Point Pleasant Beach has reached an agreement with Munisite to remove small 5G cell towers from the district, Mayor Doug Vitale announced in a post on Facebook Tuesday afternoon.

“I am pleased to announce that the county has negotiated terms with Munisite to resolve our differences regarding the 5G towers installed in the county,” the mayor said. Munisite is an infrastructure operator that originally installed the five telecommunications towers in June. “The agreement requires Munisite to immediately remove the installed 5G towers, after which Munisite’s right-of-way license agreement will terminate.”

In his post, the mayor stated that the agreement would be finalized at the next council meeting on Tuesday, September 3. He also said that Munisite would receive “limited” compensation for installation costs.

“In return, the Munisite district will pay limited compensation reflecting the fixed costs associated with installing the poles,” he said. “The terms of this agreement will be finalized and prepared for approval by the governing body at the public meeting on September 3, 2024.”

“I appreciate the public’s patience as we worked toward this agreement with Munisite, and I thank Munisite for their cooperation in reaching this negotiated outcome,” Vitale said.

The mayor further said that the district will now rely on the newly adopted small cell ordinance, which, among other things, includes regulations on the aesthetic appearance of towers.

“Going forward,” the mayor said, “the district will regulate 5G towers through its new Small Wireless Facilities Ordinance. The ordinance allows network operators to use the right of way required by federal law, while also prescribing appropriate design standards that must be approved by the governing body.”