Commissioners agree to purchase Blue Mountain repeater

Alan Lewis Gerstenecker

Editor

Lincoln County Commissioners on Wednesday approved the purchase of the Blue Mountain radio transmission repeater station for $65,000.

The purchase of the multi-tower facility with building from Marlyn Howard of Troy completes a trifecta of buyouts of repeater towers necessary for emergency transmission.

In November, the county purchased two other towers — on Pinkham and King mountains — from Jeannette Maki Kelley for $50,000. The Blue Mountain station purchase will aid radio transmission around Libby while the Pinkham and King mountain purchases aided transmission in Eureka and Troy respectively.

“This is the final leg of completion of repeater sites,” said Emergency Management Director Vic White, who made the recommendation to commissioners with Assistant EMA Director Lisa Oedewaldt.

Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase.

The cost of the tower will save the county in the long run, as it currently  leases repeater service from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

Also, White explained by taking ownership of the site, on which the land is leased from the U.S. Forest Service, the county will receive service income from the U.S. Forest Service and the Montana Department of Transportation. Last year, the combined lease income was $6,975.

White said BNSF is on the verge of seeking a contract renewal for Lincoln County that could have cost as much as $65,000 annually.

“We used to have grants to help us pay for these leases,” White said. “Those grants are all but dried up. This just makes good sense.” 

White explained to commissioners there would be additional costs, namely establishing back-up generators, but he is confident Oedewaldt can write a grant to fund the upgrades.