A sixth month long process saw a positive conclusion for an ongoing project in Greene County.

Greene County Attorney Thomas Laehn tells Raccoon Valley Radio the county had to build a new emergency communication tower, due to the state switching to a new program that was no longer compatible with what the county was using for law enforcement, fire departments, emergency services and first responders. He says a new site was selected at Seven Hills Park to erect the 250 foot tower. Laehn notes that there were several restrictions of where a tower could be built, which came down to the site at Seven Hills or on privately owned property that the county would have to purchase.

Laehn points out that in order to obtain a permit with the Federal Communications Commission was to go through a consultation process with Native American tribes that may have artifacts of cultural significance or ancestral burial grounds. He says the six month process included a site visit with two of the tribes that had ties to the county, along with representatives from the State Historical Preservation Office and the State Archeologist Office. 

“We had two dogs trained in the detection of human remains, there was a tribal elder from one of the tribes, along with representatives from two tribes, where we were out in the rain ensuring that the proposed  tower site would not disturb any burial sites or artifacts. But we do now have the ‘green light’ from the State Historical Preservation Office and the federal government to move forward with that project.”    

Laehn says when the $3.3 million project is ready to begin construction, tribal leaders will be invited to be on site and if something is uncovered that is believed to be of cultural significance for either tribe, representatives will be there.