Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
<br />Robin Blanton: One of the things that we are able to do by having three towers up is to <br />minimize the adverse health affect, because it is a weaker signal. But because we have three <br />towers, we get better coverage instead of running off one tower. <br />Jay Bryan: Any other questions by the Planning Board? Thank you sir. <br />Commissioner Carey: I was looking at the balloon tether report, and I was looking for <br />some substance in it, but I saw one of these pictures. Tell me did you hear anything from <br />anybody about the balloon tether test and what is the objective of the balloon tether test. <br />Robin Blanton: The reason for the balloon test is to allow people to see how tall the <br />tower is supposed to be. We sent out letters to the public, I want to say it's within a 500-foot <br />radius of our property, announcing the date of the test, so that people would be aware of when <br />the test was done. Piedmont did not get any adverse comments on the balloon test. We had, I <br />want to say either two or three calls just asking what we were doing, but no one that I'm aware <br />of called up and was opposed to the tower. <br />Commissioner Halkiatis: For future reference, the pictures were basically useless in <br />my opinion. And that's coming from a grumpy, old County Commissioner. We had some clear <br />pictures when we had this same balloon test done at the Inn at Bingham years ago. I would <br />suggest in the future we spend a little more money and get some color photographs. I <br />happened to be driving the morning of the test, and the differene I saw was the fact that if you're <br />coming down 86 South heading towards the Piedmont office building, you're actually going to <br />see a tower, where now you don't. For a minute there, I thought that it was a used car <br />dealership that had opened up and I didn't know about it, because they're the ones that usually <br />fly these balloons. But I didn't see it as being onerous. The issue was that the pictures, if you <br />have to put an arrow on a black and white picture showing a black speck as being a balloon <br />amidst a bunch of other specks, that's not a good pictorial representation of the issue. I just <br />wanted to say once again about Piedmont, unlike some other utility companies I have had to <br />serve with some in the past, Piedmont repairs their lights when the weather is still rather nasty <br />and foul, as evidenced out in my neck of the woods awhile back, a storm hadn't abated, and <br />your people were already out there getting the service back on. So I appreciate that. I would <br />find it difficult to vote against you guys because you're almost like an apple a day. I have no <br />difficulty voting against Progress Energy. You, I respect, they, I don't. <br />Michelle Kempinski: I heard Craig Benedict mention that there was the potential for <br />co-location for other service providers. Is that a possibility for this tower, or this completely a <br />private tower? <br />Robin Blanton: No ma'am, the tower was constructed to allow co-location, because <br />that's one of the things that Piedmont was hoping to do and if a cell phone company wants to <br />locate on the tower, that's a source of revenue for Piedmont. So, it will be allowed and <br />encouraged. <br />Michelle Kempinski: So the only known co-location is this location now? <br />Robin Blanton: The Highway Patrol is actively pursuing ca-locations on local towers <br />throughout the State for their 800 megahertz radio system to improve radio communication of <br />emergency personnel. <br />Jay Bryan: Thank you, sir. Is there anyone else on behalf of Piedmont Electric that <br />wants to speak? 1Vone. Is there a further presentation from the staff? <br />Craig Benedict: If there's anybody that has signed up in agreement or against it, they <br />can speak at this time. <br />Jay Bryan: Is there anyone from the public who wishes to address this item, the tower <br />far Piedmont Electric? <br />Commissioner Gordon: I just want to reinforce the comment about the balloon test. It <br />isn't really just the report that I am concerned with, which for me is hard to fathom, but the time <br />of day of the test. I'm not saying that Piedmont Electric didn't comply, but our rules should be <br />amended so that there's more publicity, in order for people to know that this is going to happen <br />