Congressman Scott Murphy, who represents most of the Catkills region in the U.S. House of Representatives, is putting his weight behind a very specific cause: cell phone service in the Delaware County town of Andes.
He issued a press release yesterday in which he urges several unnamed cell service providers to hurry up and build a tower in Andes, which, he says, has been especially proactive in trying to attract cell towers.
Here's the press release:
Congressman Murphy Urges Companies to Locate Cell Tower in Town of Andes, Ensure Public Safety and Spur Economic Development
In Letter to Cellular Providers, Murphy Pledges to Work with Cell Companies to Locate New Cell Tower in Town of Andes
Clifton Park, NY, Aug 6 - Today, Congressman Scott Murphy (NY-20) sent a letter to cell service providers urging them to locate a cell phone tower in the Town of Andes in Delaware County. Andes has paved the way in their community by approving zoning laws that will allow for the building of cell towers and has invested in identifying and securing the best sites within their town to locate cell towers to provide the best possible coverage. Although the Town has been proactive in trying to bring cell coverage to their area, they have so far been unsuccessful.
“Cell phone service is absolutely critical to bringing new jobs and businesses to Upstate New York,” said Rep. Murphy. “The lack of cellular coverage is discouraging businesses from coming into Delaware County, and preventing future economic development. In this tough economic time, it is absolutely vital for our small businesses to have access to stay competitive in the global marketplace. I pledge to continue to work with the town officials and cell phone service providers to bring service that is so desperately needed.”
Martin Donnelly, Town Supervisor of Andes said, “The people of the Town of Andes would be incredibly grateful to get cell towers. We’ve had site locations picked out for the past two years, but the tough economic climate has made it difficult to locate them here. We have a desperate need for these cell towers, not just because of the town’s large size, but also because of the way it is divided. We appreciate the Congressman’s attention to this matter, and want to work with him and the cell companies to locate a cell tower here in Andes.”
Congressman Murphy is continuing to travel around the district to work with private industry and the communities of the 20th District to build on his plan to Renew Upstate New York’s economy. More information on Murphy’s Renew Upstate New York economic development plan is available at http://www.ScottMurphy.house.gov/RenewUpstateNewYork.
The letter Congressman Murphy sent to the cell service providers is below:
August 6, 2010
As you may know, since coming to Congress I have been very focused on addressing the lack of cellular service in the rural areas of New York’s 20th Congressional District. While most U.S. cities are blanketed with advanced cell phone services, huge areas of rural America still lack coverage. This presents an issue of public safety and an obstacle to economic development. The Town of Andes in Delaware County has paved the way in their community by approving zoning laws that will allow for the building of cell towers and has invested in identifying and securing the best sites within their town to locate cell towers to provide the best possible coverage. Although the Town has been proactive in trying to bring cell coverage to their area they have been unsuccessful due to a lack of interest by cellular providers.
Our police departments, fire departments, and other public safety agencies are hindered by the absence of these services. The lack of coverage in rural areas like the Town of Andes, not only poses significant hazards for public safety agencies but for travelers and residents as well.
The lack of cellular coverage is also discouraging to business and future economic development. In this tough economic climate, it is essential for our small businesses to have access to adequate cellular service in order to stay competitive in the global market.
It is for these reasons and more that I hope you will take the time to look at the Town of Andes and work with Town Supervisor Donnelly to bring cellular service to the area. I believe this would be a great project and one that I would like to be helpful with.
Please let me know if I can be helpful in scheduling a meeting with Supervisor Donnelly and our office to help facilitate this project. If you have any questions or concerns please contact my Hudson District Office at (518) 828-3109. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Scott Murphy
Member of Congress
