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Daniels County commissioners push Billings for cost details on tower decommissioning before accepting transfer
Summary
The county reviewed a Billings proposal to decommission and transfer a communications tower; Daniels County officials said the draft places open-ended decommissioning, transport and reinstallation costs on the county and asked Billings for a clear cost breakdown before proceeding.
Daniels County commissioners spent the bulk of the meeting pressing for specifics on a draft Billings agreement that would decommission a communications tower and — potentially — transfer it to Daniels County.
County officials said the version of the document they received appeared to shift responsibility for “payment of all costs and expenses associated with decommissioning and removal of the tower” to Daniels County without any dollar figures. Commissioners said the draft also required reimbursement to the city for any damage to city property during decommissioning and contemplated transportation and reinstallation costs in Daniels County.
The board did not accept the draft. Commissioners asked staff to get a detailed cost breakdown and legal review before committing. Brian (Billings) told county officials he would review the paperwork and contact Priscilla at the city to clarify outstanding items and the expected cost share. County staff said they had expected earlier discussions to produce a cost split (half/half was discussed informally in prior conversations) and were surprised by the county‑liability language in the current draft.
Commissioners discussed alternatives and contingencies. Several members said running fiber to the sheriff’s office or using microwave links could be cheaper or serve as a reliable backup, and they noted the county is exploring whether trailer transport and on‑site crane work could be feasible if the county ultimately accepted a tower. Commissioners and staff repeatedly said they needed an explicit dollar estimate for crane work, removal, transport and reinstallation — one commissioner suggested crane days might run several thousand dollars — before any commitment.
Next steps: the county will ask Billings for a clearer cost breakdown and the written allocation of responsibilities; Brian said he would contact Priscilla and report back. The commission also set a follow‑up meeting schedule to consider the matter once numbers and legal advice are available.
