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I submit this information to clarify some aspects in your story “Technology has passed by Thomson Township laws” in the Oct. 4 issue of the Pine Knot News.

The current town ordinance does allow these types of towers to be built. However, the ordinance is so very restrictive in technical and other requirements that are prohibitively expensive for potential internet service providers to meet, with their rural-service budgeting vs. their marginal operating costs and profit margins. It’s not nearly as serious an economic issue for the “deep pockets” of the cell phone industry.

Also, the comments about the two different “tower study committees” need clarification, in that the first one was only a partial group meeting (never a “committee of the whole”); and the second one never met (even partially) over its 14 months in existence, despite numerous calls from the two citizen members — myself included — for a meeting of the whole in both cases.

In my opinion, the powers that be purposely ignored those calls and continue their attempts to delay any action over the last five (yes, five) years.

John Bergman, Esko