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Council hears Branch Communications proposal for master telecom lease; public asks staff to research comparable deals
Summary
A Branch Communications master lease template for city properties drew support from carriers but public commenters urged Leander to seek higher upfront or monthly payments; council asked staff to return with additional pricing comparisons before action.
The City Council received a presentation May 1 from Branch Communications on a proposed master telecommunications lease that would pre‑negotiate general terms for multiple site leases on city‑owned property and speed deployment of new monopole towers, but several council members and a public commenter asked staff for more market comparisons before approving terms.
Jeffrey King, a Branch representative, said the company manages about 1,100 structures nationally and works directly with major carriers including AT&T, T‑Mobile and Verizon. King described the master agreement as a template that would allow Branch to present specific site proposals to the city; if the city approves a location, the parties would execute an individual site lease containing tower height, compound dimensions and other site‑specific terms. King said typical build timetables after a signed lease run from about four to 10 months and that Branch can accept either an upfront lump sum or a monthly rent schedule.
Resident Anita Chmenevich, who testified during the consent/public comment portion, asked the council not to “undersell” city land after reviewing public records from other Texas cities. She said Branch’s draft figures — $2,000 upfront and $12.50 per month plus $300 per additional carrier in the draft agreement — appear modest compared with some nearby deals and cited examples in Round Rock and elsewhere where cities had higher upfront payments or lump‑sum arrangements. Chmenevich asked the city to seek a better long‑term share of the asset value and to include protections should a tower be sold.
Assistant to the City Manager Surya Sock and Branch acknowledged staff has received carrier interest in specific city sites and said staff shared comparator contracts with Branch. Council members asked that staff return at the next meeting with additional pricing comparisons and analysis of lump‑sum versus monthly rent structures; the council did not approve the master agreement at the May 1 meeting and directed staff to bring further analysis to the next meeting. No site leases were executed.
Mayor Christine DeLisle and others urged caution and noted the need for city staff to compare the proposed terms to local benchmarks before committing to long‑term lease structures. The item was postponed for additional research and returned for council consideration at a future meeting.
