Wednesday, April 17, 2002

Board gives nod to use of private towers By JOHN THOMPSON jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com It only took the Fayette County Commission seven minutes Thursday to change its zoning ordinance to help the county's 911 system. The ordinance now allows Fayette County to use existing towers for 911 and emergency services. The reason for the change is the new frequencies being used by the county's emergency services. Years ago, said county attorney Bill McNally, the county was given a frequency that was also used by general users. The frequency has now been sold, and the FCC assigned Fayette County a dedicated frequency that other municipalities also use. The new frequency spreads out like an umbrella, instead of a straight line, so the county will need higher towers. By using existing towers, the county stands to save a substantial amount of money. New towers cost anywhere between $350,000 and $375,000, which would be a huge cost for the taxpayers, he added. With no discussion from the public, the measure passed unanimously. What do you think of this story? Click here to send a message to the editor. Back to the News Home Page| Back to the top of the page