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Town hears technical brief on $180,645 emergency communications upgrade to new cell tower
Summary
Officials presented a plan to spend $180,645 to move and upgrade emergency‑services communications equipment to a 168‑ft cell tower on Old Range Road; emergency management and chiefs said a third‑party RF analysis identified dead zones and the upgrade aims to remediate coverage gaps for police, fire and EMS.
Article 14 asked voters to authorize $180,645 to upgrade and relocate the town’s emergency services communications systems to the cell tower on Old Range Road. Resident Matt asked technical questions about ownership, RF analysis, frequency coordination and post‑install warranty and maintenance costs.
Emergency Management Director Eric Maxwell said the town does not own the new tower but has mounting rights under the lease that allow the town to place equipment with no cost for mounting. He said third‑party RF testing identified dead zones across the town and that the proposed work is intended to remediate those gaps for police, fire, ambulance and public works and to maintain mutual‑aid compatibility. Maxwell said FCC authorization had been submitted for channels the town plans to use and that equipment warranties typically range 10–15 years; he offered to make the RF report available to interested residents.
Police and fire chiefs described frequent failures of two‑way radio coverage in parts of town and emphasized safety risks when officers or responders cannot reliably communicate. The presenters said placing equipment on the 168‑ft tower should materially improve coverage on the town’s western side and provide reliable access to dispatch and mutual‑aid partners. The excerpt records discussion and technical clarifications; it does not include a final recorded vote in the provided transcript.
