By Dianne Stallings, Ruidoso News
Original publication date: March 17, 2011

A decommissioned 75-foot tower slated to be dismantled may be the key to providing better emergency communications in northern Lincoln County.

County Manager Tom Stewart told county commissioners Tuesday that Emergency Services Director Travis Atwell constantly is looking for ways to improve emergency service communication in the county.

“One of our dead spots has always been the north side of the Capitan Mountains, the Nogal and White Oaks area and U.S 54 north of Carrizozo to Corona,” Stewart said. “Recently, (Atwell) came across a tower on Carrizo Mountain, which was being abandoned and he approached the owner, Sierra Nevada Property Management LLC, with a thought of acquiring the tower and associated equipment shelter.

“The tower site equipment was sold to (the company) by Qwest Corporation in June 2003.”

The manager said the site permit can be transferred to the county and Sierra Nevada officials proposed a sale for $1,000.

Atwell and Emergency Services Coordinator Joe Kenmore drove to the site over six miles of rough road behind the O-Bar-O Ranch. The trip took about two hours up and back. But their examination of the tower and equipment shelter concluded it would serve the county needs “in an outstanding fashion,” Stewart said.

Because the tower sits on federal forest land, a special use permit must be renewed and that process was begun, the manager said.

Commission Chairman Eileen Sedillo wondered if the easement to reach the site would transfer to the county and County Attorney Alan Morel said it would with the bill of sale. However, he cautioned that the permit from the U.S. Forest Service should be obtained before the purchase.

“If the permit subsequently was denied, we’d be obligated to dismantle the tower and haul it away,” he said. “It makes sense to ensure the permit is granted. I don’t know if the company is willing to wait.”

Atwell suspected the permit won’t take long, because forest service officials contacted him about the tower initially. They are interested in putting some equipment on the tower, he said.

Service officials indicated the permit would take four to six week to finalize, he said. “The other permit expired, but we are in the loop,” Atwell said.

“The permit expired 12 months to 18 months ago, but the Forest Service contacted me. They want to put repeaters in, because it’s a dead zone to all of us.”

Permits last from five to 10 years, he said.

Commissioner Jackie Powell, speaking on conference call from Idaho, asked if Atwell had assurance in writing from the USFS about the permit. “We need that,” she said.

Commissioner Mark Doth suggested Atwell secure a letter from the USFS about its intent to cooperate and Atwell said he would contact a representative about that issue. Meanwhile Stewart said he will call the tower owner to see if the delay caused the company any heartache.

Doth asked about the cost of bringing the tower up to county standards and adding repeaters.

Atwell said only cost would be to hook up electric, about $3,000. The repeaters would be purchased with a federal grant and he will handle the installation personally, saving about $1,200 for the county.

Atwell said the facility was “redone” in the mid 1990s and the Forest Service staff needed to pull the National Environmental Policy Act paperwork on it.

Commissioner Kathryn Minter suggested the purchase be contingent on issuance of a permit.

Morel said, “What’s up there is worth a great deal more than $1,000 and I don’t want to lose the deal,” but he agreed the permit is essential.

The successful motion by Minter was to purchase the tower contingent on the permit and being able to secure power.

Atwell said he also is working with USFS to have its bulldozer fill in two washed out areas of the road, because the tower must be checked every two to three months. The only continuing cost would be for electric service and he’s looking at installing solar panels up there, he said.

Morel said a quit claim deed is sufficient to convey the asset, but it does not provide a warranty. He asked Atwell to get a copy of the expired permit for his review and Atwell said he already had the six-page document and would provide it to the attorney. 

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