Panoche Valley Solar LLC will spend nearly $700,000 to purchase a fire apparatus vehicle for the city of Hollister and pay personnel costs, overtime, fuel and vehicle maintenance to have two fire personnel at the planned solar plant in south San Benito County five days a week during the anticipated 18 months of construction on the project. The agreement calls for the fire department to retain ownership of the fire truck at the conclusion of the agreement.
The Hollister City Council on June 15 unanimously approved an appropriation of $147,452 for a lease-purchase agreement on the Type 6 fire apparatus, which has off-road capabilities, with the understanding that PVS will reiumburse that cost while also paying for the vehicle to be staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week, perhaps as soon as late summer.
As part of environmental impact report mitigations, the solar project is required to have fire protection and emergency medical services available during construction of the facility, expected to begin in August.
Interim Hollister Fire Chief Bill Garringer told the council that the two firefighters will commute to the site in a city-owned pickup truck and will receive overtime for their travel time, all of which he said will be covered by the contract. City Manager William Avera said the city will pay the lease on the vehicle and will later get its money back. If the solar project falls through or is abandoned, Garringer said PVS will be required to buy the vehicle, which would not leave the city on the hook for any payments. If the construction of the plant exceeds 18 months, the city and Panoche Valley Solar can negotiate an extension of the agreement, he added.
With an anticipated 550 workers constructing the solar plant, Garringer said “there will be traffic accidents” for which medical and/or fire response will be necessary. “The contract includes providing training to their employees for fire safety.”
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors on May 19 unanimously rejected appeals to the county Planning Commission’s approval of a supplemental environmental impact report for the planned Panoche Valley Solar Project, bringing the long-planned 247-megawatt project closer to fruition. It still awaits further environmental review at the state and federal levels.
Prior to the council’s discussion of the matter, City Attorney Paul Rovella recused himself from the matter because his law firm had previously been retained by Panoche Valley Solar on another matter.