County authorizes negotiation of Verizon lease for Wharton water tower to improve cell coverage

The Kent County Board of Commissioners authorized staff to negotiate and finalize a lease with Verizon Wireless to install wireless communications equipment on the Wharton water tower, aiming to improve cellular coverage in an area commissioners described as having weak service.

Public Works Director Dan Matson told the board that Verizon proposed base terms of $2,000 per month with a 2.5% annual escalation, a five-year initial term and multiple automatic renewals. Matson said the terms are comparable to recent agreements the county has accepted and recommended authorizing the county attorney to complete final negotiations and delegating signature authority to the county administrator to expedite execution once the document has legal approval.

Why it matters: The lease would increase local cellular capacity and reliability in parts of Kent County where coverage is currently spotty, particularly in waterfront and low-coverage areas. Commissioners said improved coverage serves residents, businesses and public-safety responders.

Board action and next steps: The board voted to approve the recommended terms and to authorize the county attorney to finalize the lease and allow the county administrator to sign after legal review. Staff said Verizon will perform a site visit before executing documents. Public Works will return with the executed lease once completed.

Quotes: "They basically said, here's what we would offer," Matson said, describing the base terms presented to the board.

Ending: Staff recorded follow-up tasks to have legal review the agreement and provide the board with the fully executed lease once available.