Winnebago County’s funding for Freedom Field may dry up – News … – Rockford Register Star

Chris Green Staff writer @chrisfgreen

ROCKFORD Freedom Field Renewable Energy.

The name conjures up an image of sprawling acres of land populated withsolar panels ora wind farm producing an endless supply of self-sustaining energy.

"It is not a field," said Winnebago County AdministratorAmanda Hamaker. "It is an auditorium the size of a big-school cafeteria."

HamakertouredFreedom Field in early February with County Board Chairman Frank Haney andcame away less than impressed.

"The big missis R&D," she said. "There is no research and development being done there. There'snothing that connects the work ofFreedom Field back tothe grid, so to speak, but it also doesn't connectto any actual economic development for the future."

Hamaker, who has a MBA in sustainable business, made her comments Wednesdayafterthe Winnebago County Board's Economic Development Committee meeting, at which Haney asked for and receivedthe committee's approval to request a refundof $60,000 after the board paidFreedom Field atotal of$98,250so far in fiscal 2017.The County Board will consider Haney's request as early as Thursday.

The Freedom Field initiative was championed by Haney's predecessor, Scott Christiansen, a charter member of the nonprofit organization's board of directors. Christiansen, who continues to serve on the board,said the organization was volunteer-driven and had helped the county"retain and attract jobs because of the innovation that Freedom Field represents." He also noted that it has been a resource for college students, helping them get hands-on experience and attain jobs in sustainable energy.

Haney thinks otherwise.

"This is not personal," Haney said Wednesday oftheproposed $60,000 refund. "This is nothing more than right-sizing the investment with results."

On Thursday, Haneywas critical of the nonprofit's productivity:

"There is no correlation to the monies given to Freedom Field and (the creation of) local jobs, or more specifically, local green jobs.

"Sustainability and green technologies are not a gimmick. If we dont do sustainability right in terms of local investment, we are guilty of actually minimizing the importance, and hindering local industry from adopting green technology.

"So far, Freedom Field is nothing more than a long-term science project without any traceable research and development outcomes to invest back into local industry."

The refund requestcoincideswith Haney's campaign promise to be accountable for how the county spends money, particularly host fees.

Waste haulers who dump trash at the Winnebago Landfill are among several entities that pay a host, or tipping, fee to the county. Each year, the County Board earmarks anticipated host fee revenue for economic development projects. County leaders have weathered criticism, though, because the host fee program does not clearly define what constitutes "economic development."

Haney, who was elected County Board chairman in November,said the host fee program lacksadministrative oversightand is projected to spend $1.2 million more than what it earns this fiscal year. In addition, Haney said, the county has no disclosure policythat requires recipients to meet job creation or other economic development benchmarks thatwould justify thevalue of the county's investment.

The chairmanstressed that Freedom Field is not being singled out and saidallrecipientsof county host fee revenue will be scrutinized todetermine whether the publicreturn on investment merits continued funding.

Freedom Field, housed on the Kishwaukee Street campus of Rock River Water Reclamation District, isa nonprofit organization formed in 2009 to facilitate the development and operation of a renewable energy solutions center. Its mission, according to its latest brochure, is to "increase regional awareness of renewable energy opportunities and to facilitate development and commercialization of renewable energy solutions."

Chet Kolodziej, Freedom Field's executive director,also addressed the Economic Development Committee on Wednesday.He spoke of Freedom Field'spartnership with Rock Valley College andits annual presentation of theNorthern Illinois Renewable Energy Expo, a showcase of sustainable energy strategies attracting 250 to 300 people a year.

He told committee members that Freedom Field does not have and has never had established hours of operation and rents its space from the sanitary sewer district at little to no cost. He latertold the Register Star that Freedom Fielddoes not have any employees. Instead, he said Freedom Field is operated "more as a laboratory" oron anas-needed basis.

Winnebago County contributed$712,668.04 from its host fee fund to Freedom Field between Oct. 1, 2012, and November 2016, according to data that Haney provided the committee Wednesday. During thatfour-year period,more than $300,000 was sent back to the county's general fund to paythe salary of amaintenance worker.

County Board member Dave Fiduccia, R-11,questioned why the county would pay for a maintenance worker if Freedom Field does not own the building.

After the meeting, Fiducciasaid he felt duped.

"I thought there were people working there daily," he said. "I thought they had their little lab coats on and weredoing experiments."

Haneysaid he learned after touring the facility in February that Rock Valley College has pulled its equipment from Freedom Field.A Rock Valley Collegeprofessor of engineering and technologydeclined to comment.

Kolodziej said about 60 percent of the county's funding goes toward maintenance of equipment, such as pumps, motors, solar panels and inverters. "Anything that moves needs a fair amount of upkeep," he said.The remaining 40 percent, he said, goes toward event programming.

Kolodziej said he does not know whether Freedom Field would fold withoutthe county's funding.

"That's a board decision," he said. "It is something that needs to be evaluated."

Christiansen said numerous studentsin Rock Valley College's Sustainable Energy Systems and other degree programshad completed projects at Freedom Field and used the experience they earned there to land jobs.

"The fact that Freedom Field was on their resume they got hired," Christiansen said.

The former CountyBoard chairman said he understands the cash-strappedcounty is trying to save money wherever possible.

"During my time, we cut $26 million, and they'll have to cut some more," he said.

He describedFreedom Field's annual operating budget as "fluid," at times totaling up to $100,000 depending, he said, on thenumber of projects taking place at the facility.

He also said Freedom Field will remain openno matter what level of funding it receives from the county.

"The goal has always been to get away from public funding. I think the goal for Freedom Field is to beindependent," he said.

Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen