PERU, Ind. – Two separate emergency meetings on Friday were called by the Peru Board of Works and Miami County commissioners to address a potential state law that gives communications companies clearance to place cell towers in any public right-of-way. A very short time frame for municipalities and counties to protect themselves was given. According to a summary of the legislation, the deadline for designating those areas was prior to today, May 1. Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has until May 6 to sign the bill into law, and while he could still veto the bill, Peru would have lost its opportunity to protect itself from having a say where future cell phone towers and utility poles were placed if city officials waited until the regularly scheduled meeting this evening. The emergency meetings ended with the Board of Works unanimously approving an “Underground and Buried Utility District” and the Miami County Commissioners emergency session addressed the measure and passed one unanimously within a matter of minutes.