Monday, DECEMBER 8, 2025 |
Photo – Saratoga Town Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Saratoga Town Council is preparing to build a new communications tower at Town Hall.
As reported by Bigfoot99, Saratoga Mayor Chuck Davis has been in contact with Mountain West Technologies to install new communications equipment on the roof of Town Hall. Speaking at the November 5th Saratoga Town Council meeting, Mayor Davis said the existing tower isn’t strong enough to support the planned upgrades, adding that no one knows when it was built.
Mayor Davis said a Carbon Power and Light employee told him the tower may be original to the building, making it nearly 70 years old.
Representatives from Mountain West Technologies recommended constructing an entirely new tower to hold the upgraded communications equipment, estimating the project would cost between $30,000 and $40,000.
Due to the tower’s importance to the town’s communications network, the governing body agreed to consider the matter at a future meeting.
During the December 3rd Saratoga Town Council meeting, Mountain West Technologies representatives presented a lease agreement to the town. Chief of Operations Lesha Thorvaldson explained that Mountain West will build the tower if the town agrees to pay for the materials.
Thorvaldson added that Mountain West will attempt to procure as much of the construction materials as possible at cost through its established network of suppliers.
Mountain West provided two options to replace the outdated tower: a guyed anchor system and a self‑supporting structure. The guyed anchor system, which uses wires to secure the tower to the ground, would cost $44,345.83 in total. The town would pay $26,785.83 for materials, while Mountain West would cover the $17,560 labor costs. However, the communications provider recommended choosing the self-supporting structure.
Infrastructure Manager Tim Meads said that at a cost of $38,856.89, the self-supporting structure is the less expensive option.
Meads said the self-supporting tower would not require installing new guy anchors, adding that Town Hall is not a suitable anchor site.
Saratoga’s existing communications tower uses a guyed anchor system, with Town Hall serving as one of the anchor points.
Whichever option the Town Council chooses, Meads said the new tower will be built as close as possible to the current structure to avoid disrupting communications equipment. Meads added that the self‑supporting design would let them build even closer.
Meads said a guyed anchor system would require running wires around Town Hall, potentially creating new safety hazards. By contrast, the self‑supporting tower only needs a larger concrete base to provide the same level of structural support.
Meads said no matter which option the town chooses, the new tower will be safer and more wind‑resistant than the current structure.
Mountain West Technologies estimates the tower will take 12 weeks to build, with most of that time devoted to procuring materials and curing concrete. After the new tower is installed and all communications equipment has been transferred, the old tower will be demolished.
Mayor Davis asked how long the systems will be offline during the transfer process. Infrastructure Manager Meads replied that it should take no more than a few hours for technicians to move the equipment from one tower to the other.
No matter which option the governing body chooses, the proposed tower will be the same 70-foot height as the current structure. Meads advised that the town will still need to reapply for permits with the Federal Aviation Administration and county. However, the infrastructure manager said he believes the approval process should be quick and straightforward.
The Town Council agreed that pursuing the self‑supporting tower design was the best option. Under the lease agreement, the town would 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.
