DIDSBURY – Town council has denied a request from Rogers Communications Inc. to place a telecommunication tower outside the Didsbury Memorial Complex.
The move came following a delegation at the regularly scheduled Oct. 25 council meeting, held in person and on YouTube.
Anthony Novello, municipal affairs specialist, appeared before council on behalf of Rogers to outline the proposal to install a 30-metre tall monopole tower on the north side of the complex next to an existing TELUS tower.
“What Rogers Communications is looking to do is improve their coverage in town,” Novello said. “And the only way to do that is to install additional infrastructure, so in this case that would be the 30-metre communications tower.”
Rogers examined two parcels for the tower's possible placement, he said.
“The first one said no and the other one was the recreation centre (Memorial Complex) parcel,” he said.
The 30-metre elevation is being sought to provide improved coverage and network capacity for the town, its residents, businesses and its visitors, he said.
Coun. Dorothy Moore asked Novello why the new tower wouldn’t be placed on the high-ground butte on the town’s west side. He said the location was examined and found to provide inadequate coverage.
Following Novello’s appearance, council further discussed the matter.
Coun. Joyce McCoy said she would not support placing the tower on the Memorial Complex grounds, adding she does not believe residents would support having it there.
“I would like to see if they can put it somewhere else,” said McCoy.
Coun. Bill Windsor said, “There were a number of people who were concerned about this when the TELUS tower was approved to go in there, and I think putting a second one isn’t going to enhance that at all. I’m not happy with upsetting our residents by putting a second one there.”
Coun. John Baswick said, “I have no opposition to this.”
Deputy mayor Curt Engel said, “I don’t know that that is the correct location. I’m not comfortable putting a second (tower) there.”
Coun. Moore said she could support placing the tower on the Memorial Complex parcel.
“Having one there is better than having them sprinkled all over the town,” said Moore.
Mayor Rhonda Hunter said she could not support the tower being placed on the Memorial Complex parcel.
Council ended up passing a motion declining the request.
Franchise fees will remain unchanged in 2023
In other news from the recent council meeting, council voted to keep the ATCO Gas and Fortis Alberta franchise fees unchanged in 2023.
ATCO pays the Town of Didsbury a franchise fee based on a percentage of ATCO’s delivery tariff; Fortis pays the municipality a franchise fee based on a percentage of Fortis’ distribution and transmission.
“ATCO Gas and Fortis Alberta request a review of the franchise fee rates set by the town annually,” said CAO Ethan Gorner. “The town’s strategic planning committee considers whether the rates should be changed.”
Following the recommendations of the committee, which considered the matter on Oct. 13, the current fees of 25 per cent for ATCO and 17 per cent for Fortis will be maintained for another year.
