The East Grand Forks City Council has found a new potential location for a cellphone tower on the grounds of Valley Golf Course.
The council voted last month not to allow for construction of a Verizon Wireless tower in the original proposed site after numerous East Grand Forks residents opposed the location at a council meeting. Though a representative from Verizon Wireless said the location was chosen for optimal cellphone coverage and would not diminish property values for nearby homes, residents of the neighborhood disagreed.
At an Tuesday council meeting, Mayor Steven Gander said the city is "coming back around a little on the cell tower discussion."
Gander said that both City Council President Mark Olstad and the director of Valley Golf Course had come to him separately proposing the same new location for the cellphone tower. Gander said the city was still early in the process of assessing this new location, but he is hopeful that the city, the golf course and Verizon can come to a solution.
"Quietly we're trying to look through some alternatives and then bring it through the regular process," Gander said.
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Olstad seemed confident in the new proposal.
"It (the location) was the least troublesome that could hopefully work for everyone," Olstad said.
If the cellphone tower is built, a portion of the revenue it generates for Valley Golf Course will be directed to the city as the tower site is located on leased city land.
Olstad said he expects the council will be voting on a new plan for the tower in the next month.
In its brief meeting, the council also moved to sign a contract with Johnson Controls Inc. for multiple renovation and service projects on city hall. Johnson Controls will replace portions of City Hall's roof and heating and cooling systems for $320,900 and enter into a three-year planned service agreement with the city for $12,950 annually.
