Improving Radios

Lincoln County Commissioners on Wednesday, acting upon the recommendation of Emergency Management Director Vic White, agreed to purchase two mountaintop towers for radio repeater-relay stations to improve countywide telecommunications for emergency services.

With the support and attendance of Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe, Undersheriff Brent Faulkner and Capt. Kirk Kraft, who specializes in radio communication, commissioners agreed to pay Jeannette Maki Kelley $50,000 for repeater stations on Pinkham and King mountains.

The Pinkham site will enhance communications near Eureka and the King station will improve communications near Troy.

“They wanted to get out from under them, and they offered us a very reasonable price,” White told Commissioners.

Essentially, the repeater towers improve radio communication for emergency responders at distant parts of the county.

Both sites include towers and metal support buildings. The King site has a 50-foot tower while the Pinkham site has a 100-foot tower, and includes a 40-foot lattice tower.

Currently, the county is leasing repeater-radio space from the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe railroad, and White said he expected the cost of those leases to increase.

“We could easily be up to $65,000 by next year in costs,” White said.

Emergency Management Assistant Lisa Oedewaldt told Commissioners upon the purchase of the sites there were improvements that must be completed, namely generators. Oedewaldt said she is confident the cost of the generators could be obtained through grant money.

 Furthermore, Oedewaldt confirmed as the county takes ownership of the sites, there is the potential for the sites to be revenue-generating.

Oedewaldt said last year, the sites generated about $17,000 in lease payments while it had to lease the land from the U.S. Forest Service for $2,000 annually, netting a $15,000 gain.

Those other agencies that would use and pay the county include BNSF, the Army Corps., Adelphia Cable TV, Lake Creek TV District, Citizens Telecom, the U.S. Forest Service and the Border Patrol.

“It just makes a lot of sense,” White concluded.