The Greenwood City Council is considering a proposal to lease land for a wireless facility that is expected to increase the quality of reception for wireless devices in the region.
Teri Borders and Gregg Staggs of Tilson Infrastructure presented their plan to the council at its meeting Tuesday.
Borders said their company builds towers to be used by multiple companies.
The proposal would put the new tower near the corner of Cotton Street and Johnson Street.
“Verizon has a specific need to cover downtown, and they would be our anchor tenant, but I work with all the carriers,” she said. “I would make sure that (other carriers) would come to this site as well, and of course the city would get additional revenue.”
Staggs said the proposal would increase coverage for in-building devices as well as 5G coverage.
“What we’re doing is proposing the newest technology in tower development, where it’s designed to the latest standards for the latest standards,” he said. “If you have tornadoes and storms and things of that nature that come through, that tower will still be there. It also will support up to four carriers on that structure that’s designed there.”
Staggs said good coverage is more important now than ever.
“Not only is it a financial benefit to the city because it will be a lease, so great income, but it’s a pretty small footprint that’s designed in a way that will not be a detriment to the area,” he said.
The deal is a 25-year lease with an automatic renewal every five years unless the city or the company chooses to end it. The first tenant would be Verizon, and the proposal would include a revenue-sharing agreement that would increase with each additional tenant that comes aboard.
“At first I was totally against it, because I thought it was going to be one of those towers that’s already there, that they’re coming down with the building,” said Mayor Carolyn McAdams, “but this is just exactly like our utility poles.”
“It’s going to blend; it’s going to mesh right in,” she said.
Council President Ronnie Stevenson told Borders and Staggs, “Right now we’re a business- friendly town, and I think you all would be a good business partner. I’ll let the mayor and the attorney get with you all, and they’ll bring it back to us to vote on.”
The council also heard a proposal from Karan McGee of the Adela Agency to help improve the city’s debt collection process. This is the first proposal to a city that her company has made.
McGee said her company would allow the city to work year-round to collect delinquent debts.
“We’re going to work them all year long,” she said. “You do not pay us unless we collect.”
She said Adela provides a website for payments, submissions for disputes and reports of bankruptcy even after hours.
“We are here to collect the money, but we are not here to berate people,” she said. “We treat people with respect. If they don’t treat us with respect, we tell them we’ll call them on a better day.”
“It’s so important to have teeth in that law to collect those fines,” said Ward 1’s Johnny Jennings. “If you don’t, there’s no cause and effect. You go down a path that is really dangerous.”
“We have a lot of fines and debts that need collecting,” Ward 4’s Charles McCoy said.
The council agreed to allow City Attorney Don Brock to look over the proposal.
The council also passed an amendment to the city’s code of ordinances, requiring contractors or sign professionals to obtain permits before putting signs up.
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
