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Supervisors approve Alliant Energy permit; engineer warns of large ITC transmission project
Summary
The board approved an Alliant Energy permit to place underground and overhead lines on several rural roads and tabled a seal-coat contract because of missing paperwork; County Engineer Brian Harowski warned the board about an unrelated, large ITC 345 kV transmission line that may cross county roads and is subject to public filings in Johnson County.
Muscatine County supervisors approved a utility permit June 29 allowing Alliant Energy to install underground and overhead electric lines on multiple county roads, and they tabled a separate seal-coat contract after staff found an incomplete form.
County Engineer Brian Harowski described the Alliant Energy request as “fairly straightforward,” saying the company plans underground electric on several stretches of Foster A and on 130th Street (from Highway 70 to Kelly A) and both underground and overhead work on parts of Kelly A. The board moved, seconded and approved the permit; one supervisor recorded opposition during the voice vote.
Harowski also addressed a separate, much larger transmission project proposed by ITC: he described a high-voltage line—reported in the meeting as roughly a 345 kV route—coming from the Cedar Rapids area, moving through Lynn and into Muscatine and terminating near a substation around 130th Street and Iron City. He said the line would cross county roads in multiple locations, require large construction equipment and that utility filings in neighboring Johnson County include public hearings and, in some cases, eminent-domain proceedings.
On the seal-coat contract (LM26-10-73-70), Harowski said the contract package arrived late and one required form was not filled out correctly. The board voted to table that item so the contractor (identified in the packet as L.L. Pelling) can provide corrected documents.
Harowski said county gravel roads are unlikely to have long-term damage but paved roads will require preventative maintenance where heavy equipment crosses. He said staff are working on road crossing agreements and will evaluate needed protections and repairs.
Harowski encouraged residents concerned about the high-voltage line to monitor state public-utility filings and local public-comment periods in Johnson County. No timetable for the ITC project construction across Muscatine County was finalized in the meeting.
