The Marshall County Commissioners held an emergency meeting last Friday to take action on proposed legislation that required local action prior to May 1st.
County Plan Director Ralph Booker made the commissioners aware of Senate Enrolled Act 231 which pertains to placement of small cell towers, 50 feet of less in height within the county’s right-of-way.
Booker explained the senate enrolled act gives the small cell towers less regulations that will allow little wireless communicators on any existing utility pole, church steeples, or anything that is high. They are to be treated like other utilities that use the right-of-way.
Language in the senate enrolled act says a permit authority may prohibit the placement of any new pole or wireless support structure within a right-of-way within an area designated before May 1st, 2017 strictly for underground and buried utilities if certain conditions are met.
The emergency meeting on Friday will require the smaller cell towers to go through the Plan Commission and BZA for placement to give the county some control over placement in the county right-of-way where there are other underground utilities including drainage structures.
On Monday the County Commissioners ratified the actions of Friday’s emergency meeting adopting resolution 2017-10.
