Decorah City Council wants to send a letter to the Iowa Utilities Board complaining about Alliant Energy

Decorah City Council members are not happy with the way Alliant Energy is treating the community.

"I think we're being bullied," said council member Steve Luse at a Monday night work session. 

City council members are unhappy with the utility because if the city doesn't sign a franchise agreement which binds Decorah to Alliant for at least the next five years, it will have to pay $1.5 million to have Alliant move electrical lines along Locust Road.

City council member Emily Neal questioned whether $1.5 million was a realistic cost for moving the electrical wires or whether the city was being "coerced" into signing the franchise agreement.  City council member Johanna Bergan said Alliant has broken its trust "not with us, but with the people of Decorah."

Because Monday night's meeting was a work session, no action was taken.  The issue will be discussed next Monday, May 4th, at the regular city council meeting.