By MIKE CORN

mcorn@dailynews.net

LA CROSSE -- The message Thursday evening was loud and clear: Adjustments need to be made to the location of a proposed power line stretching from Spearville to Hays.

The reasons for moving the lines varied, however, from aesthetics to interfering with a proposed wind farm in central Rush County.

It was just as clear that landowners don't consider a one-time, up-front lump payment for easements as fair.

Easement payments, they said, should be made annually, following the life of the line.

While there was no outright opposition to construction of the line, people started streaming in as much as an hour prior to the scheduled start of a public hearing on the construction of the 345,000 volt line. Eventually, the La Crosse City Auditorium had nearly 160 people.

Generally, the line would angle from Spearville, then head nearly straight north through Rush and Ellis counties.

Once it reaches straight west of Hays, it then would head east to connect up to a substation just northwest of town.

The first phase of Thursday's hearing offered the opportunity for questions to be asked of developer ITC Great Plains.

Notably absent from that aspect of the hearing were Kansas Corporation Commission members Tom Wright and Mike Moffet. Once the questions were asked and answered, commissioners were called and allowed into the hearing.

That's when the more formal session started, with each of the 13 people who wanted to make statements sworn in together. A court reporter was on hand to make a transcript of the hearing.

Luke Haines pleaded with both ITC and the KCC for a change in the path of the line. If not, the power line would slice through the "beautiful Kansas sunsets" offered up by his west-facing house north of Yocemento.

"I would like to see a different proposed line," he said, "not impairing our view."

Tony Eller agreed.

"The line is basically going to be over the top of my house," he said.

Eller said he talked with ITC personnel and the "options didn't seem very good to me."

He recommended the KCC investigate the route and how close it will be to homes along the way.

Dan Pfeifer followed the same message, urging the KCC to allow line changes of more than 500 feet, as is generally the case. He suggested that ITC have latitude of as much as a half-mile in locating the line.

Pfeifer also is in favor of annual easement payments.

"As long as the line is there, I think it should draw some income in for the farmer," he said.

Ellis County Commissioner Glenn Diehl threw his support behind the line, with a slight catch.

"I'm in support of this transmission line," he said. "Hays and Ellis County needs this transmission line."

But locating the line parallel to roads can create conflicts.

"I would like to see perhaps half-section lines looked at, to minimize the impact of people who live on section lines," he said.

Effectively, that could mean a change of a half-mile in the track of the line.

Several members of the Mathews family asked the KCC to move the line at least 4 miles west of the Nekoma area in Rush County.

That's because landowners in an area from Nekoma to Hargrave have signed agreements with General Electric for a wind farm, they said.

Among those testifying was Dr. D.B. Mathews.

While he said they are bound to confidentiality agreements, he said the line passing through the area would preclude a number of turbines from being built there.

Mathews said at least two turbines on every 160 acres of land would be lost, about 120 in all.

Based on payment estimates detailed from the Spearville-area wind farm, the loss "would run at least seven figures annually," Mathews said. "At least."

If that happens, he cautioned, the landowners would seek damages through a class-action lawsuit.

While the warning brought no response from either the KCC or ITC, it joins all of the other comments and will be made part of the official record.

The KCC will conduct a technical hearing in the case June 8 in Topeka. A decision must be made by July 13.