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1 <br /> <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />AGENDA ITEM 6B <br /> <br /> <br />STAFF ORIGINATOR: Katie Larsen, City Planner <br /> <br />MEETING DATE: January 27, 2020 <br /> <br />TOPIC: Consider 1st Reading of Ordinance No. 01-20, Zoning Ordinance <br />Text Amendment to Allow for Small Wireless Facilities <br /> <br />VOTE REQUIRED: Simple Majority <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Staff is requesting City Council consideration of a Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment to <br />Section 1007.053 to allow for small wireless facilities. <br />BACKGROUND <br />Section 1007.053 of the City Zoning Ordinance regulates the construction of antennas within <br />the City. On November 12, 2019, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 01-19 creating <br />Chapter 305 in the City Code enacting Small Wireless Facilities Standards within the public <br />right-of-way. An amendment to Section 1007.053 is proposed to provide consistency between <br />the ordinances. <br /> <br />ANALYSIS <br /> <br />The next generation of wireless services (called 5G) will require wireless providers to install a <br />large amount of lower hanging antennas connected to fiber optic cable that will allow wireless <br />providers to provide significantly higher internet speeds. The facilities needed to provide 5G <br />service are called small wireless facilities. The use of the word “small” is used to describe the <br />area covered by each antenna, not the size of the facilities. Small wireless facilities include <br />antennas, equipment cabinets, vertical conduit, power supplies, etc. Typically, small wireless <br />facilities are attached to utilities poles, such as a light pole in the public right-of-way. <br /> <br />Over the past two years, the Minnesota legislature enacted a new small wireless facility law and <br />the FCC has released a small wireless facility order. These actions have placed new restrictions <br />on how cities may handle applications to install small cell facilities. These restrictions include <br />review and approval deadlines and limitations on fees. <br /> <br />Chapter 305 establishes requirements to install Small Wireless Facilities. Section 1007.053 <br />currently does not address Small Wireless Facilities. An amendment to the zoning ordinance is <br />proposed to reference Chapter 305. <br /> <br />Draft Ordinance Language <br /> <br />The City of Lino Lakes participated in a group of Minnesota cities to engage the municipal <br />telecommunications law firm of Bradley Law, LLC to draft a model small wireless facility