Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Broadband Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Buckner business session delays $24,000 water-tower internet project pending fund review
Summary
Council members discussed a Diamond Computers proposal to install point-to-point antennas on the town water tower; the project’s cost was revised upward from an originally approved $10,000 (about $3,600 spent so far) to a roughly $24,000 invoice, and members agreed to revisit the proposal in November after updated fund and rebate information.
At a Buckner business session, council members discussed a Diamond Computers proposal to install point-to-point internet equipment on the town’s water tower and deferred action until the town’s rebate and fund balances are clearer.
The chair said the town previously approved $10,000 for the project and that roughly $3,600 has been spent; a new change order would raise the remaining invoiced cost so that the total project invoicing would be about $24,000. "But now it's going to be 24,000," the chair said during the discussion.
Staff described the technical approach: because the tower has no existing railing or mounts, the vendor proposed a three-point magnetic bracket designed to hold antennas in high winds. Each antenna is approximately eight pounds; the proposal includes three point‑to‑point sets linking town hall, the water tower and public works. Staff said ground rods and lightning protection would route any strike away from the network switch.
Proponents said the link would provide significantly faster internet to public works, enable off-site server backups so the town could recover more quickly after a fire, and allow currently nonworking cameras (including one at the water pit) to operate. Staff pointed to recurring monthly savings on the current public‑works internet bill, estimated at $300–$350, and suggested a roughly three-year payback.
Several members expressed concern about proceeding while the sewer account and loan obligations remain uncertain. Citing a rebate deadline and the need to confirm available balances, the chair and others agreed to place the item back on the agenda in November for a final decision.
The council did not take a final vote on the Diamond Computers work at the meeting; members asked staff to return with updated fund figures and rebate timing before approving additional expenditures.
