A new communications tower is coming to southeast Lyon County following the Lyon County Commission’s weekly action session Thursday.
Commissioners unanimously approved a conditional use permit for land located in the 2200 block of Road 130 west of Neosho Rapids for this purpose. The new tower will be owned by US Cellular and will seek to improve 5G, LTE and broadband connectivity in the area.
Lyon County Zoning and Floodplain Manager Sam Seeley says the need for stronger connectivity has been well known for quite some time, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasized the severity of that need.
Seeley adds their are three extra spots on the same land that will allow for additional cellular providers to erect towers. A timeframe for the US Cellular tower’s erection is currently pending.
In a separate item, Seeley also began initial conversations with commissioners regarding a new web-based permitting system. The new system, according to Seeley, would streamline the zoning and floodplain permitting process cutting it down from 13 to four simple steps.
No action was taken on the item with discussions expected to continue in the coming months.
Additionally, commissioners received their weekly COVID-19 update from Lyon County Public Health Incident Commander Renee Hively. During that time the commission decided to schedule regular COVID-19 updates from Public Health for the last Thursday of each month rather than on a weekly basis.
Approval was also granted for a quote of $11,459 from TCS Upfitting for the purchase of new vehicle parts for Lyon County Sheriff’s vehicles.
The Lyon County Commission will reconvene for its weekly action session next Thursday at 9 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse.
