Hendry County approves Streamline license for Wheeler broadband tower; officials seek safeguards

The Hendry County Board of County Commissioners authorized a license agreement Jan. 13 for Streamline to install a broadband tower on county-owned property in Wheeler, following a walk-on request from the county’s emergency management director.

Bob Pastula, director of emergency management, said Streamline obtained additional state grant funds to add Wheeler to the locations covered by its broadband buildout and requested county approval to use the site. Pastula said Streamline will install equipment that will also host county public-safety communications gear.

Commissioners pressed staff about long-term terms, removal obligations and possible future costs. Pastula and County Attorney Matt Rollerson said the agreement is structured as a license (not a lease), includes a termination clause and requires the company to remove its equipment and restore the site if the contract is terminated; Rollerson said such language was included to avoid creating a real-property interest.

Pastula added that Streamline is installing the county’s communications equipment at no cost to the county, and that the arrangement avoids a multi-million-dollar county tower replacement project. One commissioner recalled previous estimates that replacing county communications infrastructure could cost on the order of $11 million–$15 million.

The board voted to approve the Wheeler Road tower site and authorized the chair to execute the license and easement subject to the county attorney’s final review.

Next steps: county staff will finalize the license language, verify termination/removal provisions and complete the attorney review prior to executing the agreement.