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Commissioners approve written lease for communications tower use, raise insurance and load concerns
Summary
After finding no modern written contract, the court approved a lease with Halcom (Hanselswell/Halcomb Communications) to formalize decades‑old use of a county communications tower and require insurance and indemnification; commissioners discussed tower load and replacement costs.
Commissioners on April 14 approved a lease agreement formalizing long‑standing use of a Lavaca County communications tower by Hanselswell (Halcom) Communications.
County staff told the court they found no binding written agreement despite Halcom’s presence on the tower for more than a decade. A staff representative said, "We were not able to find anything as far as written documentation as an agreement or or contract between Lavaca County and Halcom Communications" and recommended a current written lease to clarify liability and rates.
Why it matters: the county inspected the tower during a recent radio system upgrade and found the tower near structural load capacity, limiting room for additional county equipment. Staff explained that replacing a tower today would likely cost more than $1.2 million. The proposed lease increases Halcom’s monthly payment from about $200 to $1,200 to better reflect market rates; staff said market rents they saw were about $2,000.
Insurance and indemnification were highlighted. Commissioners noted the lease requires Halcom carry liability insurance and the county has recently insured the county’s tower assets at roughly $1.5–1.75 million per site. One commissioner said the contract’s indemnification and insurance provisions “will protect us,” including in scenarios such as a tower failure after a natural disaster.
Court action
A motion to approve the tower lease agreement passed unanimously (motion made by Precinct 3, seconded by Precinct 4). The court instructed staff to continue communications with Halcom and execute the written agreement.
Ending
County staff said they will continue to monitor tower load and liability, and will use rental income to offset the county’s lease costs at other sites. Commissioners asked staff to follow up on the final executed agreement and documentation of insurance coverage for the tower sites.
