T-Mobile Late in Paying Piermont

Piermonters with T-Mobile service may be pleased with their reception, but village officials recently noted the mobile telephone service providers are behind in the their payments to the village.

T-Mobile has infrastructure on Piermont's whistle tower—located on the shore of the Hudson across from the —that they began leasing in 1996. They started paying for the space at a cost of $900 a month; in 2003, when the lease was renogotiated, the monthly price increased to about $1,500.

But when the company sent a lease renewal notice to Piermont earlier this summer, officials were hesitant to sign off. "We're not getting the money," explained Christopher Sanders, Piermont's mayor. Several recent lease payments have not been made, Sanders added.

"We're happy to renew if they pay what they owe us," he continued, noting the issue will be discussed at further board meetings. T-Mobile officials could not be reached for comment.

The T-Mobile cell tower was the first of is kind in Piermont, an addition some residents were grateful for. "For years in Piermont, only people with T-Mobile were able to get decent service," said resident Kirsten Head. "There are still dead areas along the creek."

There is currently a Verizon cell tower in Flywheel Park, although Verizon makes its payment to Phil Griffin, the park's owner, and not the Village of Piermont.