Randolph Township Resolution

RESOLUTION OF RANDOLPH TOWNSHIP

           

            WHEREAS, in the Matter of the Route Permit Application for the CapX2020 Hampton-Rochester-La Crosse 345 kV Transmission Line (“Line”), public hearings were held before Administrative Law Judge Kathleen D. Sheehy (“ALJ”) during the week of June 14, 2011, with evidentiary hearings held before the ALJ at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission offices in St. Paul during the week of June 20, 2011; and

            WHEREAS, on February 8, 2012, the ALJ issued recommendations with regard to the route of the Line; and

            WHEREAS, the ALJ recommended a deviation from the Preferred Route of CapX2020 (“1P”) and, in fact, recommended Route 1P-003 (“1P-003”) moving the line away from the area of State Highway 52 and onto property located within this Township; and

            WHEREAS, the ALJ’s Finding No. 111 states:  “…it is the State’s policy to recognize the impact of human activity on the natural environment, and the need to balance development with restoring and maintaining environmental quality, and to attempt to make decisions that create and maintain conditions under which human beings and nature can exist in productive harmony while fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations;” and

            WHEREAS, the Preferred 1P route requested by CapX2020 substantially follows the existing Highway corridor of Highway 52 in the area of Cannon Falls and the ALJ’s recommended Route 1P-003 substantially creates a new corridor where none previously existed; and

            WHEREAS, Minn. Stat. § 216E.03, Subd. 7 sets the rules the Public Utilities Commission must consider in citing such a Line as including “…effects on human on settlement, esthetics … recreation, and public services;” as well as “effects on public health and safety;” “effects on land based economies including …agricultural;” and

            WHEREAS, the visual and esthetic impacts of Route 1P-003 would be devastating, while the use of CapX2020’s Preferred Route 1P are through an area already encumbered by major transportation and other system; and

            WHEREAS, the 1P-003 Route impacts more acreage of native plant communities than does Preferred Route 1P (ALJ Finding No. 275); and

            WHEREAS, the IP-003 route would run along the east boundary of Lake Byllesby Regional Park, managed by Dakota County and Lake Byllesby County Park, managed by Goodhue County and further parallel a planned regional park, recreational trail, and a bridge crossing the Cannon River that are proposed in the park 2005 Master Plan and are planned for construction in 2013 (ALJ Finding No. 301);

            NOW THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED by the citizens of Randolph Township at their annual meeting that the Township opposes the ALJ recommended Route 1P-003 and strongly encourages that the Public Utilities Commission approve Route 1P along Highway 52. 

Dated this ____ day of March, 2012

________________________________ Chair Person of Township Board

146766

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