Randall resident Ron Hince has been concerned about Alliant Energy’s plans to put utility poles on a tricky curve of a county highway near his home.
Last month, Hince made his case to the Town Board. The board took in the info and asked him to come back again in October.
When Hince showed up again Thursday, the town had some good news for him. Instead of locating the poles on the curve, where Hince and his neighbors say they will be a potentially deadly hazard to cars that regularly run off the road there, Alliant now plans to put the electric service underground.
That partially satisfied the persistent Hince.
“If they’re going to go underground, I think that addresses that,’ Hince said of his concern about safety for motorists.
But Hince, who has a background working with eletrical lines, is still unsatisfied with the utility’s plans on two other fronts.
One, he feels the series circuit the utility is planning is not as reliable as it could be. He likens its structure to old-fashioned Christmas lights “where one goes out and you lose the whole string. That’s what they’re proposing.”
Second, Hince contends the proposed line is not economically feasible because it is being extended to serve homes that likely will not be constructed soon.
Town Chairman Bob Stoll said the town is not likely to get involved with the issues outside of safety along the roadway.
“Obviously, we’re very concerned about safety,” Stoll said. But he indicated that Alliant is willing to send a representative to a future meeting.
And if they do, you can bet Ron Hince will be there too.