Published: Tuesday, Sep. 01, 2009

Updated: Tuesday, Sep. 01, 2009

School board considering cell towers

BRADENTON — The cash-strapped Manatee County School District is considering leasing some of its land for cellular phone towers.

But it’s nothing that will happen overnight, the district’s executive planner, Mike Pendley, told the school board during a workshop meeting Monday.

In an effort to generate more revenue, Pendley said the district recently advertised for 16 locations, including all the high schools, its Professional Support Center off 63rd Avenue East and five vacant sites east of Interstate 75.

Vantage Tower Group was one of three companies to respond. The Tampa-based company said it would like to build towers at all the district’s high schools, except Southeast.

The board discussed what would happen if they agreed to a contract with Vantage.

“We want this to be a team effort,” Vantage President Rob Sandburg told board members and Superintendent Tim McGonegal.

The phone companies would pay the district through a lease contract to build and use the towers on those properties. Each tower, Sandburg said, would be used by one to four phone carriers.

LauraLee Westine, an attorney who represents Vantage, said if the district wants the towers built, the entire process could take a minimum of 16 months.

“From the lease signing to community meetings to permitting and construction,” she said, noting tower construction alone could take four to six weeks.

“It would be a lengthy process,” Pendley added.

He also addressed issues including aesthetics and health concerns.

He showed board members photos of four types of towers, including one that was camouflaged. Another one had a flag atop it.

Board member Barbara Harvey said she wanted to make sure students and staff would not face health risks because cell towers transmit radio frequencies. Pendley said although opponents claim various health risks are associated with the towers, including cancer, most studies show the radio frequency emitted from the tower antennas are far too low to cause health problems.

Board members Bob Gause and Jane Pfeilsticker said they were on board with moving forward. But Gause said he wants to talk to administrators at the sites where towers could go up.“To see what they think,” he said.

Board member Harry Kinnan said he was “really skeptical” about striking a deal. “I’m reserved, but by the same token, I will wait to hear what unfolds,” Kinnan said.

The possible deal comes at a time when money is tight. This school year, the district is working with a $697 million budget. So far, $13.6 million in cuts have been made. But McGonegal has said that $25 million in cuts need to be made during the next three school years.

It’s working for Sarasota. That school district reaped the benefits during the last school year, earning $88,000 from five towers at Educational Services Center, Sarasota Technical Institute, Gocio Elementary, Sarasota High School and Venice High School, said district spokesman Scott Ferguson.