The dozen agencies that operate communication towers and other facilities on Rattlesnake Mountain won't be evicted anytime soon, the U.S. Department of Energy clarified Monday.

Still, DOE plans eventually to end lease agreements that allow communication towers and an observatory to operate on top of Rattlesnake.

But David Brockman, manager of DOE's Hanford Richland Operations Office, indicated Monday to about 20 people at a closed-door meeting that leasees can remain there for now.

"The long-term strategy is still the same -- to transition off the mountain," DOE spokeswoman Colleen French said after the meeting. "This is a case that warrants longer-term transition."

The meeting was organized by Hanford Communities, a coalition of Tri-City-area agencies to discuss Hanford issues.

Hanford Communities members became concerned in March when DOE sent letters to Rattlesnake leasees that indicated it would not be renewing mountaintop lease agreements.

Agency officials have said that federal money would be better spent on Hanford cleanup than maintaining the road to the top, and that closing access would also address concerns of area tribes, which consider Rattlesnake Mountain sacred.

No time frame was given Monday for when existing leases would stop being renewed.

But Benton County Commissioner Max Benitz Jr. said Brockman encouraged him to go ahead with a planned upgrade of the Benton County Emergency Management's 800-MHz communications tower.

"Dave thinks supporting emergency services for the surrounding communities is a top priority," French said. "We are not going to leave any entity without emergency services."

But DOE continues to be concerned about the road that leads to the mountaintop. French said the road needs about $1.5 million in repairs and DOE is unwilling to take money from Hanford cleanup to fix it.

Brockman told the group Monday that DOE is not planning to maintain the road, French said.

Officials at the meeting said they plan to look for other maintenance money or possibly change the road, said Pam Larsen, Hanford Communities executive director.

French also said DOE wants better control of access to the mountain during the time that agencies are using it. That includes better control of vehicles and parking to keep them off vegetation and be consistent with tribal values.

Larsen described the meeting as constructive, but said more discussions were needed. French said DOE has agreed to more talks.

Agencies who attended Monday's meeting include Benton County, Franklin County, the city of Richland, the state departments of transportation and emergency management and the Alliance for the Advancement of Science Through Astronomy, which operates the Rattlesnake observatory.