Offcials eye cell tower rules County justices of the peace endorse ordinance revisions

BENTON COUNTY -- Benton County's justices of the peace on Tuesday endorsed revisions to the planning and development ordinance.

Rinkey Singh, planning director, told the Committee of the Whole the changes were about 40 percent substantive and the remaining 60 percent were minor.

The committee spent most of its meeting discussing notification requirements for cell tower projects. The planning staff recommended the ordinance reduce the notification from a half-mile radius around a proposed site to 500 feet from the property line. The justices of the peace balked at the reduction.

"In a lot of areas where these types of towers might go in there may not be anybody living within 500 feet," said Shirley Sandlin of District 8.

Mike McKenzie of District 1 agreed the radius needed to be larger than 500 feet. McKenzie and several other justices of the peace said 1,500 feet would be better.

"These are big facilities that really stand out," McKenzie said. "I don't think 1,500 feet is unreasonable."

Joel Jones of District 7 said the range should at least match the set back requirement for cell towers.

"They have to be set back at least 1,500 feet from any residences," Jones said. "I don't know why we wouldn't want to include them in the notification."

The committee voted to send the change to the Quorum Court. George Spence, county attorney, said the ordinance will require three readings before it can be adopted.

The committee also recommended several personnel changes be sent on to the Quorum Court for consideration, including reorganizations in the Assessor's Office, Road Department and Information Technology Department.

The committee also recommended approving Collector Gloria Peterson's request to delete two positions and add three to move staff from the Assessor's Office and Collector's Office to space in the state Revenue Office on D Street in Bentonville. Spending $10,500 for information technology services work needed by the Assessor's Office at the D Street location was also approved.

The committee also recommended approving an amendment to the employee policy manual to clarify the rate at which employees accrue vacation time.