2020 OGLE COUNTY PROGRESS EDITION
OUTLOOK
INSIDE: • Exelon’s Byron Station marks its 45th anniversary of when construction began. • Find out how local municipalities are dealing with the legalization of marijuana.
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PUBLICATION
March 27, 2020
Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, March 27, 2020
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EXELON GENERATING STATION
Byron plant marks 4,500 consecutive days online Plant construction began 45 years ago BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com On Feb. 24, the Byron Nuclear Generating Station celebrated one of the plant’s towers being online for 4,500 consecutive days. Officials also noted the 45th anniversary of the start of construction. Employees, retirees and local leaders were on hand for a cake cutting to mark the occasion. The Exelon plant generates enough carbon-free electricity to power more than 2.3 million homes and businesses while preventing the release of nearly 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. Over the lifetime of both units’ operation, that’s the equivalent of taking approximately 2.5 million cars off of the road every year. Site Vice President Mark Kanavos attended the event and touted the plant’s place in a world that places a value on clean power and combating climate change. He said a plant like Byron’s isn’t something that should be taken for granted. “Yesterday I lost electricity for about 10 seconds in my house,” Kanavos said. “I was recently in South Africa, we’re working on a nuclear plant there. And the hotel desk had a sheet that said when there won’t be power. It’s 2-4 hours of the day. That’s hard to believe in an established country. It’s not in a convenient time either. I think we take ours for granted.” Every 18 months, one of the Byron units goes offline to refuel and be maintained. During those outages, around 1200 contractors are brought to the area to assist with the process. An outage is going on this month. “When you think of the meals and restaurants and hotels and entertainment that will provide for our local economy, that’s a huge impact,” Kanavos said. “Every third year we have two refueling efforts, this is one of those years.” Byron Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sarah Downs attended the celebration and works with plant representatives on events in town. She’s a lifelong Byron resident and said she has seen first hand the positive impact that its presence has. The plant has around 700 regular employees, making it the sec-
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Byron Station Site Vice President Mark Kanavos spoke at the event marking the facility’s 4,500 consecutive days of production.
This aerial photo shows the early construction phase of the Byron generating station. The round cement images are the bases for the cooling towers that can now be seen across the region.
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The Byron plant has diverse impacts on the community. It pays one of the highest property tax bills in the United States annually. In 2018, the plant’s main real estate tax bill was over $34 million. Ogle County Treasurer Linda Beck said citizens would see a different Ogle County today if not for the nuclear plant.
“I think financially it would affect a lot of those taxing bodies,” Beck said. “Over 45 years, it would definitely affect those taxing bodies. They wouldn’t have had the financial support.” Ogle County and programs associated with it received over $3.7 mil-
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ond-largest employer in Illinois. Those employees help out Downs and her organization by volunteering for events like Byron Fest. Exelon also makes monetary donations and hosts tours and events. “They educate the community and
do as much as they can locally,” Downs said. “We’re happy to have them as neighbors.” “We have a strong culture of giving back to our community, Plant Manager Tom Chalmers said. “Last year, our employees donated 45,000 of volunteer time to the community and $250,000 to local communities through United Way.”
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Sarah Downs, executive director of the Byron Area Chamber of Commerce, spoke at the event regarding the plant’s economic importance to Ogle County and the Byron area.
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Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, March 27, 2020
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Here are construction photos of one of the cooling towers and other buildings being constructed at the Byron station.
lion from that 2018 tax bill. The Oregon Park District received over $2.2 million. Byron taxing bodies make up the majority of Exelon’s tax bill for the plant. The Byron School District received just over $19.7 million. The Byron Fire District was earmarked for $2.3 million. The Byron Library District was listed as $830,000 and the Byron Forest Preserve received nearly $2.35 million. “There would have to be a lot of adjustments to change how we maintain what we’ve got [without the nuclear plant,]” Byron Mayor John Rickard said. The plant took $4.5 billion to build. Construction work started in 1975, with the Unit 1 reactor coming online in 1985 and Unit 2 in 1987. “The foresight of the company was to build these units and be around until 2046,” Kanavos said. “We would like to run until 2066.”
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Ordinances made, one business may be on the way BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com
Oregon
The Oregon City Council voted
3-2 on Nov. 26 to allow cannabis businesses in town despite the city’s plan commission voting 4-3 the week prior to recommend the city council not establish a cannabis zoning classification. Those in favor of the amendment were Commissioners Kurt Wilson, Melanie Cozzi and Terry Schuster. Cozzi cited studies that showed dispensaries could reduce opioid use and neighborhood crime. Wilson stressed the importance of local businesses. “I look at this strictly as a business item,” Wilson said. “Quite honestly, it’s about what our town is willing to do to be progressive as we look forward.” Oregon allows all five types of cannabis business licenses: dispensaries, craft grow, infusion, transportation and cultivation. It may be
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With the legalization of recreational cannabis that took place in the state of Illinois on Jan. 1, officials in Ogle County have moved towards and away from allowing potential businesses in the areas they govern. Two cities in the county allow cannabis businesses, three have opted to ban them and one has yet to make a choice. And there’s one potential business on the horizon within the county.
PROGRESS | Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com
Legal cannabis makes impact in Ogle County
Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, March 27, 2020
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• CANNABIS Continued from Page 5 on the brink of having the first and only known cannabis business in the county. Four local businessmen spoke about their intention to bring a cannabis craft grow and infusion operation to Oregon at a planning commission meeting on Feb. 18. The Tree Pharm would be located at 807 Pines Road in Oregon where the former Basler’s Ace Hardware was once located. A craft grow is a business licensed by the Department of Agriculture to cultivate, dry, cure, and package marijuana, to make it available to sell at a dispensary or use at a processing organization. A cannabis infusion is the end result of the process of infusing another substance, usually an oil, with the flavor and aroma of cannabis. The city council would have to grant a special use permit to The Tree Pharm before it could conduct business. A public meeting will be held on March 17 at 5:30 p.m. regarding the potential business.
Mt. Morris The Mt. Morris Village Board was one of the last governing bodies in the area to vote on a cannabis ordinance when it prohibited all types of the businesses on Feb. 25. The village held a public meeting on the topic on Dec. 11 where close to 25 people attended and voiced their opinions for and against cannabis in town and asked questions about it. Village Trustee Phil Labash led that meeting and said on Feb. 25 the move to ban was in an effort to control what happens in Mt. Morris going forward. Labash did said that he is interested in the non-dispensary types of businesses possibly coming to town and the jobs and tax money that they could bring. Village Trustee Mike Fay was glad the board decided to bring a level of protection to the village. He said he’s seen how well dispensaries have done with revenue and anticipates the state will soon allow more licenses, making them more available to places like Mt. Morris. “Eventually I think we will have to come back in,” Fay said. “It’s not an absolute no,” Labash said. “It’s a no right now.”
Polo The Polo City Council voted unanimously Dec. 2 to prohibit cannabis businesses in the city. “Right now we want to move forward not having it and kind of watch how everything goes in the places that do pass it,” Alderman Donald Sanders Jr. said. “We just decided
for our community it’s better to hold back. It’s such a new thing that we want to see how it unfolds before we decide whether or not we want to bring it into the community.” Sanders Jr. noted that conversations had by the council regarding cannabis businesses were “pretty unanimous” against the prospect of it. “There was a little bit of discussion over whether there could possibly be some tax dollars out there,” Alderman Keith Chesnut said. ‘The idea of chasing money versus values doesn’t balance out to me.”
Forreston The Forreston Village Board was one of the first to move on a cannabis ordinance, passing one on Oct. 21 that prohibits cannabis businesses in the village. Village President Mark Metzger said there was a healthy discussion on the topic. The benefits of revenues and tax breaks were discussed, but now is not the time for Forreston. It wants to wait and see, much like Polo. “Smaller towns, you’re always looking for additional income,” Metzger said. “The opposition, while it’s the law now, a couple didn’t feel comfortable with it.”
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Byron Byron is the lone city in Ogle County that has yet to act on cannabis businesses. “We’re still sitting on that,” Byron Mayor John Rickard said. “It’s off our plate for the time being. We’re waiting on some workshops about it in May and getting some more information. The city has had one inquiry from a prospective business owner about opening a dispensary. But, Byron doesn’t have many locations where a cannabis business could be put due to state location minimums, Rickard said.
Rochelle Rochelle passed an ordinance allowing cannabis businesses in October. City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh has met with “a couple” interested parties about bringing a cannabis business to town. The city allows all five types of businesses. The city held a public forum before voting that saw about 70 people attend, both for and against having cannabis businesses in town. “I asked the people at the meeting, ‘People are going to consume it in our community. Do we want to get that revenue off it and allow dispensaries or not?’” Fiegenschuh said. Rochelle stands to benefit extra if a cannabis business comes to town, due to the fact that it owns its own
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• CANNABIS Continued from Page 6 Mt. Morris Village Trustee Philip Labash participates in a meeting on Feb. 25.
electrical utility. It already provides power to the PharmaCann cultivation center just outside the town in the village of Hillcrest, but had nothing to do with allowing it. Adding another business like it could prove beneficial. “These guys are going to consume a lot of power,” Fiegenschuh said. “We can make money off that. There wasn’t much controversy over that sentiment.”
Ogle County
The Ogle County Board approved an ordinance 18-2 on Dec. 17 that prohibits all types of cannabis businesses in unincorporated areas of the county. “The county has determined that the operation of cannabis business establishments would present adverse impacts upon the health, safety and welfare of the residents,” the ordinance said. “And additional costs, burdens and impacts upon law enforcement and regulatory operations of the county.” Ogle County Board Chairman John Finfrock (Mt. Morris) summed up the decision by saying that the board isn’t ready because of uncertainty and how the recent trailer bill rewrote the upcoming law. “We can always opt in,” Finfrock said. “Right now, there’s too many things we don’t know about it.” The board voted 17-5 on Sept. 17 to impose a 3.75 percent tax on recreational cannabis sold in unincorporated areas of the county and a three percent tax on sales made in municipalities. Approval of the measure makes it possible for the county to collect taxes from the businesses in the municipalities that do allow them.
Illinois
The State of Illinois announced nearly $35 million in total sales of cannabis for the month of February. Customers spent $34.8 million on 831,600 items over the 29-day period. Of that, $25.6 million was spent by Illinois residents, while out-of-staters spent about $9.2 million, according to the governor’s office. The numbers are down slightly from January, which saw $39.2 million in sales over a 31-day span. That generated $7.3 million in cannabis tax revenue for the state, plus another $3.1 million in retail sales taxes that are shared between the state and local governments.
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cannabis business to town. The city allows all five types of businesses: dispensaries, cultivation centers, craft grow, transport and infusion. The city held a public forum before voting that saw about 70 people attend, both for and against having cannabis businesses in town. “I asked the people at the meeting, ‘People are going to consume it in our community. Do we want to get that revenue off it and allow dispensaries or not?’” Fiegenschuh said. Rochelle stands to benefit extra if a cannabis business comes to town, due to the fact that it owns its own electrical utility. It already provides power to the PharmaCann cultivation center just outside the town in the village of Hillcrest, but had nothing to do with allowing it. Adding another business like it could prove
• Friday, March 27, 2020
Two of the largest cities in Ogle County have completely different situations regarding recreational cannabis after it was legalized by the state. Rochelle passed an ordinance allowing cannabis businesses in October, while Byron hasn’t voted on one and may not until spring. In recent months Oregon approved cannabis businesses while Polo and Forreston passed ordinances prohibiting them. Mt. Morris has yet to vote. The Ogle County Board voted to prohibit them in unincorporated areas of the county, but approved a sales tax on it. Rochelle voted in its ordinance in October. City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh has met with “a couple” interested parties about bringing a
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Continued from Page 9 beneficial. “These guys are going to consume a lot of power,” Fiegenschuh said. “We can make money off that. There wasn’t much controversy over that sentiment.” Local law enforcement officials in the county such as Ogle County Sheriff Brian Van Vickle and Oregon Police Chief Darin DeHaan have spoken out in opposition of allowing the businesses. The Rochelle Police Department has not said it’s opposed to them, Fiegenschuh said. Ordinances stipulate locations of where cannabis businesses can legally exist. Rochelle does have buildings on its north side in its Business 2 district that fit the requirements. Another resident visited the city council late last year interested in opening a dispensary near the golf course on the south side of town His business would fit the requirements as well. Any potential cannabis business would have to go in front of the planning board to get a special use permit. Fiegenschuh does not know of any businesses that have applied for permits with plans to come
to town, but thinks a business like a dispensary would have potential. “I think it would go over well,” Fiegenschuh said. “But I think we’d get traffic from out of town. I don’t think people want their neighbors to see them buying it.”
Byron Byron Mayor John Rickard says his city is still looking at the prospect of allowing or pro-
hibiting cannabis businesses. He and his council have drawn up model ordinances for review and will “probably” forward it to the zoning board and have a public hearing in the near future. After that, Rickard says they will likely vote on an ordinance in the next three months. “There have been conversations,” Rickard said. “Some have been in committee. Discussions have been had looking at possibilities. It’s a mixed bag on the council. There hasn’t been public comment yet.” The city has had one inquiry from a prospective business owner about opening a dispensary. But, Byron doesn’t have many locations where a cannabis business could be put due to state location minimums,” Rickard said. Rickard said he has been intrigued after seeing the numbers on sales in the state and the region by dispensaries. Illinois’ first day of legal recreational marijuana generated nearly $3.2 million in sales and its first five days netted over $10.8 million. “Certainly it would have a tax benefit,” Rickard said. “Proportionally, we’re not sure what it would be compared to other communities.” “My guess is it would be as successful as it has been in other locations.”
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Five construction workers pose for a photo during construction of the Byron station. This photo was one of several on display at the plant’s 45th anniversary celebration.
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