As a temporary solution, the Starke County Commissioners last month gave IT Director Joe Short the go-ahead to replace two antennas atop the sheriff’s department. Short said this will cost approximately $2200 per antenna, and said they can be moved later when a new tower is established.
The replacement will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 10, and Short said it should take only half the day. He explained that the engineers will check out the coax cable before performing the replacement to ensure that they are in good condition to prevent further problems.
According to Short, tower experts recommended building a 180-foot tower and a 20-foot antenna. The construction of the tower would require a request for sealed bids, but before the county can request bid proposals, Short says they must determine where the tower will be built.
County officials must now locate a suitable site while Short begins putting together the tower specifications. Unfortunately, the process of locating and deciding on a suitable spot for the tower will take several more weeks, but Short said he’ll have the bid specs ready before then and officials will just need to insert the location in order to allow bidders to submit their proposals.
