The Dublin City Council held hearings for a cell phone tower variance and annexation and approved financing for vehicles in the regular December meeting held Monday, Dec. 18.
Alan Scivally was present to address a request from AT&T for a height variance on a cell phone tower under negotiation with a citizen on the edge of Dublin.
The current City code limits towers to 75 feet and the company is asking for 145 feet, saying that it will provide access across town at this height and once constructed, will be available to other carriers.
Scivally reported the tower would be a monopole design, similar to football stadium lighting, but will house transmitters instead of lights.
Council member Sammy Moor expressed concern over the placement, noting it was close to schools. He asked whether AT&T could ask the owner about placing it on a different part of their property.
Scivally responded that all studies show more RF and microwave exposure through handsets through towers but was willing to ask the owner about another part of the property. He did remark that the current selection was out of the way and other choices might be more inconvenient.
City Manager Bobby Mendez reminded the council that the hearing related only to the height of the structure. The land owner and the company could agree and install the same type of tower at 75 feet without a variance as the FCC does not deem them unsafe.
Council member Keegan McInroe suggested tabling the decision after the property owner is asked about a different location. The council unanimously voted to table the matter. (Darren Turley was absent.)
The first public hearing was also held on the annexation of approximately 3.1 acres of the right of way of FM219 (starting at the city limits and traveling north, around the KOA sign). The second public hearing will be at the next council meeting on Jan. 8.
The council also unanimously voted to finance the remainder of a fire truck (Unit 96) which recently arrived and is awaiting equipment and a mini excavator/skid steer.
The vote for the fire truck was for the remaining $200,000 of the $429,107 purchase.
The vote on the public works vehicle was for 7 year financing of the $152,285 purchase which would start repayment in the next budget year. Mendez reported the vehicle has different attachments including a claw, hydraulic jackhammer and buckets. The utility will reportedly benefit the public works employees in many ways.
Council members also approved a 30’x30’ concrete slab in front of the new EMS building to smooth out the grading and improve accessibility. Mendez reported this was well within the EMS budget after the county delivered a $150,000 check. The county had approved the payments for first response organizations working within the county through ARPA funding and EMS Director John Tadlock approached them about securing the funding.
The council also voted to adopt an updated Records Management Policy Ordinance and to amend the Master Fee Schedule to reflect changes to Zoning Change Fees.