Title
Northeast Sedgwick County Park easement with Westar Energy.
Body
Request from Westar Energy to expand an existing easement allowing them to relocate and upgrade an existing transmission line further away from the road right of way on north 77th St.
Recommended Action: Approve the agreement and authorize the Chairman to sign.
This easement request is on a half-mile of County owned land used for Northeast Sedgwick County Park (NESCP). The parcel is southwest of the intersection of 77th St. North and 127th St. East. In compliance with the Land Water Conservation Fund act, which applies to the NESCP land, the State of Kansas and the National Park Service have approved the proposed easement.
Westar currently has a transmission line on this parcel of land which has been in place, with an associated easement, since the mid 1970’s. Westar is proposing to rebuild the existing line using higher capacity metal poles as well as shifting the current alignment to the south, further away from the road and right of way. In order to do this they are requesting an expansion of the easement to the south.
County citizens will benefit from improved reliability of the new poles and transmission lines. County Public Works will benefit by having the poles moved further from the road centerline at Westar's expense, allowing the potential for future road improvement without the cost of moving the poles by the County.
Alternatives: The BOCC could choose not to approve the agreement, in which case another method for providing the easement would need to be found.
Financial Considerations: None
Legal Considerations: Under KSA 19-101 fourth the Board is authorized to make all contracts and do all other acts in relation to county property necessary for the exercise of its corporate and administrative powers.
Policy Considerations: This agreement follows established policies and procedures.