Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Telecom Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County receives expanded $374,000 estimate for Metobrook radio tower, seeks carrier commitments
Summary
Gencom updated the Sawyer County Public Safety Committee on multi‑site radio projects, reporting Draper foundations poured and a Metobrook dump‑site tower now estimated at roughly $374,000 (including a projected $40,000 to bring electricity). Gencom urged outreach to carriers and noted tribal lease and tower‑modification issues at the WJB site.
Gary Pelleter of Gencom told the Sawyer County Public Safety Committee the county’s radio modernization remains on track but has grown in scope and cost. “We’re sitting right under 374,000 for all the changes,” Pelleter said, adding the estimate includes structural upgrades and battery backup; roughly $40,000 is attributed to bringing electricity to the Metobrook dump site.
The update covered work across multiple sites. Pelleter said concrete has been poured at the Draper site and equipment shelters are on hand; contractors will next complete civil work at the Birchwood lease site and then move to Metobrook. He said Bug Tussle, the developer previously tied to the Metobrook area, has gone “radio silent,” prompting Gencom to recommend a county‑owned tower on township land at the dump site.
Gencom urged county staff to reach out to cellular carriers to secure colocation commitments before sending the increased estimate to finance. “If you can get two carriers on there, I mean, that tower will pay for itself eventually,” Pelleter said, estimating a ballpark lease of about $3,000 per month per carrier. He explained the county can register the tower in the FCC Antenna Site Registration (ASR) system so carriers can discover the site and contact the county.
The committee also discussed structural capacity. Pelleter said the Metobrook design allows extra loading for two carriers and could support a third with paid modifications by that carrier. Separately, Adam Fischer reported that the WJB (tribal) tower is aged and will require substantial modification to meet modern standards; he cited a quoted modification cost approaching $90,000 and said the tribe’s attorney is revising the lease under a new tribal health ordinance.
Pelleter said Gencom has already begun environmental review and NEPA compliance work to avoid construction delays; he expects that study to finish in mid‑July. If zoning, NEPA and financing align, civil work could start in July and cutover to the new radio system is possible in the fourth quarter (October–November).
Committee members said the higher Metobrook estimate will need finance‑committee review and suggested getting carrier interest confirmed in advance of a funding request. The county and the tribal ad hoc committee have continued communications, but members described the pace of progress on the WJB lease and tower work as slow.
Next steps noted in the meeting: Gencom will provide updated scope and cost documents to county staff, staff will contact carriers (Gencom recommended contacting AT&T and others), and the finance committee will consider the increased estimate at its next meeting.
