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City to get help in cell tower debate
By Jim Cornelius

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The City of Sisters is getting help this week from an independent consultant to wade through the legal and technical questions surrounding cell phone towers.

The Sisters planning commission approved a tower of undetermined height to be sited near the city sewer treatment facility, but the city has not signed a lease yet.

According to Sisters Mayor Steve Wilson, city councilors will ask Kreines and Kreines, a California consulting firm specializing in telecommunications issues for cities, for advice on how to handle applications from providers.

"I want independent input on what is appropriate technology; sites; ability to co-locate (multiple services) and such," Wilson said.

The city council was to hold a half-day workshop with representatives of Keines and Kreines on Wednesday, April 4, 1 p.m., at City Hall.

The mayor questions the idea that cities are required to provide sites for towers. Wilson believes the Sisters planning commission may have been led to believe that the Federal Telecommunication Act of 1996 requires cities to accommodate cell phone towers.

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"They were under the assumption or premise that they didn't have a choice," Wilson said.

Consultants from Kreines and Kreines will be asked to brief the council on legal obligations.

The council will also seek technical information as to the appropriate height for towers. The current applicant, Specrasite, wants a 150 foot tower.

The planning commission specified that the tower should be no taller than is necessary to do the job.

The city also wants to know what an appropriate lease amount would be if the council decides to move forward with a tower.

Local residents have coalesced into organized opposition to cell towers, arguing that they destroy views.

The workshop is open to the public, Wilson said, but he emphasized that it is not a public forum for debate.

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He noted that the city is paying $2,000 for consulting time and wants to ensure that all the city's questions are addressed.

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