County economic‑development official outlines two‑year cellular overlay trial for downtown Glens Falls; board raises no safety objections

Warren County economic‑development staff described a two‑year state grant May 13 to install a cellular overlay in downtown Glens Falls intended to expand capacity and reduce dead zones during large events.

Jim Sippelon explained the overlay would place weatherproof router/nodes on existing poles to create an alternate path for calls and data; users in coverage areas would be prompted to sign into the network to improve call completion during capacity spikes. The grant would fund installation as a trial for two years; the city would advance installation costs and be reimbursed by the state, then decide whether to assume ownership, have a third party operate equipment, or disable it after the trial.

Sippelon said the network is intended to increase bandwidth during events and alleviate chronic downtown coverage problems that have prevented transactions and successful calls at times. He estimated modest operating costs if the city were to assume long‑term responsibility and said vendors and the county EDC might be willing to help operate the network.

Board members asked whether expanded network access could create public‑safety risks. Steve Thurston and others noted the system is cellular (not public Wi‑Fi) and that the board’s role was advisory on safety; several members said they had no safety concerns. The board did not record formal objections and encouraged staff to note any operational or privacy concerns for the common council to consider.