The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
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Council tunes into public safety radio tower on city property
By Edward Freundl, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: August 21, 2008
The Chelsea City Council is on the same wavelength when it comes to erecting a radio tower on high ground at the city transfer station on Werkner Road.
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The council heard a presentation Aug. 12 from officials connected to the project, which seeks to expand the coverage of high-band 800-megahertz (MHz) radios that are being phased in by police, fire and other public safety services statewide.
"We are building seven towers as part of the countywide millage approved in 2006," said Craig Swenson, director of the project for Washtenaw County.
"The city police, (Chelsea Area Fire Authority) and Huron Valley Ambulance will all receive new radios as a result."
The high-frequency radios will help address complaints, particularly among police officers. of spotty radio coverage in several remote areas of the northwest corner of the county.
The tower involving the city is planned for Werkner Road near the transfer station, next to the Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority main facility.
"I prefer that location; I feel it will provide better coverage to the city, and it's where the population is expected to grow over the next 20 years," Swenson told the council.
"Police officers will have to work pretty hard to find a location where it won't work."
The tower's coverage area will include Lyndon, Lima, Sylvan and Dexter townships, and will mesh with coverage from towers in other areas in Jackson, Ingham and Livingston counties.
The expected cost of each tower is $300,000; and the cost of the transmitting equipment is close to $500,000.
The project is run by an oversight committee, Swenson noted, and one of the guidelines calls for co-location of other communications equipment.
"Co-location is invited, as long as it doesn't interfere with operations," he said.
"A company like Verizon can use the tower, we can charge them rent and we would share that with the city."
Although an exact amount would have to be worked out with the company leasing the space, City Manager John Hanifan gave the council a ballpark figure.
"The amount of revenue is usually $15,000 to $20,000 per year, based on my experience in other communities," Hanifan said.
Council member Rod Anderson continued the line of questioning.
"This is funded by the county but it is on city land; what portion of the revenue would go to the city?" Anderson asked.
Swenson replied: "After expenses, on a 50/50 basis."
After a little more discussion on the possible obstacles to be overcome, the council voted to allow the project to proceed with the necessary permits for construction.
The council then turned its attention to a major project of its own, the $11.7 million expansion of the city's Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).
The city entertained bids on engineering services from five firms ranging from $825,000 to $1.19 million.
Hanifan recommended approval of the bid from Process Results Inc. of Saline for $915,000.
"This is a very, very critical project for the city, and it's comforting to know this firm has been involved in more than 30 wastewater treatment plant projects," Hanifan said.
Council member Cheri Albertson said the public "needs to know why we are not choosing the low bidder."
Hanifan replied: "We believe they will provide the best services for the least cost."
According to Hanifan, the project team includes the same engineers who designed the expansion and conducted the quality assurance and design review.
The vote to approve the bid was unanimous.
Hanifan also had some good news regarding the purchase of bulk electrical power that had been mentioned at the July 22 council meeting.
The city "took advantage of a temporary price dip" to buy power from the Michigan Municipal Power Association at about 7 percent lower than the previously quoted rate.
"I'm pleased to announce a price of $60.40 per megawatt-hour ... instead of the $64 price we discussed at the last council meeting," Hanifan said.
That price is for 2.5 megawatt-hours - "the baseload power we will rely on every day from 2009 to 2011," Hanifan added.
The city manager presented a proposal to spend $300 to pursue a grant to seek an outside mediator to resolve conflicts that had arisen between municipal planning groups for both Chelsea and Dexter - the Chelsea Area Planning Team and Dexter Area Regional Team, also known as CAP/DART.
"We wanted to bring in an outside facilitator to mediate disagreements," Hanifan said, and suggested using the First Step Services Grant to contract with the Traverse City-based Land Information Access Association (LIAA).
LIAA's purpose is to provide technical, scientific, educational and informational services to citizens, local interest groups, local governments and nonprofit corporations for land-use planning, resource management, emergency management planning, and environmental protection.
LIAA is familiar with intergovernmental issues in Washtenaw County, working with Manchester Village and Manchester, Sharon, Freedom and Bridgewater townships on a regional planning board.
"The best example locally is SWWCOG, the Southwest Washtenaw Council of Governments," Hanifan said.
"They worked through their disagreements and came up with regional planning.
"I feel that $300 is a small price to pay; we need to take some first steps," Hanifan added, and the council agreed on the allocation.
The meeting ended with a more contentious topic, the possible sale of the Chelsea Fire Station at 200 W. Middle St. to the Chelsea Area Fire Authority.
CAFA previously expressed an interest in a long-term lease of the station in order to secure financing for much-needed repairs to the station, but that situation has since changed.
Hanifan reported that CAFA now wanted to discuss an outright purchase of the building, and suggested three courses of action for the council to take.
"Our options: tell them we're not interested and do nothing; draft a specific ordinance to sell the property and acquire a certified appraisal to determine its value; or negotiate with CAFA," Hanifan said.
Sale of the station, acquiring the appraisal or negotiating with the CAFA board would each require approval of specific motions by the council.
"We talked more than once with member committees about cost allocation and methodology," Hanifan said.
As it currently stands, just under half of CAFA's calls for service are for city residents, yet the city is footing the bill for a majority of the authority's budget.
Fixing that disparity is the cause of great concern for each of CAFA's member governments: the city of Chelsea and all or parts of Sylvan, Lyndon, Lima and Dexter townships.
Depending on the reallocation scenario, some stand to save money to varying degrees while others would end up paying significantly more.
Rod Anderson, the council's CAFA representative, suggested passing the motions as a first step toward breaking the impasse.
"I recommend we pass these motions; it does not commit us, but prepares us for the negotiations," he said.
Cheri Albertson expressed "disappointment" in CAFA's apparent unwillingness to share vital information with the council.
"I'm disappointed that CAFA is not here; it seems like every time we need financial information from them to make a decision it is not forthcoming," she said.
"I feel we are being blackmailed, and that is not the way to solve problems."
Mayor Ann Feeney said selling the station would put the city at a disadvantage.
"This leaves us out in the cold," she said. "With selling the building being our only bargaining chip we'd be only one vote out of five."
Added Albertson: "I don't see where the city benefits from this at all."
Anderson followed up with: "I don't see the compelling need for the sale."
Council member Frank Hammer proposed some decisive action.
"I move that the city does not begin negotiations until after a joint meeting with the CAFA board to discuss the sale and the cost allocation, plus a second meeting with the member municipalities to discuss the methodology," he said.
Feeney commented on the dilemma created by the situation.
"It's a very touchy subject," she said.
"They do a good job for us, but we gave up our autonomy when we became part of an authority."
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