Discussion:
On October 3, 2017, the City Council approved an ordinance update to City Code Chapter 90 pertaining to telecommunications and small cell wireless permitting. The new update provides the governance of telecommunication companies installing small cell wireless antenna facilities on poles within the city's public right-of-way.
There are two general categories of the placement and installation of small cell antenna facilities: 1) on structures owned by the small cell wireless company, and 2) on facilities owned by the city (e.g. streetlight pole). Under the first category, if they install antennas on their own poles or other private utility company's poles, the city would simply handle this as a normal right-of-way permit item. Under the second category where the small cell wireless company desires to install their facilities on city infrastructure, state law allows for and city code requires a collocation agreement between the city and the wireless provider.
The proposed agreement between the city and the wireless provider (Verizon Wireless) provides the governance for the attachment of their privately owned antennas to the city's poles throughout the city. There would be only a single collocation agreement per provider. The agreement is modeled from the League of Minnesota Cities template agreement. Once the agreement is in place, Verizon Wireless will then be allowed to proceed with developing plans and installing antennas at individual locations within the city. For each location or group of locations (up to 15 separate antennas), a separate supplemental agreement is required, to be administered by city staff.
Upon approval of the attached collocation agreement with Verizon Wireless, it is anticipated that they will proceed immediately with permitting for two antenna locations along Marschall Road near County Road 16.