Citizens are invited to share their thoughts on a policy for public consultation prior to the approval of new sites for telecommunications towers. The City of Greater Sudbury will host an open house for public consultation on proposed radio-communication and broadcasting antenna systems on Thursday, June 26, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. in Room C-11 of Tom Davies Square, 200 Brady Street, Sudbury.

Industry Canada has the ultimate authority to approve the location of telecommunications facilities; however, municipalities must first be consulted regarding proposed locations. Potential changes to the municipal consultation process may include customized guidelines for preferred and discouraged locations, style and colour of structures, excluded structures, buffer zones, and more.

The City of Greater Sudbury’s current policy related to telecommunications facilities requires neighbourhood meetings for towers 16.6 meters or more in height and located closer than 300 meters from a residential dwelling, zone or district.

At the open house, citizens will have the opportunity to review and provide input on the existing municipal public consultation policy, Industry Canada policy and the antenna system site protocol of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association.

The complete City of Greater Sudbury policy for telecommunication facilities is available online at www.greatersudbury.ca/towers or by dialing 705-674-4455 ext. 4619. Citizens may submit comments at the June 26 open house or in writing to glen.ferguson@greatersudbury.ca until July 11, 2014.