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DocuSign Envelope ID:AA090EE8-66C2-4C49-8A7F-E6578EE85BD7 <br /> I. Solar Statement <br /> Communities interested in pursuing SolSmart designation must indicate their commitment to supporting solar <br /> development in their community through a Solar Statement that includes: <br /> • A commitment to participate in the SolSmart designation program <br /> • A statement of solar goals, areas of focus or community priorities (e.g. encouraging solar development on <br /> vacant lots or supporting non-profit led initiatives) <br /> • Past achievements or programs related to solar and/or renewable energy <br /> • Commitment to tracking metrics related to solar and/or provide benchmark of available solar metrics (i.e. <br /> number of installed municipal systems or growth in residential installations) <br /> • A commitment of staff time and resources to improve the local environment for solar <br /> Orange County has completed the Solar Statement requirement. <br /> II. Foundational Categories <br /> The Foundational Categories include: 1) Permitting and 2) Planning, Zoning, and Development Regulations. <br /> • To qualify for SolSmart Bronze,your community must complete the required actions (P-1 & PZD-1) in both of <br /> the Foundational Categories and earn at least 20 points in each category. <br /> • Your community can use additional points within these two categories to help achieve the required point <br /> totals for Silver(at least 100 total points) and Gold (at least 200 total points) designation tiers. <br /> On the Intake Form,your community claimed 10 points in Permitting and 30 points in Planning,Zoning, and <br /> Development Regulations for a total of 40 points in the Foundational Categories. <br /> Permitting Points Upon <br /> Criteria Proposed Action Completion <br /> Example:P- Example: The Advisor will determine the current fee structure for solar installations, and Example:5 <br /> 5a review how much information regarding fees is available online. If the fees are variable, the <br /> Advisor will conduct several trials to determine costs for different-sized solar systems. The <br /> Advisor will speak with the director of the department responsible for collecting fees and <br /> determine how the community determined the current rate.Additionally, the Advisor will <br /> speak with staff reviewing solar plans to determine the amount of time spent on the review <br /> of different-sized systems. The Advisor will draft a memorandum to his/her supervisor <br /> outlining the findings of the research and trials, and discuss alignment with best practices. <br /> P-1 The Advisor will work with the Orange County Planning Department to identify all Required <br /> steps required to permit 1.) a small-scale residential or business rooftop solar <br /> installation; 2.) a large-scale ground-mounted solar farm.These steps will be <br /> summarized in a checklist and posted online in a location that will be clearly visible <br /> to future interested parties. <br /> P-7 The Advisor will review national best practices from the Solar ABCs and collect 10 <br /> practices from collaborating jurisdictions and bring them to the Orange County <br /> Planning Department to discuss their feasibility within the County Context. If <br /> Planning Department feels that a single separate standard solar permit form is <br /> feasible within current code,the Advisor will work to create the necessary <br /> materials and request their adoption. If not,the Advisor can work with the <br /> Planning Department to explore any feasible changes to the code that would be <br /> necessary, and then proceed with creating and proposing the form as described. <br /> 2 <br />