Lawton City Council to consider removal of cell tower, allocating money to STEM programs

The City Council will act on a recommendation today to order removal of cell phone tower in a west Lawton neighborhood.

The proposal dates to earlier this year, when a resident challenged placement of a small cell wireless facility (tower) at 7990 NW Micklegate Boulevard. That tower is one of four awarded permits by the City Council September 2023, and among 26 towers that U.S. Cellular sought placement for in mostly-residential areas to upgrade cell phone coverage across Lawton. It also is the second tower location challenged by adjacent property owners; a tower at 6432 Arrowhead Drive was ordered moved in June.

In this instance, city administrators said the tower was not placed according to approved plans. To be in compliance with that permit, the tower would have to be moved 22 inches to the west and 3 feet to the north, Community Services Director Charlotte Brown has said. In addition to its problem with placement, the also has received multiple complaints about the site from residents in the neighborhood, to include the adjacent property owner.

While U.S. Cellular has agreed to move the tower, it has not settled on a new location, Brown said in her agenda commentary. When the issue was discussed by the council in late May, the council directed city staff to continue working with company officials. City code specifies 90 days notice to remove a facility, but the city manager’s recommendation to council is giving U.S. Cellular 30 days to remove its tower.

Under city code written to govern placement of small cell tower facilities, companies must hold a revocable permit from the City of Lawton before they can place such towers in easements or rights of way.

In other business, the council will consider amending city code to help city staff address cleanup of curbside bulk debris at vacant properties. Current code allows the city to charge property owners a fee when they put out bulk debris that doesn’t conform to regulations addressing the once-a-month residential bulk service, with that fee placed on city utility bills for payment.

The new provision would address vacant properties without an active city water account, allowing city staff to place a lien on the property after the debris has been cleared. The provision has an emergency clause, meaning council approval today would let the provision go into effect immediately.

In another item related to city aesthetics, the council will consider directing City Manager John Ratliff to send a formal demand letter to those who own properties around railroad tracks, ordering those companies to immediately address problems with tall grass and weeds. City administrators said the growth poses multiple risks, including fire hazards and pest infestations. The tall vegetation also “can negatively impact the community’s image and quality of life,” according to the agenda commentary.

Council members also will consider a resolution that, for the first time, would allocate funding collected from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities.

TIF Districts are specialty areas designated to help with development in blighted areas, with the new funding that results from increased ad valorem revenue designated to specific categories for 25 years. One category is STEM, which is to receive 10 percent of the funding from two TIF districts. The funds are to be allocated to supporting partnerships, programs and initiatives designed to increase educational and training opportunities in STEM subjects. A STEM Board guides those efforts, and it is that board that has petitioned for funding.

The board is seeking $206,130, with allocations of: $90,000 to professional services, $70,000 to programs, $32,000 to Discovery Zone and $14,130 to contingency.