Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cell Tower topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tower council backs cell tower option contingent on larger signing bonus
Summary
Councilors voted 4-1 to accept a proposed cell-tower lease option contingent on negotiating a $40,000 signing bonus instead of the $25,000 offered; Frandsen Bank reviewed financial trade-offs for three proposals from American Tower/Tower Alliance.
Greg Buckley of Frandsen Bank presented financial pros and cons for three proposals the city received from American Tower and Tower Alliance, then councilors debated which option to accept. Councilor John Van DeVoort initially moved to accept Option 2A but withdrew the motion after discussion. Councilor Joe Morin then moved to accept Option 1, contingent on negotiating a $40,000 signing bonus rather than the $25,000 the offer included; Councilor Bob Anderson seconded the motion. The council approved the contingent acceptance 4-1, with Mayor David Setterberg the lone dissenting vote.
The council’s decision directs city negotiators to pursue Option 1 while seeking a larger one-time signing payment. Council members framed the choice as a trade-off among immediate revenue and long-term terms; Greg Buckley’s presentation summarized those trade-offs but the council did not record additional numeric projections in the minutes. The motion as recorded does not finalize the lease; it authorizes acceptance of an option contingent on successful negotiation of the higher signing bonus.
Next steps noted in the meeting: city staff will pursue negotiations on the signing bonus and other contract terms; the city’s negotiated deal and any final contract will return to the council for formal approval. Greg Buckley, who presented the proposals, left the meeting at about 6:00 p.m.
