Agenda - Council - 07/22/2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Associate Planner Gladhill stated he does not know but could do additional research on broadband technology. Commissioner Brauer explained that the bandwidth needed to carry pictures is wider than needed for voice transmission. He noted that cellular companies are selling technologies to watch a television feed on your cellular telephone that requires different signal delivery and bandwidth. He asked who and what defines the "gap." The 1.996 FCC Act requires Ramsey to provide service for all residents to access a cellular telephone but ~~ nndered whether it requires Ramsey to also provide, in addition, broadband service. He also asked ~~~het]lcr getting one bar on their telephone is adequate service. Associate Planner Gladhill stated the additional uses ~~ets doti«1 to additional use~of'~andwidth. He stated he does not have additional information about the difi~rence i1i ~bandti~~idth needed to answer a call and additional bandwidth needed to ~~-atch «ircless streaniln~, ~-ideo on a cellular telephone. y Commissioner Brauer asked where the data comes from and ~tihether, in the long run, the City has to rely on the service provider to say where they ~~ ant the t~~~~ers. He also asked if Ramsey can fmd a means to get the dataindependenth on to«-er placements. Associate Planner Gladhill noted that irl past to~~ er requesis; the applicant provided engineering specs for their service coverage but it may not hale indicated how much was needed for the phone; and how much for streaming; 1~idco. Stalf can determine if the request~is appropriate for additional bandwidth or adequate. coveragz. Community Development Dirceior?~iiller stated st~3ff caii determine if additional information is needed beyond the engineering specs provided by the applicant. Chairperson I~~~i~t stated his belief that the City is better off to design overlay districts that are establis~~ed and based on reasonable re~~ie~ti, "that puts the City in a favorable position should a wireless provider wa.iit a t~j~ter in an area not designated as an overlay district or otherwise penniited site and properly shift the burden to the wireless provider to demonstrate the City has ~ ~~ot prot~idedit with adequate. access required under Federal law. At thatpoint, it is fair to say if the. Cit~~ believes this ordin~irlce identifies overlay districts based on current information to accomplish. that objective, to pz-cwide reasonable coverage, it seems prudent to move the ordinan~~. forti~~ard to the Cit~> Council for consideration and adoption. He noted that standards, technology, and needs mar change but the Planning Commission has to .look at standards for today; the current situarioli not future situation. John Enstrom stated he has 3.5 of the most desirable sites in Ramsey on his property and if Central Park is not a good spot, Veterans Lake is not a good site either and he wants it eliminated from consideration. He noted one of the towers straddles his properly and his neighbor's property to the west. However, he does not want an antenna on the west half of that tower either. Community Development Director Miller clarified that the antennas allowed in Central Park are co-located on the 100-foot .tall lights, adding an additional 20 feet as opposed to adding new towers. -184-