Coweta County commissioners last week decided to revisit the county's cell phone tower ordinance after postponing a vote on a tower in Grantville.

During earlier discussions, commissioners raised safety questions about a proposed SprintCom tower at Alexander Road East in Grantville.

The company proposes a 250-foot tower within less than 250 feet of the property line, and if the tower should fall, commissioners wanted to know whether neighboring properties would be in danger.

County planner Robert Tolleson said the county's current ordinance requires to be at least the height of the tower from any neighboring structure.

Commissioner Jim McGuffey, who represents the district where the tower would be placed, asked county administrator Theron Gay if the safety issue had been clarified.

Gay said he had received a letter from the company saying that most towers fall and fold, but the company could not guarantee the tower would not fall like a tree and land on unleased property.

The administrator also said that staff researched property values and felt the placement of the cell tower would have a detrimental affect on property values.

County attorney Mitch Powell told the commissioners that he had just received a legal brief from the state on one of the first court cases involving cell towers, but did not have a chance to read the 30-page document.

Since Powell could not give an opinion, McGuffey asked the commission to delay the vote until July 5 and also asked the county staff to take another look at the county's cell phone tower ordinance.

In other business, the county received its 1998 audit from Bates, Carter and Company. The county learned that it is in good financial shape and learned that revenues exceed budget amounts in many areas.

The accounting firm recommended that the county account for taxes in the same year that those taxes are used to fund the budget — the 1998 digest is to fund the 1999 budget, and the revenue should be recorded in 1999.

The firm also recommended the county pay off some existing debt and start accumulating cash for future needs.

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