48:1 figuring 100:8 final 28:22 45:15 57:17 110:10 finally 25:21 26:12 financing 18:10 find 10:16 21:2 34:15,20 37:9 63:18 87:16 88:20 finding 34:16 35:2 39:4,16 40:2 41:20 51:6 57:14 findings 6:4 51:12 85:5 86:22 finds 57:10 fine 7:1 129:1 finished 19:23 finite 82:22 fire 59:13,15 fired 84:23 firm 13:15 30:16 41:6 first 13:12 14:11 14:16 21:2 29:21 44:19 45:25 55:7 77:5 81:15 103:23 106:8 109:10 123:3 125:22 133:8 fiscally 97:16 five 14:6 25:22 52:11 95:10,15 99:19 116:21 130:22 131:22,24 fix 65:17 fixed 20:16 65:13 65:15 66:15 flame 75:12 flat 79:3 flip 68:11 fly 99:22 focus 85:7 folks 6:17 47:21 74:3 following 8:20 11:18 17:22,24 18:8 43:10 77:17 86:21 food 15:13 82:2 83:16 108:5 foot 10:7,8,13 11:2 11:15 22:16,17 29:1 31:17,20 [faicp - foot]Page 11 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 42:15,17 109:20 116:7 117:22,24 football 69:1 force 92:15 94:4 forced 92:23 93:2 110:6 111:21 forces 93:9 foregoing 133:10 133:10 forestland 83:3 forestry 9:21 75:11 forever 68:6 form 19:7 25:19 133:12 forsyth 133:2 forth 11:9 87:8 106:18 133:7 fortunate 95:12,13 101:14 forty 128:8 forum 126:6 forward 7:2 33:1 76:2 91:17 99:11 99:25 found 35:9 51:2,12 51:13 62:8 69:10 99:6 117:2 foundation 15:21 four 20:25 23:3 38:8,8 54:4 59:10 73:11 85:5 104:5 fourth 41:20 foushee 130:13 131:10 fox 2:12 13:15 frame 61:8 franklinton 81:16 frankly 86:16 free 76:3 82:21 90:2 93:21 frequencies 60:1 frequency 60:2,4 60:5,18 frequently 115:1 friction 34:24 friday 75:9 friendly 117:8 friends 96:6,11,24 frivolous 94:17 front 14:4,10 55:12 61:7 99:20 frontage 28:8 froze 70:16 fuel 48:22 full 90:4 127:18 fully 40:21 fun 104:23 further 36:5 37:6 57:3 85:25 133:15 future 9:18 43:8 75:4,19 76:3 78:8 80:2 84:14 89:22 100:12 103:13 g g 5:1 gallery 28:3 49:25 87:21 123:23 126:8 gas 57:12,25 66:6 84:23 112:9,10,14 112:14,17,18 gate 13:19 14:23 15:3,8 18:9,14 19:23 102:15 113:20,24 114:7 115:2 117:7 gathered 129:23 general 17:25 33:4 33:9 41:23 43:6 44:14 82:1 89:5 119:11 126:2 generally 29:21 49:2 111:15 130:5 generate 25:25 26:1 42:11 generating 68:15 71:12,18 generation 31:24 45:10 47:14 68:9 71:14 75:17 76:1 77:16 78:11 generations 80:2 100:12 generators 92:3 112:21 gentleman 108:12 109:24 127:20 gentlemen 90:19 130:19 131:9 gentry 2:4 4:19,21 5:22 12:25 13:6 49:11,18,24 50:6 51:15 52:1,7,12,16 52:22,25 53:6,15 63:24 64:2,6,9,11 64:23 65:10,19 66:9,19,20,23 67:3 68:10,20 69:17 72:23 73:22 113:14 114:3,8,11 114:14,24 115:5 118:12,15,22 119:16,23 120:2 122:2,11,17 123:2 123:5,8,14 126:17 126:23 127:4,17 128:6,20 129:1,5 129:13,24 130:20 130:24 131:8,21 geothermal 84:23 getting 25:15 99:13 126:11 give 46:6 74:20 103:2 127:22 given 18:19 45:23 67:4 88:4,8,21 89:13 gives 14:17 104:1 giving 76:19 glad 26:24 49:9 118:8 glass 61:7,7 63:1 83:11 109:12 go 8:13 14:15 15:11 19:13 20:24 23:8 24:19 30:3 34:17,18 37:15,20 48:2 53:3 58:18 61:23 62:22 72:19 73:10 83:8 84:11 89:24 93:9 96:5 99:24 100:25 108:8 109:8 113:1 119:13,19,19 121:16,19 122:19 124:1,2 126:12,15 127:7,14,14 128:13 129:14 goal 43:10,16 44:7 goals 43:8,10 44:8 44:10 god 97:25 goes 10:20 17:18 23:23 46:18 70:2 86:7 99:25 106:3 going 16:20 18:23 20:8,23 24:13 26:13,20 36:4 38:15 46:7 47:3 61:5 65:9 67:19 68:1,22,23 70:6 73:9 81:21,23 84:10 89:14 91:16 [foot - going]Page 12 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 92:15,21,23 93:2 93:10,11 94:4 95:20 96:16 98:2 98:21 101:2,12,23 102:3,5,16 104:19 105:8,15,20 106:2 106:4,6 107:9,20 108:1 110:8 112:9 113:1 115:15 117:11,18,21 118:24 121:13,23 124:1,6,8,21 127:7 127:8,14,22 128:16,24 131:15 131:21 good 8:10,11 20:3 27:8 30:13 33:2 39:9 41:3 44:20 47:15 53:19,20 70:12,13 72:5 74:14 75:9,24 77:4 81:17 83:25 87:23 91:10 92:1 98:7 100:16 102:25 105:18 107:10 127:11 gordon 2:3 gosh 50:23 government 41:10 56:21 77:22 governmental 25:20 58:24 governments 58:18 grad 96:12,12 grading 27:20 graduated 103:3 graduates 96:8,8,9 grams 61:15 grandchildren 78:7 101:9 grandfather 74:22 95:2,6 grandkids 78:11 grant 122:13 granted 40:16 granville 5:16 7:24 8:22 9:11 11:6 13:2 95:10 98:14 grass 28:17 grasses 15:19 gray 24:1 great 68:24 75:22 84:10 95:13 97:22 105:21 110:1 122:1 greater 5:19 8:3 9:2 10:1 37:15 green 10:13 11:2 41:5 44:23 86:20 86:20 89:4,18 greensboro 2:13 13:16 grew 45:8 78:13 78:14 grid 10:23 37:4 47:20 66:3,10 67:21 84:7 89:11 90:2 ground 21:7 46:8 46:9 62:5,7 groundwater 62:8 group 62:1 67:25 grove 83:24 102:24 growing 83:7 guarantee 102:4 guess 39:8,8 65:20 68:20 71:6 87:20 98:15 130:1 guidelines 19:2 32:22 guy 50:9 94:9 guys 51:13 95:24 h half 10:24 11:14 58:5,6 111:25 112:5 hall 4:8 6:16 98:1 98:5,7,9 99:1 100:5 hand 6:9 133:17 handcuff 93:10,11 93:25 handful 54:18 handle 15:4 68:18 104:19 handled 104:20,21 111:3 hanson 21:5 happen 69:7 70:6 88:12 95:21 101:13 103:15 106:15 happened 40:13 65:21 75:9 103:11 103:13,13 happening 70:24 happens 65:10,24 66:11 67:4 70:1 70:18 90:10 101:25 131:10 happy 30:4 37:15 50:11 hard 82:14 95:14 100:6,7 106:6 107:5 harm 26:23 84:10 101:11 harmed 99:14 117:22 harmonious 36:11 37:5,12 39:5,16 40:3 47:15 51:8 51:14 76:17 86:9 86:11,16,19 121:7 121:10 harmony 20:20 21:1 40:22 41:22 42:6 44:13 46:2 51:2,6 86:10 121:7 harvest 82:17 hate 97:14 98:14 99:24 100:11 hazard 61:13 hazardous 87:25 he'll 24:12 head 99:22 health 18:3 19:4,5 27:6 49:7 53:17 53:24 54:21 55:3 55:18,23 57:21 58:3,12,21 59:6,9 60:21 61:1 62:18 63:14 98:18 102:3 healthcare 98:22 102:8 healthy 102:4 hear 19:3 22:7,10 25:24 74:12 82:20 100:23,24 104:24 heard 22:11 42:10 43:1,15 70:23,25 82:8 89:13 101:6 104:22 105:10 106:17,23 116:8 126:24 hearing 1:2 5:3,7 7:16 13:21 17:14 44:22 96:18 102:23 120:8,11 [going - hearing]Page 13 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 121:17,20,24,25 122:6 123:10 124:19 125:9,19 125:22 126:4,14 126:18 129:9,21 131:25 hearings 38:23 39:2 hearsay 26:13 96:17 heartfelt 100:17 heidi 2:7 height 12:7,9 43:2 116:12 helena 94:20 hell 95:18 help 43:3 58:20 78:9 94:3 105:20 helpful 104:8 helps 112:7 hendriks 1:9 5:13 7:21 8:18 herbicide 47:6 111:12 hereinbefore 133:6,7 hereto 133:17 heron 41:5 hertz 60:5,11 61:2 hesitation 49:4 hi 33:2 79:23 high 34:18 60:2 96:2 112:17 116:7 116:21 higher 14:6 35:3 highest 35:19 78:21,25 highlighted 31:11 hills 53:22 history 88:24 96:4 hit 71:14 hitchings 3:13 6:13 40:23 41:1,4 41:17,20 hold 27:10 41:10 109:13 125:15 holdings 113:17 home 35:18,19,20 36:3 38:3 60:16 79:7 92:20 101:21 homes 25:9 34:14 34:22 35:14,15,23 36:7 honestly 101:17 honor 79:17 hope 44:23 80:1 horn 3:10,11 24:9 27:2,13 30:12,16 hornik 2:8 50:17 50:20 51:1,4,8 104:14 108:22 109:5 120:11,18 121:22 122:5,9,25 123:3,6,25 126:7 126:10,20 127:13 128:9,13,23 129:17,25 130:12 130:18,22 131:16 131:18 hornton 130:14,14 horse 92:1 hour 58:6 68:2 89:14 111:25 112:5 128:8 hours 84:5 house 79:12 household 63:19 housing 37:3 huge 68:25 88:14 hugs 11:6 huh 13:7 human 38:24 60:21 115:23 humanity 82:1 hundredth 52:23 hunt 117:12 hunted 75:1 hunters 76:13 hunting 75:6 hurdle 84:16 102:24 103:17 hurst 14:22 hurt 47:1,3 husband 81:10 hvac 69:3 hyco 90:3 i idea 94:1 identical 34:22 identified 38:9 identifies 9:18 ii 77:18,21 illegal 62:6 illinois 68:23 78:16 illustrate 23:4 illustrating 21:1 illustration 23:17 illustrations 31:5 illustrative 23:13 image 31:19 32:3 imagine 62:19 immediately 72:1 impact 20:10 33:10,17 34:1,7,16 34:17 35:25 36:9 37:7,9,13 60:7,20 61:1 77:15 78:23 79:5 80:15 85:16 89:1 97:22 105:1 116:15 121:4 128:18 130:16 131:4 impacts 29:4 33:19 54:21,22 55:23 59:9 62:12 84:12,14 89:21 impair 42:2 impervious 19:9 19:10 28:18 implementation 43:17 importance 107:1 important 16:8 78:17 86:23 89:16 89:20 106:9 107:18,24 impress 125:1 include 9:3 31:5 31:11,16 32:4 included 34:10 includes 27:20 43:10 including 29:24 36:7 103:7 income 80:13 increase 16:8,16 26:19 56:20 60:24 increased 78:22 increasing 56:19 independent 44:24 index 3:1 indiana 68:23 indicate 46:23 indicated 11:24 indicates 10:13 individual 106:3 individually 127:8 128:14,21 129:4 129:12 individuals 129:7 131:3 [hearing - individuals]Page 14 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners industrial 44:4 industries 44:5 industry 54:18 84:20 inefficient 64:18 inexpensive 24:15 infantry 77:20 infinite 82:21 info 87:16 informal 131:20 information 15:2 19:6 25:1 26:6 56:22 58:17 59:1 74:20 85:4,12,24 89:16 109:2 123:19 124:18 125:20,23 129:22 infrastructure 21:13 22:2 37:3 43:20 90:22 inherited 74:22 initial 48:22 114:4 initially 55:2 114:6 injure 20:5 24:23 85:9 injured 117:4 inside 15:17 61:18 69:22 86:13 insignificant 61:22 inspection 45:15 inspections 45:14 54:6 installation 84:4 installed 49:6 64:19 65:3 92:2,2 instance 125:22 institute 33:6 41:12 institution 20:15 institutions 103:6 insurance 65:18 insured 65:16 intact 47:13 intent 29:2 interconnection 45:7 interconnectivity 10:22 interest 91:16 interested 105:14 133:16 interesting 69:10 89:23 intermittency 68:19 internal 28:23 29:15 international 62:1 62:14 interpretation 86:19 interstate 69:1 introduce 13:19 14:11 16:21 20:8 27:2 inverter 22:8,12 28:19 46:14,15 67:1 inverters 22:8 60:9 investigating 59:11 investment 32:16 43:20 44:3 48:22 114:4,4 involved 75:14 84:25 103:7 114:13 iowa 78:15 irrelevant 87:12 isham 5:18 8:1,24 issue 40:8,10,21 47:18 48:4 51:6 53:17 68:18 85:12 115:24 125:17 issues 25:4 56:2 104:2 item 5:2,5 26:12 43:5 85:8 86:7 122:3,12 123:6 items 56:6 85:7 j j 2:4 jeffry 1:8 5:13 7:21 8:18 jen 6:12 27:1,8 jennifer 3:10 27:1 27:7 jeopardize 124:11 125:11 jersey 103:11,14 103:22 107:7 110:13 job 87:12 jobs 87:5,8,10,11 87:13,24 john 1:7 3:20 5:11 6:23 7:5,19 8:16 77:1,2,4 78:1 109:2 125:15 jones 4:9 6:16 100:14,16 joy 100:25 jr 1:8 2:8,12 3:12 5:12 7:20 8:17 74:25 76:8 judge 106:4 125:6 judicial 6:1 17:16 124:12,16 125:3 july 1:14 133:18 jumble 91:8 jump 99:16 116:20 117:17 jurisdiction 76:6 119:10 jurisdictions 39:4 jury 125:6 k keep 14:5 47:13 83:18,19 86:24 89:20 97:16 98:20 99:12 103:19 107:9,16,18 117:18 keeping 70:18 127:17 keeps 68:11 key 85:5,13 100:8 kill 72:18,20 kilowatt 58:6 89:11,14 111:25 112:5 kimley 3:10,11 24:9 27:2,13 30:12,16 kind 48:22 55:22 60:10 71:17 89:14 99:10 102:15,16 106:21 116:5 125:1,14 126:10 129:20 kinds 57:21 89:18 kirkland 3:12 6:13 20:7 32:25 33:2,3 33:12,15 37:19,25 38:21 39:7,10,18 39:22 40:4,9,14,20 kitchen 97:14 knew 54:24 [industrial - knew]Page 15 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners knocking 106:25 knocks 100:6 know 12:18 14:9 17:13 18:9,17 22:25 24:6 39:13 40:5 47:4 49:15 49:17,21 52:16,21 53:6 58:7 64:2 69:7,11,12 72:1 74:1 78:13 79:9 79:12 80:6 89:15 89:17 92:11,19 93:3,7,17,20 98:16 98:17,20 99:2,5,7 99:14,17 100:11 101:16,22 102:8 105:5 106:1 107:14,23 108:1,2 111:10 112:4,9 113:1 114:16 116:6 117:12,14 117:23 118:1 122:22 123:16 127:9,10 knowledge 46:1 133:14 known 8:23 115:3 knows 112:13 kuhn 3:11 6:12 30:1,11,13,14,25 31:1,3 kyle 2:3 l ladies 90:18 108:12 lake 12:16 95:7 lakes 68:24 land 9:18 12:17 26:17 28:14,20 33:8,13 41:17 42:1,21 43:8,9,12 43:13 47:2,3,13 48:15 74:21,22 75:4,17 76:2,13,20 76:21 77:25 82:2 82:12,15,16,22,24 83:18,20 86:9 90:9,12 91:4 94:6 95:9,22 100:11,18 100:19 101:24,25 103:5,5,7,8 118:21 landfill 62:6,23 landowner 77:1 78:1 79:1 80:1 landowners 3:18 6:22 74:2,12,17 76:11,17,20 77:23 95:12 landscape 22:20 24:11 30:14,18,20 30:22,25 31:4,12 31:13 32:16 43:24 43:25 109:16 lane 98:6 100:15 language 17:23 large 16:24 17:5 25:13 52:10 61:25 67:24 82:9 83:10 83:17 91:1 105:13 105:13 106:14 110:22 largely 56:8 58:24 66:6 larger 17:7 18:5 38:5,7 116:15 118:1 largest 14:24 51:18 56:17 late 6:25 24:4 laurel 53:22 law 13:15 17:15 92:12 93:15,18 110:3 125:5 laws 113:10 lawyers 94:22 lay 42:21 laydown 29:15 layers 61:8,16 lead 55:17,20 61:13,13,14,18,19 61:22 62:17 63:18 72:7,11,13,17,21 72:21 73:2 83:12 126:11 leading 20:10 leaf 32:10 100:3 learned 75:13 100:7 125:25 lease 45:10 leave 76:15 101:15 leaves 24:3 leaving 78:6 lecture 125:14 led 95:24 lee 95:11 left 11:22 24:2 32:2 110:24 legacy 17:11 legislation 17:2 lengthy 24:8 lesson 74:24 lester 3:10 6:12 27:1,8,9,25 28:6 30:9 letter 25:22 56:1,6 56:8,13 57:17 letters 26:18 letting 102:19 level 5:19 8:2 9:1 9:23,23 10:1 14:6 levelized 48:20 liability 88:14 licensed 18:25 20:7 27:9 30:15 45:3 47:24 licensing's 48:2 life 58:3,9,10 60:15 62:11,22 63:8 64:15 77:14 limit 12:8 119:23 120:20 limited 9:21 29:13 118:17,18,25 119:2,3,12,14 linda 1:7 5:11 7:19 8:17 77:10 78:1 line 9:11 10:19 11:6 19:22 28:11 46:17 53:3 91:9 122:15 lines 22:17 liquid 69:21,23 lisa 4:8 6:16 98:1,5 98:7,9 99:1 100:5 list 37:17 48:18 81:10,15 85:8 listed 12:3 37:19 59:21 listen 105:22,25 listening 102:18 literally 99:22 little 17:15 20:25 26:8 30:22 34:18 34:18,24 59:16 78:2,8 89:24 94:9 98:25 100:19 118:2 121:23 live 25:11 44:22 45:8 84:16 116:18 lives 80:16 97:11 llc 1:6,9 5:9,13 7:17,21 8:15 13:18 76:5 115:3 [knocking - llc]Page 16 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners llp 2:12 load 68:6,7 lobby 124:7 lobbying 124:9 local 15:19 58:18 93:17 131:3 located 5:17 7:25 8:22,24 11:21 12:15 27:14 28:7 28:10 30:16 36:24 79:1,2 location 10:10 36:11 37:5,12 71:20 lock 94:10 long 14:25 23:20 42:2 46:24 47:25 48:4 64:24 69:2 70:5,9,18 71:1,4 78:4 81:25 87:4 101:12,23 112:7 longer 46:22 82:19 83:1 114:12 look 15:5 16:4 19:21 23:16,25 33:8,15,16 34:1,3 34:21 36:19,21 38:12 61:4 72:3 83:11 94:8 98:24 102:10 104:1,5,9 105:16 106:4,12 108:14 looked 33:20 35:10,10,19,20 36:14,17 37:25 58:1 59:9 looking 16:13 33:18,25 34:9 35:14 36:13 42:7 43:7 97:14 107:1 115:12,14 looks 57:2 59:8 99:15 lori 2:9 106:11 lose 101:20 107:5 107:25 108:1,10 losing 16:10 107:7 107:11 loss 82:2 lost 70:16 lot 10:25 14:17 18:24 19:6 21:13 21:17 54:19,24 59:25 61:3 71:14 71:19 72:19 82:13 83:3 90:20 91:17 94:16 95:4 99:17 102:13 105:8 106:25 119:7,20 120:18 124:7 lots 38:13 56:23 65:4 105:5 loud 22:9 love 70:14 92:12 94:3 103:17,19,20 loved 80:5 low 9:20 10:23 19:9 21:7 29:10 34:18 43:18 60:3 60:4 lower 10:23 lowest 56:25 lucky 94:25 lying 29:10 lynch 4:5,10,24 6:14,14,15 81:5,7 83:23,25 84:16 87:23 102:23,25 104:17 109:1,10 109:18 120:9,14 120:22,24,25 121:2 m ma'am 114:6 madam 74:10 magnetic 60:20 magnitude 94:8 mai 3:12 33:6 main 98:22 maintain 47:5 64:22 78:10 88:19 maintained 12:14 21:22 maintaining 42:22 maintains 43:24 maintenance 19:18 65:17 87:7 87:9 88:10,18,25 major 96:2 majority 31:8 40:4 59:8 77:18 110:17 making 69:13 81:21 92:17 malcolm 3:20 5:11 7:20 8:17 74:24 75:2 76:8 malcom 1:8 male 28:3 mama 97:16 mammals 116:3 managed 78:15 manager 2:7 15:1 27:13 mandatory 110:23 mangum 1:7,8,9 5:11,11,13 6:23 7:5,19,20,22 8:17 8:17,19 75:2 76:8 77:1,2,4 78:1 79:23,24 80:5 manner 76:24 manufactured 87:19 manufacturer's 87:15,16 manufacturing 68:25 69:2,8 87:24 manure 92:1 104:24 map 1:9 5:14 7:22 8:20,23 9:5,15,18 31:10 43:9 maps 10:11 123:18 march 24:4 mark 23:21 market 17:1 63:7 marketplace 20:19 mary 1:8 3:19 5:12 7:5,20 8:17 74:12,14 76:7 mass 107:11,19,25 master's 30:19 41:11 53:25 match 46:16 matched 34:2,12 34:12 35:12,16 38:3 material 17:19 113:8 materially 24:22 49:7 63:13 materials 29:16 math 90:5 mating 15:14 matter 19:4 27:6 85:20 124:8 126:3 131:17 matthew 1:8 5:12 7:21 8:18 mature 56:9 [llp - mature]Page 17 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners maximum 116:12 mayo 82:10 90:3 meadow 28:17 mean 26:4 39:10 51:20 65:13,19 66:12,22 70:12 71:10 86:25 94:8 101:19 110:2 meandering 83:1 meaning 35:3 87:4 meaningful 35:5 means 35:6 57:24 65:1 82:5 86:19 119:17 128:11 133:12 measure 34:6 measures 29:9 mechanic 111:11 mechanical 54:1 55:7 105:3 111:4 mechanically 104:21 111:7 mechanics 46:1 meet 19:15 29:17 30:6 31:17 32:5 32:21 62:14 85:6 meeting 26:3,11 122:19 124:4 127:16,24,25 128:4,9,10 meets 11:8 27:4 115:17,20 megawatt 12:7 16:25 38:1,10 51:21,21 58:11 62:4 82:7 106:18 megawatts 12:11 38:7 84:6 90:1,4 106:16 110:18 member 41:10 45:19 50:22 51:5 103:10 123:15 members 8:7 41:3 44:21 74:15 77:5 82:17 122:23 124:1,4 126:3 127:10 130:3 mentioned 78:25 99:2 mercury 97:9 merit 86:17 merits 86:18 met 13:24 118:23 metal 61:10 83:11 109:11 metering 71:22 microphone 28:4 mid 27:18 middle 77:21 midwest 68:22 miles 82:12 90:9 million 24:13 32:16 35:15,20 36:7 58:11 millions 89:7 mills 84:17 102:24 103:17 mind 7:12 65:20 76:20 86:24 89:21 97:16 105:24 127:18 mine 103:2 minimal 79:10 minimalist 88:22 minor 91:25 minus 34:19 minute 131:22,24 minutes 14:6 55:14 120:21 127:15,15 mischaracterized 120:16 misunderstood 67:7 116:10 mixed 84:3 mixture 32:4,7,13 moist 61:17 mom 78:1 95:7,18 mom's 78:14 moment 20:9 money 20:18 101:21 102:13,15 102:16 monitoring 71:22 72:1 monocrystalline 46:11 month 45:17 112:12 moore 1:8 5:12 7:21 8:18 95:11 95:20 moriah 94:21 95:8 morning 8:10,11 27:8 30:13 33:2 41:3,15 43:15 44:20 53:19,20 74:14,17 77:4 81:17 83:25 98:7 98:8 99:19,22 100:16,22 101:7 101:22 102:25 mother 95:5 97:11 98:12 motion 5:21 113:13 120:7 121:16,19 122:15 123:3,12 126:13 126:18,24 127:2,5 motions 123:1 move 24:7 25:8,13 56:6 58:14 76:2 78:16,18 97:18 121:18 127:23 129:7 moved 5:22 110:25 movie 93:8 moving 43:5 48:10 mow 111:8 mt 80:3 multiple 45:13 67:23 70:11 71:6 multiply 58:9 n n 2:13 5:1 94:10 n.c.30:20 54:1,13 56:7 58:15 name 7:3 27:8 30:13 33:2 41:4 44:22 53:21 79:23 84:16 97:9 109:24 114:16,17,23,25 named 133:6 names 6:7 7:6 54:16 130:11 nash 45:17,19 50:17,21 52:10 106:24 110:15,16 nation 36:25 national 59:20 115:21 natural 44:9 57:12 57:25 59:3 66:6 112:10,14,16,18 naturally 35:10 nature 98:16 navigate 79:8 nc 2:13 ncdeq 29:24 ncdot 29:24 near 84:14 nearby 34:14 [maximum - nearby]Page 18 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners necessarily 91:15 necessary 12:1 necessity 24:25 25:2 47:19 55:25 need 11:21 23:21 29:23 84:11 91:6 91:11 93:21,21 104:5,9 105:12,12 106:23 107:12,18 108:8,9 120:4 125:21 127:4,11 127:22,23 130:11 needed 75:13 98:20 needs 83:16 120:2 negative 59:9 61:1 80:15 85:16 negligeable 52:24 neighbor 26:1 131:11 neighborhood 26:3,11 111:15,24 neighboring 42:9 neighbors 22:14 26:23 42:3 80:15 neither 131:3 133:15 nervous 100:2 net 48:9 90:6 neuse 12:15 79:3 never 22:11 23:17 25:5 51:3 61:17 70:25 121:3,14 new 17:14 25:5 44:5 46:19 65:6 80:22 103:11,14 103:22 107:7 110:13 120:4 125:20 127:5 nice 84:6 90:7,14 105:19 108:6 nicholas 3:11 nick 6:12 30:1,11 30:13 31:1 32:24 night 67:20 90:16 nighttime 67:16 noise 22:11 nomenclature 114:21 non 68:19 nonprofit 16:3 54:5 normal 35:7 normally 47:7 48:1 norman 4:4 6:15 81:1,15,17,18 82:1 north 1:16 9:6 10:12 13:16 14:25 16:4 20:16 27:10 27:15,17 28:10 29:18 30:15,17 33:5,23 34:8 36:24 38:24 39:11 39:14 41:9,14 44:23 45:3,4 47:17 54:3,7,11,16 54:19 55:16 56:14 57:19 58:19 73:12 75:23 80:21 81:16 133:1 notary 133:23 note 76:9 97:6 105:7 notebook 3:3 14:4 14:11 notebooks 55:12 noted 31:2 33:14 41:19 46:4 55:10 notes 98:25 notice 128:5 noticed 68:24 69:2 notification 128:7 nuclear 25:4,5 47:23 84:23 number 5:3 7:11 8:13 36:17,18,19 38:15 39:12 43:11 46:2 50:24 56:18 69:13 85:8 86:7 90:9 122:4,12 133:23 numbers 1:9 5:14 7:22 8:20 25:18 56:24 nurture 82:16 o o 5:1 o&m 48:22 oak 14:22 oakhurst 2:15 14:20 oakley 2:9 8:6,7 118:20 119:4,18 120:4 oath 7:9,11 object 96:16 126:2 126:5 objection 97:7 objective 44:2 observed 128:17 obtain 12:1 85:19 90:6 obtaining 89:6 obviously 67:19 67:20 occur 29:5 65:14 occurring 71:17 odor 101:3 odors 42:11 offered 7:15 offering 6:11 official 41:13 73:25 oh 50:23 ohio 30:19 68:23 okay 10:11,18 28:2 30:10 39:20 39:24 40:17 50:6 50:12 52:7,12,16 52:22,25 64:9 65:19 66:19 67:6 67:8 69:25 72:4 72:19 74:9 81:4 89:15 94:12 104:17 114:3,11 114:24 118:5 120:24 121:15 123:2 once 20:17 64:19 65:3 77:22 98:1 106:1 107:4,7 121:3,4,14 ones 15:3,4 29:24 51:23 open 5:6 37:1 75:12 84:12 90:20 121:11 opened 75:10 93:8 opening 3:8 openings 115:21 operate 48:23 76:5 operation 55:8 88:24 127:21 operator 15:1 67:21 88:18 112:1 opinion 30:6 31:21 32:7 36:8 37:11 43:16 44:12 49:5 63:12 85:20 86:16 101:6 131:1 [necessarily - opinion]Page 19 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners opportunity 26:10 77:7 oppose 83:20 opposed 123:12 127:2 opposition 4:1,22 6:21 13:12 25:7 26:7 74:4 81:1,14 82:1 98:1 99:1 option 128:21,23 orally 130:4 order 17:3,8 120:9 120:12 127:11 orderly 43:11 ordinance 11:10 12:4,5 91:10 104:2 105:19 108:13 109:14 113:10 118:15 120:5 124:13 ordinances 91:6 ordinarily 120:12 organic 105:8 organized 55:14 originally 54:14 ounce 72:17,17,20 outdated 64:17 outlined 16:19 output 90:4,7,13 outside 22:7,12 60:12,24 62:10 69:3 87:11 overall 11:5 52:17 overhead 28:11 60:9 overlapping 52:6 73:18 119:15,25 overruns 88:6 overturned 40:16 overview 14:17 46:6 owned 13:18 74:22 114:20 owner 14:25 22:15 79:21 92:3 114:10 owners 1:6 5:10 7:18 8:15 12:20 25:23 26:15 42:1 43:22 78:20 85:13 92:5 104:8 127:19 ownership 9:4 14:20 78:10 owns 95:9 p p 5:1 p.e.3:10,14,15,17 4:16 p.m.131:24,25 paces 23:20 packets 31:6 pad 28:19 pads 28:19 111:10 page 3:2,7 4:3 21:11,17 22:1 23:2,16,25 25:22 pages 20:23,24,25 21:23 23:11 37:20 paid 85:20 pair 34:2 paired 34:2 pairs 34:12,13 35:12,16 38:3 palace 93:9 palmer 2:4 69:18 69:21,25 70:5,9,23 71:3,8 72:4 73:3 73:16 121:18 130:21 131:2 pamlico 12:15 panel 18:11,12 35:18,24 59:17 61:5,11,15,23 63:5 64:3 67:1 68:25 84:5 87:9,15 96:14 116:13 panels 12:8,12 15:23 17:8 18:9 18:14 31:23 37:2 42:25 45:9 46:7 46:11 60:17 61:6 61:14,20,21 62:2 62:17,23,24 63:1,7 64:5,14,15,17,20 65:2 69:14,14,22 69:24 70:3 71:2 72:22 73:10 87:18 90:6,12 97:10,15 98:17 109:17 111:3 paper 55:17,20 56:7 58:15,15,16 58:17 59:8 parameter 118:19 parcel 1:9 5:14 7:22 11:21 12:25 13:1,3 90:8 parcels 9:19,24,25 10:24 36:18,20 106:14 parent 38:14 parents 78:13 part 10:13 13:4 19:4 22:20 30:21 36:13 66:9,10 68:12 77:19 78:4 99:1,3,8 103:4 110:24 111:1 117:5 123:13 parte 6:3 130:4 participate 93:2,5 93:6 participation 94:15 particular 42:13 59:16,22 99:3 114:22 125:2 particularly 63:1 81:7 partnered 113:19 partners 75:20 114:4,5 partnership 15:21 parts 41:21 60:8 62:25 64:3 66:3 party 133:16 pass 81:3 passed 95:9 109:14 pasture 9:13 pastureland 9:7 pasturelands 9:9 patricia 2:4 pattern 43:12 70:20 117:16,18 paul 4:5,24 6:14 6:15 83:23,25 84:16 87:23 120:9 120:14,22,25 121:2 pay 16:14 19:23 76:20 89:10 102:14,15 paying 26:15 76:11 78:2 80:8 102:13 111:22 112:1,4 peace 76:20 125:15 peak 84:5 peer 59:2 people 6:6 20:18 20:21 24:17 26:8 59:18 62:10 71:25 72:19 73:8 76:12 [opportunity - people]Page 20 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 79:11 89:17 93:19 93:21 95:4 101:14 102:17 103:23 106:25 109:6 116:23 131:1 percent 19:8,9 28:17 34:19 35:2 39:21 47:6,8 48:7 52:20,24 56:14 61:6,14 63:4 87:17 111:16 percentage 40:5 52:17 perform 66:2 performance 32:22 88:9 perimeter 11:14 31:9 32:14,17 42:16 periodic 88:4 permanent 87:8 permeable 115:14 115:19 permission 76:14 permit 5:18 8:2,12 10:3 11:13,20 40:16 81:22 94:7 94:11 103:24,25 113:11 119:9,22 permits 12:2 29:24 39:2 permitted 29:5 119:8 permitting 74:19 person 1:1 12:3 13:4 16:9,12 21:6 26:15,18 28:8 29:7,19,25 30:8 32:5 49:8 56:2,4 70:6 74:21 75:22 78:4,14 79:2,19 80:8,13,22 81:20 82:11 84:10,14 89:22 90:11,19 91:7,16 95:1,3,10 97:22,25 98:13 99:15 102:14 103:18 104:7 106:13 123:21 133:6 personal 26:6 93:3 129:5 pesticides 47:9,10 petition 1:5 3:6,9 4:2,13,15,23 5:8 7:16 81:1 82:1 98:1 99:1 phelps 1:7 5:11 7:19 8:16 photograph 24:1,2 24:7 photographs 22:4 22:13,22,25 photos 21:1 23:4 23:14 24:8 photosynthesis 49:3 photovoltaic 45:10 46:7 48:24 84:25 photovoltaics 49:2 pick 97:17 101:15 piece 46:20 78:8 95:22 pieces 70:21 piedmont 110:25 pike 105:16 piled 62:5 piles 28:19 46:8,10 pin 5:16 7:24 pine 13:19 14:23 15:2,8 18:9,14 19:23 102:15 113:16,20,21,24 114:7,12 115:2,6 117:7 pines 23:9 75:3,8 pipeline 17:11 110:22 place 6:8 12:10 23:5 42:12 44:1 49:16 63:6 72:16 126:13 133:7 placed 11:19 places 24:18 25:10 25:11,15 70:11 71:6 93:10 plan 10:4,7,9,22 10:25 11:8,22,25 12:13 16:20 19:18 19:19 27:3 29:14 32:2 41:23 43:7,8 43:9 44:2,11,15 88:10 91:11 92:25 planner 2:9 8:9 41:7 110:12 planners 41:13 planning 2:9 11:18 12:4,10 41:5,6,8,11,18 45:18,20 50:18,21 51:10 91:5 92:18 103:9 106:10,11 118:13 plans 56:18 118:21 plant 15:18,24 19:22 24:14 32:10 57:12 69:4,6 71:13,14 75:3 planted 10:6,15 11:3 32:18 75:4,8 plants 16:10 25:3 32:12,21 48:6 70:15 84:22 90:3 90:13,22 106:19 plastic 61:9,16 63:22 play 64:24 please 7:2,2,4 28:4 28:4 83:20 97:3 pleases 81:13 pleasure 41:14 129:2 plus 34:19 35:2,2 37:23 52:4 84:4 86:12 88:3 117:1 poi 10:21 28:10 point 10:21 16:22 33:22 35:17,23 57:17 71:11 82:23 93:9 96:3 103:23 109:8 120:9 129:18 points 56:5,13 71:25 100:9 120:12 political 96:3 pollinator 15:18 15:19 pollution 58:4,5 ponies 92:12 94:3 109:25 pony 92:14 poor 67:16 portion 45:6 75:3 portions 61:18 positive 77:14 78:12 possibility 75:16 possible 29:3 59:8 62:25 63:3 70:7 possibly 74:5 75:12 90:25 [people - possibly]Page 21 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners posts 111:9,13 potential 54:21 55:23 93:13 potentially 106:20 powell 2:3 5:2,6 5:23,25 7:10 8:5 8:11 13:8 28:2 31:2 33:14 38:19 40:18 41:3,19 44:16,21 46:4 50:2,15 53:20 55:10 63:17 73:23 74:9,15 77:1,5 79:20 80:24 83:22 91:20 94:19 97:2 97:6 98:4,8 100:4 100:13 102:21 108:17 113:12 115:10 118:10,14 120:6,24 121:1,15 121:19 122:3,8,12 123:9,12 126:22 126:24 127:2 129:11,14 130:10 130:13 131:17,19 131:23 power 10:19 12:6 12:11,12 46:17 47:23 53:4,12,14 70:14,16,17 71:13 71:13,24 75:17 76:1 84:7,20,22 89:9,11 90:4,13,16 93:15 106:19,21 106:22 110:4,6,6,7 ppa 89:12 predict 67:25 68:7 predictions 68:4 predicts 67:22 preference 127:13 preliminary 27:18 89:12 prerogative 85:19 present 2:6,14 13:23 17:19 85:14 126:5 presentation 12:22 73:25 104:14 113:6 presentations 3:5 4:1 presented 3:3 14:13 56:25 85:11 122:20,21 124:18 125:8 presenters 2:9 presenting 8:9 63:11 preserve 82:15 preserved 99:24 pressed 46:9 pretty 17:4 60:2 92:1 104:18 105:18 prevent 21:8 preventing 21:20 previous 77:23 82:8 price 34:23 35:1,3 35:19 112:9,13,16 112:24,25 prices 18:18 34:7 34:25 prima 85:24 primarily 28:8,15 28:16 57:25 prime 81:24 principal 41:5 pristine 21:12 95:22 private 54:5 probably 21:4 38:22 39:23 47:25 50:24 51:18,19,23 52:14,19 64:10 93:18 99:16 100:2 107:21 112:4 129:3 problem 65:12,14 66:5,7,18 68:16 121:14 problematic 75:7 problems 65:13,16 66:6,7 procedurally 125:13 procedures 125:12 proceed 76:22 81:13 97:3 proceeding 125:3 125:4 proceedings 17:16 process 19:25 29:22 30:3 48:3 50:2 79:11 88:10 105:11 124:12,16 125:9 129:25 proclaims 110:1 produce 57:1,6,7,8 57:9,16,23 60:10 60:17 67:19 68:2 82:6,16 90:3 101:3 106:21 produced 66:1 producers 112:17 produces 56:23 68:15 producing 56:16 65:4 68:1 69:8 71:24 72:2 product 69:9,9 93:23 producting 67:25 production 48:17 48:21,25 71:19 81:23 82:4,10,12 82:19 83:19 profession 102:7 professional 27:9 30:14 31:22 36:8 37:11 44:12 45:2 49:5 63:12 66:13 91:4 133:4 profitable 64:25 program 15:18 54:14 programs 102:10 project 12:2 14:17 27:13 31:5,8 33:16 36:3,9 38:3 38:4 41:21 42:6 42:15 43:3,6,16 44:6,13 47:19 49:6,12 55:22,24 58:3,10,10 59:18 59:20 60:24 61:5 62:4 74:18,19 77:8,9,11,14 78:9 78:23 79:18 80:14 80:20 81:6,12,22 83:21 84:9,13 85:8 86:17 87:1,5 88:12,14,24 89:4,8 90:1 91:1,14 92:15 93:12,13 94:8,15 98:10,11 98:13 99:4,9 114:5,10,19 121:4 projected 89:15 projects 38:1,6,10 45:12 65:16 82:8 [posts - projects]Page 22 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 84:24,25 86:25 89:4,19,21 90:23 110:20,23 113:20 113:22,23 promise 18:15 promoting 43:11 44:3 69:9 pronouncing 114:15 proper 59:21 62:22 properly 67:14 properties 9:6,8 10:12 33:7,9 34:5 42:9 property 1:6 5:9 7:18 8:15 9:5 12:14 20:6,11 22:15 24:24 26:14 33:16,18,19 34:1,3 34:17 36:1,2,6,10 36:20 37:7,10,13 42:1,4,13 43:22,23 46:18 75:15,25 77:17,19 78:2,3,5 78:20 79:1,15,17 79:21,24 80:6,10 85:10,13 93:3 98:9,11,12,24 99:5 104:8 106:2 121:7 126:16 property's 78:21 proponents 75:18 83:5,13 proposal 84:2 117:10 propose 122:18 proposed 10:5 11:8 28:16 31:12 31:13,20 32:1,3 33:17 36:9 41:21 42:5 44:13 49:6 55:24 63:12 72:12 77:7 98:10 protect 76:21 103:18,21 105:20 protected 88:16 protection 19:3 27:5 protections 27:22 proud 80:6 prove 101:8,10,12 102:9 proven 56:10 provide 40:24 75:21 76:17 77:12 80:12 87:5 provided 14:18 85:4 115:13 provides 43:21 82:2 providing 87:11 proving 106:7 public 1:2 5:3,7 7:15 13:8 19:5 20:12 22:18 24:25 25:1,6 43:20 47:18 53:23 57:20 58:3,11,17,21 59:23 62:18 63:13 102:23 120:8,13 121:17,20,24,25 122:5 124:4,19,23 125:19,21 126:14 126:18 128:5 129:21 publications 58:23 published 58:16 59:4 pull 34:11 37:4 pulled 35:1,12 purchase 49:11,13 53:4,12 92:16 94:5 purchased 49:20 77:17,25 78:5 93:16 purchases 18:14 purchasing 92:20 pursue 78:21 puryear 2:3 37:17 37:22 38:18 118:11 120:17 126:21 128:3,8,10 129:3 130:25 put 15:10 17:15 19:11,17 21:11 25:14,21 37:2,4 46:10 47:1 73:8 73:11 84:6 90:1 91:6 95:23 101:16 105:5,18 106:18 109:23 117:1,15 puts 48:16 putting 89:6 98:16 121:8 q qualifications 103:1 quality 29:19 62:15 quantified 36:15 quarry 21:5 quasi 6:1 17:16 124:12,16 125:3 question 18:22 38:20 39:1 49:22 49:23 50:1,9 53:3 53:11 63:16 64:11 64:12 67:9,15 69:19 72:6,15 73:17 87:3 89:2 104:11,12,18 108:24 111:19 115:9 116:1 118:6 118:12 121:12 questioned 121:6 questions 4:18 12:23 26:25 30:4 37:16 38:19 40:18 44:16 49:9 50:5 50:14,16 53:1 54:20,25 55:2 58:20 68:21 73:23 104:15 113:3,15 118:10 120:6 121:16 133:10 quick 19:25 quickly 13:20 14:16 16:19 24:20 74:20 89:25 quiet 42:10 quite 13:10 115:1 r r 5:1 7:5 racks 46:11 rain 90:5 raise 6:9 97:13 125:18 raised 97:12 raleigh 27:14 30:17 53:23 81:1 ran 99:20 range 34:19 35:14 36:1,6 38:10 ranging 27:18 rapidly 64:13,16 rate 111:15 rates 47:7 111:20 111:22 ratio 57:5 rationed 70:17 [projects - rationed]Page 23 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners ray 130:13 131:10 rc 9:16 11:11 119:1,5,19 reached 26:7 read 7:11 82:20 101:7 116:2 reading 118:24 ready 102:14,15 121:25 real 34:20 35:7 realize 26:13 realized 47:21 really 18:10 26:4 34:20 56:10 59:15 60:3 97:24 100:1 101:20 104:6,7,25 105:7 106:9,9 107:14 108:2,6,15 112:10 reason 65:7 88:13 114:22 116:2 reasonable 26:16 26:21 65:15 67:22 86:3,5 87:3 88:1 91:13 reasons 108:14 reaves 2:7 5:5 6:5 6:20 7:1,8 13:10 40:24 74:11 77:2 79:21 80:25 81:4 81:8 83:23 91:21 94:20 98:5 100:14 102:22 108:19 rebut 109:6 120:14 rebuttal 4:12 74:7 108:21,23 113:5 120:15,19 121:3 126:1 129:20 recall 108:23 recap 28:6 receive 124:20,20 received 44:25 recess 131:22,24 recommend 11:18 77:11 recommended 51:10 reconvene 128:15 129:9 record 45:11 53:11 66:21 96:17 124:22 126:6 recorded 133:11 records 19:17 recruitment 44:5 recyclable 19:25 recycle 62:25 63:4 recycled 62:24,25 reduced 14:3 48:8 58:4 133:12 reevaluation 88:4 references 88:20 referring 67:1 118:20 refrigerators 92:19 refusing 76:15 regarding 130:18 regardless 47:22 region 67:22,24 registered 45:2 133:4 registration 7:7 regularly 33:7 regulating 12:17 regulations 13:5 62:20 115:18 relatively 90:24 relatives 80:2 reliability 68:12 73:15 reliable 25:9 66:17 reliably 57:7 remain 80:1 130:7 remember 82:22 83:17 remotely 89:8 remove 19:24 rendering 24:9 renewable 45:7,12 55:9 57:21,23 80:21 111:23 renewables 13:19 14:23 75:18 113:24 114:7 reopen 126:14,18 rephrase 119:5 replace 16:13 65:2 replacement 87:9 reply 130:15 report 34:10 37:20 48:12,17,17 reported 1:25 reporter 133:4 reporter's 133:3 represent 15:8 85:1 representations 86:6 representatives 12:18 86:1 represented 14:21 representing 2:8 2:11 13:17 represents 52:18 repurchase 77:24 request 5:8 7:16 8:13,14 9:23 11:17 76:4 122:14 require 90:8 119:9 119:21 required 6:4 10:5 17:9 19:18 20:15 29:3 30:7 113:9 116:25 requirement 88:9 requirements 11:9 12:3 29:20 32:6 32:22 41:25 62:15 79:4,8,9 115:20 118:23 requires 85:8 requiring 11:15 research 11:24 55:1 58:25 59:10 reserve 108:22 reside 53:22 resident 100:19 residential 9:19,20 9:20 33:8 36:21 42:17 43:19 79:5 residents 86:3 89:2 resilient 71:12 resolution 93:19 resource 57:25 58:18 resources 45:7 respect 78:19 121:2 respectfully 76:7 91:3 respects 44:8 respond 131:9,14 responsible 54:9 75:21 76:11 97:17 rest 57:11 105:20 restrictive 119:6 result 43:2 44:12 [ray - result]Page 24 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners retention 44:4 reunion 82:25 reviewed 50:21 59:2 rex 2:15 3:16 6:14 49:22 53:5 80:25 rich 6:12 33:3 richard 3:12 20:7 32:25 riding 83:10 right 6:9 21:4,18 21:24,25 26:22 45:9 48:5 49:18 53:10 62:10 70:4 70:10 72:23 74:5 74:7,11 80:9 81:2 81:4,8,11 94:18 99:20 104:17 106:8 107:24 108:7,20,22 111:24 112:10 114:8,15 115:5 118:4 119:8 124:9 126:17 127:17 128:14,25,25 131:18 rights 78:19 79:17 93:4 riparian 11:20 29:1 risk 59:16,18,22 59:23 62:18 71:16 71:17 101:17 risks 98:18 river 79:3,3 rla 3:11 30:1 31:1 rm 1:9 5:13 7:21 8:19 road 8:1 22:23 23:13,23 28:9,9,13 42:20 44:23 53:22 77:3 79:7,25 80:3 80:17 83:24 91:22 94:21 102:24 109:19,19 roads 5:18 8:25 28:18 29:4 42:23 roadside 23:19 roadway 12:14 22:24 roadways 11:1 42:14 robert 2:8 rode 83:6 role 54:9 room 95:4 110:3,5 rotate 46:10 rothschild 2:12 13:15 rougemont 21:3 94:21 98:6 100:15 roughly 35:2,22 39:14 round 32:9 route 83:1 row 47:7,9 111:17 rows 23:1 83:6,6 roxboro 1:16 rpr 133:22 rules 12:17 run 46:14,16 69:6 92:19 127:21 running 68:12 69:4 runoff 27:23 28:21 runs 28:12 rural 9:16,19,19 9:25 11:11 43:19 86:9 90:19 98:1 109:12 116:18 119:1 rutgers 84:18 103:3 s s 5:1 saddled 88:5 safe 96:14,20 safety 18:3 19:5 49:8 53:17,24 54:22 55:3,18,23 56:11 58:21 59:13 59:23 63:14 115:23 sales 34:2,7,13 38:4 sam 80:5 sandifer 3:14,17 4:16 6:13 18:3,23 25:1 44:19,20,22 45:22,24 46:5 49:14,23 50:4,8,13 50:19,23 51:3,7,9 51:18 52:3,11,14 52:19,23 53:1 56:25 72:9,10,25 73:5,19 110:17 111:2,5 satisfactory 88:19 satisfying 85:5 satterfield 91:21 saw 81:9 112:15 112:15 saying 66:11 70:6 71:7 84:8 93:12 96:20 107:9 114:9 129:11 says 10:21 15:6 21:1 49:19 92:13 109:15,16 110:14 118:16,22 119:2 119:12,24 scale 56:9,15 57:13,19 58:2 62:3 82:9 83:17 91:1,13 scattered 9:9,14 scenario 62:9,19 schedule 127:15 129:4 schedules 129:6 school 30:2 41:10 schools 16:14 25:10 science 27:11 30:18 44:25 84:17 96:3 scientific 60:25 scores 45:11 scrap 88:15 screen 43:3 screening 32:8 scrutiny 94:16 search 58:23 season 75:10 second 14:19 23:25 24:1 43:5 55:7 123:13 126:20,21 secure 71:11 sediment 27:21 29:11 see 9:5 10:16,20 17:22 22:1,2,14,24 23:6,7,8,12,23 24:1,5 25:24 26:8 28:14,23 29:8,13 31:22 34:6,15,17 37:21 42:7 48:12 71:16,17 80:7,10 83:2 97:23,23 98:15 99:24 100:23 101:1 [retention - see]Page 25 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 109:11,16,18 114:24 115:12 116:3 119:20 125:5 126:12,15 seeing 21:9 36:6 90:25 seen 65:14 67:10 99:14 107:7,10 108:3 116:20 seepe 109:2 125:15 selected 32:19 selective 23:14 selenium 97:9 sell 34:23 88:15 92:21 94:3 101:15 101:17 sells 109:25 send 72:2 sensitive 43:14 sent 25:23 93:19 separate 9:3 123:1 series 29:8,10 seriously 17:21 117:4 seriousness 125:2 service 75:11 services 16:15,17 107:12,17 set 11:9 42:20 80:14 133:7,17 setback 10:7 11:8 42:17 setbacks 17:7 104:3 105:19 sets 59:5 seven 9:24 116:13 116:14 117:9,22 117:24 shaking 100:3 shame 98:1 shaped 42:13 she'll 27:4 sheep 15:16 104:22 shells 72:20 shelves 108:4 shielded 22:18 shielding 23:9 shine 90:5 shining 67:16 shirt 24:1 shock 59:12,15,17 shoot 72:16 short 103:16 120:22 shorter 55:21 shot 72:18,19 shoveling 92:1 show 10:15 18:13 19:7 21:11 22:3 22:23 23:3 56:18 86:8 showed 22:13 26:5 showing 13:24 21:23 22:25 35:25 61:22 shown 11:1 31:10 31:10,19 32:2 59:7 63:3 shows 9:15 10:4,7 10:11,24 11:5 12:13 16:2 20:18 21:17 24:10 85:15 shrapnel 99:4,6 shrinking 107:13 107:13,13 shrubs 32:14,18 shut 70:14 112:20 sic 78:15 91:16 116:4 side 10:8 32:2 68:6 76:9 116:24 sided 85:15 sign 6:25 92:25 signature 133:21 signed 6:8,17,24 53:13 74:3 81:8 81:10 significant 56:16 significantly 38:16 signing 26:9 silicon 46:11 61:6 61:9 83:12 86:14 86:20 91:8 121:10 silly 86:16 silt 29:10 silver 72:7 113:16 113:21 114:12 115:6 similar 34:5 42:22 simple 94:17 simplest 73:20 simply 7:12 34:3 sims 2:5 4:20 115:8,11 116:1,14 117:11,14 118:1,5 131:13 single 9:10,14 71:19 92:22 sir 13:10 40:19 46:4 50:19 55:10 63:17 69:19,20 70:8 74:9 91:20 94:24 97:4 108:19 115:10,16 120:10 121:2 site 10:4,6,9 11:8 11:22,25 12:13,13 13:18 14:22 16:20 16:23 17:5,7 19:8 21:12,14,19 22:3,5 23:19 27:3 28:6 28:10,12,21,23 29:2,9,13,14,16,17 29:23 31:10 42:19 42:24 62:4,10 65:5 70:10 71:23 71:25 85:14 87:7 88:7,10,19 98:2 115:15 122:23 123:16 125:25 127:8 128:16 129:8 131:5 sites 17:9,11 27:16 45:13,15 91:12 99:21 100:20 siting 90:23 sitting 125:5 situation 97:19 six 14:1 117:1 sixty 39:20 sizable 7:10 size 37:23 38:12 90:10 slight 35:3 slightly 112:4 small 17:9 25:12 51:22 52:5 61:9 63:25 69:12,13 71:20 72:24,25 111:13 115:22 smaller 115:24 116:3 118:2 smallest 115:22 smart 64:3 smith 1:25 133:4 133:22 solar 1:6 5:9,20 7:17 8:3,15 9:2,23 11:10 12:2,8,12,19 13:17,18 15:23 16:4,5,15,24 17:17 [see - solar]Page 26 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 18:15 20:10 21:6 21:21 22:6,12 24:18 25:7 27:16 31:23,24 33:18,21 34:4,5,9,15 35:4 35:11,16,18,23 36:11,14,16,23 37:12 38:8,12,23 39:5,16,25 40:2 42:10,25 45:21 46:1,3,7 47:11 48:14,18,19,23,24 50:20 51:4,16 52:2,9 53:12 54:3 54:7,11,15,24,24 55:8 56:9,15 57:13,19 58:2 59:6 60:8,17 62:3 64:14 65:22 66:1 66:4,7 67:10,23 68:10,25 69:2,5,13 69:14 70:3 71:2 71:11,15,16 72:10 73:1 75:17,20 76:1,5,16,22 77:8 80:7,11,18 81:22 82:4,7 83:10 84:5 84:23 86:8 87:14 87:15,18 90:6 91:1,10 92:2 95:16,17 96:14 97:9,15 98:17 101:24 109:17 112:23 114:1,15 114:18,25 115:4 116:24 117:6 130:16 sold 34:4 110:7,8 solder 61:13 63:18 63:25 72:7,7,11,24 73:2 soldering 72:13 solely 123:18 124:17 125:8 solemnly 7:13 somebody 16:21 60:12 64:24 71:5 72:2 92:7,8 93:14 93:14 110:9,11 somebody's 102:13 son 98:11 sons 107:15 soothing 83:8 sore 98:2 sorry 10:16 24:23 50:5 106:11 sort 19:7 42:20 85:3 sotto 120:5 sound 90:10 sounds 100:24 104:4 105:13,14 source 25:9 sources 15:14 60:12 68:3,15 71:12,18 south 9:11 54:8,11 southeast 27:17 28:8 35:12 36:25 southern 79:2 soybeans 111:17 space 37:1 90:20 121:11 speak 13:11,12 21:15 26:9,14 53:23 74:2,4 124:9,24 131:10 speaker 7:7 13:12 28:3 49:25 87:21 98:1 99:1 102:22 123:23 126:8 speakers 44:18 52:6 73:18 81:1 81:12,14 82:1 119:15,25 speaking 55:15 81:5 95:8 108:11 special 5:18 8:1,12 8:25 10:2 11:12 11:19 39:1 84:2 85:6 94:6,7,11 103:24,25 108:14 119:9,21 128:10 specialized 84:21 87:10 specialty 100:17 species 32:19 specific 13:18,22 85:2 104:18,19 specifications 19:15 30:7 specifics 104:24 specs 18:13 spending 20:18 spent 54:2 64:21 95:6 spoke 80:16 124:24 spot 51:19 spots 95:20 spotsylvania 38:2 spray 111:12 spraying 87:7 spread 71:15 125:10 spring 44:23 square 82:11 90:11 stabilize 112:8 stabilized 28:16 stable 112:24 staff 8:8 11:18 stand 6:8 7:3 standard 10:15 11:4 116:17 standards 13:23 13:25 17:23,24 20:14 24:21 74:1 standing 23:19 81:25 standpoint 47:14 65:21 66:13 87:12 87:13 stands 10:21 start 48:3 56:4 84:8 91:11 107:7 107:10,12 130:9 started 54:19 starting 21:14 22:2 37:20 45:17 starts 71:23 state 12:14,22 19:1 27:10 30:5,15,19 30:20 33:3 45:3 49:4 54:1,4,13,20 55:17 56:7,18 58:15 59:3 68:24 70:12 84:24 89:7 110:25 113:10 130:6 133:1,5 stated 47:21 130:15 statement 3:8 4:12 4:14,22 17:25 55:21 77:1 78:1 79:1 80:1 statements 3:5,18 4:1 states 20:13 33:22 35:11 47:24 58:20 static 34:20 35:5 60:19 [solar - static]Page 27 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners stats 12:6 statute 12:22 stay 28:4 101:10 107:15 stenotype 133:12 step 29:21 57:3 stewards 75:25 82:15 stop 55:4 63:10 stor 94:10 stories 116:25 stormwater 19:11 27:20,23 28:21 79:4,8 stormy 90:15 straight 97:15 strands 117:1 strategy 43:17 stream 10:8 19:3 21:18 27:5,22 streams 28:24 street 2:13 13:16 23:8 27:14 30:17 41:1 strike 83:15 strip 86:12 stripping 121:9 strong 75:18 structures 22:5 70:21 struggles 79:13 stuck 88:13 studied 62:4 studies 20:12,14 46:23 61:22 studiously 89:3 study 16:2 20:17 61:25 88:1 91:5 116:5 117:20 stuff 70:16 93:22 99:5 subcontracted 87:6,10 subdivision 30:3 34:22 subject 6:2 12:16 125:25 subjective 86:18 submit 85:18 submitted 113:8 subsidies 48:19 89:8 substantial 17:20 80:12 113:9 substantially 20:5 24:23 85:9 substation 28:19 substations 73:8 73:11 successful 88:24 suggest 89:20 91:3 122:25 126:7,13 129:18 suggested 121:12 123:25 suitable 101:25 suite 2:13 summarized 18:1 summarizes 55:22 summary 17:21 79:16 summer 70:19 95:6 summers 74:25 sun 25:14 46:12 67:3 82:21 106:22 sun's 67:16 sunlight 46:13 112:25 sunny 84:6 90:2,7 90:14 sup 1:5 5:8 7:16 8:8 17:23,24 super 60:3 66:17 supermarket 108:4 supervision 133:13 supplemental 31:14,18 supplemented 32:13 supplies 84:21 support 25:18 74:18 77:10 supported 37:6 supportive 85:21 supports 42:21 43:16 44:7 suppose 125:7 supposed 124:17 125:7 sure 19:24 25:8 38:22 41:25 49:19 61:17 68:11 81:9 95:5 98:18 114:14 122:6 125:13,23 127:20 surprised 26:8 surrebuttal 4:22 109:7 120:20 surrounding 46:3 105:1 surroundings 42:8 43:4 100:18 surveying 79:9 susan 1:8 3:19 5:12 7:5,20 8:18 74:12,14 76:7 sustain 83:20 sustainability 15:7 115:12 117:6 sustainable 15:9 sustaining 82:3 sustains 83:17 sway 131:15 swayed 131:1 swear 7:13 switch 68:11 sworn 3:5 4:1 6:2 6:6 133:8 system 9:2,24 11:10 12:2,4 60:9 71:21 72:1 91:9 systems 25:13 69:3 t tab 14:16,16,19 15:5 16:1,20 17:15 18:8 19:14 20:20 24:16 55:19 55:25 table 119:13,19 tabor 80:3 tabs 14:8 18:2 19:20 24:20 take 14:7 16:3 17:20 24:13 26:10 48:1 57:5 70:22 71:1,19 73:10 81:23 82:11 86:11 95:22 101:5 102:16 120:12 122:3 127:8 131:22,23 taken 17:1 22:22 82:18 85:25 103:5 133:6 takes 48:21 70:1 82:5 83:3 talk 30:21 42:5 55:19 59:13 124:7 124:14 131:11 [stats - talk]Page 28 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners talked 48:13 107:3 talking 48:15 52:13 56:5 63:24 70:12,15 73:14,19 83:5 102:9 103:1 103:20 105:2,2 106:16 116:7 tall 116:13,14 task 85:3 tax 1:9 5:14 7:22 8:20,23 16:5,6,13 16:16 76:11 taxes 26:15,19 76:21 78:2 80:8 taxpayer 88:13 taxpayer's 88:5 taxpayers 78:20 88:16 teaching 54:23 tear 71:1 technologies 57:5 57:11 technology 46:20 46:24 54:17 56:9 63:6 64:12,16 65:6 66:17 83:13 tell 7:14 24:12 25:2,16 26:4 100:2 101:18 106:3 113:16 telling 93:5 124:6 tempered 61:7 temporary 29:11 ten 48:1,6 64:17 112:11 128:6 tender 27:25 30:25 33:12 41:16 45:24 55:5 tends 38:13 tenth 52:20 term 14:25 45:17 46:24 48:4 64:24 70:18 87:4 101:12 112:7 terms 87:2 terrell 2:12 3:8 4:14 6:12,19,22 13:13,14,15 14:15 27:24 30:5,10,24 32:24 33:11 38:20 39:9,15,20,24 40:7 40:12,17,21 41:16 44:18 45:19,23 49:21 53:2,8,16 55:5 63:15,18 66:20,25 67:6,8 73:24 96:16,21,25 108:20 109:9 113:4,18,25 114:18 115:2,7,17 116:11,17 117:13 117:21 118:4,8 125:17 terrorist 71:8,10 73:20 tesla 69:12,13 testified 104:13 testify 23:22 133:8 testifying 19:14 testimonies 122:21 testimony 3:5,9 4:1,12,15,22 6:11 7:15 24:12 30:1 31:1 43:15 82:8 85:15 89:13 105:5 105:23 106:17 123:18 texas 65:21,25 66:5,8 70:16 112:16 thank 8:5 13:6 28:2,4 30:10 31:2 31:3 32:24 38:18 40:19,20 41:19 44:15,16,21 46:5 49:24 52:25 53:15 53:18 55:11 66:19 69:17 73:22,24 74:9,16 76:4,25 77:1,6 79:19,20 80:23,24 81:2 83:21,22,25 91:18 91:20 94:18,19,24 98:2,4 100:13 102:18,19,21 108:16,17 109:9 109:22 111:5 113:4,12 115:1 118:6 121:14 123:24 131:16 thanks 90:21 theater 93:8 thermal 84:23 thick 23:6 thing 35:9 68:9 80:22 82:22 104:7 108:15 things 15:14 16:10 21:24 38:17 98:19 99:23 105:12,22 105:23 111:6 117:19 think 7:1,8 16:24 21:5 26:9,21 42:21 47:15,21,22 51:22 53:5 61:4 62:9 66:10 71:5 74:3,6,11 80:21 82:13 83:9 86:23 89:16 92:4,6 94:2 94:6 101:11 102:6 108:21,25 114:21 117:23 122:9 128:23 thinking 111:6 thinks 125:24 third 45:17 112:11 thomas 2:12 53:16 thought 47:2 50:6 59:10 103:2 116:8 121:22 131:4 thoughts 55:22 131:6 thousand 52:4,9 70:10 71:2,15 three 34:13 35:21 38:3,7 39:24 55:6 55:9,13 58:6 72:21 73:11 117:1 tied 93:22 tier 18:9,11,11 timberlake 91:22 time 13:9 14:16 16:16 18:19 28:25 32:20 33:20 47:25 51:5,13 54:25 63:7 71:1 73:9 74:8,16 75:13 76:25 78:4 85:24 91:19 95:6 97:25 99:2 103:4,8,16 106:5,6,6 108:23 113:20 122:19 124:2,7,15 126:15 127:18,23 128:1 128:15 129:8,20 133:7 times 19:10 20:9 49:2 66:1 106:15 tiny 62:17 today 8:8 12:19 13:16 14:2,7,21 [talked - today]Page 29 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 16:24 55:15 56:16 63:1 told 80:18 96:10 96:13 101:22 123:17 tom 6:12 13:13,14 127:20 tommy 3:15 6:13 53:21 109:13 top 23:6 69:14 topic 18:5 topics 58:24 torn 70:21 total 12:9 32:15 51:15 90:4 totaling 5:16 7:25 totally 68:17 tout 48:6 tower 95:19 towers 22:16,17 23:1 109:20 toxicity 59:11 61:3 track 46:12 tracker 25:13 tract 10:10 tractors 22:5 tracts 38:14 traffic 25:25 trail 78:10 training 77:20 transaction 34:21 transactions 35:8 transcript 133:14 transformer 46:16 67:2 transformers 60:10 transforms 46:15 transmission 22:17 23:1 28:11 90:22 91:8 109:20 transportation 108:6 trap 25:14 travel 60:6,11 treat 62:21 tree 15:23 trees 24:5 32:5,12 32:18 tremendous 16:18 tremendously 112:8 trends 55:9 tried 75:24 117:3 124:24 trigger 19:11 trip 68:22 82:25 triple 112:14 trivial 94:7 trouble 66:4 118:3 true 9:16 15:9 35:9 133:14 truth 7:14,14,15 133:9,9,9 try 12:24 trying 21:6 93:24 126:11 turkey 75:10 99:22 turn 103:21 110:17 112:20 turned 40:8,10 91:7 93:16 tv 102:10 two 6:19,22 14:20 15:24 18:2 19:20 34:21 35:2,21 38:7 41:21 44:18 45:25 46:2 57:10 57:15 65:3 90:13 90:21 91:2 92:4 93:19 96:11 108:4 111:6 112:12 113:22 122:25 125:22 130:10,18 130:19 131:1,2,9 type 17:14 30:1 48:18,25 57:12 60:5 61:2 69:21 92:23 93:13 types 36:2 90:23 typically 37:9 47:5 111:22 u u.s.29:6,25 56:22 56:23 57:16 uh 13:7 ul 59:21 ultra 60:4 unaffected 62:13 unanimous 122:9 unauthorized 75:6 76:13 unaware 26:2 unbelievable 91:24 unbiased 128:18 130:7 unc 41:10,11 unclose 125:21 undergraduate 53:25 underground 98:19,23 undergrowth 104:20 108:25 110:12 111:3 understand 13:21 79:11 101:1,2 105:4 understanding 13:1 129:15 understood 56:3 undertake 91:4 unfair 39:1 unfortunately 96:9 unidentified 28:3 49:25 87:21 123:23 126:8 union 83:24 102:23 unique 16:12 united 35:11 47:24 units 68:1 university 27:12 45:1 54:4,13 55:17 58:16,25 84:19 96:3 103:3 unlimited 45:4 72:18 upheld 40:15 upper 79:3 use 5:18 8:2,12,25 9:18 10:3 11:11 11:12,19 18:11 25:20 26:16 27:4 28:16,20 36:20,22 38:15 39:2 41:17 42:1,3,11 43:8,9 43:12,23 47:5,6,8 47:10,15 48:15 56:10 59:21 60:2 61:6 65:5 68:7 69:5,14 72:11,13 73:1,2 75:5 78:21 78:25 79:15 84:2 84:3 85:6 86:9 91:4,10 94:6,7,11 101:23 103:5,6,7,8 103:24,25 104:6 110:6 111:16 112:18 118:17,18 [today - use]Page 30 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 118:21,25 119:2,3 119:9,13,22 121:7 uses 9:22 18:9 20:14 36:16 37:9 43:13 119:8,14,19 119:20 utilities 47:17 67:21 68:5,18 73:6 utility 48:1 49:20 56:9,15,17 57:13 57:19 58:2 62:3 67:18 91:13 93:17 utilize 76:2 uva 96:12 v valid 86:6 valuable 65:4 68:16 value 16:5,6 20:5 24:24 33:19 34:1 34:17 36:1 56:10 57:6 58:7 85:9 87:1 98:24 101:20 values 33:18 36:6 36:10 37:7,10,14 variability 34:25 variance 84:3 variety 43:13 various 57:21 71:24 vast 40:4 59:8 110:16 vegetables 108:9 vegetation 22:19 30:22 31:4,9,12,15 32:1,6 111:7 vegetations 32:8 vegetative 10:4 11:2,15 23:5 42:15 43:2 versus 16:6 viable 43:21 vibration 42:12 101:3 vice 2:3 view 5:6 11:5 22:18 32:2 71:11 views 42:12,14 virginia 38:2 vision 78:6 visit 122:24 123:16 125:25 127:8 visiting 23:18 visits 45:13 129:8 visual 121:4 123:19 127:11 visually 121:13 vital 75:19 78:4 voce 120:5 voltages 46:17 voluntarily 92:9 92:10 voluntary 81:19 vote 76:23 122:10 voting 107:23 vulnerability 73:14 w w 2:3 wade 80:25 wake 100:22 walk 14:8 20:23 24:8 100:22 walked 83:6 walking 99:19 want 18:8 23:3 26:5 73:8 76:9 77:6 87:20 89:24 96:5 97:21 101:16 103:15,18,21,21 106:10 107:15,16 108:10 109:23 111:20 120:19 123:19 124:15 125:1,10,12,18 126:6,12,16 128:14 129:20 wanted 17:22 78:16 81:9 99:16 122:6,7 wanting 109:11 wants 128:11 war 77:18,21 warn 124:8 warren 4:7 6:16 94:20,22 96:19,23 97:2,2,4,8 waste 62:21 73:9 87:25 wastewater 62:7 watch 104:23 watching 108:11 water 21:25 48:15 58:4,13 61:17 62:12,14 98:19,23 98:23 watershed 12:17 98:19 watersheds 12:16 watt 12:6 way 33:25 42:2 43:22,24 44:8 49:6 61:19,24 73:21 76:1 80:14 83:3 88:20 93:14 94:7 95:3 100:7 115:22 129:21 131:6,15 ways 16:13 57:1 57:15 we've 34:8 36:13 36:14,15,16 42:10 43:1,15 76:11 78:3 83:20 95:18 100:10 105:10 106:16 108:3 122:20,21 weak 60:21 weather 67:3,17 67:22 70:20 weaver 4:6 6:15 91:21,23 website 87:16 88:21 weed 111:11 weeds 87:7,8 weeks 93:19 weight 61:7 welcome 24:19 welsh 92:12,13 94:3 109:25 went 79:10 128:16 130:22 west 9:8,10 78:15 western 111:1 wetland 38:17 wetlands 27:22 28:24 whatsoever 102:6 whereof 133:17 white 58:16 wholly 13:18 wi 60:2 wide 11:15 36:1,6 width 31:17 wife 77:10 78:1 79:6 wildlife 15:11,12 15:13 98:15 99:13 99:17 100:23,23 115:11,19 116:16 [use - wildlife]Page 31 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com Hearing July 12, 2021 Person County Board Of Commissioners 117:8 williams 1:8 3:19 5:12 6:23 7:5,20 8:18 74:13,14 76:7 wilson 41:1 wind 66:6 92:2 winstead 80:16 winter 32:11 70:19 winters 75:1 wire 117:2,9 wires 29:4 60:9 63:2 wise 25:18 wish 19:20 74:2 witness 133:8,11 133:17 witnesses 6:2 8:4 woman 110:12 wonderful 80:22 93:7 100:24 wondering 117:19 wooded 9:7,8,12 28:15 woodland 81:24 84:4 86:12 90:20 107:4 121:11 word 125:10 words 82:20 work 15:16 25:11 46:8 47:25 59:19 65:9,11 66:12,16 66:22,24,25 67:4 67:11 82:14 88:19 92:7,8 96:5 129:3 worked 27:16 33:21 41:7 45:5 54:5 73:6 74:25 workers 95:14 working 41:25 43:24,25 59:18 65:4,8 67:13 71:23 84:20 127:19 works 72:8 world 77:18,21 world's 20:10 worry 100:4 worst 61:24 62:1,8 62:18 worth 59:11 wow 91:23 write 74:18 writing 14:3 130:5 written 19:7 55:13 63:11 76:14 133:12 wrong 116:8 wrote 56:2 58:22 108:13 y y'all 94:2 yeah 39:22 52:3 67:12 72:8 86:20 118:22 119:16 122:8 129:6 130:12 year 32:9 54:2 58:10 64:14,24 65:22 108:3 112:12 years 17:12 33:5 33:20 39:3 41:7 45:5,16 46:21 48:2,6 54:5 56:19 63:8,9 64:17 65:3 65:9 73:6 78:3 80:1 84:19 88:3,6 97:12,13 99:6 100:10 102:4 103:7 112:11,13 113:2 yellow 10:14 11:3 31:11 yep 7:1 york 2:7 129:15 young 2:15 3:16 6:14 14:21 23:18 49:22 50:11 53:8 53:10 80:25 81:2 113:23 114:6,10 114:12 115:16 116:12 z zero 47:8 48:9 77:15 zone 13:5 86:14 zoned 9:15,25 zoning 6:1 13:5 17:18 29:21 41:13 41:24 103:8,9 118:13,25 119:1,6 119:10 120:4 [wildlife - zoning]Page 32 Veritext Legal Solutions 800.743.DEPO (3376)calendar-carolinas@veritext.com www.veritext.com