Rappahannock County Administrator John McCarthy introduced an amendment to Rappahannock County's tax ordinance, whereby solar energy equipment, facilities or devices would be exempted from assessments of real estate values.

"We are trying to encourage better energy use and conservation," McCarthy said. "This may be a way to do it."

Several neighboring counties have similar ordinances, McCarthy said.

Landfill fine

McCarthy reported that, after much "groveling" by him, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality reduced the county's fine for a violation at the Amissville landfill to $4,800. He said the fine originally could have been as high as $12,500.

The violation was for improper ground cover at the landfill.

Aileen plant

The board evaluated a list of improvements submitted by the M.T. Puskar Company for the Aileen plant near Flint Hill.

The company has been in the process of purchasing the property from the county since March 2005, McCarthy said. Puskar is paying 4 percent interest for the first 10 years on the condition that it document $250,000 worth of improvements by March 2008 and $400,000 of improvements by March 2010.

The supervisors determined Puskar has completed, at the most, $200,000 of improvements so far. They decided that if the company does not reach the $400,000 mark by 2010 – and have building permits to prove it – Puskar's interest rate will jump to 8 percent.

E-mail the reporter at kallen@timespapers.com.