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Commissioners authorize assignment of Colodis tower leases to Benton County Emergency Services in 2–1 vote
Summary
Franklin County voted 2–1 to direct IS staff to work with contractor Gunnarson to assign tower leases at the Colodis site to Benton County Emergency Services, after hearing that tenant departures and the county's move from VHF to 800 MHz make retaining the site uneconomic.
The Franklin County Board voted 2–1 on Aug. 12 to authorize the county’s information‑systems department to engage contractor Gunnarson to negotiate and execute assignments or terminations of lease and sublease agreements for the Colodis tower site and to transfer county interests to Benton County Emergency Services (BCES).
IS staff (Michael Namchek, S11) told commissioners the site currently has three subleases that generate revenue but that one tenant had already given notice because of a carrier merger. Staff estimated Gunnarson’s consultant fees would be reimbursed by the site’s user group and roughly $5,000 to complete the contract work. Commissioners debated whether in‑house legal counsel could handle assignment paperwork; legal counsel warned the existing contracts contain clauses that would require negotiated action and that Gunnarson had drafted the original agreements.
Commissioner Didier (S3) moved to authorize IS to work with Gunnarson to assign the Colodis tower leases to BCES; the motion passed with two ayes and one nay (Commissioner S1 opposed). The board instructed staff to return with finalized agreements for signature.
