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Gencom says Metobrook tower would cost about $374,000; county to seek carrier commitments
Summary
Gencom representative Gary Pelleter told the Sawyer County Public Safety Committee the county’s proposed Metobrook radio tower build is estimated at roughly $374,000 (including about $40,000 for electrical hookup) and could support multiple cellular carriers; tribal lease and a $90,000 modification to an existing WJB tower remain unresolved.
Gary Pelleter, a Gencom representative, told the Sawyer County Public Safety Committee on June 1 that work is progressing at the Draper radio site and that the county is preparing to move forward on additional sites, including a proposed tower at the Metobrook dump station.
Pelleter said concrete was poured at Draper and the site buildings are on hand and will need about 28 days to cure before tower erection can begin. He said contractors will next pour concrete at the Birchwood lease site and that the Metobrook site is now under active consideration because the private company that had been expected to build there, referenced in the meeting as Bug Tussle, has gone silent.
On refined cost estimates for a Metobrook build, Pelleter said the county is looking at “right under $374,000” once additional loading for two cellular carriers, battery backup for winter operation and an estimated $40,000 electrical hookup are included. He said carriers often pay for tower modifications that arise from structural analysis and that colocation could bring lease revenue; Pelleter estimated, as a rule of thumb, roughly $3,000 per month per carrier in some areas but said the county should contact providers to confirm interest before increasing the finance request.
Adam Fischer, participating online, said negotiations with a tribal partner over the lease at a separate WJB site remain unresolved and that the tribe’s attorney, Dylan, is reworking the lease document because of a change in tribal lease policy. Fischer also reported that the existing WJB tower is dated and that a vendor quote to bring the tower into modern compliance was “almost up to $90,000.” Who would pay for that modification was not settled in the meeting.
Pelleter said an environmental (NEPA) review and soil testing are already under way and are expected to be wrapped up in roughly a month, which could align with zoning approvals and allow civil work at Metobrook to start in July. If approvals, zoning and funding align, he said work could proceed with a target for county cut-over in the fourth quarter, with October–November as the likely window.
Committee members expressed concern about the higher cost and agreed the finance committee should review the increased estimate. The committee asked Gencom to reach out to AT&T, T‑Mobile/US Cellular and other carriers to confirm potential colocation interest before the finance meeting.
Pelleter also confirmed the system design will provide two digital channels and a single analog paging channel at the new sites. The committee scheduled an ad hoc meeting with tribal partners the following Monday to press outstanding lease and structural issues and asked Gencom to provide updated cost documentation for the finance committee.
The committee took no formal vote on the Metobrook build during the meeting; members approved only routine minutes earlier in the session.
