A meeting between the Callaway County Commission and representatives from NextEra Energy started with an apology Tuesday morning.
NextEra developer Bo McGee said things haven't gone the way he would like and he hopes to rebuild or press the reset button on the company's relationship with the community.
"I think that the relationship that's been started did not get started on the right foot," he said. "I think the direction that's been traveling forward has been unnecessarily confrontational. I think there's a possibility for a partnership that is beneficial for all involved."
NextEra is exploring the possibility of building a solar power farm around New Bloomfield that would connect to the substation in Guthrie.
If it goes through, the project would produce 100 megawatts. NextEra is in conversations with property owners between Guthrie and New Bloomfield about leasing land for the project.
However, the project has had mostly negative responses from the community and elected officials have expressed frustration at a lack of communication.
McGee said he wanted to explain some misconceptions about the project.
He said NextEra is not looking to install panels within New Bloomfield city limits and never did.
NextEra frequently enters into contracts for more land than it will use, McGee said.
While NextEra has talked with the county commission and the New Bloomfield School District, there's other local entities it hasn't.
"The conversations that we haven't had thus far: the City of New Bloomfield, fire, EMS, all those inside New Bloomfield," McGee said. "That was a mistake on my part, I own that. We're making that right. Today, I'm meeting with the chief of EMS, I'm meeting with the police chief of Holts Summit. I recognize that those are all stakeholders that reflect this community at work to make this community a safe and desirable place to live."
Along with three agreements already proposed to the Callaway County Commission, McGee said he wants to add a fourth.
While the county has not signed anything, officials have received agreements that discuss NextEra setting up a fund to pay for the removal of the solar panels, paying for any road repairs needed as part of construction and pay around $200,000 annually in a payment in lieu of taxes.
McGee said he'd like to add a development agreement to the collection.
"That captures the concerns that I've felt and seen or seen on social media," he said. "I'd like to have those captured and identified upfront and we can all agree that this is the list of our concerns, this is what we'd like to do to mitigate that and try and reach an agreement on how we can move forward."
McGee said he's sent additional agreements to the school district to help the district where possible.
For instance, he brought up replacing school buses and students taking field trips to the farm to learn more about solar power.
Superintendent Sarah Wisdom said the district did receive the agreements, but the board has no intention of signing anything until the project is underway.
If NextEra sold the project before it's completed, the agreements would transfer with the project so the new owner would need to follow them as well, McGee said.
The County Commission has not received a map of the project area.
McGee said he wants to protect the privacy of those who have signed lease agreements, but he's working on a map that will lay out where the project won't be.
He also said NextEra will not be installing panels on the edges of properties.
The company plans to avoid installing any panels within 100 feet of a property line and will erect a natural barrier around the panels -- which will also be spaced away from the panels themselves.
The proposed agreements are optional, McGee said.
They're not required for the project to go forward.
"That is not our preference by any means," he said. "In fact, we're actively avoiding (it)."