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Columbia County authorizes emergency management coordinator to begin microwave tower repairs
Summary
The board authorized the emergency management grant coordinator to proceed with repairs on three microwave links after members were told grant funds and a 1/10th tax pot should cover costs; Dayton Hill work is delayed pending FEMA EHP clearance.
The Columbia County board voted to authorize the emergency management grant coordinator to proceed with repairs to three microwave links that officials said will fix persistent communications gaps.
The coordinator, identified in the meeting as Nancy, told the board the projects cover three links—described in the meeting as Starbucks to Thorn, Courthouse to Dayton (Dayton Hill 1) and Thorn to Delaney—and involve replacing old microwave dishes with newer equipment to improve reliability. "We need these," Nancy said when summarizing the purpose of the upgrades.
Nancy outlined funding sources for the work, saying grant money listed on a Word document and a 1/10th tax "pot" of $82,246.18 could be used and that an E‑911-related grant account came in about $98,000 higher than budgeted, creating sufficient funds so the county would not need to provide additional money at this time. "So we're not gonna have to cough up any money," she said.
She warned, however, that she filed an Environmental Historic Preservation (EHP) review for the Dayton Hill link and cannot begin work on that site until FEMA returns the EHP clearance. In the meantime she recommended starting the Starbucks and Delaney links while the Dayton Hill EHP is pending.
A committee member moved "that we authorize the emergency management grant coordinator to go forward with the microwave repairs that she's brought before us today." The chair called for a voice vote, heard "aye" and declared the motion carried.
Next steps cited in the meeting: staff will begin procurement for the two sites not blocked by the EHP and will await FEMA clearance before starting Dayton Hill; members also said they would continue pursuing additional grants Nancy has applied for.
The board recessed for an executive session on potential litigation later in the agenda and then adjourned for the day.
