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Trustees, parents and school board clash over cell‑tower placement; board plans special meeting and legal review
Summary
Trustees and residents criticized the handling and late notice around a monopole placed near the K–12 campus, called for EMF/RF testing and proposed a special meeting with the school board plus review by town counsel. The board discussed whether a conditional‑use permit should have been required and debated next steps.
An extended, at‑times emotional exchange at the Nucla trustees meeting focused on a monopole and attached antennas that parents and the school board have objected to near the local K–12 campus. Several trustees and residents said the town received late correspondence from the school board and parents, and argued that a conditional‑use permit — which would have triggered broader public notice — should have been required instead of a building permit.
A trustee who pressed for a joint meeting with the school board said she was taken aback when other trustees said the school had not heard from the town: "I was very, taken aback, upset…they said we hadn't heard anything. I said, but we have," she said, pressing for clearer coordination. Another trustee sharply pushed back, saying the town had reached out and that he had met with school officials.
Trustees discussed practical constraints: by the time objections came in, the developer had already invested in the agreed site, and moving the tower could be costly. Multiple trustees urged the board to get the town attorney involved and to schedule an upcoming special meeting with both a public portion and an executive session as needed. The board also shared RFP material for EMF/RF testing of the K–12 campus with the school board and discussed having testing proposals reviewed jointly.
The board agreed on procedural next steps: gather specific points the trustees want counsel to review, request available dates from the school board for a joint meeting, and determine whether the attorney should attend the public portion and an executive session for legal advice. One trustee warned the dispute has diminished trust and stressed the need to improve communications going forward.
Next steps: staff to compile the items for counsel, share testing RFPs with the school board, and propose dates for a joint meeting with both public and executive portions.
