Detroit City Council delays solar project to review legal questions in closed session

Detroit City Council once again Tuesday delayed voting on the proposed solar neighborhoods initiative, as officials wait on more answers.

The project aims to generate clean energy to offset electricity used by Detroit's 127 municipal buildings, using land in the Gratiot-Findlay, Van Dyke-Lynch and the State Fair neighborhoods for the first phase.

Councilmembers Angela Whitfield-Calloway and Latisha Johnson sought to delay the vote until after the nine-member body returns from a monthlong recess, which begins August, to fully understand the project and the requested outside legal analysis to finalize any details.

Councilmember Scott Benson argued that the city has been working on the initiative for a year.

Johnson disputed that. "I do think it's disingenuous to me, at least based on when I received the information, to say that we’ve got this, that we’ve been working on this for a year. Yes, some facet of the city has been working on this for a year, and I think it's important to understand that while the administration has been working on it for a year, we’re not asking for a year to review the detailed information that had been provided to us. We’ve had over three weeks," Johnson said. "We've received probably 20 documents that are detailed, and we're trying to comb through that and make sure we understand what it is that we're being asked to support and make sure that it is right for the communities."

Here's what's behind the delay in approving solar neighborhoods

Councilmember Fred Durhal III accepted postponing the vote for a week, but said it "would not be fruitful" to hold off until members return from recess, as multiple councilmembers submitted questions the administration and corporation counsel about specific issues.

"The only thing that is outstanding and new information that we have received today is an opinion from independent counsel," Durhal said.

Council members scheduled a closed session for 2 p.m. Monday to discuss the legal analysis, which David Whitaker, legislative policy division director, told officials is considered privileged and confidential not to be discussed at Tuesday's meeting.

Councilmembers are slated to vote on a solar equity fund , which will finance the project through the utility conversion fund, land acquisition and 35-year contracts with DTE and Lightstar Renewables.

A multitude of reasons, such as Mayor Mike Duggan holding an announcement before City Council approval, along with questions about the legality of the project, led council members to delay voting on the project several times. However, in an email to the Free Press, Duggan's office of sustainability said the administration announced the initiative a year ago, held one-on-one meetings with council members and provided updates during charter-mandated meetings and his State of the City address.

Resident viewpoints vary

Dozens of residents either expressed support or questioned the project.

Kyle Kentala slammed city for pushing “misinformation” and falling short on providing concrete answers, and asked council members a plethora of questions.

"The city hasn’t done enough work to be ready for this massive land grab in the name of green energy. We need transparency. I don’t need to be told that I don’t have a say ... where two fields will be within the eyesight of my backyard," Kentala said. "Everyone should have a vote and everyone should have a say in this. We need an economic impact study of actual cost analysis. How much to buy the homes? Build the fields? Upkeep the lands? How much does DTE make as a contractor for these? How much are you actually saving by taking all this land and decimating it just for the city buddings' benefit?"

Erma Leaphart said the project positions Detroit as a leader in climate resilience.

"This clean energy project provides community benefits, notably energy efficiency, reduces our dependency on fossil fuels, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigates climate change impacts like heat waves," Leaphart said. "But DTE must be held accountable for any action to diminish or slow the growth of community solar opportunities. We have a Detroit Public Lighting Authority, which allows us to create our own power, and DTE must not, in any way through their participation, have any ability to stop us from exercising our right to use the power that we generate."

Alex Gilstorf supported the project, noting it lowers energy costs and provides financial relief.

"This program is a game changer for our community transforming vacant lots into sites of clean energy production. Economically, this initiative offers substantial benefits … it creates local jobs from installation to maintenance, boosting employment opportunities and stimulating our economy,” Gilstorf said, adding that homeowners in the vicinity ”receive substantial compensation, energy efficiency upgrades with at least $15,000 per home, with potential reductions in energy bills by 10%."

Surrounding homeowners have the opportunity to receive various home improvements, including windows, roof repairs, residential solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, furnaces and water heaters, home insulation, smart thermostats, energy-efficient lighting or battery backup.

The first three neighborhoods designated for the program — which Duggan called among the most blighted areas of the city — include 100 acres of ground with 21 owner-occupied houses. Owners signed an agreement to sell their homes and move, in exchange for $90,000.

Renters get money to move and 18 months free rent, and Duggan said landlords and owners of vacant lots will be paid fair market value.

Owners of 159 adjacent homes will receive various home improvements ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 of work, including: windows, roof repairs, residential solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, home insulation and air sealing, energy-efficient furnaces and water heaters, smart thermostats, energy-efficient lighting or battery backup.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana .

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit City Council delays solar project to review legal questions in closed session