Letter to the Editor August 28, 2004 - Published in the September 1, 2004 Issue of the Spring Green Home News
"Engineering Political Loopholes"
As a long-time supporter of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board (LWSRB) and its efforts to preserve and restore the lower Wisconsin River, I oppose the location of the Spring Green tower because it violates the mission of the state riverway act and is perceived by some as an affront to our community. The Sauk County Communications Infrastructure Committee (CIC) has surprised and shocked us all because the CIC has not properly communicated and justified its plans. We have only recently been informed of this multi-million dollar project because of the diligence of neighbors who have stumbled upon this information.
Since the CIC has not adequately publicized this project, few facts are currently known. Based on what is known I am concerned about indications that scientific engineering has been replaced by "loophole politics". I recently called my supervisor and asked why this antenna is not being located on the Village of Spring Green water tower where the other antennas are located. His response was that it would cost more to trench the connecting fiber-optic cable from Sauk City the additional distance to Spring Green. He also stated that he was not concerned if visitors in canoes on the river had to see a tower, flashing white strobe light and a red beacon light over a six mile stretch of the river. Protecting the natural environment is very important to many, but the river also represents an economic resource that draws many tourists each year. The cost of this decision by the CIC is measured by more than money. Chapter 23.08(3) of the Sauk County Ordinances states, "Collocation/sharing of facilities. No new tower shall be permitted unless the applicant demonstrates by reasonable and credible evidence that no existing tower or structure can accommodate the applicant's proposed antenna." Besides violating the legislative intent of the State Lower Wisconsin Riverway Act, this tower also ignores Sauk County ordinances. The proposed location of this tower northeast of Spring Green near Thuli and Jones Road is not the location first proposed. Initially, a more distant site west of Spring Green on county-owned land on Kennedy Road was considered. Due to problems with the Village of Spring Green's extraterritorial zoning ordinance and the nearby subdivision, as well as preliminary concerns expressed by Mark Cupp regarding aesthetic impacts, plans to build a tower at the site were abandoned. Calculating the cost difference of utilizing the water tower should include not having to build a tower or purchasing the land. Connecting future services originating in Spring Green would also be lower. Have these calculations and comparisons actually been done?
Because of the problems with the Kennedy Road site, the CIC subsequently selected the site on Thuli Road. The new site is conveniently located in a "political loophole" being just outside the extraterritorial zoning jurisdictions of the Village of Spring Green it would not require approval or review. Since there is a narrow farm field between the river and the Thuli Road site, the site is technically outside the LWSRB's jurisdiction even though the land immediately behind and up to the top of the bluff is in the riverway. So the CIC found a "political loophole" in which to locate their tower that would "seemingly" allow them to build their tower without having to inform or seek the approval of any political body in our community. I say "seemingly" because the CIC has overlooked another important piece of applicable law that bears repeating, Article 1 Declaration of Rights of the Wisconsin State Constitution states, "All people are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; to secure these rights, governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." Ultimately it is up to us, the residents of the Spring Green community and the citizens of Sauk County to give our consent for this tower, despite the questionable "political engineering" of the CIC.
This project is too important to be decided by a game of political hide-and-seek, it should be resolved by solid engineering and cooperation with the community that is affected. The Sauk County ordinance that requires "Collocation/sharing of facilities" was passed for a good reason, to protect the public from preventable engineering blunders. It does not make economic or engineering sense to build a tower for one purpose within sight of another tower that can serve the same purpose. The CIC must produce engineering specifications that "demonstrate by reasonable and credible evidence" that the Spring Green water tower cannot accommodate their antenna. Therefore, the CIC must publicly disclose the documents in their possession that were produced by qualified and licensed engineers that demonstrate why this redundant tower should be built. In addition to demonstrating that the water tower cannot be used for the new antenna the CIC must also demonstrate that the existing antennas used by emergency agencies are not currently adequate. After all, Spring Green upgraded their equipment just two years ago. An engineering report should identify through scientific measurements which areas within the domain of the new antenna/tower are not serviceable by the current antennas. There are other technical issues with the current design that require examination, including 1) building a 250 foot tower at the bottom of a 300 foot valley, 2) connecting towers with buried fiber-optic cable instead of using microwave at a fraction of the cost, and 3) building an expensive county-wide wireless communication system paid for by taxpayers but with no support for public wireless access to the Internet by residents.
The CIC should cease playing politics and perform their due diligence under the law. They should work with the LWSRB and Mark Cupp to arrive at a solution that respects the intent of the laws, character of the community, and does not desecrate the natural beauty of our prized riverway. The CIC should produce the relevant engineering documents and allow the community adequate time to review them and deliberate. The consent of the governed cannot be obtained before we are informed. Afterwards the CIC can schedule public meetings to hear the opinions of the community. In the meantime the CIC should cease construction and expenditures on this project. There is plenty of time to get this project done correctly the first time so we can avoid costly changes in the future. Visit http://www.highway60.com/movethetower/ for information on how to contact your Sauk County supervisor.
Mark Culverhouse -
Spring Green
MoveTheTower@highway60.com