Commissioners approve $3,000 purchase of Emmer Road acre for radio communications site

The Coffey County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize the chairman to sign a land purchase agreement with Buyer Management Group, LLP for one acre at 572 Emmer Road, Gridley, Kansas, to be used as a site for one of three county radio communications towers.

Emergency Management Director Amber Presley presented the item and described the site: an existing concrete pad and older tower will be removed, the county will construct a new tower pad and a secured 75-by-75-foot fenced equipment area somewhere within the purchased acre, and the county will retain surface area around that fenced section. Presley said the county had budgeted $15,000 for site work (demolition and new pad installation) but expected the cost to be lower because the contractor will already be on site for related work.

The agreement includes a perpetual easement for ingress and egress and language to ensure access; the board clarified access would remain via the existing drive. The purchase price recorded in the meeting is $3,000, with funds to come from the capital improvement reserve fund. The board moved and approved the purchase by voice vote.

Why it matters: the parcel acquisition is part of the county's emergency radio communications project; securing property and clear access are prerequisites to tower construction and eventual operation.

Ending

County staff will take the signed agreement to the title office and proceed toward closing on or before the contract date. Staff said they expect to return with related lease agreements for the other tower sites and with additional documentation for attorney review.