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The Center for Municipal Solutions (CMS)

Municipal Telecommunication Consultants

Who is CMS and What Do We Do?

The Center for Municipal Solutions (CMS) is an organization that serves municipalities and counties, but not members of the wireless industry. CMS has been advising, assisting and representing local governments for more than 2 decades and currently assists and advises almost 1,000 communities in 38 states.

CMS brings to clients a combination of planning, technical, engineering and expertise in applicable law. Several members of the team are former industry executives, so they know the issue from both sides, and as importantly when a company is telling the truth about its capabilities, needs, options and the applicable law and (all-too- often) when it’s not.

To the extent allowed by applicable law, CMS assures that clients are always in [true] control. Given the number of applications continuously filed in client communities and that we have handled for clients proves that placing the community in control, and at the same time facilitating the deployment and upgrading of wireless service, is not a mutually exclusive situation. Regulations seldom determine the state of deployment. Actually, it is seldom the actual policies adopted that create adversarial situations and slow deployment. Rather, it’s primarily a matter of how the policies are administered, coupled with the degree of knowledge and expertise of the person(s) analyzing the applications. It is having an intimate knowledge of the law and of the applicant’s true [technical] needs and knowing how to achieve the goals of both the applicants and the community that enables Win:Win scenarios.

We enable communities, often for the first time, to make informed decisions based on all their options and rights. We focus on striking a balance between the needs of the community and those of the carrier creating win-win situations. This helps protect the nature and character of communities by enabling the community, if it desires, to require the facility to have the least visual impact from towers and wireless facilities.

We review wireless applications and make written recommendations as regards what should be approved or not approved under the community’s regulations, and why it should or should not be approved, as well as attend all meetings and hearings.

We also open opportunities for new and increased non-tax revenue.

We can shorten the time factor to get cellular service up and providing service.

For those who see the need to revise or replace their regulations, we will either revise their existing regulations or, if preferred, will provide and customize our model ordinance for each community . . . at NO COST. This ordinance is generally considered to be the preeminent one of its kind in the nation and has been used by literally hundreds of communities, while hundreds more have used it as the basis for theirs.

We provide all these services at NO COST to the Community.

We also provide expert witness services for hearings, as well as for litigation at the federal or state level. However, it is with great pride that we can say that neither our model ordinance, nor our work product has ever been successfully challenged.

As importantly as anything, we also ensure that the multiple safety standards are met and that towers and wireless facilities are actually built as designed and permitted.