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Harris County approves leases for two towers to house P25 radio equipment
Summary
The Harris County Commission approved five-year leases (with five five-year renewal options) for county equipment at Ellerslie and Goat Rock tower sites for the new P25 radio system, setting monthly rent at $1,700 per site with a 3% annual escalation and authorizing payment for a $33,750 structural enhancement with a negotiated pro rata callback provision.
Harris County commissioners on March 17 approved lease agreements allowing the county to continue placing P25 radio equipment at two tower sites identified as Ellerslie Tower and Goat Rock Tower.
Chair Scott told commissioners the proposed leases set the initial monthly rent at $1,700 per tower, with a 3% per-annum escalation beginning July 1, 2026, and an initial five-year term that can renew for five additional five-year terms. “The initial monthly rent of $1,700 for each tower location has a 3% per annum escalation and would begin on 07/01/2026,” the chair said during the discussion.
Commissioners asked several operational questions before the vote, including the county's prior lease cost and anticipated utility expenses. A staff member identified as Melissa said the county's current electricity cost for comparable towers is roughly $300 per month per tower. “Right now, it is actually just around 300. Around $300 a month per tower,” Melissa said.
The county attorney told the board the Ellerslie agreement includes a structural enhancement the county will pay for upfront. “The county is going to be paying for a structural enhancement of $33,750 but I was able to negotiate a callback provision pursuant to y'all's request with the property owner ... so that if, for whatever reason, the agreement is terminated prior to the life of the project, then we earn back a pro rata amount of the money that we invested,” the county attorney said.
The board had a motion and second on the table and approved the leases by a show-of-hands vote.
Why it matters: the leases secure space for the county's new P25 radio system, a multi-site radio network used for public-safety and county communications. The contract terms fix near-term rent and include an escalation formula that will increase costs annually, while the structural-enhancement provision limits the county's long-term exposure if the project ends early.
Next steps: the chair and county manager were authorized to execute the leases and related documents. The county will begin paying rent on July 1, 2026, and will absorb the agreed structural enhancement cost with the negotiated callback protection if the site is vacated early.
