Page 130 - MFB State Annual Meeting 2018 -- RESOLUTIONS BOOK

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of-ways and other marginal lands, as well as industrial, residential and agricultural buildings, to reduce easements across farms for renewable energy projects
and
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to protect prime farmland.
We oppose:
Adding renewable energy equipment values to farm property tax assessments or personal property for taxation purposes when used by the landowner. Utility companies inflating land rental rates on their property to well above fair market value of contiguous property.
#48 UTILITY PLACEMENT
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As farm equipment increases in size, the placement of utility services becomes a concern. Adding to the potential problem, other utility lines, such as telephones and cable television, are installed below the existing electric lines. Access to, or operation in, a field or orchard with farm equipment creates the potential for contact with the lines.
We support the requirement of a utility to follow the National Electric Safety Code and Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) regulations to protect both the farmer and the utility from accidents which could cause injury to an individual or interruption of service to a community.
We support legislation or regulation to create a minimum height requirement for all utility lines. The cable industry has a minimum cable height requirement of 151⁄2 feet over roadways, driveway entrances and in fields. All new underground utilities shall be installed and maintained at least 4 feet under the surface. We support enforcement of a government agency that enforces the utility height and depth standards.
We encourage all parties (e.g. landowners, road commission, drain commission) to communicate prior to the installation of utilities.
We understand the value of utilities and broadband communication and support reasonable efforts to minimize damage to infrastructure.
The Governor signed into law Public Acts 173 and 174 of 2013. The new law provides clarity on the MISS Dig process for farmers by focusing efforts on risk management and providing greater incentives for compliance. The new law accomplished the following:
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Clarified that farmers are not required to call MISS Dig for farming operations that are no more than 12" below the surface within a road rights-of-way (ROW), and no maximum depth outside the ROW,
State Policies – Page
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