Resident says cell tower removal is disrupting service near Temple City High; council to seek answers

A Temple City resident told the City Council on Aug. 6 that removal of a support building for a cellphone tower at Temple City High School has left nearby neighborhoods with diminished cellular service.

“After construction started they assured us the cell phone tower was not going to go away … then a week later it was gone,” resident Dan Renant said, adding that service dropped from about five bars to two. He said the district provided no notification and that he had not been told why a temporary tower was not installed during construction.

Renant said he spoke with the School District and was told only that the district had no comment; he asked the council and staff for help obtaining information. The mayor replied that because the matter was not agendized, council members could not discuss it formally at the meeting but said the city manager would follow up.

City Manager Brian Cook told Renant the city would seek information and report back. “We’ll see what we can find out and then let you know,” Cook said, and asked staff to contact the resident with next steps.

The council took no formal action during the meeting because the item was raised during general public comment. Renant said the tower previously supported cell coverage for students and neighborhood users; the technical owner/operator of the tower (carrier) was not specified in the comment and the school district did not provide details at the meeting.

Status: discussion only; staff follow‑up requested.