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GISD staff recommend exploring multi‑network cell‑antenna leases on district parcels; contract language coming to board

Georgetown ISD Board of Trustees · December 2, 2025
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Summary

District staff described vendor talks to place multi‑network cell antennas on GISD properties, estimating 4–10 viable sites over several years; preliminary terms include 50‑year leases, ~$1,200/month per tower with 1.5% annual increases, and a negotiable upfront lump‑sum option of about $1 million per site.

Georgetown ISD staff told trustees they have been talking with a vendor about installing multi‑network cell antennas on district parcels and will present contract language for board consideration in December if trustees want to proceed.

Speaker 12 said the district currently has a small number of existing towers and that vendor interest and changing market demand have encouraged a more active exploration. The vendor would conduct a feasibility study overlaying cell‑network needs with district parcels; staff said about 30 parcels are under consideration and the feasibility study would narrow that list to a smaller set (staff suggested four to ten potential towers could be feasible over time).

Preliminary commercial terms described in the workshop: the vendor proposed long‑term leases (50 years), a base monthly payment in the neighborhood of $1,200 per tower with a 1.5 percent annual escalator, and an optional lump‑sum buyout negotiable up front that staff said could be approximately $1,000,000 per site under some deals. Staff stressed they would control siting choices and could limit the number of sites brought forward.

Trustees asked about elementary versus secondary site suitability, vendor access protocols and the vendor’s experience in other Texas markets; staff said the vendor has installations in Austin and the Dallas–Fort Worth area and that the company would facilitate multi‑carrier access. Staff said contract language and negotiation points will be provided to trustees at the December board meeting and that any final installation plan would return to the board for approval.

What’s next: If the board authorizes pursuing the agreement, the vendor will complete feasibility work and return with recommended parcel sites and negotiated contract terms in late spring.