Village board approves cell-tower lease tied to police communications upgrade

President Weathersdon presided over a vote approving Resolution 2026-041, a lease-authorization for a cell tower that staff said will support the village's new police department communications system.

At a request from a board member, staff recommended approval be conditioned on staff and legal counsel reviewing outstanding exhibits to the agreement. An unnamed staff speaker detailed what was still needed in the lease package: the carrier’s legal name and mailing contact, an authorized signatory, a legal description of the tower and land, an inventory/as-built record of the existing site and a certificate of insurance with policy endorsements. The staff member described the document as “a pretty good modernized cell phone release.”

The staff speaker said the carrier named in the packet is US Cellular and that two additional, similar contracts for other sites will follow because prior contracts had expired. The board discussed the logistics and timing; the staff speaker characterized the contract work as a standard modernization that may require outside counsel to finalize certain provisions.

President Weathersdon moved to approve the resolution; the motion was seconded and the board voted in favor. The board recorded that final exhibits will be reviewed by staff and legal counsel before execution.

Why it matters: the new lease is intended to support upgrades to municipal public-safety communications. The board treated the vote as an authorization contingent on final administrative review rather than immediate execution.

Next steps: staff will finalize outstanding exhibits and circulate them to legal counsel and relevant officials for sign-off before the village executes the lease.