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Council approves lease renewal with Crown Castle for city cell tower, including signing bonus and 4% escalator
Summary
Morgan City approved Resolution 25-01 to amend and extend a lease with Crown Castle (T-Mobile West Tower LLC variant) for the city’s cell tower site; council voted unanimously. Key terms discussed included staggered five‑year extension options to 2045, a 4% annual escalator, and a $15,000 signing bonus.
City Manager Ty Bailey presented a proposed amended lease with Crown Castle (listed in the resolution as T-Mobile West Tower LLC, with Crown Castle as the operating entity) for a monopole site adjacent to city facilities. Bailey said negotiations shortened the extension the company originally requested; the approved amendment provides five‑year incremental renewal options extending up to 2045 and includes an annual escalator of 4 percent on rent and a one-time $15,000 signing bonus for the city.
Bailey said the amendment also removed certain contract language Crown Castle had sought to delete earlier in negotiations; the company asked to remove sections that would have allowed the city to unilaterally terminate the lease more easily. Council members discussed that removal and noted why the company might seek that flexibility; council did not retain those provisions and included normal removal and site-restoration language.
Council member Dave Alexander made a motion to approve Resolution 25‑01, which authorizes the amended agreement between Morgan City and the T‑Mobile/Crown Castle entity; Eric Turner seconded. The council approved the resolution by voice vote; the motion carried unanimously.
Why it matters: the lease provides the city with direct revenue from the communications provider and secures the city’s rights and obligations for the tower site. The signing bonus and escalator change the financial profile of the lease going forward.
What’s next: the city manager and city attorney will finalize the executed agreement per the resolution’s terms and manage any follow‑up tasks required by the contract.
