Attendees to the 2019 MACo Summer Conference session, “Maryland’s Small Cell Roll Out: Making 5G a Reality” learned vital information from fellow county and national experts on how to effectively navigate current legal, legislative, and community landscapes/terrain to efficiently pave the path forward for small cells in their jurisdictions.
Victor Tervala, Chief Solicitor, Law Department, General Counsel Division for Baltimore City set a basis for the panel by reviewing the federal rules counties must play by when establishing their own local laws and agreements regulating small cells. These include fees, shot clocks, and local aesthetic authority. He also provided a brief update on the ongoing litigation of local governments nationwide against the FCC order.
Andrew Afflerbach, CEO and CTO, CTC Technology and Energy presented on creating and managing a successful small cell application and review process. Afflerbach walked through the elements of a well-executed process that protects and informs the public, creates predictability for the applicant and the industry, and applies local rules and execution to meet public needs.
John Seefried, Deputy Chief, Bureau of Engineering for the Howard County Department of Public Works walked through Howard County DPW’s distributed antenna systems experience within the county’s road right-of-way. He discussed the county’s law effective 7/5/2017 over the agreement for use of public street lights for small cells and provided examples of successful and challenging projects. Seefried incorporated ample pictures to highlight what the county has learned over the past few years of deployment.
The session was moderated by Senator Brian Feldman and held on Wednesday, August 14, 2019.
Save the dates:
- MACo Winter Conference – December 4-6, 2019 (theme and registration details coming soon!)
- MACo Summer Conference – August 19-22, 2020