Seasons Greetings

The Preservation of Rural Iowa Alliance

December Newsletter

Seasons Greetings from The Preservation of Rural Iowa Alliance

This holiday season may feel different for many of us due to our ongoing work and concern related to RICL. It can be hard to concentrate on the joys of the season with so much at stake. This is perhaps a good time to refocus our energy on family and friends knowing full well that we will also find the energy to focus on the work that needs to be done in our community and across the state. The Alliance board would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You for joining in our mission and for the work you have done and will continue to do until we have been successful. We will be ever grateful for the new friends we have made in so many communities across the state.

Happy Holidays!

Community Meetings

The Alliance is looking for places to hold "post

informational" community meetings across the state. Our goal is to help people understand their rights, how to objection, legal strategy, the franchise process and how to assist in stopping RICL.

Community meetings have been held in Ayrshire, Mallard, Goldfield, Eagle Center, Parkersburg, Tipton, Lisbon,Vinton and Latimer in the past two weeks. .

At each meeting it was great to meet motivated people who wanted to learn as much as possible about what needs to be done in their community and in the state to help stop RICL. The Alliance was able to clarify information that was heard at the Informational meetings and provide direction on how to file objections. Information was also presented on the objection filing timeline, the franchise process, easements, and the Alliance strategy including legal team updates. Thank you to those of you who attended the meetings and a big thank you for your contributions to the Alliance.

Upcoming Meetings:

Everly - Monday, January 6th at 7:00 pm; Hap Ketelsen Community Center, Everly, Iowa

Grundy Center - Sunday, January 19th at 2:00pm ; 705 F Ave Grundy Community Center, Grundy Center, Iowa

Email us at iowastopricl@gmail.com or call 712-262-5229 if you are interested in helping set up a community meeting in your county. We will come to your meeting to present information and assist in getting the right handouts, signs, and T-shirts. We will also help those who attend complete objections or navigate our website to make sure they have all the information needed to help stop RICL.

Beving, Swanson & Forrest ,P.C. Attorneys at Law website

From the Alliance Lawyers

December 2013

By Mark E. Truesdell and Justin LaVan

Beving, Swanson & Forrest, P.C.

The Eminent Domain Process

Why should you, as a landowner from whom Clean Lines seeks an easement, hold out against signing a voluntary easement?

Click to read this important document.

Click to to be directed to our website for more legal information.

Fund Raising is Important

RICL set another round of certified letters to landowners in O'Brien County.

Now that the informational meetings are completed RICL may proceed with filing their petition for franchise status. Click here to read about important legal information and the franchise process. This means that the Alliance will be moving forward with our work to prepare for the upcoming public hearing. At the public hearing the strategy includes testimony from our legal team and expert witnesses.

This emphasizes the importance of raising adequate funds for this part of our strategy.

We are asking that all communities across the state consider ways to become involved in helping make this effort successful.

Remember: The Alliance will file a large group objection for each county and the entire state. Click to read the Petition to Intervene for each county that has already been filed and accepted by the Iowa Utilities Board.

Continue to check our website, call or email to find out more information about how to help raise funds in your community and how to work with the Alliance to get the tools and resources you need.

Membership - Join Today

The Alliance is asking for your support to assist with ongoing preparation for the upcoming public hearing. All contributions will be used to stop RICL including legal fees, expert witnesses, publicity and marketing.

Why You Should Join the Alliance:

Get the facts and stay updated
The Alliance advocates on behalf of landowners, tenants, communities
The Alliance will help you file objections
The Alliance will provide unified legal representation as a large group
The Alliance legal team will file a large group objection at the public hearing

Click here to visit our website and learn more

With your support The Preservation of Rural Iowa will continue our ongoing work to stop RICL in Iowa.

Maps page

Website Update - New Maps

New maps are available for the entire state on our website.

The maps that were available prior to the informational meetings were the same maps that people received in tier certified letter and did not have much detail. The maps that are posted now are from RICL and are similar to what was available at the informational meetings.

Click to see new maps.

When you are on the maps page you will need to click on the box closest to the parcel of land you want to view. Then continue to click as many times as needed to get a close up view of the property.

Objections page

Website Update - Dockets

Docket numbers and the ability to see dockets from each county including filed objections and legal motions are now on our website. When you visit our website - click on the Objections Tab to find this information.

All counties are listed with docket numbers on this page. Simply click on the county that you wish to view and you will be directed to the Iowa Utilizes Board website docket page.

Informational Meetings

Informational Meetings in the entire state are completd. Alliance board members and other Alliance members attended the meetings to assist with handing out information and asking questions of RICL. Information about these meetings is available on our website.

Click for more information on our website

Kim and Steve at Vinton Community Meeting

New Board of Director Members

Please join us in welcoming a new board member. Kim Junker is a landowner from Grundy County who has been instrumental in helping provide information to people not only in her county but surrounding counties. Kim and her husband Ted have been present at a number of Informational meetings and community meetings.

All board members share in many tasks including attending a weekly board meeting, traveling to informational and community meetings, answering phone calls and emails. writing letters to editors, doing radio and TV interviews, talking to supervisors, talking to legislators, printing copies, drafting newsletters, typing meeting minutes, typing and formatting sign in sheets, handing out flyers, mailing letters, setting up and taking down meeting rooms and sometimes even mopping floors. Some jobs are not as fun as others but all are important!!! Thank you Kim for joining our board!

If you would like more information about our Board of Directors - please contact us at iowastopricl@gmail.com .

RICL Land Agent Code of Conduct

It is important that land agents from RICL abide by the "Code of Conduct" that RICL states they have signed. Click to read the Code of Conduct.

We stand for informing landowners, businesses, tenants, families and community members of their rights which includes understand how RICL Code of Conduct must be followed to prevent anyone being taken advantage of when signing a voluntary easement.

If you feel like land agents have not followed this code of conduct please contact the Alliance for support and more information.

Important Things To Do:

1- File your Objection Letter

Click here to go to our website for more information on how to file your objection including how to file electronically.

Click here for the suggested objection form.

Click here for a sample objection form which includes information on what needs to be included on you objection and ideas on what to say.

Make sure you include your docket number on your objection form:

Clay County (# E-22124); Palo Alto County (#E-22125); Obrien (# E-22123)

Kossuth is (# E-22126); Hancock (# E-22127 ); Wright (# E-22128);

Franklin (# E-22129) Butler ( # E-22130); Grundy(# E-22131);

Black Hawk ( # E-22132); Buchanan (# E-22133) Benton (# E-22134);

Linn(# E-22135); Jones(# E-22136); Cedar (# E-22137); Scott (# E-22138)

Finding objections that have been filed on the IUB website:

After you file your objection electronically or by paper you should be able to view your objection on the IUB website under the

Iowa Utilities Board docket search. This is also available on our website on the Objections Tab.Click here to be directed to that page.

Contact Information

Iowa Utilities Board Contact Information

Phone: 877.565.4450 (toll-free) / 515.725.7321

Email: iub@iub.iowa.gov

2- Write Letters of Opposition

Commodity Groups

Click for commodity group addresses.

Click for talking points to consider using in your letters.

Legislators and Governor Branstad

Click for key addresses for legislators and Governor Branstad

STOP RICL T- Shirts

Show your support! $10 per shirt

click to print t-shirt flyer

T- Shirts sizes:

Medium, Large, X-Large, XX-Large

Contact information:

jtparson@mtcnet.net or 712-838-4801

madson@ncn.net or 712-835-2038

Shipping costs are not included ($3 per shirt)

Checks payable to: The Preservation of Rural Iowa Alliance

All proceeds go to support "The Preservation of Rural Iowa Alliance"

Visit our website for updated information

Our goal is to provide you with the information you need all in one location. Weekly updates will help keep you informed of what is happening across the state and in your county. The website provides a way for the Alliance to update you on a real time basis.