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Novel hydrogen plant takes first step toward approval
CLOVERDALE — Because of its proximity to U.S. 231 and Interstate 70, the town of Cloverdale exemplifies a unique and profitable location for companies like PCC Hydrogen who, at the most recent town council meeting, took the first step of two in tax abatement approval for the anticipated pilot plant.
Based out of Louisville, this hydrogen production company is “the first low/negative carbon index hydrogen production facility of its kind in the world,“ according to a June 13 press release.
Jeffrey Harrison, chief technical officer insists that it will attract national and international attention.
“What we’re witnessing here is a transformation in energy supply,” Harrison said. According to the press release, “PCC Hydrogen’s plant will showcase the efficient conversion of logistically friendly ethanol into high purity, low/negative carbon index green hydrogen,” making the process environmentally and commercially viable.
“Ethanol is excellent feedstock for producing hydrogen, and the hydrogen combustion then goes into a fuel cell, which is sort of like a battery that provides electricity,” Harrison said. “The hydrogen is useful for things like long-haul trucks, moving equipment and cement mixers.”
Another advertised benefit to PCC Hydrogen is environmental impact. “There’s a way to control carbon dioxide emissions, which is really what’s driving this due to climate change,” Harrison said.
He and the PCC Hydrogen team predict that the plant will attract national and international attention for its novelty amid economic, environmental topicality. The plant is projected to begin operating within the first quarter of 2024, if approved in the second abatement step.
In discussion with Kristin Clary, executive director of Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center, it was predicted that PCC Hydrogen will begin with eight employees, with the average wage of $60,000 plus benefits.
PCC Hydrogen’s proposed investment of $3.8M in personal property and $500,000 in Real Property was made known to the board, with roughly 3.5 acres of land now eligible for abatement. Clary and the PCC Hydrogen team will seek final abatement approval during next month’s council meeting during the public hearing.
Endorsing PCC Hydrogen’s move into Cloverdale, “I will say on behalf of the town, it’s exciting. The first of its kind, here in Cloverdale Indiana,” town council President Brandon Tancak said.
“If you don’t get excited about a new opportunity like this coming to our town, maybe you’re in the wrong town, because this is exciting stuff regardless of how you look at it,” he added.
After closing public hearings, the council addressed Town Marshal Steve Hibler’s retirement.
Hilber served for six and a half years as the town Marshal and boasted upward of 14,000 hours of service, 150 arrests, 555 tickets written and 182 crashes worked, and assembled a team of officers on a “shoestring budget,” as he stated at the town meeting. Thursday, June 15 was his last day.
“But even the statistics don’t do justice with the fact that I think there’s an improved feeling of security residents have,” he said.
He turned to the council cautioning that they’d “better find a person who knows how to solve problems and who’s able to take control of a situation.” The council and those attending the meeting stood to applaud Hibler.
Continuing on with the agenda, Adam Peaper, Community Planner at HWC Engineering, addressed the council with a report on county demographics after a focus group and workshop was held in early April to gather necessary data.
Based on Peaper’s findings, there has been an eight percent population decline from 2000 to 2020, a decline that is their “number one goal” to stop through attracting businesses and diversifying housing types.
The average age is 43.9, which is “a little older than the state average” according to Peaper. There is a 63 percent owner-occupied to 37 percent renter-occupied housing split, which Peeper stated was “fairly typical for what we see across the state.”
What appeared to concern Peaper, however, was the 13 percent housing vacancy statistic, as well as the discovery that nearly 40 percent of rental households are spending 30 percent of their annual income on rent, signifying a “disproportionate, burdensome share of your income,” he said. The council did not respond when Peaper asked if some of these statistics “sounded right.”
For new business, councilmember Scott Stierwalt proposed lowering the speed limit in Stardust Hills.
“With the inadequate lighting, no sidewalks, kids riding their bicycles along the edge of the street, I feel like it’s time that we need to consider lowering the speed limit in that part of town and maybe in other parts of the town as well,” Stierwalt said.
A member of the public mentioned that, while he did not feel against the proposal, minimal street lights and obstructed line-of-sight on street corners due to trees ought to be addressed in Stardust Hills and throughout the town.
Whether or not the speed limit can be lowered is unknown. Larry Fidler, council member, said he remembers the state allows the town council to decrease the speed limit by only five miles per hour. “But if the people that are driving out there aren’t going to pay attention to the 30 mile an hour speed limit, they’re not going to pay attention to 25 or 20,” Fidler said.
The board discussed an increase of police presence and ticket-writing as a way to get the word out to those speeding through town. As they were deliberating, a member of the public interjected.
“Why don’t you walk around like I do, and almost get hit on a constant basis?” she said. When cars come speeding down the road, “I usually just step into somebody’s yard because otherwise I’d be dead many times over,” she added.
The board said it will look into the legalities of changing the speed limit, and take the other public comments into consideration.
Other business:
The SRO contract was approved for another year, following in the footsteps of the Cloverdale School Board. Jason Hartman, town manager, brought up the 12 SRO Officer applications, asking that the board review the contract.
The written multi hazard mitigation plan was distributed to the council, and a resolution confirming the council’s awareness of natural hazard risk was read and approved. The town of Cloverdale, as well as some other Putnam County towns, as participated in developing the updated plan.
A new Utility Terrain vehicle is being budgeted, with Hartman and vice president Brice Howell discussing the different blades and vehicles to buy, with different quotes around $27,000. The motion to carry through with a Kamoda UTV with a Western blade was approved.
The Bennington Way construction has been delayed, said Hartman, because a sewer lateral was hit whilst digging. Working around the delay will involve a $27,000 cost difference, but, “it’s something we don’t really have a choice in if we’re going to do it properly,” Hartman said. The money needed to complete it, according to treasurer Kelly Maners, is in the additional appropriation fund. It was approved by the council.
A motion to buy a piece of vacant property at 54 N. Lafayette Street was approved by the board.
Columbus Street sidewalk construction has appeared to have taken longer than expected. Pressures from the council will be placed upon the overseers of the project.
An special ordinance from Hartman was brought to the council, seeking approval to allow “short term rental” spaces via services like Airbnb and VRBO in the town of Cloverdale, while hopefully using some of the vacant properties to attract more visitors, Hartman said. The ordinance was approved with parking limitations, maximum stays and property approval in mind.
There is a vacancy for planning commission and park board seats. Tancak noted that the position is open to the public and inquiries can be directed to Maners.
An OCRA grant resolution was presented to the council for the ongoing stormwater project, which, if the grant is given, will be a $440,600 grant if matched by local funds. The council approved.
A remodeling of the utility office was brought to the board by Maners. The improvements involve putting a door between the main office and the entryway so that the records room, which doubles as her office, is not the first point of entry for visitors. She also suggested general improvements such as lighting and ceiling updates. Tancak added that “nobody can get to Jason’s office without walking through Kelly and Rebecca’s office, or vice versa,” suggesting a practical use for the renovation. All but vice president Brice Howell approved.
The next town council meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 11 at 7 p.m. at town hall.