Harrison County approves lease for communications equipment on Enterprise Products tower

Harrison County commissioners on Friday voted 5-0 to approve a site lease agreement with Enterprise Products Operating LLC to place county radio equipment on a 440-foot tower near the intersection where Lota Road meets State Highway 134.

County staff said the tower will serve as the county’s northeast communications site for a multi-year radio improvement program and that the county already owns the radio equipment awaiting installation. The lease approved by the court covers an initial five-year term with three additional five-year renewal options, the staff presentation said.

The presenter said the county originally considered using an older tower on Lee but found no fiber nearby, forcing staff to either build a new tower or find an existing one. The Enterprise site was chosen because of its height and proximity to the interstate, factors described as useful to extend radio coverage in Harrison County’s hilly, heavily forested terrain.

Commissioners asked about the planned mounting height for county antennas; staff said the plan calls for antennas around 250 feet, and the presenter said there appeared to be room to place them higher but that engineers selected the current mounting height.

Judge Sims asked staff to send a thank-you to Enterprise and to plan a gathering once the new site goes live to recognize partner agencies and vendors who helped assemble the project. County staff said they expect installation within roughly 60 days after the lease is signed.

The court approved the lease unanimously.