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6y <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: April 20, 1999 <br />SUBJECT: Telecommunications Towers /Site Management Consultant <br />DEPARTMENT: PLANNING <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />MetroSite Consultant Brochure <br />A. Summary of Service and Benefits <br />B. Telecommunications Executive Summary <br />C. Typical Contract <br />D. Other related information <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. /0-01 <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig N. Benedict, Planning Director <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: - - ext. 2592 <br />Hillsborough 732 -8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968 -4501 <br />Durham 688 -7331 <br />Mebane 227 -2031 <br />PURPOSE: To report on the need to hire a consultant to assist the County in tower siting issues. <br />BACKGROUND: The Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 made sweeping regulatory <br />changes to the siting of wireless communication towers and underground telecable facilities. In <br />brief, the Federal Government received billions of dollars in license fees to `sell the airwaves' to <br />various telecommunication (` telco') providers in order to construct the `information highway'. To <br />ease the implementation of the telco network, the Telco Act of 1996 preempted many local <br />government zoning controls. <br />As is evidenced by the number of tower installations and proposals in Orange County, tower <br />applications and their related public input is of growing importance and legal sensitivity. <br />Consultant companies in the telecommunication field now offer services to government to: <br />a) provide public information, b) review ordinances, c) create a grid system identifying potential <br />tower coverage sites, d) coordinate tower siting with the telco industry, and e) develop revenue <br />sources for leasing public properties. <br />MetroSite Management is such a firm and has been recommended by the North Carolina League of <br />Municipalities and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. <br />An executive summary and summary of service and benefits, and the brochure from the firm is <br />attached. A representative, Susan Rabold Bouton, is available for questions. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: The firm provides many services (items a,b,c,d) free of charge. The <br />compensation is solely derived from part of the lease value paid by the tower and/or digital/cellular <br />service provider to the County. <br />RECOMMENDATON(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the report for <br />information only at this time. <br />