The REAL Public Perception of the Ameren Workshops...

Understand what "permit" means.  Read old posts.  "Permit" is spelled out in the Appendix B.  It is not as simple as portrayed if Ameren really makes property owners submit to the "RULES" spelled out in their SMP Appendix B.  Just another example of why we need the 660.  Why should you have to permit something that is yours?  You should not.

The following are 2 emails that I received from people who went to the "workshops" held by Ameren. 

Email 1:

 I wanted to let you know that I went to the meeting last night. There was no forum for public input. You could only go around

the room and talk to various officials from Ameren. What we learned was that the 662 line on their maps is not official, only an estimate.

Also, they said if your house is below 662, they will draw the line around it, but if some other structure, like a deck, is below you can apply for a permit at the cost of $100.

Today, we are mailing a form which essentially asks Ameren to send someone out to see if we need a permit or if we are OK.

 Email #2:

Just thought I would share some thoughts and concerns I have after going to the Ameren Town hall/workshop meeting in Sunrise Beach, Jan 5.

The first thing I would like to say this is a horrible forum for meetings and should never be allowed as input meetings for citizens to voice their concerns and ask questions on issues. There will be no imput back to FERC from this meeting.

 Upon arriving at the meeting, my first observation was that most of the people there were elderly. After talking to a few couples I found out that they were all scared to death that they were going to loose their homes because FERC/Ameren were going to take them. After talking to the Ameren representatives they were happy they were not going to be moved out of their homes so they were willing to accept the 662 elevation. Ameren had also told the ones that might have a problem that they would be cut out and taken care of.

 To me this is the old Scare them bad then they will accept the least of the two evils.

I first talked to the County Assessor, and asked the question why 662 instead of 660? I also asked if he was going to re-evaluate my property since now I am considered lake front property and assessed as such. If Ameren takes the property up to the 662 elevation which could be nothing in some cases or could be who knows how many feet in other cases depending on how the property lays, I would in essence be a 2nd tier property owner and therefore should not be assessed at the higher rate lake front property is assessed. He told me no I would not be reassessed. I also wondered in this case scenario would Ameren's taxes be reassessed because they are now claiming this valuable lake front property. That ought to worth a considerable amount of money in taxes from Ameren.

To tie in with this I later asked an Ameren Representative why 662 instead of 660 and was told because FERC wanted that border around the lake for access for the public. They can't have it both ways to charge me for being lakefront but FERC/Ameren says it is open to the public to the 662 elevation however far that is up in my yard.

So my question to the County and State Governments is: Is Ameren going to pay taxes on the expensive Lake Front Property? I am a Realtor, our property values are based on Lake Front Foot. Lake Front property is worth considerably more then 2nd tier property, With this taking of property I have in essence lost the majority of value in my property. I am not going to pay taxes based on being lake front property when some body could come pitch a tent in my yard between my house and my dock! 660 elevation is the norm for the lake, I can take you to any property you can look at the high water mark on seawalls or erosion on the bank and know where 660 is.

 I then talked to an Ameren Representative. My first question to him was:

"Why 662 instead of 660"? His answer was "FERC would never approve 660 because they want a border around the lake for the public to be able to access the lake".

I then asked "is the 662 elevation a contour elevation?" his answer was "Yes".

I then asked "is it today's contour or the contour from1928?" He said "today's contour"

My question and observation about that is: over the last 84 years since the elevation was first set and the surveys were done for the original purchase of the property, the ground around the lake has eroded immensely. I would venture to say, with the exception of rock bluff property that the old contour lines could in most cases be way out in the lake today. I know from my own property that I have owned and lived on since 1978 that it has washed out 2 or 3 feet and in some places more then that from rain run off erosion, wave action and the raising and lowering of the lake.

Another problem I have with what is happening is the lack of accurate maps that Ameren is basing all of this on. The maps start out with the county plat maps showing the lots and property lines, these are just an overlay and are not accurate for anything. Then Ameren put their overlay on that and now this is their Bible, this is what is telling them who is in their boundary. I think Ameren should have to have the whole lake surveyed to the 1928 survey and 1928 elevations. With each and every new property line put on an accurate map with current elevations, before they tell somebody that their house or their lake property belongs to Ameren.

 Ameren is a "For Profit" company, their taking of Private Citizens property with the blessing/orders of FERC is un-constitutional. Think about it, get you a handful of dirt and rocks, or make a mound in the yard, pour water over it, what happens? It washes out, that is what has happened to the Lake in the last 84 years. What they are proposing is to take property up to a new contour of 662' that is a huge amount of property that they are trying to steal with the Governments blessing. It is a huge amount of private citizens wealth when their property in essence becomes 2nd tier property with access for the general public in front of it. We were a unique Lake, with Lake front ownership, property's have been bought and sold for the last 84 years on this premise and now it is in jeopardy of being taken away from us because of FERC and a "For Profit Co." Ameren Electric.

I protest the 662 elevation, the 660 elevation (normal high water mark) should be all that is included in the project boundary with the easement to flood that is understood by all and covered by FEMA flood plain maps.

The problems still come down to a FERC and Ameren Land Grab!!!!!



Well said.