TO: Mayor Collins and Town Council Members
FROM: Kevin Burke, Town Manager
DATE: February 8, 2018
DEPARTMENT: Town Manager
Staff Contact Kevin Burke, Town Manager, 480.348.3690
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AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Mayor and Vice Mayor's Recommendation to Establish a Cellular Service Task Force
Body
Town Value(s):
☐ Primarily one-acre, residential community
☐ Limited government
☒ Creating a sense of community
☐ Partnerships with existing schools and resorts to enhance recreational opportunities
☐ Improving aesthetics/creating a brand
☐ Preserving natural open space
Poor cell service has remained a challenge for the Town of Paradise Valley. Resolving this issue is an important part of community.
Council Goals or Statutory Requirements:
Responsiveness to Residents - Identify and consider resident concerns in a timely manner and seek solutions to the best of the Town’s ability. Cell Service - Town Facilitated Solution
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive direction and amendments to Resolution 2018-05 to create a Cellular Service Task Force.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Poor cell service remains a challenge for Paradise Valley due to its mountainous topography and strict aesthetic guidelines. The Town has discussed this for many years and tried various improvements such as the 42 node Distributed Antenna System (DAS) in faux cactus around Town. The latest effort explored three macro antennas placed around Mummy Mountain by American Tower Corporation (ATC). While the RF mapping and the camouflaged antenna product are promising, the lack of site control is proving difficult to accomplish the task. In short, the sites needed are not controlled by the Town and private negotiations have not proven fruitful at this juncture.
Consequently, the Mayor and Vice Mayor are recommending the creation of a Task Force that would include a variety of resident experts with support from staff and paid industry experts, to development a set of options and recommendations back to the Town Council for their consideration.
BUDGETARY IMPACT:
The suggestion is to allot $50,000 (would come from Contingency) to this project
ATTACHMENT(S):
Proposed Resolution 2018-05 creating a Cellular Service Task Force.