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Council seeks carrier contacts, two-step plan after CityScape cell coverage report
Summary
Councilors agreed CityScape should include contact names for wireless carriers and next-step recommendations in its final report; they recommended resolving land‑use/zoning locations first, then issuing RFQs to prequalified providers to improve implementation chances.
Councilors reviewed CityScape's draft master plan for wireless coverage and pressed the consultant to add practical next steps and carrier contact information to the final deliverable. Staff noted Pearson Ringgold's draft would include options for borough‑owned properties and budgetary estimates for both tower and non‑tower solutions to address gaps in emergency responder coverage.
Unidentified Speaker 8 explained procurement approach: "You can't do an RFP to get one party. You have to do an RFQ to preselect all parties who can in the future want to do it," and the council agreed CityScape should provide suggested contact names and a suggested RFQ approach in the final report. Council members emphasized a two‑step path: first fix land‑use and zoning locations to identify suitable sites, then issue RFQs to prequalified providers rather than issuing an immediate RFP to a single vendor.
The consultant will also be asked to include implementation options for borough‑owned parcels and cost estimates tied to first responder safety sites. Council members stressed the final report should not be delayed while staff revises ordinances; contact names and RFQ guidance should be included so staff can begin outreach while zoning changes are addressed.
Next steps: staff will request CityScape add carrier contacts and explicit next steps in the final report, retain the land‑use recommendations in the master plan, and proceed to assemble RFQs once zoning locations are finalized.
