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Platte County weighs courthouse communications tower as fix for radio gaps; staff to return with firm costs and height limits
Summary
County commissioners debated whether to add a freestanding communications tower to the courthouse renovation to consolidate rooftop antennas, reduce roof penetrations and address radio coverage gaps (notably in Guernsey). Preliminary cost ranges were broad; staff were asked to return with FAA height limits and hard cost estimates for May 5.
Platte County commissioners opened an extended discussion on whether to incorporate a freestanding communications tower into the phase-two courthouse renovation, seeking to move aging antennas off the roof, improve radio line-of-sight and provide capacity for future equipment.
Commissioners and technical staff heard from Ken Sayers of Absolute Solutions and county communications staff, who outlined three broad options: build a new tower adjacent to the courthouse, place repeaters at other county sites linked by microwave or fiber, or continue relying on rooftop antennas. Sayers said the new structure would “make it a lot easier to add more antennas” and would reduce routine roof access and penetration risks.
The issue is framed partly as a public-safety imperative. The Guernsey chief told the board the town “sits in kind of a hole” and that officers “lose communication with dispatch, which is, you know, a danger for us officers,” pressing commissioners to consider coverage improvements beyond cosmetic rework of rooftop gear.
Cost estimates discussed in the meeting ranged widely depending on scope. Vendors and staff gave order-of-magnitude figures: a lower-scale installation focused on relocating some antennas might run in the low hundreds of thousands, while a fully outfitted, public-safety-grade tower with new antennas, foundations and site infrastructure was discussed in the range of about $2.25 million (some speakers summarized the order as “two and a quarter” to “two and a half million”). Commissioners acknowledged the cost uncertainty and asked staff to return with firm quotes.
FAA and engineering constraints also shaped the discussion. Staff said the Federal Aviation Administration review follows a rough 1-foot-per-100-foot rule relative to the airport, and early feedback suggested a tower in the 70–80-foot range would likely be feasible at the courthouse site; vendors warned that antenna stacks can add another 20 feet above a tower’s structural top. County engineering and insurance requirements (including the possibility that stamped PE drawings and cad-welded grounding may be required) were flagged as additional line items in cost modeling.
Officials discussed alternatives: adding low-altitude repeaters in Guernsey, upgrading an existing paging repeater, installing vehicle boosters, or pursuing a Wildland/800-MHz style upgrade — options with varied price and interoperability trade-offs. Commissioners asked for cost comparisons that include: (1) tower with new antennas and engineered foundation; (2) repeaters plus microwave or fiber links to a remote tower site; and (3) incremental upgrades to existing rooftop equipment.
Next steps: staff and vendor representatives agreed to gather firm pricing, confirm the maximum FAA-permitted height for the courthouse location and produce concrete civil/steel bids with timelines. Commissioners aimed to review concrete bids and a recommended maximum height at the next board meeting on May 5.
Why it matters: radio coverage affects county police, fire and ambulance operations across several small towns. The board framed the decision as balancing one-time capital cost against ongoing maintenance, rooftop risks and the need for sustainable, countywide radio coverage.
