Commissioners approve cell tower, defend 2nd amendment

RBC I Rio Blanco County commissioners signed a resolution to approve a Special Use Permit, with eight conditions, for Mercury Towers to construct a 105-foot telecommunication tower on land owned by Joe and Kelly Conrado.
It’s been a long process,” Joe Conrado said after commissioners signed the resolution in a public meeting Feb. 11, 2013.
“The process was fair, through and the outcome was good and we hope it will be good for Rio Blanco County,” Aaron Gunn with Mercury Towers said in a phone conversation. “Rio Blanco County has an extensive process and it took a lot of work on both sides but everyone’s concerns were addressed and the way the commissioners handled it was good for all of us.”
Gunn said a temporary 100-foot tower on wheels (TOW) will be installed as soon as conditions of the SUP are met and construction of the actual tower will start in 60 to 90 days.
Mercury Towers, in conjunction with AT&T, hope the tower, which is designed to co-locate other carriers, will be completed by May of this year. According to Gunn, the tower will offer 3G service with an upgrade planned as soon as possible.
Commissioners also signed a proclamation in defense of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
“Whereas, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that ‘A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed,” read the first paragraph of the resolution signed by commissioners Shawn Bolton, Jeff Eskelson and Jon Hill.
The proclamation quoted president Thomas Jefferson, “The strongest reason for the People to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, protect themselves against tyranny in government.”
The commissioners proclaimed to uphold the second amendment and not enforce any statutes, edicts, presidential directives or other regulations in conflict.
“The Board of County Commissioners of Rio Blanco County, Colorado calls upon the United States Congress and the Colorado General Assembly to recognize existing laws related to the manufacture, sale and possession of firearms and to acknowledge that in order to combat gun violence, existing laws must be enforced and violators more effectively punished to deter those who would commit crimes of violence utilizing firearms,” read the final paragraph of the proclamation.