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Broadband and emergency-radio buildout draws sharp exchange over county response
Summary
Candidates debated cell towers, broadband expansion and emergency radio: Drake said emergency services failed to appear at a tower hearing; Nolan said the county has invested about $34 million and is building a county radio network.
Broadband and public-safety communications were a central point of disagreement at the Shandaken forum. Drake described long-term efforts to get cell service and emergency radios in the district and accused Ulster County Emergency Services of not showing at a critical town meeting; Nolan said the county is implementing a radio buildout and cited roughly "$34,000,000" in county investment.
Drake said emergency radio coverage is distinct from cell service and vital in flood scenarios where conventional signals fail. "Police cannot talk to other police in vast swaths of this area, and it's gonna get somebody killed," he said. Nolan responded that the county's program seeks tower colocation for radio, cell and broadband and that neighboring-county sites are being used to establish line-of-sight connections. Both candidates supported pursuing radio, cell and broadband but disagreed about past county engagement and communications to local stakeholders.
