Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sawyer County OKs $250,000 tower after Bug Tussle lease expires; funding contingent on zoning approval
Summary
Following the expiration of an anticipated lease and stalled private tower plans, the county approved up to $250,000 to build its own Meadowbrook radio tower, proposing to fund part from contingency and resource development funds and to seek lease revenue to shorten payback; approval contingent on zoning consent.
The Sawyer County Board approved a plan to proceed with construction of a county‑owned radio tower in the Meadowbrook area after a planned private tower (Bug Tussle) failed to materialize. The estimated cost for the tower itself is $250,000; county staff recommended covering $167,000 from project contingency and using $83,000 from the resource development fund if needed.
Public Safety and Public Works reported that Bug Tussle's permit expired and the county needed to pivot to a county-owned tower to meet communications objectives. Mr. Markgren presented projected costs and suggested the county could lease space on the tower to a cellular provider, which might generate roughly $3,000 a month and materially shorten the payback period. Mr. Alwig moved to approve the expenditure contingent on future zoning approval; the motion carried by voice vote.
Officials said the construction timeline depends on concrete cure and permitting, with a target of completing installation by the end of summer if zoning and site work proceed on schedule. The motion includes the condition that zoning approval be obtained in the June cycle before construction proceeds.
What happens next: zoning review in June, procurement/contracting for tower foundation and erection if zoning is approved, and pursuit of lease partners to offset costs and accelerate repayment.
