A new draft request for proposals (RFP) to improve up-Island cell phone service is complete, but first the three towns that are involved must sign an intermunicipal agreement.

Aquinnah, Chilmark and West Tisbury plan to build a distributed antennae network to improve cell phone service.

Aquinnah town coordinator Jeff Burgoyne said yesterday he plans to have intermunicipal agreement language ready by the weekend for town counsel Ronald H. Rappaport to review. Mr. Rappaport is counsel to all three towns.

“Our thought is to create a board of overseers with a selectman representative from each town. This agreement does not create a municipal agency but do we need a structure for administration and governance of the project,” Mr. Burgoyne said. The three towns already participate in an intermunicipal agreement that governs the tri-town ambulance service.

The new RFP expands the scope of the proposal originally prepared by Mr. Burgoyne. New language allows vendors to site antennae hubs in any or all of the three up-Island towns. The draft also allows successful vendors to build a system that could serve other Island towns, provided no additional expense is created for the three up-Island partners.

Both the intermunicipal agreement and the revised RFP are the result of a public meeting among selectmen from the three towns in early May. Selectmen noted the absence of the intermunicipal agreement at that time.

The revised proposal was prepared by Chilmark executive secretary Tim Carroll.

The towns will seek vendors to build a distributed antennae system by mounting small antennae, connected by cable, on telephone and other town-owned poles over the 52 square-mile area. The antennae provide radio frequency for cell phone use over a small area, generally about one tenth of a mile. Vendors will be responsible for operating and maintaining the system and are free to negotiate with cell phone service providers to recoup expenses. The antennae system is favored over construction of towers to generate radio signals because of aesthetics.

The towns in which hubs (20 by 24-foot buildings containing system electronics) are located would also receive lease payments. Estimates of lease income to host towns ranges from $20,000 to $30,000 a year. Vendors will be asked to specify in their bids the lease amounts they propose to pay.

The new plan calls for the RFP to go out on July 1, with bids to be awarded on Sept. 29 and completion of the project by May 13, 2009.