Cellular towers decision delayed

Friday, June 10, 2005 | 9:29 a.m.

The Clark County School Board delayed approving plans to lease space at high schools to cellular phone companies for transmission towers Thursday after several members said they wanted more time to consider both safety issues and the how the potential revenue would be spent.

District staff have identified 19 high schools and nine nonschool facilities that could be suitable candidates for the towers, which would be mounted on stadium light poles or security fencing.

The towers could each hold up to five antennas, which staff have recommended offering for a minimum monthly lease of $1,500 a piece. That could translate into as much as $90,000 in revenue per site.

School Board member Sheila Moulton said she wanted her colleagues to consider how those funds would be distributed and whether individual campuses or the district's general fund would be the main recipient.

Possible safety issues, including potential harm from exposure to the low-level radiation emitted by the antennas, also need to be discussed, Moulton said. Her concerns were echoed by School Board members Denise Brodsky and Shirley Barber.

Walt Rulffes, deputy superintendent of operations for the district, said there have been no studies or reports issued by any government agency that suggests cellular phone towers pose health risks. However, Rulffes said, the site lease proposal already contains several provisions aimed at minimizing exposure.

"We are not suggesting the towers be sited at elementary schools and the proposed locations are far away from high-volume student traffic," Rulffes said.

In other action, the School Board approved setting new limits on employee vehicles, setting into regulation policy changes that have been in the works for more than a year.

Under the new regulation, employee use of district vehicles is strictly curtailed and only individuals who are on 24-hour call, such as facilities repair crews or School Police officers, may take cars home overnight. Vehicles will also be assigned only to those employees who travel more than 600 miles per month on district business although special requests may be accommodated.