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Committee opens discussion with Milestone Towers on cell sites for school property
Summary
The Buildings & Grounds Committee heard a presentation from Milestone Towers about leasing school property for cell towers as a revenue source and to improve coverage; no public speakers registered. Staff will post FAQs, solicit further public comment and consider a July special-call meeting and a chair uthorizing letter of interest.
The Frederick County School Board Buildings & Grounds Committee discussed a proposal from Milestone Towers to lease school property for wireless infrastructure that the vendor says would generate revenue and improve cellular and radio coverage across campuses.
Matt Forkas, a senior project manager at Milestone Towers, told the committee the company has worked with school systems and municipalities on similar projects and uses site-analysis software to find coverage gaps. "The benefit is the revenue source," Forkas said, adding that improved public-safety communications and better coverage for students and staff were additional benefits. He estimated income as "tens of thousands per site" but did not provide a firm revenue figure for Frederick County.
Committee members emphasized public-safety and cost concerns. A committee member asked whether there would be any cost to county taxpayers; Forkas replied, "No," and said typical arrangements are long-term leases with carrier payments to the property owner. When a committee member raised health concerns about proximity to schools, Forkas cited compliance with federal FCC thresholds and said Milestone performs third-party annual testing and can provide documentation to demonstrate compliance.
Staff said FAQs about the proposal will be posted by the end of the week and invited further public comment. Dr. Hummer said the next steps could include authorizing the chair to sign a letter of interest and holding a special-call meeting in July to collect additional public feedback before any formal request to the full board.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the cell-tower concept at the meeting; staff framed the item as an exploratory discussion to surface questions and public concerns before any contractual steps.
What happens next: staff will publish FAQs, accept additional public input, and return to the committee and then the full board if the district pursues a lease or letters of interest.
