OAKESDALE — Yesterday, the Port of Whitman County Commission authorized the Port Executive Director to sign an Economic Development and Tourism Agreement with the Oakesdale Cemetery District. The Port will provide the Oakesdale Cemetery District with a $13,000 contribution to install an access road to the cellular tower in Oakesdale.

“In recent years, emergency management services have made the switch from pagers to cellphones, which proves challenging in areas where there is little to no reception, like in Oakesdale. Many people have also dropped their landline connections and only use cellphones for communication,” Oakesdale Cemetery District Association President Chris Ellis said. “Building this road will allow service vehicles to access the new cell tower and will provide Oakesdale, Farmington, and other surrounding areas with improved cell coverage.” 

The Oakesdale Cemetery District has an existing contract with Horizon to install a cellular tower in the district, but for the tower to operate smoothly, constructing a service vehicle road was necessary. As part of the agreement with the District, the Port will own the conduit and the telecommunications vaults placed at the site. The Oakesdale Cemetery District will fund the remaining road costs and maintain the road. 

 “This tower will improve cellular service for emergency services, residents, and visitors in Oakesdale and the surrounding region,” Port Commission President Tom Kammerzell said. “We are excited to partner with Oakesdale Cemetery District on this economic development initiative as part of our commitment towards improving the quality of life for all citizens of Whitman County.”

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About the Port of Whitman County

The Port of Whitman County is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all citizens of Whitman County through industrial real estate development, preservation of multi-modal transportation, facilitation of economic development and provision of on-water recreational opportunities.