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Union board to discuss cell tower ordinance

UNION TOWNSHIP — The Union Town Board will discuss a draft ordinance to regulate cell phone towers at its Thursday night meeting.

AT&T is seeking to place a cell phone tower in the township, and the town is in the process of writing a telecommunications ordinance, Clerk Regina Ylvisaker said. AT&T has not submitted an application to the town, she said.

The board is likely four to six weeks away from taking action on the draft ordinance, she said.

The issue has caused concern among a group of residents and pushed two plan commission members to resign. Residents are circulating a petition requesting the board include a citizen review committee in the ordinance. The residents group also stated in a news release they have concerns over AT&T representatives influencing the draft ordinance.

Town board meeting minutes show a lawyer for AT&T stating concerns and suggesting changes to the draft ordinance.

The plan commission began writing the ordinance. At the town board's April 10 meeting, board members voted against the commission's recommendation to contract with the Center for Municipal Solutions to assist in the ordinance, according to meeting minutes.

Plan commission members stated they felt they had more work to do, but town board members said they were hoping to finish the ordinance in a "short time frame" and they should accept the commission's work, according to minutes. The board thanked the commission for its time and effort and stated it would complete the ordinance, according to minutes.

Former plan commission member Doug Zweizig is one of the two who resigned after the April 10 meeting.

"I had informed the board that I would no longer be willing to serve on the plan commission if they were going to allow a private company to write the ordinance," Zweizig said in a news release.