The Oakland town board approved a resolution opposing the proposed transmission line routes at its September meeting, joining other municipalities in Jefferson County that have passed similar resolutions this summer.<\/p>\n
The proposed 190-mile 765-kV BECI transmission line would go through much of southern Wisconsin, connecting three electric facilities, and has met opposition from many area residents.<\/p>\n
The routes are currently in the public input process, and will go before the Public Service Commission for review next year. The review process will likely take between 12 to 18 months.<\/p>\n
Town Board Chair Laura Payne said the town will not get to vote on the line, but can submit public comments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not involved in this process at all; we do not have a say,\u201d Payne said.<\/p>\n
Still, the town board voted unanimously to approve the resolution that detailed the town\u2019s opposition to the line.<\/p>\n
The resolution said the line would reduce property values, limit use of private property, fragment farmland, interfere with farming processes and reduce the value of agricultural land in the town. The resolution continued that the line could harm natural resources, wetlands and wildlife, and emphasized the negative impact on the Lake District\u2019s preservation work in the town.<\/p>\n
The resolution concluded that the town \u201cunequivocally opposes\u201d the construction of the line through the Town of Oakland, and encouraged the developer, Midcontinent Grid Solutions, to select a route that minimizes impacts on rural areas.<\/p>\n
Town Clerk Wendy Tanguay said the resolution will go to Midcontinent Grid Solutions, the PSC, the governor, and state and local officials.<\/p>\n
The Lake Mills town board<\/a> and the Waterloo city council<\/a> recently passed similar resolutions to make a statement to the communities and the PSC on the municipality’s stance. The towns of Deerfield and Christiana also had similar resolutions on recent agendas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ahead of the board passing the resolution, several residents spoke during public comment.<\/p>\n Melisssa Grimmer said she was \u201cvery disappointed\u201d the board hadn\u2019t yet taken action.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we still need to act,\u201d Grimmer said. \u201cWe need to ensure that our township is showing support for the residents here and fully opposing these transmission lines.\u201d<\/p>\n And Lynn Klipstine argued the land is being \u201cexploited\u201d and the board needs to take action.<\/p>\n \u201cOur land is sacred, and we\u2019re just giving it away for progress,\u201d Klipstine.<\/p>\n Other discussion<\/p>\n Also at the meeting, the board decided to table a decision on a new group to record meetings.<\/p>\n Resident Sheila Palinkas offered ideas for recording options she had researched, and Tanguay said she had reviewed a few quotes.<\/p>\n Tanguay said she was considering the most affordable options that also had the best video and audio quality. Tanguay recommended tabling the decision until the town had more information. She also said Palinkas could give a presentation at the next meeting on her ideas.<\/p>\n