Washington County frets over Wellman phone tower’s future

WELLMAN — A phone service tower destroyed by a tornado last March has given government and business decision-makers new headaches as they consider its replacement. The structure was owned and operated by Wellman Cooperative Telephone Association, but also housed Washington County emergency communication relays that enabled responders’ portable radio equipment in 5-10% of the county.

On Tuesday, after months spent in meetings to hash out insurance coverage for the tower, County Supervisor Jack Seward Jr. said the phone company announced potential plans to rebuild the structure elsewhere, a move that would delay the county gear’s redeployment, but potentially improve its coverage along the English River area.

“It’s going to mean a whole new permitting process with the FCC, the FAA, the historical commission, Indian government commissions, which would likely push back any build on the tower, to get that leg of our system running, about six months,” Seward said. “Which would put us pretty well right into tornado season once again.”

Wellman Telephone General Manager Dion Schminke said the relocation wasn’t a guarantee, and that he planned to continue talks with the county. He said there were “other options on the table” that would “keep the project on-track,” but declined to specify what those options entailed.

Schminke said the tower’s move — if it happens — would bring in money and service from other carriers who would be more likely to rent a spot for their own equipment on the tower if it were closer to a population area.

“As time has gone by, it’s looking clearer that the opportunity of getting somebody else to go on that (location) is becoming less and less and less,” he said. “We’ve had to take a step back (and) make sure we’re doing the financially right things with the options we have on the table … It’s a $500,000 investment to put a tower up, and how do you pay for a $500,000 investment with a $400-a-month tenant on it?”

If Wellman Telephone does end up moving the tower, county supervisors said they would likely either wait for its construction, or buy the old one’s lot and build a new, county-owned structure there. That’s not an especially easy alternative: Seward said the price tag would come in around a cool $400-$450,000, well above the previous one’s $400 monthly rent.

In the meantime, Seward said redundancies kept the emergency communication system working outside of a small area, using four other towers around the county.

But the longer the county waits on a replacement, the higher the chances get of another tower going down in another disaster. Seward said that scenario would “put us into a situation where we would not be able to operate normally.”

However low those odds may be, county officials said they were hesitant to hold back potentially lifesaving construction over monetary concerns. County 911 Dispatch Supervisor Cara Sorrells said the state could provide portable relays in the event of an emergency, but that there were few long-term options.

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An effective tower would need to reach at least 200 feet above Wellman’s average altitude, according to county officials. In the past, the county has stationed a police car close to radio dead zones to serve as a relay for back-and-forth signals, but that’s far from the communication guarantee of an operable tower.

Leftover ARPA money could help foot the bill for a county-owned structure, but how much cash that entails — if any — is unknown until a finalized cost estimate comes back for Orchard Hill facility plans on Wednesday next week. Seward also suggested a small, local bond issue in collaboration with local banks could help pay for the project.

In any case, financing a new tower would likely prove challenging, given House File 718, a recently passed state law that limits the county’s tax rates starting next fiscal year.

Still, all members of the board said they were uncomfortable with the risks of waiting on a relocated tower. Supervisor Richard Young said it simply wasn’t worth it.

“Just think what would happen if you have an officer-involved shooting, and that officer can’t get out on his portable because we made a decision to wait six months or a year,” Young said. “If they start digging that tower and they find one arrowhead, they just stopped that build for who knows how long? Yeah, it’s a lot of money, but is it a lot of money for the whole system when you’re talking people’s lives.”

Young said he would still be in favor of a county-owned tower regardless of the previous structure’s potential relocation.

“What happens if Wellman Telephone or Sharon Telephone gets bought out by U.S. Cellular or some place,” he said. “That could happen tomorrow. That rent could go to $2,000 a month, $3,000 a month if some big cell company comes in and buys those towers up … then we’re at their mercy with our system.”

Supervisor Marcus Fedler said he agreed that timing was paramount, but that he wasn’t necessarily on board with building a new tower worth more than several years of the previous one’s rent.

“I don’t think Wellman Telephone’s going anywhere,” he said. “I’m not necessarily in favor of the county owning a tower that only serves the county.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com