April 6, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Get the Cell Out - Atlanta Chapter www.GETtheCELLoutATL

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners Join DeKalb Delegation and Others: Call Upon CEO Burrell Ellis to Deny T-Mobile Cell Phone Towers at Schools And Call Upon Gov. Nathan Deal to Veto the Cell Tower Referendum

DeKalb Countys Board of Commissioners have taken a position about the construction, placement and operation of cellphone towers on school grounds - and it is a unanimous no. They signed a Coming on the heels of the attempts by state legislators to prohibit the construction, supporters of the ban say they are glad their pleas for help from the government have finally been heard. The Board of Education decision to place cell towers in residential communities in DeKalb County circumvents County zoning regulations, the letter states. It went on to say that this action has placed DeKalb County government in an untenable position because the Planning and Sustainability Department is being asked to issue building permits for uses that are in violation of DeKalb County zoning ordinance. The commissioners recommended that the building permits for cell towers be denied for the Board of Education or any other property owner without the compliance to applicable DeKalb County zoning law. It is signed by all 7 districts commissioners.

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This letter was mailed to the CEO Burrell Ellis only days after state lawmakers in Gerogia attempted to pass a ban on cell towers on school grounds both for DeKalb County and statewide. Neither bills made it through their committees, but did send a message to the county that the DeKalb delegation was largely against the cell towers and they had heard from their constituents about a remedy for the situation. One lawmaker, Rep. Dr. Karla Drenner (D - Avondale Estates) elected to take advice from committee chairman Rep. Chuck Sims (R ) to add a voter referendum to the ballot

in July, but opposition group Get the Cell Out - Atlanta is not happy with that decision and is calling for the governor to veto it. A non-binding referendum that poses a poorly worded question can only harm our efforts to prevent these cell towers from going up at public schools, says founder Cheryl Miller. When the telecomm lobbyists take control of a bill intended to help the citizens, there is cause for concern. Miller states that the public needs to be educated on the controversy surrounding the issue before they are asked to weigh in with their vote. The opposition group has repeatedly cited lack of proper notification as a top concern. The question that may appear on the July

ballot does not allow voters to select an I dont know, or unaware option which Miller says can lead to reliance on faulty data. Our elected officials are doing the right thing and standing up for those they are sworn to represent, says Miller. A vote that would undermine their ability to do their jobs will only cause more upset voters, especially if they do not understand the question and realize too late that they just voted to have the next T-mobile tower go up right next to their home, or at their local park or playground. Those wishing to help: Contact the office of the CEO, Director of Planning and
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Official Press Release

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Sustainability, Director of Public Works and the Zoning Board of Appeals to ask that they deny any applications for cell towers that are non-compliance with county regulations. And, contact Gov. Nathan Deal to ask for a veto on the cell tower referendum so that taxpayers do not fund an unclear question that could lead to unexpected consequences. Funds expected to be brought in by the school board from the leasing of the active school grounds are not earmarked for specific use at any of the schools that will receive the towers, in spite of reports by school board members that the PTAs would be receiving some of the money. And, the resulting negative impact on nearby homeowners was not factored into that equation. Anyone who sees the start of any construction is urged to contact their Zoning Appeals Office to ensure there is a valid permit and notify Get the Cell Out - Atlanta at sayno2celltowers@yahoo.com. As a last resort, residents in these communities are urged to seek the advice of an environmental or zoning attorney. One group is gearing up to take donations, if needed, for

legal representation at: http://www.stopcelltowers.com/. It will not be opened until the group has exhausted all other options to use the systems that are currently in place to protect the residents. Signed contracts have been confirmed for 7 of the 9 schools and FCC permits appear to have been issued for 6 schools. For more information, refer to: www.GETtheCELLoutATL.org or send an email to: sayno2celltowers@yahoo.com.

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