Why Your Jurisdiction Needs a Wireless Master Plan

When Kreines & Kreines, Inc. introduced the concept of a Wireless Master Plan, cities and counties would ask us why?  "Because," we answered, "it's the right thing to do." 

If that answer doesn't convince you, consider the problems cities and counties are facing:

·       Wireless has a 20-year build-out that cities and counties are stretching to a 40-year build-out.  It's not going away, it's just getting more difficult for cities and counties as well as carriers.

·       Application fees charged by cities and counties are usually too low.  If cities and counties had a better idea of what goes into a personal wireless service facility application and the needless scurrying and questioning that ensues – each and every time – cities and counties might say "let's at least recover our costs."

·       Many personal wireless service facilities in each city or county are bootlegged; that is, they don't have the proper permits.  When a carrier or tower builder puts up a personal wireless service facility without going through the city or county process, they are disrespecting that city or county government.  They are also saving application fees, meager though the fee is.

·       The city or county assessor is also probably unaware of the value that is not being taxed.  This is costing local governments millions of dollars in needed revenue.

·       City and counties receive most of their information about wireless from the wireless industry, the very industry that  is costing your jurisdiction money.  Would you rather continue with the wireless industry's policies or have your jurisdiction have policies of its own?

Here are some things Kreines & Kreines, Inc. does in a Wireless Master Plan:

·       We show cities and counties how to keep an inventory of personal wireless service facilities, - not just those the city or county knows about – but those that have been built without permits as well.

·       We show cities and counties how to prepare a database.

·       We identify areas in your community that should be avoided, like public parks.

·       We show you principles of siting and design.

·       We give you standards for safety concerns.

·       We give you guidance on public sites where the local government can earn revenue … much more revenue than the jurisdiction is earning now from personal wireless service facilities.

·       We introduce operations standards:  who monitors and maintains personal wireless service facilities after they are approved and built?

·       We tie it all together into public policy.  It is easy to approve or deny a personal wireless service facility using a Wireless Master Plan.

Now, the one word you do not find above is "tower."  That's because we teach cities and counties words that should not be used (or only used in the proper context) like: tower, aesthetics, towers, coverage and tower or towers.

Finally, we talk about revenue opportunities.  The wireless industry knows that the right-of-way is where the deployment of wireless is going and they are trying to get the states to pass laws to prevent municipalities from controlling their own rights-of-way.  A Wireless Master Plan will place your city or county one step ahead of the wireless industry.

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Kreines & Kreines, Inc.
58 Paseo Mirasol, Tiburon, CA 94920
Phone: (415) 435-9214
Fax: (415) 435-1522
e-mail: mail@planwireless.com