Reconstruction costs stall new OATS tower

By MARK NEWMAN Courier staff writer

May 23, 2006 12:24 am

— OTTUMWA — It’s going to be a while before television watchers without cable get a better signal.
The Ottumwa Area Translator System, a board of volunteers who built a tower in the 1960s so they could receive Des Moines channels, said costs to put it back up have more than doubled.
“We’re still going forward but we’ve hit a stumbling block,” said OATS President Glen Hughes.
The group lost their lease for the land where their 400-foot tower stood. They found new land, and got an estimate on taking the old tower down, moving it, and putting it back up.
“We’re at kind of a standstill,” said Hughes. “The reconstruction costs ... doubled from what we were quoted.”
That estimate was $20,000. With unanticipated problems, just taking the tower down cost $15,000.
The group so far has only been able to get one estimate to put the tower up: $40,000.
“We don’t have funds enough to proceed. That’s quite a change in budget figures,” Hughes said.
They’ve contacted another builder, but it may be October before anyone can give the OATS group another estimate.
At this point, he said, the non-profit group needs some supporters.
“Voice your opinion to the stations [WHO and KCCI] in Des Moines, and let them know we need their help getting them on down here,” Hughes suggested. “And any public opinion of support to the city could be very helpful.”
Ottumwa is negotiating for a new cable system; the contract could include financial support for the OATS tower.
There are other ways OATS does fundraising. They rent space on the tower for businesses to put antennas.
“We have two or three potential tenants who would produce some income — once the tower is up,” Hughes said.
In the meantime, a shorter, 100-foot tower is providing some service.
But there’s some bad news there, too, Hughes said.
“Our signal has deteriorated [with the lower tower] because now, foliage and trees are hampering the signal level,” he said.
Even at his home in Eldon, Hughes is seeing half the quality now that the trees have their leaves.
“We have all the equipment, now it’s a matter of getting the financing together to get the tower up,” said Hughes. “I’m sure it’s going to happen, but it’s questionable when it’s going to happen.”
Mark Newman can be reached at 683-5358 or by e-mail at mgnewman@mchsi.com.