Emergency communications in Floyd County got a boost when a new tower near Rockford went active in earlier this year.
The tower was a key piece of the almost $5 million overhaul of the County’s current 911 system equipment, which had become too costly to constantly repair. Officials also noted there were “holes” in signal coverage and the project was needed to get Floyd County on the statewide 911 ISICS digital network.
Now, the County looks to recoup some of those costs by generating revenue through the lease of antenna space on the tower.
That’s Floyd County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Deputy Travis Bartz addressing the Board of Supervisors Monday (04.07). He noted that, because managing and marketing the rental space is beyond the time and capacity of County staff, he recommended contracting that effort with Pyramid, the company that constructed the tower.
Supervisor Gloria Carr agreed with Bartz’s recommendation.
Bartz also assured Supervisors that the County’s 911 operations will not be affected by adding rental antennas to the tower.
The topic was only a discussion item on the agenda, but Supervisors gave Bartz the support to pursue an arrangement with Pyramid. Bartz added that, while Pyramid will negotiate deals, the County will retain final approval of any lease agreements.
