Inyo Supervisors planned to deal with the proposed Consolidated Office Building plan and the LADWP solar project at their meeting today.

At 10:30am, County Administrator Kevin Carunchio expected to ask the Board for direction on the final design of the proposed Office Building in Bishop. Carunchio wants the Board to do this for the next step in the design review process for the project.

After the Board gives Carunchio their ideas, he will work with Public Works and the rest of the Project Team to put together a non-biding plan and updated Term Sheet on the project.

This step follows public meetings on the plan to get citizen input. The meeting in the Bishop area did bring out critical questions about the need for the project and about many other empty spaces in Bishop that could serve as County offices.

At 2:30pm, the Planning Department expected to present a preliminary assessment of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for DWP’s solar project that they call the Southern Owens Valley Solar Ranch project. It is designed to cover 1200 acres with one million solar panels six miles southeast of Independence. DWP officials say they need this project to meet state-mandated clean energy goals.

So far, the Owens Valley Committee and the Manzanar National Historic Site have opposed the solar project. Some feel it would disturb the environment too much, and others believe it would destroy the view of the Valley. Still others have questioned why DWP doesn’t put solar panels on its own buildings and others here and in Los Angeles.