Supervisors to consider easement allowing ITC Midwest to upgrade transmission line across Melinda Rife Riley Prairie

Johnson County supervisors were briefed Aug. 6 on a proposed electric line easement for ITC Midwest LLC that crosses the county-owned Melinda Rife Riley Prairie property north of Solon along Highway 1. Brad (last name not provided), a county representative, said the utility wants to increase the voltage and upgrade the line, which requires additional easement rights even though there are no poles or structures on county land. The proposal would grant ITC maintenance rights under an overhead line and include new vegetation-management guidance to protect the prairie’s grassland character, Brad said. County attorney staff worked with the conservation department to craft language intended to preserve conservation goals, particularly controls on shrubs and trees beneath the line. Why it matters: the easement would allow ITC to upgrade regional transmission capacity while limiting impacts to a county-managed natural area that the conservation department is restoring to grassland. Supervisors asked clarifying questions about whether poles or other structures would be placed on county property and were told there are none, but maintenance access still requires an easement. What happened next: supervisors directed staff to place the easement request on the agenda for formal consideration at the board’s next meeting and to set a public hearing; no formal vote on the easement was taken on Aug. 6.