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Board discusses potential cell tower easement at McCordsville Elementary; public hearing slated if proposal is filed
Summary
District staff described a potential lease of an easement behind McCordsville Elementary for a cell tower, saying construction and zoning would be handled by the company and the town; the board was briefed and could receive a formal proposal next month and hold a required public hearing.
Mount Vernon Community School board members discussed a potential lease of an easement at McCordsville Elementary for a cellular tower, and staff said a formal proposal could be brought to the board next month for a public hearing and vote.
Mister Elkins, who presented the item for the finance department, said the corporation has been approached several times in recent years and that, if a company submits a proposal, the board must hold a public hearing before approving any sale or easement. “An easement is just use of and access on our property for someone else's purposes,” he said, describing the legal mechanics and the district’s limited role in construction and zoning.
Why it matters: Elkins told the board the district would not pay construction costs or manage the zoning or building permits; those responsibilities fall to the company and the town. The contract would set terms for access, revenue and any space for the district’s radio equipment. He estimated the site would likely generate modest revenue — he cited “somewhere in the range of $1,500 a month” depending on how many carriers attach to the tower — and emphasized this is not a finalized proposal.
Elkins described site constraints: the tower likely must be accessed from the north rather than directly from State Road 600, and setbacks and federal guidelines limit candidate locations. He said the parcel behind the baseball field is the only feasible place under current setback rules and that the corporation does not anticipate using that parcel for future classroom construction.
Board members asked whether multiple carriers could lease space and whether the district could request space for its own equipment; Elkins said the company would contract with carriers and that the district would negotiate for technical space where allowed. He confirmed any final agreement would be contingent on the town’s zoning approval and that, if the town and company did not reach an agreement, the school’s contract would be null.
No vote was taken; Elkins said staff will accept formal bids and return to the board next month if a proposal arrives, at which time the board will hold the statutory public hearing and can decide whether to approve an easement agreement.
