By Jason C. Mattox
Cellular South customers in Batesville who have had problems with reception along Highway 51 will have a remedy soon thanks to a 3-2 vote from the mayor and board of aldermen to allow construction of a new cell tower.

Aldermen Stan Harrison and Bill Dugger opposed the proposed construction presented to them by Chad Mullen of Towerco, the company who erects cell towers for Cellular South.

Mullen explained that the new tower would be a monopole design with no guide wires and would be located on property owned by Henry Heafner near Panola Ready Mix.

“The new tower would maximize our capacity and coverage in that area,” he said. “We have had a major capacity problem in the Highway 51 area.”

Harrison asked if any other areas had been looked at to house the tower.

“Were there any areas that you looked at that were more isolated?” Harrison asked.

Mullen said the company had looked at placing one on the city’s water tower, but it was located too close to an existing cellular tower.

“It has to do with how the signal propagates,” he said. “That would just not work in helping us solve the reception problems.”

Harrison again voiced his displeasure with having the tower so visible to the public.

“I know cell towers are part of life, but I wish you could bring us another site or two,” he said. “I would like it to be out of view.”

Mullen said he would be happy to have engineers look at different locations but added the Panola Ready Mix location was the best answer to the dropped call and capacity issues.

“I’m not trying to be a smart aleck about it, but the hearing was scheduled for today, and nobody is here to oppose it,” he said.

“Nobody is here in favor of it either,” Harrison responded.

After the public hearing aldermen voted 3-2 to allow a conditional use permit for the proposed tower.

In other board business:

•Aldermen held a public hearing for the 2008-09 budget that was not attended by the public. The final budget will be adopted Wednesday morning at 10 a.m.

•The proposed plat for Zaxby’s was rejected. Engineers were instructed to bring back an updated plat.