Theresa Residents Raise Questions and Concerns About Potential Cell Phone Tower

During the public comment portion of the Village of Theresa board meeting on Monday, June 16, residents voiced various questions and concerns about the potential installation of a 5G cell phone tower.
Last month, Vertical Bridge, a company that installs cell phone towers for Verizon Corporation, approached the board about leasing village-owned land for a cell tower. After surveying several locations recommended by Village President Jody Steger, a field south of McArthur Road was submitted for Verizon to review. Though a location was submitted for review, the board is still considering the lease and has not yet approved a contract with Vertical Bridge.
The main questions and concerns expressed during public comment revolved around lease conditions and the possibility of health ramifications.
“My concern is that... we would be signing a 60-year lease, and I think that’s just going to tie us down. We really don’t have a lot of information. We don’t know what’s going to happen with this 5G,” stated Chris Giese. “I know you’re getting information from the lawyer, but I still think that we should not be in such a big hurry to do any of that because we don’t need $700 a month as a village that badly that we have to jump at this... I think it may become a serious situation because how are we going to control them 20 years down the line when they want to do massive things?”
“It is a 50-year lease,” answered President Steger. “Every five years, it gets looked at by both sides, so one side or the other can determine if they don’t want to go along with it.”

Questions about the dimensions and distance of the tower from housing arose due to concern over potential unknown health effects that could be caused by 5G towers.
“Is it possible for you to get us the distance that the cell tower would be from houses or the mobile community up there... and how tall the tower would be?” asked Barb Hackbarth. “Because the amount of EMF and radioactivity that it gives off is highest at its higher elevation. “As you go lower to the ground, it’s less. So, the higher up it is, the higher they have it, the better it is for the people living on the ground and [in] the homes nearby.”
“We can get anything,” responded President Steger. “We are so very new right now at this that our attorney has to review it. There are a lot of things that are going on before this tower is going up. It’s not going up this year. It might go up next year. I don’t know. We’re just at the beginning stages. We were waiting to see if we were going to get approval from them first. Now that we have approval–that’s step number one–we have to go through the next steps.”
Hackbarth continued, “When I lived in Fort Lauderdale, I lived on the 27th floor of a 29-story building, and they put one on top of the building. It almost killed me. I mean, literally, I was bedridden for five-and-a-half months, and I didn’t get better until I moved out of the building and away from it. And, it took me two-and-a-half years… There’s a lot of concerns, and I think as long as it’s far enough away from where people are living and spending their days, [from] schools and children, and [from] things like that, then great. But, if it’s too close, we just don’t know what long-term repercussions could be.”
Residents were not the only ones present who voiced apprehension due to health concerns. Members of the board also expressed uncertainty.
“My big concern with this (and it’s been echoed with many of the attendees tonight) is the possible health ramifications and distances and things like that. There is a lot of not-so-good research out there about the health ramifications, but there is some good research that is available on the possible side effects, distances, [and] things along those lines. I would suggest that board members do a little homework about just that aspect of things,” said Trustee Joe Haak. “I’m all for having a 5G tower somewhere nearby, but I don’t know if that is where I would put it.”
Trustee Sandy Koenigs made the motion to table approval of the lease with Vertical Bridge, which passed unanimously.
Board Matters
• The board considered allowing a property owner to install a dog kennel for a police K-9 in the side yard of their property. Village ordinance mandates that dog kennels be placed in backyards. Concerns arose within the board about the distance the kennel would be from the lot line, as a kennel has not yet been selected, so the exact dimensions are unknown. Trustee Dave Brandenburg made a motion to table the decision until the dimensions of the kennel are determined. The motion passed unanimously.
• The board discussed the annual renewal of operator liquor licenses held by individuals within the village. A motion to renew all operator licenses was made by Trustee Haak and passed unanimously.
• The board also discussed the annual renewal of alcohol and tobacco licenses held by local businesses. Trustee Haak made the motion to renew all alcohol and tobacco licenses pending the submission of proper paperwork. The motion passed unanimously.
• Granting a temporary beer license to the Theresa Lions Club was additionally considered by the board. The motion to approve granting the temporary license pending the submission of proper paperwork was made by Trustee Dave Brandenburg and passed unanimously.
• The board considered approving Resolution 2025-03: CMAR. The resolution “accepts the 2024 Compliance Maintenance Report (CMAR) as submitted” to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A motion to approve the resolution was made by Trustee Brandenburg and passed unanimously.