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Board agrees to explore Milestone cell-tower partnership that could add recurring revenue
Summary
Estill County board authorized staff to pursue a Milestone Towers lease program that guarantees $12,000 per site annually (one carrier), a one-time $30,000 site payment and potential higher revenue if multiple carriers attach; the district would incur no installation costs.
The Estill County Board of Education on June 18 voted to move forward with looking for a partnership with Milestone Towers to host cellular towers on district property, a step staff said could produce recurring revenue for the district.
Mr. Simpson presented the proposal and described the financial terms under consideration: a 40-year lease per site, a guaranteed payment of $12,000 annually for one carrier, and potential annual revenue of up to $33,000 per site if multiple carriers attach. He also told the board the district would receive a one-time site payment of $30,000 per site when Milestone conducts site reviews and selects preferred locations. Mr. Simpson said Milestone would handle all installation, site prep, inspections and liability; the district’s obligation would be to grant a roughly 50-by-50-foot compound, gravel access and an access easement for maintenance.
Board members asked whether the arrangement would affect district insurance and were told it would not, because Milestone would lease the land and assume legal responsibility for the tower site. Mr. Simpson and other staff also emphasized that approving the program at this stage does not lock the district into a specific tower location; the company will recommend locations based on FCC spacing and engineering considerations and the district retains veto authority on particular placements.
Mr. Simpson said the Milestone arrangement could bring an estimated $150,000 in additional revenue to the district over the first 10 years across sites and carriers, and he described that figure as preliminary. The board approved a motion to move forward with the Milestone Towers program.
The board’s vote was recorded in the transcript as "Motion carries" without a roll-call tally; the motion authorizes continued discussions and site surveys rather than immediate construction or a specific lease execution.
Next steps: staff will continue due diligence, work with legal counsel and emergency-management contacts, and return with site recommendations and draft lease terms for board review.
