WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |La Crescent city council passes resolution opposed to power lines
Member Center:
Not in my backyard.
The La Crescent City Council takes a stand against the proposed high voltage power line project.
That powerline project is called CapX2020 project.
Under the project, 150-foot power lines would run from the Twin Cities to Rochester, Minnesota, to La Crescent and into La Crosse.
Last night, La Crescent's city council voted against those from coming into town.
La Crescent Mayor Mike Poellinger says, "The city had a resolution last night that basically says we don't want the power lines in the city."
The resolution passing is a step in the right direction for many La Crescent residents who oppose the project.
La Crescent resident and Citizens Energy Task Force member Jeremy Chipps says, "We're very grateful and very happy to the city council and yes, it's from the perspective of power lines running from the city."
Although La Crescent resident Jeremy Chipps is happy with the resolution that the city council passed, he says it doesn't go far enough.
Chipps says, "Just add little more teeth to it that we would also demonstrate a need to protect rate payers in La Crescent and La Crosse as well as actual need for a power line to go though Southeast Minnesota and to La Crosse."
Jeremy Chipps says the energy costs would go up to pay for the project.
Chipps says the resolution should include that the city needs proof that the power lines are needed.
La Crescent Mayor Mike Poellinger says they want proof as well, but have reasons for not including that in the resolution.
Poellinger says, "We're very concern about utility costs going forward at the same time we need to be careful since we are a growing community, we don't want to say we don't want to put up any infrastructure in the city."
Another issue that the mayor says some people had with the resolution is that it only opposed the power lines in the city and not nearby.
Poellinger says, "To be correct and have the most important we can't become extraterritorial; we can only pass a resolution that affects us in the city."
The Mayor says it will be up to other cities and townships and municipalities to pass their own resolution.
The resolution also said that meetings will be held to inform residents of the need and environmental implications of the power lines
The city also said if power lines go through La Crescent, property owners will be "justly and appropriately compensated" for the taking of their land.
Citizens Energy Task Force: www.cetf.us
Institue for Local Self Reliance: www.ilsr.org
North American Water Office: www.nawo.org
Additional Information: Maps, details: www.capx2020.com
also: www.nocapx2020.info
