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Board questions cell‑site leases at school sites, directs staff to return with termination or revised terms
Summary
Trustees debated renewing cell‑site antenna leases at several school locations, citing community concern about RF exposure and site impacts; staff said the six leases generate about $190,011 annually and the board asked staff to return with termination or renegotiation options including emission limits and shorter terms.
Trustees at a Salinas Union High School District meeting pressed staff on whether to renew wireless antenna leases mounted on district poles at school sites, citing community concerns about radiofrequency exposure, maintenance impacts and distribution of lease revenue.
"They don't want them, regardless of the money," a trustee said during discussion of the three contracts maturing in 2026, summarizing constituent concerns about exposure and local impacts. Staff noted the district has six antennas on district poles and that the current aggregated revenue is roughly $190,011 a year (about $30,000 per antenna on average), funds that have been used toward district turf replacements.
Board members discussed technical reports, legal review and contract terms. One trustee urged legal staff to require carriers to meet the lower of federal or state RF emission standards in future leases: "What I'd like to see our legal team add is that all emissions must meet federal and state RF emission standards whichever is lower." Staff said the proposals on the agenda were draft agreements and that, if given direction, they would open negotiations to improve terms, shorten durations and prohibit unilateral modifications by carriers.
Trustees also raised site‑specific issues, including bird‑droppings and maintenance burdens at athletic fields, and questioned whether revenue is equitably distributed to affected campuses. A facilities representative clarified that stadium lighting poles belong to the district and that antennas attach to district equipment; carriers own the antenna hardware.
After extended discussion, the board directed staff not to finalize renewals as written and asked staff to return with either termination language or negotiated terms responsive to the concerns raised (including options for relocation, shorter terms and clearer RF emission commitments). The item was an informational review; any termination or renegotiated agreements will return to the board as action items.
