Warrensburg City Council Adopts Small Cell Installation Ordinance

The City of Warrensburg adopted an ordinance pertaining to small cell installations on Monday night.

The ordinance basically lays the groundwork for new 5G technology, explained City Manager Harold Stewart.

Stewart added that the cell phone industry approached and got results from the state legislature regarding regulations and a Municipality like Warrensburg now has very little ability to regulate the wireless companies.

Small cell installations will take the form of mini-fridge sized units that can accommodate 5G signals and data. The ordinance affects such units placed on the City's right-of-ways, and will require a permit to be submitted to the Public Works director for approval.

The total fee for an Application for the Collocation of a Small Wireless Facility on an existing City Utility Pole is $100 per Small Wireless Facility, while the total fee for an Application for the installation, modification, or replacement of a Utility Pole and the Collocation of an associated Small Wireless Facility is $500 per Utility Pole.

The rate for Collocation of a Small Wireless Facility to a City Utility Pole is $150 per City Utility Pole per year, according to the newly-adopted ordinance.

And as part of the permit process, a wireless provider must post a performance bond of $1,500 per small wireless facility up to an aggregate amount of $75,000, which aggregated amounts may be under a single bond, the ordinance noted.