The City of Athens selected an engineering company to assess radio frequency emissions and structural security of the new communication tower on Roosevelt Drive.
Athens Service-Safety Director Paula Horan Moseley hired the Center for Municipal Solutions Municipal Telecommunication Consultants to evaluate the environmental impact of the tower, including soil stability, anchor quality and weight. The Center for Municipal Solutions has affiliate companies in 37 states; one affiliate, Fox Engineering of Ripley, W. Va., will assess the Roosevelt Tower for the company and suggest future legislation for communication towers, said Jennifer Fox, owner of Fox Engineering. Athens City Council allotted $5,000 for the engineer at a March meeting.
City council approved the hiring in response to residents' concerns about the tower's stability and the city's lack of experience with communication towers, councilwoman Nancy Bain, D-3rd Ward, said.
Moseley chose the company because of its experience with writing legislation about communication towers, and a Center for Municipal Solutions employee contacted Bain with questions about the tower. No bidding was required because the allocation was under $25,000.
Fox Engineering specializes in writing legislation to make towers profitable for cities. Cities have made between $1,000 and $2,000 a month renting space on tall buildings and towers to cell phone companies, Fox said. Any suggestions from the company would have to be approved by city council to be enacted.
We'll see what we can get for $5
000 Moseley said.
The old tower was demolished Saturday, and the new one is not yet operational.
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Jessie Balmert
