History: Ordinance 22: County Road Right-Of-Way Use was established in 2000 and imposes regulations on the placement and maintenance of equipment and facilities currently within the county’s right-of-way or to be placed therein at some future time. Minnesota law provides Hennepin County with the legal authority to manage use of the public right-of-way and recuperate costs associated with its management. The county strives to keep the right-of-way in a state of good repair and free from unnecessary impediments that would hinder or obstruct the mobility of people and goods on county roads and bridges.

Current Request: This request is for the board to set a public hearing to be held on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. before the Public Works Committee of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners to obtain comment on proposed revisions to Ordinance 22. The county previously requested comments on the proposed ordinance revisions from cities, utilities, and wireless providers by email and will notify these agencies and organizations again by email about the public hearing. The county will also post information about the public hearing on the county’s web site.

The county is proposing the following revisions to Ordinance 22:  

• Small cell wireless information added  
• Definitions to reflect new statutory language
• Permit terms and general requirements for small cell wireless facilities
• Requirements for new wireless support structures
• Fees associated with collocation:  
• Collocation permit: $1,500 per collocation on county-owned structures
• Rent: $150 per year, per facility collocated on a county-owned structure
• Maintenance: $25 per year, per facility collocated on a county-owned structure

• New permit conditions listed

• Major projects must be mapped in Utility Infrastructure Integration
• Right-of-way permits must be obtained for each municipality and for each mile of work
• Extensions are no longer granted  

• Language clarified

• To explicitly state that the county has priority use of county-owned infrastructure and county-managed right-of-way.

Impact/Outcomes: The public hearing will allow stakeholders to share their feedback about the impact of the proposed revisions to Ordinance 22: County Road Right-Of-Way Use.