David Hill

dhill@ithacajournal.com | @Ijdavidhill

Solar plan could provide 30 percent of power used by city government.

Power would save money and cut greenhouse-gas emissions.

City also in talks with town over renewing fire contract.

The City of Ithaca appears close to entering a deal that would provide nearly a third of its electricity through solar power while saving money.

Under a resolution before Common Council Wednesday, Mayor Svante Myrick would be authorized to sign an agreement with Solar City to develop, build and maintain a 2,400- kilowatt solar farm on land owned by Tompkins County near 766 Warren Road. Under the plan, the city would receive an estimated 10.5 cents for each kilowatt hour generated there and pay an estimated combined 7.9 cents to Solar City and Tompkins County.

The solar farm would generate enough electricity to meet 30 percent of the city government’s needs based on 2010 usage, according to the resolution.

The move fits the city’s 2006 local action plan calling for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions 20 percent below 2001 levels by 2016. A 2012 city plan calls for cutting emissions 80 percent below 2010 levels by 2050.

Negotiations are ongoing on the agreement, but Solar City must forward a copy of agreements by Jan. 15 to the New York State Energy Research And Development Authority, the source of a $903,538 grant to Solar City awarded in October.

Solar City is a publicly traded company founded in 2006 build solar-power facilities for commercial, educational, governmental and residential customers, according to information supplied by the company to the city. It has installed photovoltaic facilities for some 180 municipalities, mostly in the Northeast and West Coast, including 65,000 kilowatt-hours in all for Walmart, according to the company.

Fire contract up for renewal

The city is also nearing a deadline for negotiating a contract with the Town of Ithaca for fire control.

The 2010 contract expires at the end of the year and negotiations are ongoing. A resolution before council this week would authorize the mayor to extend the contract a year and have the town pay about $3.17 million.

Leaves in streets a no-no

Just in time for the season’s first significant snowfall, the city sent out a reminder last week that it’s against city code to rake leaves into the streets.

“The act violates City Code #331-5,” the Streets & Facilities Division notice said. “Under City Code, individuals violating the ordinance are subject to fines of up to $250.”

The notice accompanied a bulletin that yard-waste-collection season ended Friday. Until spring, getting rid of leaves, twigs and hedge trimmings is each property owners’ responsibility, with no city pick-up.