§ 69-1. Purpose, findings and goals.

(a)

The purpose of this chapter is to balance the interests of residents, visitors and business owners of the city with the competing interests of providers of telecommunication services. This chapter establishes guidelines for the siting of telecommunication towers and antennas and the facilities to which such towers and antennas are affixed so as to promote the health, safety, order, prosperity and general welfare of the city within the framework imposed by Telecommunications Act of 1996.

(b)

The mayor and council for the city expressly take legislative notice of the deleterious impact of towers and antennas on the aesthetic and monetary value of properties, and in particular residential and scenic properties, from which such towers and antennas are visible. The goals of this chapter, therefore, are to:

(1)

Ensure, to the extent practicable, that new antennas are affixed to towers, buildings and other suitable structures already in existence and that construction of additional towers and alternative tower structures be considered only as a last resort;

(2)

Encourage the location of towers in non-residential areas and minimize the total number of towers throughout the community;

(3)

Encourage strongly the joint use of new and existing tower sites (co-location);

(4)

Encourage users of towers and antennas to locate them, to the extent possible, in areas where the adverse impact on the community is minimal;

(5)

Encourage users of towers and antennas to construct them in a way that minimizes the adverse visual impact of the towers or antennas;

(6)

Avoid potential damage to adjacent properties from structural failure through engineering and careful siting of tower structures;

(7)

Minimize danger to children and others who might attempt to climb or play on antennas, monopoles or towers;

(8)

Develop an inventory of existing sites and telecommunication facilities with specific information regarding ownership, licenses, users, structural capacity, transmission and reception capacity, contract conditions affecting co-location, and undeveloped land area; and

(9)

Provide for the disposition of towers not in use.

(Ord. No. 10-2007, § 1, 8-13-07)