Willoughby Hills is continuing the search for a solution to the cell signal issues on the east side of the city which pose a safety issue for residents there. According to the city, cell service on the east side is spotty and has been an ongoing issue for both the administration as well as the residents for many years. The process to find a solution has been arduous, but Mayor Chris Hallum said he remains determined. In September, Hallum informed the public he was still looking to find a location for the construction of the cell tower. The property owner he spoke with reached out at the time with some questions and after answering, Hallum waited to hear back about the next steps. The resident was provided a drawing to look over and review in October. In November, the city was still looking for a location and still in talks with the prospective property owner, according to Hallum. In December, the mayor received an email from the resident, requesting specific conditions in order for the deal to proceed. The city could not agree to some of the conditions, Hallum said. “What ultimately became the deal breaker was the resident had a relationship with one of the tower companies being considered,” he said. “The company had made the resident an offer to become partial owner.” As a result, the resident insisted the city use the company for the project, Hallum said. “Our process requires we open up the bids from multiple companies, allowing them to submit proposals to be reviewed by Council,” he said, noting that the city was transparent with the resident, explained the standard procedure and could not commit to their request. Due to the resident’s expectation of revenue from their relationship with the tower company, they no longer were interested in selling the city the property. Hallum plans to search for alternative locations for the cell tower.