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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTelecommunications Board - Minutes - 09/10/1996i • Page 1 TELECOMMUNICATIONS BOARD MEETING MINUTES September 10,1996 7:00 P.M. 11 Council Liaison: Chris Kneeland I Staff Liaison: Liz Stroh, Michael Gitter 11 IIChairperson: Phil Wadas Phone: 221- 1764 (W) 221-0065 (H) Presiding Chair: Phil Wadas Phone: (W) (H) Members Present: Barbara Hain, Howard Lowell, Tom Maher, Ernie Powell, Larry Rowland, Phil Wadas Members Absent: Greg Smith City Staff: Advance Planning Department: Pete Wray ICS Department: Doug Finnman TCI Staff: Bob Carnahan, General Manager Public: Ann Closser, Closser Consulting, LLC (representing AirTouch Cellular) Fred Fox, Foxfire (representing AT&T Wireless Services) Michael McCreedy (Western Wireless) The meeting was called to order at 7:05 P.M. Larry Rowland pointed out that an agenda item was missing from the minutes: assignment of a Board member who will be responsible for updating the web page. It was agreed to add this item under Other Business. Howard Lowell moved to approve the minutes. Tom Maher seconded and the Board approved the motion unanimously. The TCI Update was moved to later in the agenda. Page 2 Pete Wray from the City's Advance Planning Department gave the Board an update on the City Plan project, which will provide the City with a new comprehensive long range plan. Pete handed out a document detailing the phases and time line for the project. Currently the project is at the Principles and Policies phase. Pete provided the Board with excerpts from the City Plan Principles and Policies document that he felt are relevant to the Telecom Board. He pointed out policy statements that relate to telecommunications, and explained that the Principles and Policies document will have addendums with links to other City policy documents such as the Telecommunications Policy. Larry asked if the Board could provide suggestions for wording in Principles and Policies relating to telecommunications. Pete welcomed suggestions and asked that Board members send comments be sent him as follows: -E-mail: pwray@ci.fort-collins.co.us -Fax:224-6111 Bob Carnahan updated the Board on the following items: • The WWOR channel will be dropped and replaced by the Fox News in early October `96. • The current Digital Music Choice service will be changed out to the new Digital Music Express • (DMX) service. Customers can expect a slight interruption of service when the change out is done. • With arrival of CSU students last month the cable installation service wait backed up to 11 days. This has since come down to the seven-day level. • Three CSU football games will be available on the cable system this Fall. The Board discussed an upcoming tour of TCI facilities in Denver. The date was set for Thursday, October 24 departing Fort Collins at eight a.m.. Ernie and Phil both plan to drive their own cars. Tom said he will not attend because he previously toured these facilities. Warren Berman should also be invited. Bob asked that ICS contact TCI personnel in Denver and give them a head count. Maps of how to get there is also needed. Doug said he would check on reserving a City vehicle for those that are not driving their own cars. There will be a follow-up on this item at the October Board meeting. Page 3 Doug gave an introductory presentation on the draft ordinance. The ordinance is needed in response to telecommunications industry deregulation, plans by new providers to offer wireless telecom services locally, and to provide adequate zoning and design guidelines for facilities and equipment. The main points of the ordinance were covered and then discussion was opened up. At this point Phil declined to participate in the discussion because of conflict of interest and chose to sit in as a member of the public. Representatives from three wireless telecom service providers were present for this item. Discussion was held concerning setback requirements in the ordinance. Doug explained that industry reps expressed concern over the one foot setback for each foot of height requirements. This amount of setback is not needed in all cases. The City Attorney's Office plans to reduce this requirement if a facility (e.g., monopole) can be shown to collapse rather than topple. Tom questioned how you get a structure to collapse rather than topple. Company reps in attendance provided information about the engineering and technical specifications of these facilities that make this possible. Fred Fox indicated that they incorporate UBC criteria. He asked if the City uses UBC criteria. Doug said he thought so but would check on this. Larry asked to see a copy of these specs and Doug said he would provide a copy. Doug explained the review process for facilities and equipment. This would entail an administrative review by the Current Planning Director and potentially by the Planning and Zoning Board. Larry expressed concern that appeals to the P&Z Board be based on the law and not just on appealer's preferences or opinions. Mike McCreedy stated that in some cases their company might replace an existing structure such as a light pole with a new, similar structure that has the capacity for attaching equipment. He asked if the proposed ordinance would classify this as a facility or equipment. The Board agreed they would like to see such cases interpreted as equipment, provided the replacement structure is cosmetically similar to the original structure. Doug said he would communicate this to the City Attorney's Office. Howard asked if it is possible for more than one provider to use the same antenna. The company reps indicated that in some cases it is possible and this is being done now in the Denver metro area. Fred Fox commented on behalf of their industry group that Fort Collins did a thorough job of putting the ordinance together and it is a very good ordinance compared to others they have seen. Board Action: Howard moved that the ordinance, with the changes discussed, is recommended to Council for approval. Barb seconded and the motion was approved unanimously. Page 4 Phil expressed his thanks to Larry for his long and dedicated service as Chairman. The Board concurred with this. Doug said he would check on appropriate recognition for Larry's service. Phil announced that at the September 24 Study Session the Chairmen of Boards and Commissions are invited to present their recommendations to Council for the Capital Improvement Program. He will do this for the Telecom Board and others are invited to attend as well. Larry volunteered to be responsible for updating the Telecom Board's web page. Bob said he will be Larry's backup. Doug said he would have the appropriate ICS person get in touch with Larry. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m..