Kenton mayors discuss cell phone coverage in Villa Hills, Taylor Mill’s new water tower

By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter

Villa Hills Mayor Heather Jansen started a discussion at the monthly Kenton County Mayors’ meeting about cell phone coverage in her city.

“So we’ve got Sanctuary,” Jansen began, “and so it’s on the top of the hill in Villa Hills over towards the west, next to the three towers that are mounted over by IHeart radio. I’ve got a couple residents over closer to there who are saying that they are getting a lot of interference.”

She was wondering if anyone had the experience or had discovered solutions to the problem. She said she knew that a building around Target in Florence was complaining of some interference being next to Turfway Park.

“Unfortunately we have the issue where we have River Ridge which is next to it, and here is Sanctuary, and right here is Villa, but there is no cell phone coverage, in either one,” Jansen explained, gesturing to point out positions. “Then someone told me that River Ridge has some type of shield that keeps the interference down from radio towers.”

She asked Steve Hensley, who is the Kenton County Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, if he had heard anything.

“Yes we did a walk through about three or four weeks ago with your police chief and fire chief,” he said. “And I think what he is referencing is they put a film on the windows to reduce that radio signal from coming in. And that’s impacted for years that entire area. Some people would pick their phones up and you could hear the radio playing over their phones. In one case the signal was so strong I think someone’s downspouts were actually picking it up and you could actually hear the radio.”

Hensley said he thinks the solution is to put boosters in that building. They talked to some of the cell phone providers, and they are willing to do that, but the problem is that they would have to have boosters for each cell phone company, one for Verizon, one for AT&T and the others. Hensley said they had someone with them at the time evaluating the phone signal.

“Outside the building radio signal is fantastic,” he explained. “Inside the lobby, the radio signal is weakened. You go a little bit further into the building, certainly one level down and the signal is virtually nonexistent, so it is a problem and we realize it.”

Hensley said the new building codes through PDS require any new construction to be evaluated for multi-directional reception amplifiers, and boosters are put in as part of the construction. River Ridge was pre-existing construction, and Hensley said it seemed like the signal from the outside was penetrating through the walls at first.

“Now, It seems like something has changed in that area,” said Hensley. “And it’s not uncommon, we’re dealing with something similar in our justice center as well. We are actually looking at bringing in a consultant to evaluate that because we are having similar problems. It is an ongoing problem, it is being looked at, being evaluated. Unfortunately there may be a cost component for the school at some point to put in the equipment necessary to amplify the radio signal for first responders. There’s dead areas, we drive down Amsterdam road and hit just absolutely dead areas.”

He said it is a different matter when it is a school area, because they need to be able to call 911.

Jansen noted that there is an old tower in the area, and she wondered if that tower could be regenerated, and if that would help.

Hensley said that there are nondescript towers in her area already and they are not helping. He said it is a small enough area that they can’t generate enough interest to be able to fix the problem.

“With the trend of moving away from land lines, we have got a number of people who are sitting at the point where it could get very problematic,” said Jansen.

Hensley said they are aware of the problem, and they are going to do everything they can to help with the problem.

“It’s not going unnoticed,” he assured her.

New water tower

The subject of the new water tower that will be installed in Taylor Mill on Pride Parkway by the Allison-Rose Funeral Home came up.

Earlier this year, the Northern Kentucky Water District petitioned the state to put a 500,000 gallon elevated storage tank in Taylor Mill. The tank that is there is inadequate for the area.

Lindsey Rechtin, President and CEO of the Water District, talked about the fact that the water tower is nearing reality. She said the water district has been very slightly increasing the water pressure, and said the tower will definitely benefit the community with better water pressure.

Some jokes went on about if they were going to name the tower the Dan Bell tower, and Mayor Bell said he did ask if they could put Taylored with Pride on the tower, or at least Taylor Mill so that people would know where the tower was located, but it will be officially labeled the Northern Kentucky Water District.

“We plan to have the groundbreaking within the next week or so,” said Rechtin.

The new tank is scheduled for completion in about 17 months, and that time starts as soon as the ground is broken. It will provide better water pressure, better water quality, adequate water storage, room for system growth, and increased water flow.

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