County must spend $200,000 to move equipment from tower

Carbon County must spend nearly $200,000 for moving a satellite dish and other 911 equipment from a tower that is being worked on by the state.

On Thursday, the county commissioners approved two actions for the turnpike tower project at the Big Boulder tower site.

The first action approved a proposal with Radio Maintenance Inc. of Reading for the purchase of new equipment through a state contract for the new turnpike tower project. The cost is $97,339.06 and will include new equipment and ancillary services, as well as installing the equipment at a temporary shelter and then to a new shelter.

The second action approves a proposal with Tower Services Unlimited of Harrisburg for a 12-by-16-foot one-room precast concrete equipment shelter at the site. The cost for the purchase is $98,689.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that the project came about in January when the state informed Carbon County that it was replacing the tower.

“We have a satellite dish and equipment on that tower,” he said, adding that the county’s equipment will eventually go on the new tower, but needs a temporary home for communications purposes in the meantime.

The county has money already set aside for projects at the communications center, but this unexpected project forced the county to delay other projects that had been in the works.