by Sarah DeMaranville
Geneseo Current
Henry County officials are moving forward with plans to replace a communications tower damaged in a storm, with construction tentatively expected to be completed in spring 2027.
The project remains in the planning and engineering stages after an initial bidding process produced proposals that county officials determined were not directly comparable. A $64,424.29 tower design proposal was among the items brought before the Henry County Board's Public Safety Committee in October.
County Administrator Erin Knackstedt said the county contacted its insurance provider shortly after the tower came down, but an adjuster was unable to visit the site for approximately two weeks because of scheduling constraints.
The county initially sought bids that would include both the design and construction of the replacement tower. However, the proposals submitted by contractors were not uniform, making it difficult for officials to evaluate them on a consistent basis.
During its September 14 meeting, the Public Safety Committee voted to reject the low tower bid. According to the meeting minutes, Knackstedt recommended rejecting the bids because they were not uniform and because additional engineering review was needed. Committee members discussed having an engineer evaluate the project before proceeding with another round of bidding.
The committee ultimately agreed to pursue engineering work to establish a more consistent project scope.
The October 19 Public Safety Committee agenda included consideration of a tower design scope quote, representing the next step in that process.
Knackstedt said the county expects to have a clearer construction schedule once the design work is approved and completed.
"Once the design scope is approved and completed I should have a better idea of the timeline but I would anticipate that construction would be completed in the spring," Knackstedt said.
In the meantime, Henry County is renting a temporary tower to maintain communications while the replacement project moves forward.
Although the $64,424.29 proposal represents a significant step toward replacing the tower, the county has not yet provided an estimated total construction cost. The amount of insurance reimbursement, if any, also remains undetermined in the information provided to The Geneseo Current.
The replacement project has been discussed across multiple county committee meetings, with officials emphasizing the need for a more clearly defined engineering plan before soliciting another round of construction bids.
The county's next regular Public Safety Committee meeting is scheduled for November 16.
For now, officials are working toward a spring 2027 completion, with a more definitive schedule and overall project cost expected to become clearer as engineering work progresses.