Private company offers to help replace tower

By By Chris Allen Baker/staff writer
March 1, 2002
County Administrator Rex Hiatt said Lauderdale supervisors are considering working with a private company to replace a condemned communications tower.
Fred Rogers, chairman of the Lauderdale County Emergency Communications Commission, told supervisors during a work session Thursday that a division of ComSouth in Hattiesburg has offered to install a new tower.
Rogers said the county would have to provide electric and telephone service to the new tower's site.
In return, ComSouth would allow the county and the city of Meridian to place five antennae on the tower free of charge for two years. After two years, a lease would be arranged for the antennae space.
A new tower site has not been selected.
Rogers presented the Meridian City Council with the same report during a work session Monday. He said it was suggested in the city meeting to place the new tower at the same site as the current one.
Rogers said the commission has asked ComSouth to provide cost estimates and is waiting for a response.
The current tower, Rogers said, has been in place since 1972.
Rogers said county officials have notified the Federal Aviation Administration about the tower and alerts have been issued to pilots about the tower lights.