Franklin County supervisors approve road-use agreement for battery storage project
June 16, 2026 | Franklin County, Iowa
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The Franklin County Board of Supervisors voted June 16 to approve a Road Use Agreement with Interstate Power & Light to support construction of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the intersection of 170th Street and Eagle Avenue.
Supervisor Lukensmeyer moved to approve the agreement and Supervisor McVicker seconded; the motion carried with all present voting in favor. The board record lists Supervisors Lukensmeyer, McVicker and Chairman Chris Vanness as present.
The item matters to county road management because construction traffic and stormwater can affect county rights-of-way. Chairman Chris Vanness said he had visited a battery storage facility after an inquiry about drainage and received a tour, raising drainage as an operational point of concern in the record.
The record does not list contract dollar amounts, detailed traffic mitigation measures, or a final drainage plan; those specifics were not specified in the meeting minutes and will require follow-up with county secondary roads staff or the county engineer.
The board handled the approval as a routine motion during its regular session; no amendment or recorded conditions were included in the minutes. The Supervisors later recessed for a separate drainage meeting that the minutes note is available from the Auditor's office or the county website.
Supervisor Lukensmeyer moved to approve the agreement and Supervisor McVicker seconded; the motion carried with all present voting in favor. The board record lists Supervisors Lukensmeyer, McVicker and Chairman Chris Vanness as present.
The item matters to county road management because construction traffic and stormwater can affect county rights-of-way. Chairman Chris Vanness said he had visited a battery storage facility after an inquiry about drainage and received a tour, raising drainage as an operational point of concern in the record.
The record does not list contract dollar amounts, detailed traffic mitigation measures, or a final drainage plan; those specifics were not specified in the meeting minutes and will require follow-up with county secondary roads staff or the county engineer.
The board handled the approval as a routine motion during its regular session; no amendment or recorded conditions were included in the minutes. The Supervisors later recessed for a separate drainage meeting that the minutes note is available from the Auditor's office or the county website.
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