Nucla’s Town Board of Trustees held a meeting April 3 for public comment on a cell tower they say has already been approved at the top of the hill on town property, where NNTC already has a tower. Those in attendance were given five minutes to speak, and the new mayor, Paula Brown, officiated. Approximately 45 people were present.
Jane Thompson spoke first with pages of documents in hand. She doesn’t understand why the cell tower’s location was changed from the brush dump to the top of Nucla, across from where she lives. She also doesn’t understand why there was no transparency or communication about it. She wants to know who participated in the site walks and why the location moved.
Aimee Tooker reiterated the lack of transparency. She said the cell tower discussion and approval was hidden.
“We trusted you, Jane trusted you,” she said, adding that’s why they didn’t attend many board meetings. “Nobody would want that in their front yard.”
Charlene Stevenson is concerned about 5G frequencies. She said there are safety and health risks, specifically cancer-causing possibilities. She said long-term studies are not available, and innocent people continue to fall victim to corporations and governments. She referenced the “radium girls” and also uranium miners from the past.
John Reed said technology is not always good for people. He asked about a different location, not so close the school. A veteran, he mentioned agent orange. He also thinks 5G testing is necessary to see lasting effects.
Sharon Johannsen asked about the purpose of the tower, how much it would cost to back out of the contract, and also what the town attorney advised. In response, trustee Tim Pierce said it was just a business deal the town was approached with, but the revenue wasn’t huge. The mayor said there was no existing clause to exit the contract, and the attorney did advise and help with contract revisions.
Miranda Fengel said she’d requested a public meeting in late January, so that people could discuss the issue. She said the longer things drag on without discussion, it creates more tension. Fengel said she feels Nucla is a great community. She doesn’t want the cell tower issue to damage relationships between friends and family. She’s also a former museum director and said she knows about the processes for investigating historical and cultural relevance of properties. She said it’s commonplace, when these big corporations come in. She wants the town to be be more cognizant of that in the future.
Annie Gibbons told the audience she was electromagnetic frequency (EMF)-sensitive. Earlier in her life, she experienced thermal burns from a cell phone, due to a metal bridge in her mouth. EMFs and fluorescent lights have always made her sick. She said it’s true that the FCC can’t speak to health risks, once a tower is established. She said that’s because the U.S. military has known since the 1970s that microwave energy can be used against people.
Gibbons is a part of a worldwide group trying to stop, or at least speak out against, 5G. She said 5G is 20 times stronger than 4G, and children’s brain cancers are increasing exponentially.
Jim Guire said the issue is more about hand-held devices causing damage, rather than towers themselves. He said it is concerning for children, but his suggestion is to turn the new cell tower into a flag pole that all can be proud of.
“Let’s make this positive,” he said.
Chris Eilertsen said before he moved to Nucla, he had a tower on his private property. That came about when he bought a piece of ground that someone died on — destitute. He said the previous owner of his property couldn’t pay the taxes on the property he leased to a cell tower company. He told town trustees they should have liability insurance on the cell tower, and make sure the contract discusses taxes too.
Chris Daniels also also wants to know why the site location was changed, if the new tower will affect the current tower (NNTC’s), and if public meetings in the last few years would’ve influenced trustees’ planning.
The mayor said the board discussed all site locations and did what was best for all citizens for public benefit. She said a tower was already at the top of town, so trustees figured it wouldn’t be something completely new. Pierce agreed public input always has an effect. He said trustees seem to now be “a day late and dollar short,” but they are trying to make amends. He said it’s OK if people want to point fingers.
Jennifer Nelson said she was shocked and disappointed. She asked if the tower was “a done deal” or if something different could be done. A mom, she’s also worried about the school children. She told trustees she doesn’t think the people that move to or live in Nucla do so for great cell phone service.
Mayor Brown said trustees have reached out to Vertical Bridge, the tower company, about cancellation of the contract, but they’ve not received word yet.
Gibbons said she witnessed a small town in California refuse one.
Carla Reams said she was disappointed and the town could’ve told the tower company “no.” The proximity to school is concerning to her, as are health risks. She said the West End Vision Project and other community efforts are working to improve the quality of life for residents, and a cell phone tower isn’t going to do that. She rents a space to hunters, some of whom have good service and some of whom don’t. She said it doesn’t matter. She added NNTC has been a staple in the community for generations, and they could’ve been included in the conversation. She will continue to support NNTC, because they’re a local company with community ties and pay taxes.
Jim Womeldorf thinks the location is the “worst possible” because of the school. His property is 45 yards from the proposed tower site, and he wonders why Nucla does’t have a policy where they have to contact people that exist within 150 feet of any new proposed project.
“It’s wrong,” he said. “Vertical Bridge is a huge company that doesn’t care about Nucla. They want to make money.”
Tina Reed just went through a similar process in Redvale. She attended public meetings, spoke out and still Montrose County Commissioners approved a cell tower in her neighborhood. The 120-foot tower will soon be next to her home. Her property value will decrease, her views are damaged, the eagles will leave and more, she said.
Cynthia Zehm wants the people of Nucla to stand up for their rights. She fought something similar, a utility easement, years ago, and ended up in court over it. The Redvale tower “stabbed” her through the “heart.” She said the neighborhood didn’t want it, Planning & Zoning didn’t recommend it, and the commissioners still approved it. She said it’s not about what people want anymore and urged Nucla trustees to consider that.
Pierce said it’s not about the ability to pull out of the contract, but what it might cost the town to do so. Fengel said a community petition with signatures from property owners and school families might help town exit the contract.
The mayor said it’s important to note that while the April 3 meeting attendants might oppose it, just as many people support the new tower or feel neutral about it, and they’ve shared that with her.
Erik Johansson asked about Volunteer Park, adjacent to the tower site. He helped design and install the park at the top of town, and he wonders about future plans. He thinks it’s a beautiful space the town owns and asked how the tower will affect it.
Reams said she wanted transparency and to see what Vertical Bridge’s forthcoming response would be. She said the public needed to know.
Reed added Nucla is a Dark Sky Community and the lights on the new cell tower could negatively impact that distinction. He also said if a flag is to be put up, it should be respectfully maintained and will cost as much as $1,500 or more each year.
Tim Tait echoed Reams and wants to know how Vertical Bridge’s response will be shared with community. He also wants transparency.
“You will lose that trust and credibility if you don’t share,” he said, adding that trustees’ highest priority should be giving the cell tower company’s answers to the public.
Tooker asked for the town attorney’s advice, but trustees said they couldn’t share that information.
The mayor, who’s served the board since 2017, said people need to attend town board meetings. She said many meetings never see a single voter in attendance.
