Trustees direct staff to pursue Option 2 in cell-tower lease talks with Everest/Comnet

Town legal counsel and staff briefed trustees on three lease alternatives offered by Everest/Comnet for the town’s tower easement. Staff recommended Option 2 — a contract with approximately a 3.1% annual escalator and specific signing incentives — as a balance between revenue predictability and avoiding an onerous long-term commitment. "Option two is the recommendation there... it gives us a predictable number every year," the town attorney said.

Trustees expressed reluctance to lock the town into a 55-year lease and directed the town manager and town attorney to prepare a draft contract based on Option 2 for formal approval at a future meeting. The packet references a one-time signing amount and an annual escalator; staff will return with the draft contract language and final terms for the board’s approval.