Wireless Industry attorney Scott Olson of Cooper Erving & Savage LLP (Albany, NY) has written a very interesting blog essay on his “Cell Tower Siting Blog” offering hiring suggestions to governments looking to employ wireless advisers. The title of his essay is, “Choosing a Wireless Consultant.”
While it may seen like Scott (on the wireless industry side) and I (a leading wireless adviser to local governments in multiple states) might not have a lot to agree on, I’m happy to report that nearly all of Scott’s suggestions and comments could have as easily been written by me.
The bullet points of Scott’s blog essay are:
1. Be wary of a consultant who preaches fear.
2. Carefully scrutinize a consutant’s draft tower law.
3. Be cautious about a consultant that demands to take control of the review process away from the municipal board with permitting jurisdiction.
4. Question the length of review of a typical application.
5. Municipalities, don’t be fooled by a lengthy review.
6. Be cautious with a consultant who emphasizes that his/her services will not cost the community anything; that the carrier will pay for everything.
7. Excessive application fees for tower applications present potential legal issues, especially when the application fees for other uses are substantially less.
To read his full blog essay, please visit THIS LINK.
Recommended!
=Jonathan=
