New communications towers could be fewer and farther between in rural areas in a policy approved Monday by Douglas County commissioners.

The policy allows for administrative approval of requests to install new communications equipment — such as antennas and associated buildings — at existing tower sites outside Lawrence, Eudora, Baldwin and Lecompton.

The idea is to encourage communications companies to upgrade their systems by “co-locating” on towers that already are in use, commissioners said.

Companies now can shave months off the approval process when compared with trying to build a new tower, which sometimes leads to lengthy and angry opposition from nearby residents. Lawrence officials have had such an approval policy in place for at least eight years.

Now county commissioners are putting the same rules in place, figuring that if a tower’s already there, it ought to be used to its fullest potential.

“This is the right thing to do,” said Bob Johnson, commission chairman. “It speeds up the process, it gets rid of red tape, and it puts more towers on towers.”

Craig Weinaug, county administrator, said he already was working on a plan for AT&T to install some of the company’s equipment on a tower adjacent to the Douglas County Judicial & Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St. That contract will have to come before commissioners for approval, but only because it would involve use of a county asset.

Under the new policy, installation of new equipment on an existing pole typically would require only approval from Linda Finger, city-county planning director.

“We want to encourage them to co-locate,” Commissioner Charles Jones said. “Getting rid of red tape encourages co-location.”

Knowing the difficulties of getting approval for installation of new towers, many communications companies design new ones to include enough space for accommodating extra carriers. Other companies then pay for use of the extra space.

Jim Denney, who leads the county’s emergency communications department, asked commissioners to require companies to make room available on any new towers. Commissioners said they liked the idea, but they questioned its legality.

Also Monday, commissioners:

l Reviewed a proclamation to declare Nov. 11-15 “National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week,” as requested by Gary Miller, coordinator for homeless services at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. Commissioner Jere McElhaney said he wanted a few days to review the proclamation’s wording; approval is expected Wednesday.

l Met in executive session to discuss prospects for acquiring Farmland Industries’ idle fertilizer plant at the southeastern edge of Lawrence. Commissioners made no decisions, but Jones said it could be months before commissioners would know enough about the plant’s condition and liabilities to make a decision to pursue acquisition of the property.