Lewiston council votes 3-2 to terminate city cell-tower lease; termination fee minimal

The Lewiston City Council voted 3-2 on May 20 to terminate a city lease with a cellular provider that would have placed a new tower on a city-owned parcel near town. Council members voted to sign a termination agreement and return it to the company with a small termination payment.

Why this matters: Residents had objected to the proposed tower because of its proximity to the school and concerns about aesthetics and health. Council members discussed public sentiment and the prospect that a private landowner could host a tower elsewhere. Terminating the city's lease removes the proposed facility from city property but does not prevent a provider from locating a tower elsewhere in the area.

What the council approved - Motion to terminate the cell-tower lease and execute the termination agreement. Roll-call: Fizz: Yes; John: Yes; Ned: Yes; Brooke: No; Jana: No. Tally: 3-2. Outcome: motion passed. - Staff said the termination paperwork will be returned to the company with an approximately $10 payment to conclude the agreement.

Discussion highlights - Multiple residents addressed the council during public comment urging the city not to locate a tower near school property. Simone Holyoke asked the council to communicate with the school district and explore alternative sites such as the business park. Judy Smith asked whether the new tower would be additional or a relocation; staff confirmed it was an additional tower. - A councilmember described polling about the proposal: in an informal, non-random outreach to 32 acquaintances, 16 supported the tower in the proposed location and nine opposed it (three citing health concerns); the councilmember said he would vote against keeping the tower on city property if the termination option was available. - Several councilmembers said they expected a provider could place equipment on private property if the city ended its lease; discussion focused on whether city-owned land should be used for that purpose.

Clarifying details - Lease terms discussed in the meeting: the leased site was described as roughly 40 by 40 feet; the company was paying $1,400 per month with increases at renewal periods. The termination payment discussed at the meeting was described as about $10.

Implementation Staff was directed to sign and return the termination agreement with the payment and finalize the administrative steps to end the lease.

Speakers and attributions in this report are limited to persons who spoke to this topic at the meeting.