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Committee approves rooftop access point at Jefferson Elementary to extend city Wi‑Fi to Murphy Park
Summary
The committee voted to approve SLDC’s recommendation to place a non‑penetrating sled mount and radios on Jefferson Elementary School’s roof to relay city fiber and provide public Wi‑Fi coverage at nearby Murphy Park; SmartWave will maintain the system under the pilot agreement through 2026.
The St. Louis Public Schools Real Estate Committee voted to approve a recommendation from the St. Louis Development Corporation to install a rooftop wireless access point at Jefferson Elementary School that will relay the city’s fiber and provide free public Wi‑Fi to Murphy Park.
Noel Pfeffer of the Community Development Administration told the committee the city has committed $2,425,000 to the broader community Wi‑Fi program and that SmartWave is the city’s contractor on the pilot. “The city has committed $2,425,000 towards this community Wi Fi effort,” Pfeffer said during his remarks.
Al Brown of SmartWave described a non‑penetrating sled mount — a small rooftop platform the company said is protected by a mat and held with ballast blocks — that would carry radio equipment to relay a signal from the school to a nearby fiber access point and then down to a park pole where Wi‑Fi radios would serve park users. Brown said the sled is light and spread over a roughly 3-by-3-foot area, and that the radios would be powered by power‑over‑Ethernet and draw “less than a light bulb” of power.
The committee and SmartWave addressed maintenance, insurance and safety questions. Brown said SmartWave’s agreement includes a maintenance allocation through the end of 2026 tied to the city contract; he said the equipment would be grounded to local ground and that SmartWave would perform at least annual inspections. On insurance, SmartWave said the city self‑insures and that the contract includes funds for maintenance and related coverage while the pilot is in place.
The motion to approve the rooftop access point was made and seconded in open session and passed on a roll call: Miss Henry — yes; Mister Watson — yes; Dr. Borschade — abstain; Mister Hykes — yes; Miss Jones — yes; Miss Hubbard — yes. The clerk announced, “Motion passed.”
Next steps: with committee approval, staff said they could proceed to a formal vote to authorize the project and begin implementation steps consistent with the city’s contract and SmartWave’s technical plan.
