Jackson County commissioners held back to back special meetings Thursday, Sept. 27, to discuss ordinance proposals.

The first meeting a joint session with the planning board was to discuss progress on the county’s cell tower ordinance.

In July commissioners enacted a 90-day moratorium on cell tower construction and charged the planning board with the responsibility of writing a county-wide cell tower ordinance.

Planning Board Chairman Jack Debnam told commissioners the issue was a complex one.
“It looks like we will need some kind of extension,” he said.

Planning board member Mark Jamison told commissioners the cell tower committee had found a good model from Albemarle County, Va., but that it was a 76-page document. Jamison said administration of such a comprehensive ordinance would create a challenge for the county.

Mickey Williams of Trigon Engineering Consultants Inc. of Greensboro was invited by the planning board to speak to commissioners. Trigon contracts with municipalities and counties to create and/or administer cell tower ordinances.

Williams told commissioners to “get a good ordinance. If you craft a good ordinance, cell tower companies will comply. It actually works to their advantage — they don’t have a moving target.”

Gary Pennington, attorney for Crown Castle (a company that constructs towers), said there shouldn’t be any problem with a contract administrator but urged the county to proceed in a timely manner.

Debnam said because of the Federal Communications Act, “We have to let services into the area. All we can do is minimize the impact as much as possible.”

Debnam asked to be put on the agenda for the commissioners’ Oct. 4 meeting.

“At that time we will present reccomendations to the commissioners and get directions on what alternatives the board wants to pursue. We should have a draft ordinance at that time, too,” Debnam said.

At the second special meeting that evening commissioners reviewed an ammended solid waste ordinance presented by the Solid Waste Advisory Board. Commissioners accepted the amended ordinance and scheduled a first reading for the Oct. 4 meeting.

 

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