Editor’s Note: During the Habersham County Commission meeting on May 16, residents of The Orchard expressed their concerns about Habersham County’s plans to build a 911 communications tower in their subdivision. In a follow-up to that meeting, Now Habersham asked County Manager Alicia Vaughn for an update on where the project now stands. Here is that Q&A:
When did the Commission approve the construction of the tower?
There is no formal process for approval of the tower sites by the BOC. The project budget is approved as part of the formal budget process. These decisions are made internally based on recommendations from staff, our professional consultant, and our vendor (CI/Harris Communications). This team has a regularly scheduled meeting every other week.
As the county manager, I seek guidance from and keep the board informed of the progress of any decisions made on system design which is the same process we follow for any large capital project.
Our team has spent considerable time researching alternate tower sites, and these studies include working with the vendor’s engineers to consider tower design, cost, and the effect of system-wide coverage. All these factors are considered during the decision-making process.
What are the next steps for the construction of the tower?
Staff has reached out to the POA [Property Owner’s Association] for The Orchard subdivision to set up a meeting to discuss their concerns and answer any questions they have concerning the tower project. Construction plans are currently on hold until this meeting occurs.
What is the timeline for the construction of the tower?
We have not yet received a formal timeline for the construction of this tower site, but we have sent this request to our engineers and can provide it when it is available. Much of the timeline will be dependent on the availability of supplies.
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Chairman’s letter spells out county’s intent to build 911 tower in The Orchard
