SB 649 will take control from cities

California Senate Bill 649 would allow cellular phone tower construction on public land or structures that proponents maintain is needed to keep demand. It is sponsored by Senator Ben Hueso, our Imperial County representative, who says the bill is needed to keep up with technology.

“We need a statewide plan for the adaption on new wireless communication rather than having to go city to city,” Hueso told the Imperial Valley Press recently. “This bill is absolutely needed. Cities are saying they’ll lose local control but it’s not the case. This is about making telephone bills affordable.”

This is about making telephone bills affordable?

According to the Pew Research Center, 95 percent of Americans now own a cell phone of some kind. In 2011, the percentage of Americans using cell phones was 35 percent, a jump of 77 percent in only six years.

According to PRC, of the people with an annual income of less than $30,000, 92 percent of them have some sort of a cell phone.

It’s difficult to see how this bill will make cell phones more affordable when even the lower-middle class can already afford one. It seems more like the telecommunication companies see a growing desire for more cell phones and want to circumvent local city authority to save fees.

And yes, this will take control away from small cities like ours.

SB 648 will shut out local discretion by eliminating consideration of environmental impacts of the small cell towers that can be attached to public structures like utility poles.

In the current process — cities dictate where cell phone towers can be built, height, base width, etc. Ultimately, the cell phone companies are responsible for taxes and fees like all business.

Only a few months ago, residents in Holtville opposed a cell phone tower in the middle of Samaha Park, calling it an eyesore.

Council ultimately allowed the tower, but toward the southend of the park with a 3-2 vote.

The key thing to understand here is the city had the decision with input from residents, not the cell phone company or the state — that’s how our country works, or at least how it should work.

In that Holtville deal with Clear Talk, the 50-year lease will generate anywhere from $1 million to $1.5 million for the city.

The lease agreement will begin with a lower per-year payout and will steadily rise from $10,000 to $35,000 in the final years, and to begin the project, Clear Talk will pay the first five years up front with the addition a community benefit fee to bring it up to $60,000 that will be paid to the city on the first day of the contract.

SB 648 would set the leasing fees from $100 to $850 per year with a one-time setup fee of $250 for any city that receives a small cell phone tower. So 648 is about lowering cell phone bills at the expense of city services.

These telecommunications companies want to install anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 of the small cell towers in the next five years as they attempt to make the jump from 4G to 5G speeds according to the Los Angeles Times.

The LA Times reported during the last election cycle, AT&T gave more than $1.6 million to political groups and politicians — Democrats received $615,000 and Republicans $625,000. AT&T also spent $250,000 on an annual golf tournament at Pebble Beach, the Assembly Democrats’ big fundraiser.

On Wednesday, the bill cleared another hurdle by passing through the Communications and Conveyance Committee on the Assembly floor. Our district Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia didn’t vote, but was present. It’s getting closer to reaching the Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk, who according to the LA Times, will probably veto it given his history of favoring local control, but he’s also unpredictable. The bill now goes to the Committee on Appropriations but no date has been set for its hearing.

The Imperial Irrigation District hasn’t made a stance on the bill but previously stated it is watching the bill closely. The county of Imperial already informed Hueso it opposes the bill.

As of last week, more than 175 cities already opposed the bill including Brawley and El Centro. Our other local cities have not taken a stand so far.

If you are opposed as we are, call our Assemblyman Garcia at 760-3358656 or Hueso at 760-335-3442. Call your council members as well at your respective city hall and tell them to take a stand … tell them the lower cost of a phone call shouldn’t come at the expense of your city’s services.