The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners approved the hiring of Cell Tower Solutions to evaluate all cell towers in Oglethorpe County at its meeting on Monday.
Commissioner Tracy Norman said he expects the company to start work this month or February, and the evaluation to be complete in a few months. The estimated cost of the evaluation is $33,975, with the potential to increase if more work is needed.
“They’re experts in figuring out what the cell tower is worth,” Norman said. “We’re hiring them to tell us what the cell tower is worth so we can get the correct valuation on the books.”
Cell Tower Solutions has done work with other Georgia counties, Norman said. He said the company’s past work was one reason it was hired.
The other reason is the company’s expertise in the field.
Norman said evaluating commercial property is different from residential property, meaning he and the other commissioners lack the knowledge necessary to properly evaluate the cell tower’s worth.
There are 17 cell towers, one broadcast tower and two water towers in Oglethorpe County, according to data from Cell Tower Solutions.
“It’s not just cell towers,” Norman said. “I would do the same thing for electrical equipment and commercial buildings and things because the evaluation on those are just so much different than what we use for residential.”
The contract stipulates that if Cell Tower Solutions doesn’t bring in additional revenue in its evaluation, the board will only have to pay a portion of the agreed sum. Norman said the board wanted these evaluations done for the benefit of the residents and homeowners of Oglethorpe County.
“We’re trying to get our books to where evaluations are fair and they’re accurate,” Norman said.
In other news, the board approved:
- The Firefly Trail Bike Ride on March 23, with the caveat that the roads are not painted.
- The Athens Twilight Bike Ride on April 27, with the caveat that the roads are not painted.
- The GMASS service contract.
- The Bureau Veritas service agreement contract.
- The re-appointment of David Kidd to Advantage Behavioral Health Systems Board.
- $15,500 to be spent on the addition of a culvert for Salem Church Road.
- $15,000 to be spent on a trailer for a backhoe.
- Special revenue funding. This item had been tabled at the December meeting.