Firm inquires about buying tower

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News

August 11, 2010 - 12:00 AM

Iola’s old Elm Street water tower may have some market value, although city commissioners said Tuesday they would just as soon see it torn down.
Commissioners were approached Tuesday by John Vogel and Zachary Peres of KwiKom Communications about the tower’s availability. Kwikom, a wireless Internet service provider, has a transmitter on the tower.
However, the city in July reached an agreement with a firm to demolish the tower and sell the metal for scrap, with the city receiving a portion of those proceeds.
Vogel said KwiKom began using the tower after having to remove a transmitter from the county tower at the Allen County Critical Response Center about six months ago. Rather than go through the expense of again finding another site and moving the antenna, Vogel said the company would be interested in buying the Elm Street tower.
Mayor Bill Maness said his priority is to rid the city of the responsibility of the tower’s upkeep, and that while selling it could accomplish that goal, it likely remained in the city’s best interest to see the tower demolished “while we have that opportunity.”
Toby Ross, Iola’s water plant superintendent, noted the cost associated with maintaining a water tower, such as periodically repainting the structure, costs tens of thousands of dollars.
Rather than selling the Elm Street tower, commissioners said they would favor instead selling the land to KwiKom after the tower was demolished. Vogel said he had a tower that could be erected there, provided he received the proper permits.
“Let’s make this happen,” Commissioner Craig Abbott said.

COMMISSIONERS directed Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Bauer to visit again with the Iola Planning Commission about changes to the city’s building codes.
Planning Commission members noted that some city codes conflicted with long-accepted practices and policies for such things as fences and outbuildings.
In a related matter, commissioners approved a series of annual ordinances for traffic laws, standard offenses and Iola Municipal Court.

WITH THE city now set to send its live dogs and cats to the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility, commissioners approved an amended agreement with the Iola Animal Clinic.
The new agreement pertains only to animal carcasses. The city will pay the clinic $1,200 annually to incinerate and dispose of the carcasses.

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