Creston School taking comments on wireless tower

A public commenting period on locating a wireless internet tower at Creston School began this week following opposition to its installation.

Construction was set to begin this month for MontanaSky Networks to install the 118-foot tall monopole at 131 Creston Road on a 40-by-40-foot easement on school property. The site is 1/4 mile from the kindergarten through sixth-grade school.

The work was put on hold so the school district could hear the community’s concerns.

The public has until 5 p.m. Aug. 30 to submit written comments to the school. Comments may be mailed to Creston School, 4495 Montana 35, Kalispell, MT 59901, or emailed to crestonprincipal@gmail.com.

During a Tuesday meeting, several community members opposing the wireless internet tower took issue with the school district’s lack of communication about the plans before the school board’s unanimous approval to enter into an agreement with MontanaSky Networks on June 7.

The school board also received written comments at Tuesday’s meeting. One of the letters was from Shane and Heidi Rogers who live adjacent to the tower site. Heidi Rogers also spoke at the meeting. She noted that it wasn’t until July that they learned about the plans when a utility company reportedly asked her father-in-law to move horses from school land he leases to complete preparations for construction.

Although construction has been halted for the public comment period to take place, MontanaSky has already been granted the easement and invested about $60,000 in the project estimated to cost a total of $150,000 according to MontanaSky CEO Ryan Bowman. The tower has been purchased and is currently being stored in the company’s facilities.

“At this point waiting for the school to tell us to proceed with the project, or if we need to make other changes,” Bowman said during a phone interview Wednesday. “We’re certainly looking at working with the school.”

According to the contract with the Kalispell-based company, “MontanaSky Networks will install a tower, equipment, equipment shelter and any number of radio transmitting and receiving antennas without restriction (but subject to permit and regulatory approval) for the purpose of radio and other electronic telecommunication.”

The contract also gives MontanaSky the right “to maintain, repair or upgrade the facilities at any time without restriction.”

In exchange, MontanaSky will cover construction costs and pay the school $1,000 in monthly rent. In lieu of rent money, Creston will receive fiber optic internet. Bowman estimated the school’s internet speed will be six times faster with the upgrade. With up to 100 devices accessing the internet on a daily basis, this will be a significant improvement according to school officials. The idea for entering into the contract was to meet the school’s technology needs without a levy.

The current agreement grants Creston the ability to renegotiate rates and services every five years. The easement would exist indefinitely unless MontanaSky terminates it. If the school district chooses to switch providers, MontanaSky would continue paying rent and maintaining the infrastructure, Bowman said.

The school district decided to halt construction last week as the community continued to vocalize concerns and questions after a community forum was held July 19 at the school, and after a July 23 school board meeting resulted in contract revisions in an attempt to mitigate top issues.

Although the tower would bring another service provider and improved internet access to the wider rural community, the key issues for residents focused on the tower possibly obstructing views of nearby homes and negatively impacting property values. People also voiced concerns with a contract provision that would allow another telecommunications provider to install equipment, namely cellular equipment, in exchange for additional revenue due to the possible health impacts related to exposure of radio frequency emissions. The revisions included eliminating that provision and moving the tower 150 feet west from the original location so it wasn’t in direct view of someone’s living room window, for example.

The changes didn’t appear to appease people attending Tuesday’s meeting where the same issues were raised about potential property value and health impacts.

In efforts to improve communication, the school sent out an automated voicemail on Monday to Creston School families and residents living on Creston Road, alerting them about Tuesday’s meeting and summarizing the need for the internet upgrade.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Creston Principal Tami Ward maintained that the school district had expected MontanaSky to oversee communication with the public during the permitting process. This didn’t occur, however, when the company learned a permit was not required since the area had no zoning, and subsequently neither was a public commenting period.

Acknowledging the oversight, the school is now seeking input with plans to schedule another school board meeting about five days after the commenting period ends.

“I stand behind my recommendation to the board to approve the contract with MontanaSky for the WiFi Tower. As a district we thoroughly explored all aspects of this contract over several months and stand by the legalities of the agreement with MontanaSky,” Ward stated in an email to the Daily Inter Lake, later noting, “We will continue to work to remedy concerns and requests that are within our power to resolve.”

The company has been the school’s internet service provider for the past 12 years, but this situation is a first for both the company and the school. When it comes to installing towers and equipment, MontanaSky typically deals with private landowners Bowman said. If the school board pulls out of the contract, Bowman said the company isn’t interested in seeking punitive damages.

“At the end of the day, MontanaSky wants to do what’s best for the school. That’s why we started this,” Bowman said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.