The Preservation of Rural Iowa Alliance 
Spring 2015 Update
Message from 
The Board of Directors
The Preservation of Rural Iowa Alliance board of directors continues to meet weekly and have recently spent time working with legislators to protect landowners from the misuse of eminent domain. We are asking for your assistance during the remainder of this legislative session to gain as much support as possible from legislators across the state. This update is designed to provide you with information that you need to contact legislators. 

We are watching the Iowa Utilities Board process closely and at this time there is no clear indication of when the public hearing date will be set. This update also includes important information about Exhibit E's that must be filed by RICL and their need to perform onsite surveys of your property if you have not signed a voluntary easement agreement.  
Please continue to contact us with questions or concerns. Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to advocate on  behalf of landowners, families, businesses and community members  to protect private property rights. 

Carolyn Sheridan 
Board of Director President 
On Behalf of The Preservation of Rural Iowa Alliance 
Click image to see objections and voluntary easement numbers
The Numbers Tell the Story

Objections : 1305 formal objections 
You can still file your first objection or file an amendment to your original objection. If you file an amendment, add a note to let the IUB know this is an amendment.
Click here to find more information on our website about filing your objection. If you are a landowner and have not filed your objection - please do so now. This sends a critical message to the IUB, RICL, the media and legislators who are monitoring the proposed RICL project closely. 

Voluntary Easements: Less than 15% 
There are 176 voluntary easements registered at county court houses in all 16 counties. The Alliance checks each county court house weekly to monitor these numbers. 
Click the image to see a table with numbers in each county as of April 1st. 
Legislative Update
The Alliance is working closely with legislators across the state to protect Iowa landowners and to prevent the misuse of eminent domain. 

Contact Your Legislator:
Legislative action is taking place NOW!
Call, Email or Write your Legislator and other legislators from all areas of the state.  Ask them to support legislation that will help protect Iowa landowners. Please contact legislators as soon as possible since this is more than half over.  

Refer specifically to HF 620 which is still alive and needs the support of our legislators. 
HF 620 Requires the IUB to find that a proposed electric transmission line is necessary for a public use and has a reasonable relationship to the overall plan for transmitting electricity for public use.             
HF 620 Does not allow the a petition for a line to be granted if eminent domain will be used and the line does not include substations at least every 50 miles. 
HF 620 Makes definitions, including limiting the term public to mean consumers located in Iowa. HF 620 Exempts certain 345 KW and greater lines operating on AC and for specified utilities. HF 620 Effective on enactment and applies to filings since November 2014 that the IUB has not acted on.
HF 620 Electric Transmission Lines (Government Oversight; Successor to HSB 222)Floor Mgr. Kaufmann

What should you include in your communication with legislators?
  1. Your personal story and why you opposed to the misuse of eminent domain in general and for this project.
  2. Ask them to support HF 620.  You may consider using one or more of these talking points.

  • HF 620 provides guidance to the IUB in handling petitions by merchant transmission companies that request the right of eminent domain as part of their petition for a transmission franchise.

  • HF 620  requires any petition to transmit high voltage direct current filed by a merchant transmission company which requests the right of eminent domain to provide substations that allow power to be bought and sold by Iowans on the line.  By requiring these substations, Iowans will clearly have an opportunity to benefit from construction of the line.

  • HF 620 does not prohibit the construction of a high voltage direct current transmission lines by a merchant transmission company.  It simply sets requirements for the line if the right of eminent domain is requested.

  • This bill removes subjectivity in the IUB review of petitions to run high voltage direct current transmission lines when the right of eminent domain by establishing clear requirements that must be met to serve a public benefit.  

To call your legislator during session:
Representatives: 515.281.3221
Senators: 515.281.3371
Ask to be transferred to their desk.

To write your legislator during session:
(Legislator Name)
1007 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

To email your legislator call the numbers above or visit the Iowa Legislative website: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/ 
Representatives: www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/house
Senators:  www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/senate
Home addresses and phone numbers are available online.   
Or visit our website - Call to Action/Legislation Tab
                                                                 
Adopt a Legislator: 
Please consider contacting other legislators besides the ones in your district.  Not all legislators are aware of the concerns of landowners impacted by the RICL proposed high voltage transmission line. 
 

Lobbyists: The Preservation of Rural Iowa Alliance hired a lobbyist firm at the beginning of February (Carney & Appleby Law http://www.carneyappleby.com/)  to help offset the six RICL lobbyists registered with RICL. Our primary lobbyists are Doug Struyk and James Carney. The investment has been extremely valuable allowing us to have contact with numerous legislators on a daily basis as well as being able to keep in touch with all activities related to legislation that may impact this project and eminent laws in Iowa. 


 To Monitor Activity ONLINE:  Go to the Legislature Website: www.legisliowa.gov 

Watch live debate, find information about legislators, lobbyists and committee schedules.  
Exhibit E and Your rights 
Rock Island Clean Line filed their Petition for Franchise with the Iowa Utilities Board on November 6, 2014. The IUB is in the process of reviewing all 16 Petitions in each county to determine if they are in order. These petitions will not be considered complete until RICL files the necessary Exhibit E documents. 

RICL must submit an Exhibit E For each parcel of land that they have not been able to obtain a voluntary easement.
 
The Iowa Utilities Board rules for Exhibit E require a legal description of the property (which necessitates on-site surveying); This Exhibit E must contain the following information:

A legal description of the property (which necessitates on-site surveying); a legal description of the desired easement; a description of the easement rights being sought; a map drawn to scale that specifies the location of property boundaries, the location of the transmission line center line, as well as the {00394648.DOCX } -9- location of proposed structures or supports that will be located on the property; and a title search for each such property to show the names and addresses of all persons with an ownership interest as well as all tenants.  Each Exhibit E must also show any existing buildings within 100 feet of the proposed line, and any other features pertinent to the location of the line and its supporting structures

If you have not signed a voluntary easement and do not intend to do so - RICL needs to file an Exhibit E  with the IUB for your specific parcel of land. To obtain the needed information they will need to perform an onsite survey. 

 According to Iowa Code Chapter 478 (section 478.15) a landowner is within their rights not to allow RICL to conduct an onsite survey until a survey permit is obtained from the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB). 


 A landowner may allow a survey to take place without a survey permit if they wish. For more information on what the permit needs to include contact our organization.

 

 If RICL has an IUB survey permit and you chose not to allow RICL to survey your property you should seek additional legal advice for direction.
Look for your Post Card

Look for our newest post card which includes information about the legislative effort and landowners rights to ask for a survey permit from RICL.  Pass this post card on to others if you already have this information. 
Community Meetings
Since January we have been in 8 communities across the state and our goal is to keep people updated and answer questions.    
     
Upcoming Meetings:

Linn, Buchanan and surrounding counties 

April 10th - 7 PM

Location:  

Farmers Bank - Lower Level

117 North Main Ave

Alburnette, Iowa 52202 
 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. 
Click here to visit website

 Web pages include:

  • General Information
  • Community Meetings
  • Publicity
  • Maps
  • Legal information
  • How to file your objection 
  • Eminent Domain
  • News
  • Governance
  • Call to Action
  • Letters
  • Contact Information
  • Photos
  • Links to other organizations
  • Health Informaton

 

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