Board delays decision on Verizon campus antenna upgrades pending independent RF testing

Public concern about radio-frequency (RF) exposure and the timing of independent testing led the Lake Oswego School District 7J board to defer action on a Verizon equipment upgrade request for a campus tower.

At public comment, Ben Adams urged trustees to “wait for the RF study” before approving any upgrades or lease renewals, saying he has repeatedly requested transparency and is concerned about a new tower near his home. Administration’s staff member Ketzler said Verizon provided an engineer’s analysis certifying emissions are within FCC limits, but that district-commissioned independent testing is still in progress for some sites. Ketzler said the district expects independent reports for three secondary sites by the next board meeting and that the Lake Ridge site may soon be activated, enabling further testing.

Board members expressed reluctance to act before seeing the district’s complete independent testing and asked for consolidated results rather than piecemeal presentations. Director Bills and others noted the lease provides lessees the right to maintain and upgrade equipment with the district’s consent but stressed the board’s discretion on lease extensions and future participation in tower leasing. After discussion, the chair announced the board would take no action at this meeting and will place the item on the next agenda when independent RF testing results are available.

Administration said it will present the district’s RF testing results and clarify implications for emergency communications, 911 coverage and lease terms, and the board signaled it expects clearer technical information on how replacing 12 antennas with 9 (per Verizon’s request) changes overall emissions and coverage. No final approval or extension was granted at the meeting.