Town staff brought an early-stage proposal to the Nov. 25 Tolland Town Council to replace a 100-foot communications tower at Station 44107 with a new 130-foot tower intended to improve public-safety radio and cellular coverage.

Brian, the town manager, told the council the proposal would carry no upfront cost to the town and that the carrier would pay an annual payment. “They will pay for the bills, over annual $33,000 a year payments,” he said while describing projected lease revenue and the option to license space to other carriers. Staff estimated that additional carrier leases could provide modest ongoing revenue beyond the primary lease.

Town planner Dave Parker and staff attorney/engineer Dave Corcoran described the draft lease as boilerplate that the town attorney has reviewed preliminarily. Corcoran said the agreement needs edits but “we don't see anything in there that appears to be a deal breaker.” Staff emphasized that the draft is preliminary and that no council approval or construction will occur without further review, public hearings and Planning & Zoning input.

Councilors pressed staff on two central concerns: who would finance construction if a tower is effectively built for a carrier’s use, and what the long-term ownership and maintenance responsibilities would be. One councilor asked why the town would “build their tower for them”; staff said paragraph 14 of the lease and related sections require clarification and that the town attorney (Rick) would review the ownership and turnover terms.

Staff explained the process: because the site is town-owned, formal rezoning is not required but the project will go to Planning & Zoning as a 24 referral; P&Z may hold public comment and issue an advisory recommendation; the council would later hold a public hearing before any construction is approved.

Councilors discussed trade-offs including improved public-safety communications and expanded consumer competition if the town owns the structure and can license it to multiple carriers. Several councilors signaled support for continuing negotiations and for staff to return with a revised lease and answers to ownership, exclusivity and maintenance questions. No formal action or vote was taken on Nov. 25.

The matter will return to the council after further legal review, a P&Z referral and any public hearings; staff asked that the council allow continued preliminary engagement with the carrier's representative and with legal counsel.