New 911 tower to be constructed just west of the Ottumwa Central Fire Station.
/ KTVO's Greg Deffenbaugh
OTTUMWA, IOWA -- With the old St. John’s Hospital being demolished in Ottumwa within the next year, a new home has been found for the 911 communications tower that sits a-top the structure.
The Wapello County Board of Supervisors, and the E-911 Board, agreed to purchase a plot of land, next to the old Washington Junior High, just west of the Ottumwa Central Fire Station.
Wapello County Supervisor Steve Siegel says that this was just the first step in the process.
“This week at the board meeting, we signed a purchase agreement for that lot for $30,000. We are going to have to bond to build an antenna. Then we will move all of our operations; roads, sheriff, Ottumwa regional, 911; all of that will be up there. We will also probably rent some of that space to others that want to use it,” said Siegel.
Siegel explained how the bond process works.
“It basically has to go through the E-911 Board. They will be the ones actually bonding. But for legal reasons, the county will do the bonding and they will re-pay us,” said Siegel.
Siegel says that he expects this process to finished very soon; being that the hospital is expected to be demolished within the next year.
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