A damaged cell and radio tower near Redwood was part of a larger discussion for how to improve communication with emergency responders at an informal meeting of the Warren County Board of Supervisors Monday.

The tower, located on Whatley Road about two miles south of Redwood Elementary School, is owned by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and was used for Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol personnel in the U.S. 61 corridor on the northern end of Warren County.

Though the county has equipment on the tower, it was damaged recently by lightening and could face structural integrity issues due to the growth of a tree inside the tower.

Ken Coleman, who provides information technology support for the county, said MHP no longer performs maintenance on the structure.

“They highway patrol doesn’t need it anymore,” he said.

A picture passed around at the meeting by Warren County Emergency Management Agency director John Elfer showed branches sticking out of the tower.

Coleman said early estimates place the cost of removing the tree and ensuring structural integrity would be about $7,000.

Concerns about costs and the willingness of the MDPS to cooperate with the ounty led supervisors to hold off on taking action until Monday’s formal meeting of the board.