Sac County Supervisors, Sheriff react to complaint about the Communication Tower

Sac County Sheriff Ken McClure appeared before the sac County Supervisors on October 29th to discuss a complaint that had come in regarding the lights on top of the communication tower… they are out. According to the Sheriff, changing the bulbs is just a matter of climbing up the ladder and doing it, but there is a liability issue, which means that the typical contractor will charge in the neighborhood of $2,000.

In the past, L&M electronics changed the bulbs, but when approached this time, indicated to the Sheriff that they would no longer be doing that.

While researching solutions to getting the bulbs changed, Sheriff McClure ran across another potential problem. The red and white paint on the tower has lost over 50% of its luster, which could cost as much as $25,000 to repaint if somebody complains about that to the Federal Communications Commission about that as well.

Sheriff McClure did not, however, show up without a possible money saving answer to the problems. His preliminary research indicates that if the tower were lowered from its current height of 200 feet, to about 180 feet, it will be 10 feet lower than the height at which the FCC requires the lights and the paint. The two possible problems that could stand in the way of this solution would be if 180 feet was then not high enough to get the signal out to the landfill where the repeater sits, and if Verizon, who has an antennae affixed to the tower, needs all 200 feet.

Sheriff McClure was assured by an apparent expert in radio communications, John Zeman that the signal would reach. The sheriff admitted that he had not yet contacted Verizon.

Without knowing what Verizon’s height requirements are, and bearing in mind that Verizon doesn’t pay any kind of fee to the county for the use of its tower, the Sac County Supervisors directed Sheriff McClure to go ahead and find out what it would take to lower the tower. If they find out that Verizon needs the extra 20 feet, then they will perhaps talk to them about sharing the burden of the cost of the lights and painting.