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Council approves 5-year lease with Brooks Farms to retain silo site for Waupaca broadband equipment
Summary
The council approved a five-year lease with Brooks Farms that will allow the city’s WAPAC online wireless Internet service to keep antennas on a silo tower; the city will pay the landowner 20% of revenue and continue to provide several free connections to the property owner.
The Waupaca Common Council voted Tuesday to enter a five-year lease with Brooks Farms allowing WAPAC online to keep communications equipment on a silo tower that otherwise the property owner plans to remove. Josh Finch, city administrator, described the arrangement and said the city will pay Brooks Farms 20% of revenue from that access point and continue to provide three free Internet connections the owner currently receives.
Why it matters: The leased silo supports about 20 customer connections (staff said the count rose from 19 to 20 in the week before the meeting). Losing that structure without an agreement would likely cause WAPAC to lose several customers in an area where alternatives are limited.
Finch said the owner notified the city that the silo no longer served his agricultural business and that he wanted either a paid lease to offset maintenance costs or removal of the structure and the city’s equipment. Finch described the final deal as similar to an existing five-year lease the city holds with Waupaca County for tower space but modified for this private silo. Finch said the agreement includes a 90-day out clause for the city and protections for the owner if the structure becomes unsustainable.
Council questions focused on backup options and the potential for similar requests from other landowners. Finch said the county tower used for some equipment is not available for this customer base because it hosts emergency communications and has line-of-sight limits; staff also noted grant-funded projects were changing the local landscape and could affect future needs.
Action: Henry Velacher moved and Demetri Martin seconded the motion to approve the five-year lease. The council approved the lease by roll call (nine ayes). Finch said the city staff recommended approval because retaining the customers on the silo is financially preferable to losing them and because it aligns with the city’s objective to provide Internet service in areas with limited alternatives.
Implementation: The lease requires the city to remit 20% of revenue for the access point and to continue the free connections that Brooks currently receives; staff will monitor the site and use the 90-day out clause if circumstances change.
