York County Mutual Aid likely to lease communications tower by McCool

​YORK – During this week’s regular meeting of the York County Commissioners, the board met with Bill Lundy who was representing York County Mutual Aid, regarding a communications tower located near McCool Junction. 

​York County Sheriff Captain Josh Gillespie explained how the county owns this communications tower but no longer uses it since the county’s law enforcement switched over the state system.
“We are no longer utilizing the McCool tower, but it is being used by York County Mutual Aid and the local fire departments,” Captain Gillespie said.
He proposed a lease agreement with mutual aid which would give that entity the ability to take over the operations of the tower – providing power, insurance, maintenance, etc.
“It’s just no longer used specifically by York County,” Gillespie reiterated.
“The county owns that property and the tower,” said Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier, noting how it was financed years ago with a federal grant to the county.
“The tower is still necessary, just not by county law enforcement,” Captain Gillespie said.
Lundy explained how mutual aid maintains another communications tower near Thayer, which was also built years ago through financing using 911 funds.
It was noted that mutual aid is not a taxing entity and the revenue earned by leasing space to private companies helps them maintain the tower and offset the costs of operations.
The commissioners all seemed to be on board with leasing out the McCool tower. The lease agreement will be reviewed/revised by the York County Attorney’s office and then presented once again to the commissioners at their next meeting.