Politics & Government
East Granby Selectmen Request Funds for Repeater
Project estimated to cost $22,500 is necessary, according to First Selectman Jim Hayden, to eliminate communication dead spots in town.
The East Granby Board of Selectmen at its regular meeting Wednesday evening approved sending to the Board of Finance a $22,500 request from the capital, non-recurring fund to purchase and install a repeater on the antenna the top of Peak Mountain.
A repeater is an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it at a higher level and/or higher power, or onto the other side of an obstruction, so that the signal can cover longer distances.
One is necessary to eliminate communication dead spots in town, according to First Selectman Jim Hayden.
The town received permission from the FAA and the state to lease the antenna at the top of Peak Mountain to install the repeater, as well as use the electricity and generator to operate the equipment.
It’s a win/win, according to Hayden, because the town will build a rudimentary service road up to the antenna. Currently, to access and maintain the antenna, crews must either walk up the mountain or use a helicopter, Hayden said.
The town would purchase the repeater from Three-Way Communication; the selectmen unanimously voted to waive the policy to obtain three estimates for the project because the company already handles all of the technical communications work for the town and it’s a specialized job.
If approved by the finance board and at a Town Meeting, the project could begin as soon as November, weather permitting. If not, then it will likely have to wait until April 2012.
In other business, the selectmen heard a presentation from Board of Education member Michele Holt about the possibility of creating a local education foundation.
About 80 towns in the state have such foundations, most of which service their local school districts.
Holt said that the one that she envisions would further the educational opportunities of all East Granby residents, not just students in the school district.
Among the projects that Holt says the foundation could work to solicit funds for include an athletic track that would be available for use for all residents and an adaptive, boundless playground.
Holt said that the foundation is merely in the gestation period, and that about $1,000 in seed money has been contributed to the cause by the East Granby Women’s Club.
The foundation would be an opportunity for residents and businesses to engage in a worthy philanthropic endeavor.
The next Board of Selectmen meeting is scheduled for Oct. 27.
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