Monday, DECEMBER 22, 2025 |
Photo – Saratoga Town Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Town of Saratoga has greenlit a new communications tower at town hall.
As reported by Bigfoot99, Saratoga officials have been negotiating with Mountain West Technologies on a plan to build a new communications tower at town hall. The existing antenna is decades old, possibly as much as 70 years, and Mountain West recommended replacing it with a completely new structure.
Speaking at the December 3rd Saratoga Town Council meeting, Mountain West Technologies Chief of Operations Lesha Thorvaldson explained that the company will build the structure if the town agrees to pay for the materials.
Mountain West presented the Town Council with two tower designs: a guyed anchor system that would attach to points around town hall, and a non‑guyed version that would rely on a large concrete base for support. The Mountain West representatives recommended the free‑standing tower, which at $38,856.89 would cost roughly $5,500 less than the guyed anchor option.
The Town Council agreed to pursue the self‑supporting tower design and allocate $24,496.89 for the project, with Mountain West Technologies covering the remaining $14,360 in labor costs.
Under the proposed lease agreement, the town will own the tower while Mountain West Technologies rents space for its communications equipment. Mayor Davis said he will have Town Attorney Kylie Waldrip review the contract, and if it meets her approval, the governing body will make a decision at its December 17th meeting.
At the December 17th meeting, Mayor Chuck Davis explained that Attorney Waldrip was still finalizing the lease agreement. Mayor Davis added that the governing body had promised to make a decision at this session and should honor that commitment.
Mayor Davis asked the Council for a decision on the tower project. Councilman Bub Barkhurst responded that the town’s hands are tied and that the deal is too good to resist. Mayor Davis added that the existing tower may give out at any time.
Councilman Jerry Fluty noted that the original contract did not specify that the town would own the tower, instead deferring ownership to Mountain West Technologies. Councilman Fluty asked if Attorney Waldrip had corrected the oversight. Mayor Davis said the town attorney has amended the lease agreement to ensure the structure belongs to the town.
Councilman Fluty asked for clarification on the proposed lease agreement. Mayor Davis explained that the town will split construction costs with Mountain West Technologies. Once the tower is complete, Mountain West will lease space on the structure alongside the town’s equipment.
Mayor Davis asked Mountain West Technologies Chief of Operations Lesha Thorvaldson if his interpretation was correct. Thorvaldson said yes, adding that the original lease agreement simply contained a clerical error.
Mayor Davis said that if the council is satisfied with the agreement, it should make a decision so Mountain West can begin ordering the tower materials. The mayor recommended approving the less expensive stand-alone tower design. The Saratoga Town Council voted unanimously to allocate $24,496.89 for construction materials.
Following the vote, Mayor Davis asked the Mountain West representatives how billing would be handled. Mountain West Technologies Infrastructure Manager Tim Meads said the company will procure the materials through its existing vendor network and send an invoice to the town at a later date.
Town Treasurer Corina Daley expressed her approval of the plan, and the Council instructed the Mountain West representatives to prepare a draft agreement for signing while Attorney Waldrip continues to work on the lease.
