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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />WORKSESSION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: January. 28. 2002 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. a <br />SUBJECT: Telecommunication Towers and Antenna Discussion _ <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig N. Benedict, ext. 2592 <br />Newspaper Artide <br />Draft Orange County Telco Cromance <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732.8161 <br />Chapel HIII 9683501 <br />Durham 886-7331 <br />Mebane (336)2272031 <br />PURPOSE: To discuss possible areas of revision to the tower ordinance to provide alternate <br />review processes and a lelecommunicaton plan to promote co-location and master grid planning <br />as well as the differentiation between Class A and Class B review processes. <br />BACKGROUND: The Fedeml Telecommunications Act of 1996 made sweeping regulatory <br />changes to the siting of wireless communication towers and underground talacable facilities. In <br />brief, the Federal Government received billions of dollars in license fees W'sell the airwaves' to <br />various telecommunication ('telco') providers in clear to construct tho li foonaticn highway'. To <br />se the implementation of the telco network, the Telco Act of 1986 preempted many local <br />government zoning controls. <br />There are many strict standards of review (findings of fad) that regulate the review process. In <br />many cases, the process is more judicial than legislative, so there are limits to Input, outside of <br />what the Telco Act has said Is legitimate. <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. Consultant <br />companies in the telecommunication field now offer services to government to: a) provide public <br />information, b) review ordinances, c) create a grid system identifying potential tower coverage sites, <br />d) coordinate tower aging with the tai industry , and e) develop revenue sources for leasing public <br />properties. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: Changes could include additional revenue if public properties are leased <br />and If parmit and inspection fees are implemented. <br />RECOMMENDATION(SI: Receive as a report and provide comment <br />.