July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Portland, Sprint reach tower deal (9/2/05)

Board of works agrees to allow cell equipment on water tower

By By Mike Snyder-

The city of Portland will receive $12,000 a year and Sprint wireless phone customers will receive a stronger signal in and around the city under an agreement approved Thursday.

Sprint, which currently has wireless coverage in Jay County concentrated along Ind. 67 between Portland and Albany, will lease space on a water tower on the north side of the city to place five antennas the company believes will provide a strong signal in and around Portland.

The lease agreement, which calls for Sprint to pay Portland $1,000 per month, was approved on the condition that the installation of the new equipment is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The tower, which is located at Milton Miller Park on Franklin Avenue on the city’s northwest side, is within a half-mile of the Portland Municipal Airport.

Board of works member Bob McCreery asked that the approval of the lease be contingent on FAA approval.

Also voting to approve the agreement were board members Linda Kennedy, the city’s clerk-treasurer, and Mayor Bruce Hosier.

The five-year agreement calls for a renewal with a 10 percent increase in the lease amount. The renewal may be exercised at the city’s discretion.

Doug Jackson, superintendent of the city water department, said he was in favor of the agreement. “It’s $12,000,” said Jackson.

Some equipment will be installed within a fenced-in area on the ground under the tower. The area will be landscaped, Hosier said.

Jack Moore, public affairs director for Sprint, said his company’s wireless signal from Portland to Muncie should be strong with the addition of the new tower.

“There’s still a gap going north on (U.S.) 27,” said Moore, who said the company plans to add more towers in Jay County next year.

Also Thursday, Kennedy, McCreery and Kennedy voted to adjust the sewer bill for a local company which recently repaired a water line leak at its headquarters.

Tim Caster, controller for Jay Petroleum Inc., told board members he believed the leak existed for approximately two months.

The adjustment will be made following the city’s policy, which is to reduce the sewage bill down to a three-month average figured prior to the leak.

The company will be sent an adjusted bill.

Also, the board agreed to purchase two police cruisers from Ken Kunkle Chevrolet Oldsmobile Cadillac of Portland at a cost of $18,732.30 each.

The quote for the 2006 Chevrolet Impala front-wheel drive cruisers was the lowest of two quotes obtained by Portland Police Chief Bob Sours.

The other quote from Les Wenning Ford of Fort Recovery for a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria was for $21,197.

McCreery asked Sours why a quote was not obtained from Fincannon Ford Lincoln Mercury of Hartford City, where several city vehicles have been purchased in the past.

Sours said he preferred to purchase from a dealer closer than Hartford City to make service issues less complicated.[[In-content Ad]]
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