Published: June 04, 2008 10:56 am         

Four towers will refine Hardy cell phone service

MOOREFIELD - With no cell towers within the confines of Hardy County, residents and visitors to the area have very little and unreliable cell phone service.

What service there is comes from towers located outside the county, according to County Commission President Roger Champ.

But that is about to change, according to Hardy County Planner Tom Widder.

The planner updated County Commissioners Champ, Stanley Moyer and JR Keplinger during their Tuesday meeting on efforts to get cell towers constructed in the county.

He said the first phase will allow Mid-Atlantic to construct four towers, one in Wardensville, one in Baker, one in Moorefield and another along U.S. Route 220.

"We expect to begin work on the second phase next year," he said.

Widder said Mark Ferris is working with the planning office on the tower sites.

He said landowners have been contacted and they are working on lease agreements.

Mid-Atlantic will build the towers and lease the space to providers.

He also pointed out the town of Moorefield was to hold a public meeting Tuesday on the location of the tower in town. Construction will likely begin as soon as the hearing ends, he said.

He also said while no leases have been signed with cell service providers, they are working with several.

"You have to remember, this is a business and it has to make sense; the more people who use the service, the better because there is a pay-back period," he said in response to concerns expressed by the commissioners that reliable cell service has been long in coming to the county with providers seemingly uninterested.

Chris Strovell, U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito's representative, pointed out Pendleton and Morgan counties are also looking for cell service providers.

In other business relating to the planning office, Widder announced the office is changing its hours. Effective July 1, the office will be open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, excluding holidays.

Widder said an Internet and e-mail policy has passed review by the prosecuting attorney, who suggested they take it before the county policy committee.

The policy would not apply to all the county computers because those in the courts and the circuit clerk's office are part of the state judicial system and not accessible by the general public. That is unlike the other county computers, on which "anything in the hard drive is open to the public," said County Clerk Gregg Ely.

Widder said that he will provide the commissioners with a year-end report of his office for review a week before the first commission meeting in July.

In response to a suggestion that the county seal needs to be updated, Widder provided a suggested drawing to be considered.

The commissioners granted a request from Widder for a county credit card to be used for travel, as needed, for his job as county planner.

Contact Mona Ridder at mridder@times-news.com.