HomeMy WebLinkAbout082523 KPTZ Tower MoveHello Commissioners and Mark:
It has come to my attention that Sydnie Baron and Steve Smith came to last week’s Commissioner’s meeting to raise their concerns about the placement of the new KPTZ broadcast tower and
transmitter on Rainshadow Road. We have been working closely with the County’s Department of Community Development on this issue and to date there has been no reason to bring the commissioners
or the administrator into those discussions.
However, now that Sydnie and Steve have raised the issue with you, I thought it might be a good idea to tell you what this move is all about.
As you of course know, KPTZ has an important role as a provider of public information in our county and as a “connector” in our community. In addition, in recent years we have greatly
expanded our emergency broadcast role, working with Jefferson County’s Department of Emergency Management to serve as a key information provider for disaster response and recovery.
KPTZ has an emergency microwave link to the County’s Emergency Operation Center (EOC) from its studio, a committed team trained to deliver real-time EOC information, and the technical
infrastructure in place to stay on-the-air for weeks in the event of a regional disaster.
The landowner has terminated the lease for the land on which the current KPTZ tower and transmitter stand. After much effort, the station has found a new site on Rainshadow Road and
has received FCC approval to move there. FCC approval for this move expires on March 31, 2024, so time is short. If the current landowner suspends the already lapsed lease and the
station does not have county approval to move to Rainshadow Road, KPTZ will go off the air. Needless to say, that would have drastic implications for overall service to the community
and to emergency services in the county.
The move to a new tower and transmitter site will secure KPTZ’s signal into the future, ensure that there is a reliable emergency broadcast capability onsite and back-up the broadcast
studio in the event that Fort Worden studios go offline.
In an effort to facilitate this move, KPTZ has executed a lease with the new landowner (Mark Magee) and applied for a permit. Mark’s attorney has reviewed the lease and has assured him
that it is in order. Plus:
* We have committed to complying with all SEPA mandates and all DCD requirements.
* We have been assured that the lease and the tower placement process meet all legal mandates.
* We have a letter of support for the project from Willie Bence at the Department of Emergency Management.
* Our engineer Bill Putney has engaged in extensive email conversations with Sydnie and Steve to explain how we had to meet stringent FCC requirements to place a new tower and why our
options for doing so are limited.
* Bill has provided detailed and courteous responses to each of their expressed concerns.
* We have promised to use best excavation and construction practices and work only with licensed and bonded contractors.
* We have committed to cause minimal disruption to the road and the neighborhood.
* Recent conversations with David Johnson at DCD indicate that the tower can be placed so that is unseen by Rainshadow Road neighbors.
As you surely know, this process is in the hands of DCD at this point. However, since it has been brought before you, I thought you deserved an update on what is going on. Please feel
free to address any further questions to me.
Thanks for what you do.
Ray Serebrin
KPTZ Board of Directors