Crawford County supervisors question Verizon letter of intent that would grant perpetual easement on county tower
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Summary
Supervisors and county attorneys pressed Verizon’s proposed letter of intent after staff warned the agreement could assign county tower rights to the company in perpetuity; board asked for carve‑outs to preserve county communications and current leases and directed staff to negotiate more protective language.
A proposed Verizon letter of intent that would grant the company a perpetual easement over a county communications tower prompted extended questions from the Crawford County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 27. County counsel told the board the LOI, as drafted, could transfer "assignment of all interest, parts, leases together with any associated access easement and lease rights currently held by the county," effectively giving Verizon control over the structure the county uses as its primary communications hub.
The county attorney summarized staff concerns, saying, "the way it's kind of extended and worded right now, it almost seems like the county would have to go back to Verizon for permission to work on our own comps because they would be the… easement holder of the tower," and added "they would essentially become de facto owners." That description prompted supervisors to ask for explicit carve‑outs in any agreement protecting county emergency‑communications equipment, existing third‑party leases on the tower and county access for maintenance.
Zach Rasmussen, the county's emergency management coordinator, told the board the site is "the central hub" for county dispatch and public‑safety signaling and asked that county communications be preserved as an operational priority. Rasmussen also reported outreach from Verizon acknowledging the county might keep existing leases and use the tower, but he emphasized that "when we get to the nitty‑gritty there are certain things that the county would really need to explore" including liability, access, structural integrity, and decommissioning language.
Board members debated short‑term revenue versus long‑term control. Staff outlined two commercial compensation options discussed with Verizon: a larger one‑time payment for an easement and a lower annual rent path that could be renegotiated at term. Supervisors asked staff to seek contract language giving the county at least six months' termination notice or reciprocal termination rights and to preserve the county's ability to place equipment on the tower.
No final contract was signed; the board directed staff and counsel to continue negotiations and return with revised terms that expressly protect county communications infrastructure and existing leases.
