Witness urges extension of Section 248A, calls for PUC workshop to fix tower and small-cell problems

Will Dodge, managing partner at Downs Rockland Martin, told the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee on Jan. 28 that he supports H.527' bill to avoid the expiration of Vermont Section 248A—ecause, he said, the statute provides predictable, expert review of most telecommunications siting cases. "I support avoiding expiration of section 248A as envisioned by H.527," Dodge said, noting his 25 years of practice in Vermont and New Hampshire on telecom siting.

Dodge told the committee that most Section 248A petitions proceed without controversy and that, in his view, roughly "85 to 90 percent" of cases resolve smoothly; he offered an illustrative estimate of about "87.5 percent." He urged lawmakers to focus reforms on the smaller share of cases that involve brand-new towers, full tower replacements or small-cell attachments to utility poles, which he said account for about…