To

Mayor and Council

Subject

Communication Tower

Initiator

Carmen Cavezza, City Manager

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or his designee to negotiate \n \n and enter into a master lease agreement between the City of Columbus and \n \n Cricket Georgia Property Company (Cricket) for the construction of a \n \n communication tower located at Woodruff Farm Park. \n \n

Approval

Approved

Background

City of Columbus Staff has gone through a process of identifying City property

that is suitable for the construction of communication towers. The objective

of this process was to identify sites that would provide needed service areas

for communication service providers, provide sites for communication tower

locations that would be less intrusive to neighborhoods and provide towers that

are suitable for co-location.



A number of park sites have been identified as potential communication tower

locations. Cricket has contacted the City in regard to their interest in the

Woodruff Farm Park Site for the construction of a communication tower.



As part of the lease agreement Cricket will construct a communication tower

which will be transferred to the City with Cricket receiving a credit for the

rent on the tower in an amount equal to cost incurred by Cricket for the

construction of the tower. The City will own the tower and have the ability to

lease other locations on the tower to other service providers.



The proposed tower (monopole) will be 199 feet and replace an existing

lightpole. The location of the tower\lightpole will be approximately 60 feet

south of Woodruff Farm Road. The tower will be buffered from the road by a

cluster of trees. The tower\lightpole will be over 300 feet from the nearest

residence.

Analysis

The Woodruff Farm Park Site is an area that communication service is needed.

The Site is also one that will provide the opportunity to place the tower in a

location that is more visually desirable. Additionally, this tower can provide

tower space to other communication service providers without having to erect

additional towers in this coverage area.

Financial Considerations

As part of the lease agreement, Cricket will construct a communication tower

which will be transferred to the City. Cricket will receive rent abatement for

a period of time equal to the cost incurred by Cricket for the tower

construction. Cricket will commence paying monthly rental payments at the end

of the rent abatement period. For each annual renewal, the rent will be

adjusted by an inflator equal to the CPI for the term of the contract.



The specific term of the contract and annual rental payments will be a

component of contract negotiation. The City will own the tower and have the

ability to lease space on the tower to other service providers.

Projected Annual Fiscal Impact Statement

Legal Considerations

The City Attorney has reviewed the agreement and agrees to the conditions.

Recommendations/ Actions

Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or his designee to negotiate

master lease agreement between the City of Columbus and Cricket Georgia

Property Company (Cricket) for the construction of a communication tower

located at Woodruff Farm Park.

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