LAKETOWN, Utah. Jon Lee presented a business license application for Dot Bar Communications. Lee went to the planning and zoning commission and received approval for a 30-foot tower, the same as a flagpole, since there are no regulations in the Laketown code for communications towers. In a few years they plan to bury fiber and will take down the tower. They are also seeking approval to start digging a hole for approximately 3 cubic feet of cement and putting up a 30-foot tower.
Jordan McKee is a minority owner in the company and helps
with infrastructure. The footprint would be smaller than CentraCom’s which is
using eight solar panels. Lee is going
to use four solar panels that are higher powered. Dallas asked how tall the
current tower is and Lee estimated it is 24 feet tall. CentraCom’s tower in
Garden City is 32 feet tall and is 40
feet. Dallas asked if they can use the same tower as CentraCom so there won’t
be multiple towers on the hill. Lee can use the same tower if CentraCom will
allow it. He has approached CentraCom and asked but not received an answer.
Mayor Weston said we need to do some more talking. He thought the city had leverage until he had
some discussions today that he will relay later.
Lee said the hard thing is the need for a separate power
system. They need a pad for solar. Lee said they might want to put a time line
on it so after a certain amount of years they take the tower down and clear the
skyline. Mayor Weston wants create a legal contract with Dot Bar Communications
so that the parameters are set and each know what is expected of each party.
Lee said we need to look at that with CentraCom as well.
The standard telecom agreements make the swap eternal after
a certain amount of time. Garden City didn’t make Dot Bar Communications sign
an agreement because they are desperate to have a second internet provider.
Mayor Weston said the city is working with CentraCom and he feels like they
didn’t follow city guidelines but they feel like they did. We may require them
to move the fence, he said.
“We need a written agreement. We don’t want squatter’s
rights. We told them, when they put it there, if we ever have to put a tank in,
if the tower is in the road it will need to be moved or taken down.”
Lee is not against paying for a lease to offset some of the
problems the town has. He recommends using Dot Bar Communications as leverage
with CentraCom. Dot Bar Communications will be better than them, he said.
Mayor Weston asked if Lee has an agreement already. Lee said
they have a communication site lease agreement they used in Montpelier and
Mayor Weston asked for a copy of it. The agreement was written by the people
who write agreements for Union Wireless for all of Rich County.
Councilmember Delora Wight thinks we need things straightened out with CentraCom.
Mayor Weston asked for Lee to give us their contract, the clerk will email to
the council members and then let the city attorney look at it. Then they will
give Dot Bar Communications the go ahead. Lee said the contract would ideally
be created for 4 or 5 years with options. Jordan asked if the town council has
any legal end of the construction or structure concerns. Councilmember Eldon Robinson said at the TV
tower we have multiple business entities on the same tower.
Jordan McKee said, "we can only put so much antenna on a tower to
handle to the wind load. In the future a new tower will need to be installed
that is more robust for both companies to share the tower."
Motion by Councilmember Clark seconded by Councilmember
Ogilvie to approve the business license for Dot Bar Communications. Motion
carried unanimously.
