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Commission debates emergency uses and longevity of proposed tower; ambulance service noted as potential first user
Summary
Commissioners questioned whether the proposed radio tower is needed given satellite and cellular coverage, asked about decommissioning and escrow, and heard that the applicant offered the ambulance service a free account as the first local beneficiary.
Commissioners used part of the May 15 meeting to probe the functional need for the proposed radio tower and to consider public-safety benefits.
Member 3 and others questioned why the tower is needed if satellites and cellular networks already provide broad coverage; members suggested these questions be asked at the hearing. Member 3 also raised the issue of useful life and removal plans for obsolete towers: "Who's gonna take it down?" he asked, and the commission discussed requiring an escrow or restoration account to cover decommissioning costs. Member 6 described likely early uses and customers, saying the company "gave the, ambulance service a free account. So they're gonna be the 1st 1st account on the tower will be the ambulance service for the local town." Members noted that two-way radios remain important for the local fire and ambulance dispatch and that ham radio and industrial two-way systems continue to have specific emergency uses.
Next steps: commissioners plan targeted questions about functional need, line-of-sight justification, and decommissioning/escrow measures for the June 19 hearing.
