Cellular service providers still can’t apply to put a tower in a Columbus residential area.
On Tuesday, city councilmen rejected a recommendation from the Columbus Planning Commission that would have allowed companies to apply to build towers in any zoning district inside the city limits. With the denial, companies still won’t be able to apply to do so. They will have to settle to apply to build them strictly in commercial, industrial or agricultural zones.
The vote on a motion to accept the CPC’s recommendation failed in a 3-2 vote Tuesday. Councilmen Joseph Mickens and Charlie Box were in favor. Marty Turner, Kabir Karriem and Bill Gavin opposed. In Mayor Robert Smith’s absence, Councilman and Vice Mayor Gene Taylor presided and did not vote.
All seven members of the planning commission that were present for that body’s meeting last week approved the three requests from Neel-Schaffer, a local engineering firm that asked for the changes on behalf of C Spire. That body is a recommending body, however, and the final decision on any item they approve or deny rests in the council’s hands.
Gavin disputed the distance requirements from a tower to a house — the proposal was for 200 feet or 150 percent of the tower’s height — saying that wasn’t enough space.
“That’s kind of close,” Gavin said. “Some of these people have major money invested in their property…we’re trying to grow the city, and we might have land that is zoned residential — vacant land. Who’s going to buy that piece of property now to build a house on it?”
Karriem said he had spoken with residents who had reservations about cell phone towers in neighborhoods, as did Turner after the meeting.
“There were some citizens that were complaining to me about having a cell tower (in Southside),” Turner said. “If they have concerns, I have concerns.”
Bush’s request for assistant director tabled
In other business, the council voted unanimously to table a request from city public works director Casey Bush to re-create an assistant director position and begin recruiting to fill that position.
Bush noted that he was the assistant director for the late Mike Pratt and the city did not budget for the assistant position after he was promoted to director. Bush noted that during city project managing firm J5 Broaddus’ efficiency study of public works, GPS modules were placed in trucks to track their activity and more of them were bought so there were enough to track more trucks. Since then, a lack of staff has meant that they can no longer be tracked regularly, Bush said. He also noted that the city recently annexed and his department could use another administrator type employee to make up for the extra territory and responsibility.
Karriem said J5 Broaddus Senior Project Manager Robyn Eastman was to report to the council soon with a follow-up study and report. He suggested the council hear the results of that report before making any personnel decisions.
Gavin asked city financial officer Milton Rawle if the city budgeted for the position when the budget was passed in September. Rawle said it had not — only another labor slot had been budgeted for. Gavin reminded that the most recently passed budget had a $300-400,000 deficit that may have to be made up by reserve funds.
“I’m managing 64 to 67 employees,” Bush replied. “Your other departments — police and fire departments — have assistants. J5 is on board and they have helped, but I need someone within. (J5) actually can’t just come in and direct my guys.”
Gavin asked Bush how many other supervisors were in the department. Bush said that while he had four foremen, delegating the responsibilities of an assistant director to them would compromise their ability to do what they do now as effectively.
Box made a motion to table the request before agreeing to an amendment Karriem requested to wait for the results of J5’s second study.
In August, councilmen approved J5 hiring Derrick Nash to serve as the deputy director of public works for six months at no cost to the city to assist Bush. At the end of that time, the city can retain Nash if it reimburses J5 for his salary.
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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