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<br />The Elk River Vision <br />A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional <br />service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity <br />Request for Action <br /> <br /> <br />To <br />Parks and Recreation Commission <br />Item Number <br />7.1 <br />Agenda Section <br />Action Item <br />Meeting Date <br />February 12, 2020 <br />Prepared by <br />Michael Hecker, Parks and Recreation Director <br />Item Description <br />YAC Wind Turbine Site Location <br />Reviewed by <br />Cal Portner, City Administrator <br />Reviewed by <br /> <br /> <br />Action Requested <br />Discuss a wind turbine at a site recommended by City Council and the Elk River Municipal Utilities <br />Commission (ERMU). <br /> <br />Recommend, by motion, the site location for a wind turbine at YAC as recommended by ERMU and city <br />staff. <br /> <br />Background/Discussion <br />Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA) has a program where they install a demonstration wind <br />turbine in every member city. The agency is looking to site one of these turbines in Elk River and one <br />preferred site is at YAC. <br /> <br />These turbines are part of their Hometown Wind Power Program to educate and bring awareness to <br />MMPA’s clean generation portfolio. They are for demonstration and smaller in scale than those you’d see <br />in a utility scale wind farm. The site selection process started in September of 2019 with the ERMU <br />Commission. In November, the topic was discussed during a joint meeting between the city council and <br />the Commission. From that joint meeting, discussion site location ideas were generated. The location <br />preferred is in the Northwest corner of YAC as shown in the attached site option. <br /> <br />The wind turbine’s primary purpose is for visibility and education, not production, therefore the site <br />needs to provide exposure for the turbine. Understanding that the turbine would be owned, maintained <br />and eventually decommissioned by MMPA; the city has no direct ownership or investment in the turbine <br />asset. <br /> <br />Financial Impact <br />None <br /> <br />Attachments <br /> YAC Wind Turbine Site Options (red dots) <br /> YAC Master Plan