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Members Present: Paul Casey, Terry Clarke and William Friend.
Others Attending: Jay McGrail, SSCC’s Director of Operations and Skip Cannata, Site Acquisitions Manager, SBA Towers.
With a quorum present, the meeting was, called to order at 6:40PM.
Jay McGrail opened the meeting by calling for questions or comments on the minutes of the committee’s February 3, 2010 meeting. These minutes had been previously forwarded to the committee members for review. After a short discussion, on motion duly made and seconded, the minutes of the February 3, 2010 meeting were unanimously approved.
Following approval of the minutes, Jay McGrail advised the committee members that he had several SSCC administrative and operational matters that he wanted to review with them.
The first matter introduced by Jay McGrail was continuation of the committee’s consideration of a proposal to install a cell phone tower on SSCC property. He commenced by reminding the committee of its prior discussions on the subject and the committee’s request that he invite an industry representative to assist the committee in its gathering of information on cell towers. He then introduced Skip Cannata, from SBA Towers to explain the process required to install a cell tower, the alternative tower designs that can be used, the regulations and issues associated with cell towers and the related financial considerations. Following Skip Cannata’s presentation, he answered the committee’s questions, concerning the height and set back - zoning and planning considerations, provided the committee with photographs of alternative towers and discussed the impact of FCC authority on local cell tower regulations. He then explained that the committee’s detailed inquiries pertaining to payment negotiations or the final business arrangement could not be answered by him at the meeting because he expected to be a participant in the town’s RFP process.
Upon conclusion of the committee’s cell tower discussions with Skip Cananta, he was thanked for making the trip from East Greenwich, Rhode Island to meet with the committee and then excused from the meeting. Thereafter, the cell tower discussion was continued. Following this discussion, it was generally agreed that the committee members present were not initially in favor of installing a cell tower on SSCC property. It was also agreed that further information would be required before the full committee could make any final decision on a cell tower.
Jay McGrail was then asked to contact another industry representative to supplement the information provide my Skip Canata and to talk to individuals in town familiar with the cell tower approval process and with the economics of such projects, such as the indivduals involved with the other cell towers in town that had been approved. William Friend agreed to contact town representatives to gather more information about the process.
Following this discussion, Jay McGrail updated the committee on his discussions with representatives of the Historic Commission and the CPC with regard to the SSCC’s Litchfield House. He explained that alternative approaches for preserving the house and the funding of this preservation were still being discussed and that it appeared a sharing of the costs of the roof repair might be worked out.
Jay McGrail then concluded the meeting with an encouraging presentation on the 2011 budget and the progress made on SSCC membership applications and the new tee-time reservation system.
Thereafter, on motion duly made and seconded the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
William K. Friend