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Fort Bend ISD will enter into a lease agreement with Diamond Communications for four new potential cell towers on district property.
The item, which was approved at a July 27 meeting, was approved in a 4-3 vote with board members Addie Heyliger, Adam Schoof and Afshi Charania dissenting.
How it works
Diamond Communications, which serves as a consultant to market district-owned sites to wireless carriers, has identified four new potential sites for cell towers, according to agenda documents.
The new potential tower locations include:
The firm will conduct due diligence and pay the district $1,000 per tower for the options period.
Additionally, the district receives revenue from either monthly rental payments or lump-sum fees for cell towers, per agenda documents. However, no district fees are used for cell tower operations.
What they’re saying
Several board members and residents, including Schoof, raised concerns about health, safety, communication from the city and return on investment for the project. Schoof said he was specifically concerned about radiation.
“Our return on the investment on the cell towers doesn’t seem to be worth the risk,” he said. “It’s just simply not worth it.”
However, Richard Gay, executive director of business services for Fort Bend ISD, said the project would improve connectivity for schools and that the nine existing cell towers on district campuses have not had any safety issues.
Also of note
Public hearings will also be held for five Fort Bend ISD cell tower locations that were previously approved for cell tower construction, Gay said.
All hearings will take place at 5 p.m. at their respective campuses, which are:
