LETTERS: Cell service needs an upgrade before another storm comes along

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

City Council needs to boost cell towers in Palm Coast

Dear Editor:

There seems to be a pervasive disgust with the quality of cell phone service in Palm Coast. Folks are regularly seen in their yards pacing and spinning around with arms extended in the air trying to get a cell phone signal.

It became even more dismal during the hurricane and its aftermath, with service degraded substantially at a time when cell phones were critical to reach friends and relatives and gather much-needed information.

I understand that over the last few years, the City Council wrangled over having additional cell towers built, arguing about locations and tower aesthetics (what color they should be and whether they should look like a tree or not) seemingly doing what government usually does best: dragging their feet with a gross lack of foresight.

Well, I hope the hurricane serves as a wake-up call (pun intended) for quickly addressing the area's cell phone technology needs before another emergency happens.

Bob Gordon

Palm Coast

Communication was lacking during Hurricane Matthew

Dear Editor:

As each disaster strikes the area, our government and residents rely more and more on electronic communications. Newspapers are great sources of information for the less immediate needs, but we are increasingly being told to “tune in” here or go to that website, or “watch here,” and unfortunately these sources often fail during disasters.

Kudos to Verizon. Our “home phone box” never failed during the worst of Hurricane Matthew here at Flagler Beach, while AT&T in Flagler Beach area went down early and was still showing low power a day or so later.

BrightHouse phone, TV and internet also went down shortly after FPL’s power died, in our area.

These outages took out all sources of information about bridge closures, emergency notices, curfews, etc., for many people, and many radio stations were not a focused source of information in a reliable fashion at some points, with some remote broadcasts dying at times, leaving “dead air” or with some talk show hosts trying their best, but passing along unreliable hearsay from callers.

This is not to condemn, but simply to point out that government officials should use this opportunity to put some pressure where needed on beefing up cellular services, and franchised information utilities like cable regarding backup power sources, feedlines, etc.

While cellular companies like to install fewer, taller (uglier) towers, this might be the time to remember that cellular systems were supposed to be composed of numerous small cells scattered about, rather than a concentrated effort on taller, more powerful, and congested systems.

When one of these “too large to fail” towers fails, its impact is too large to tolerate.

As a side benefit, the closer a base station is to a mobile caller, the less wattage needs to be radiated near skulls and neighborhoods, and the less visual pollution about which residents will complain.

As our governments depend more and more on this infrastructure, let’s make sure it’s there when it’s needed. This storm was bad, but it could have been a lot worse.

I would suggest the creation of a task force of citizens and officials to push for better service in our growing county, and more reliable service for wildfires, hurricanes, manmade threats and whatever else may come our way.

Marvin Clegg

Flagler Beach

After the hurricane, an attitude of gratitude

Dear Editor:

I’m grateful when I wake up in the morning looking at my electric clock, then plug in my automatic coffee pot. The TV greets me with the latest local and world news and entertainment. Fresh, good water comes out of numerous faucets. After a hot shower, I enjoy a healthy breakfast cooked on my electric stove and microwave oven. My refrigerator provides cold milk and frozen foods. My kitchen cabinets are full of a wide variety of meals.

Then I open my automatic garage door and drive off to go shopping just about anywhere. Oh yes, and fill up the gas tank, so I can drive to any place on the continent. We don’t have a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. curfew, and civil law prevails.

We can easily feel in control of our lives when all is well. Friday’s Hurricane Matthew quickly changed all that comfort and apparent security.

When millions of people woke up Saturday in the trail of the hurricane’s aftermath, they saw a quiet, calm, dark, star-filled sky. There weren’t any city lights that make the night sky glow. No traffic on the roads or trains passing by. The air traffic went away to another place. There was a quiet night sky that usually can be seen only by folks who live way out in the country.

Now all the comforts of home are back in place, as we return home. My attitude is stronger with gratitude for all we have in life.

Robert Schermerhorn

Bunnell

Businesses don’t need any favors in landscape code

Dear Editor:

The people of Palm Coast will see big changes in city government as a new mayor and two new council persons take over this fall. The city is poised to see other big changes as well.

Chapter 11 of the city codes (see http://bit.ly/2dpaIuP) deals with the physical appearance of our community, both business and residential. Specific items include trees, shrubbery, and the size of buildings along our roadways.

City planners, along with outside interests, have been working on changes to Chapter 11 for over a year (see Pages 12A-13A in the Oct. 20 edition). The document they have prepared eliminates repetition, unnecessary regulations, and is mostly neutral with other changes.

However, some of the proposed changes need a closer examination and input by anyone concerned with how our city will look as we go forward in the 21st century. One could certainly make a case that with business and residential construction increasing right now, under current Chapter 11 regulations no changes should be made at this time. But, this is not to be.

One thing is clear: Due to our population demographics, Palm Coast does not need to go begging for businesses to locate here anymore. Businesses can make a profit here, and we need only to look around to see that.

Chapter 11 can be a cumbersome read, but more focused material can be found on the sections of concern at the city of Palm Coast website, palmcoastgov.com, under the City Council workshop of Oct. 11. I urge everyone to look over the information and email the mayor or any council person or attend the next meeting dealing with Chapter 11. Share your thoughts on this important issue. Let’s keep our city beautiful and the unique place that it was always intended to be.

Jeffery C. Seib

Palm Coast

SIDEBAR: DeSantis pleads case to FEMA

The following letter was sent by U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis to Craig Fugate, administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, on Oct. 18:

I write today to thank you for authorizing individual assistance to Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties in the recent disaster declaration for Florida after Hurricane Matthew.

Now that assistance for individual businesses has been approved, I ask that (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration expeditiously set up operational Disaster Recovery Centers and Business Recovery Centers, respectively.

If my office can help determine operational locations for these centers, in coordination with state and local government entities, please let me know as soon as possible. The recover centers are vital in helping communities throughout the impacted counties with immediate needs, as well as the long, extensive recovery ahead.

I am encouraged to see how our neighbors have come together to rebuild and repair, and my hope is that these centers will assist in the process.

Ron DeSantis

6th District, Florida