Trumbull County commissioners have hired attorney Gil Rieger to work with the state to provide an easement on county-owned land on Route 7 in Brookfield Township where it has been proposed that a new radio tower be built to improve emergency radio communication in Trumbull County.
Rieger was hired Sept. 14 at $150 an hour, and has been involved in this issue since at least 2010.
All county fire departments and the Ohio Highway Patrol use the MACRS radio system, but it has been known for years that there are dead spots in the township where the radio signals do not reach, particularly in southern Masury.
Fowler Fire Chief told the commissioners Sept. 8 that there also are dead spots in Hubbard and Vienna. He said the state is willing to contribute half of the cost to erect the tower, but needs control of the land.
Commissioner Niki Frenchko made a motion at the Sept. 8 meeting to transfer the property to the state, but commissioners Frank Fuda and Mauro Cantalamessa said they need guidance from the county prosecutor’s office as to the process and whether the county should sell or lease the property.
