EARL WATT

   • Leader & Times

During public comments at Monday’s Seward County Commission meeting farmer Jay Daniel Eakes addressed the commission about wind farm leases, and while he currently lives in Meade County, he has wind leases in Seward County as well.

But he said holding a wind lease did not mean he or anyone else with a wind lease should be considered to be in favor of the proposed project.

“I’m here to talk to the commissioners about a wind lease my family has in Seward County on the west half of 12-32-31 owned by Greenfield LP, land which I am farming for my family,” Eakes said. “We also have 640 acres of Meade County land in this lease. A lease we have come to regret. The first lease was signed in 2020. After reviewing and signing the initial lease, we were told not to share the agreement and pricing with other leaseholders. This was something that made us start to question their transparency, which they were talking about that was important to them. We signed a first amendment after that on Jan. 18, 2023. Fast forward a few years, we were contacted by a project manager wanting to lease five more quarters of ground for an underground cable. We talked, reviewed the proposed agreement, and stated we were interested as long as the contract had no above-ground structures, and the cable would have to follow a zone that would be mapped and put in the contract. They were unable to put that in the contract, but stated they would keep their word and not put any above-ground structures. We did not sign it two years ago. We were approached with a second amendment after the first and told it was the same as the first. It just needed a signature and date.”

But Eakes had the amendment reviewed, and there were concerns.

“After sending the lease to legal counsel, we were informed the second amendment lease had very few similarities to the first,” he said. “We told them we were not going to sign unless we had a lease like the first one that we were told it was going to be. A year later, they came back and were able to create a second amendment lease like the first one requested. At this time, we told them we were no longer interested in renewing a lease and would like to exit this project. We were told by the current project manager, ‘That’s not going to happen. We got you.’”

Different project managers continued to make contact with Eakes, and suspicion remained.

“Through this time, we have worked with different project managers, and each one has brought more confusion and more distrust,” Eakes said. “As angry and frustrated as we are, all we want is out, and we are unable to do so. I would like to tell the commissioners we are not the only leaseholders who are concerned. There are people in Meade and Seward County that I have talked to that have signed these contracts but are hoping that this project does not go through. I would like to tell the commissioners and let them know just because people have leases does not mean that they are still on board for this project.”

Eakes said this project spans beyond just those with leases and landowners.

“This is an issue that will affect many Seward County residents in some way,” he said. “People who have rural homes on small acreage or a home across the street from one of these many leases will be affected by their new neighbor being a 500-foot wind tower with a flashing red light.”

Eakes said he was not attacking anyone but wanted the commission to be aware.

“This is just our personal experience, and I please ask the commissioners to make the right decision for Seward County and all of his residents,” Eakes said. “We did sign in 2020 and like with many people, times have changed. I am married and have a child, and I’m wanting to set up roots in the Kismet or Plains area. I’m a fifth generation farmer. My family’s been here since 1914, and I’m wanting to keep this like what I am used to and let my daughter experience what Seward County was like. And I understand the issues of landowner rights, and I understand the issues of individual rights, but this is an issue in which I feel that is going to affect a lot of residents and rural residents that they did not ask for.”

Eakes offered to share any of the lease documentation with the commissioners if they so chose. Eakes asked the commissioners if any of them have seen any of the lease agreements.

“I’ve read them,” Commissioner Todd Stanton said.

“I think I’ve seen one,” Commissioner John Mettlen said.

No other commissioner responded if they had seen any lease documentation.