Burns Harbor council agrees to negotiate cell-tower amendment, keeps 3% royalty and requires permitting safeguards

The Burns Harbor Town Council on an unspecified meeting date discussed a proposed fourth amendment to a cell-tower lease that would allow additional carriers on a town site and pay the town $150 per month per new carrier.

Council members heard that the amendment could add up to three carriers per tenant — which, if fully leased, would amount to roughly $5,400 in extra annual revenue. Concerns focused on underground utilities near the proposed pad (fiber and sanitation lines), the potential need for a concrete equipment pad and fencing, and the town’s ability to protect and locate utilities before construction.

A council member asked that the amendment include explicit permitting language requiring council approval of permits, identification of town utilities (including fiber and sanitation), and contractor responsibility for repairs if town utilities are struck. Officials noted past incidents in which lines were hit during work and emphasized the need for better marking and permitting oversight.

After discussion, the council signaled agreement to keep the current royalty percentage at 3%, allow the modest expansion of footprint (discussed around 625 square feet), and direct staff to mark up the amendment to add permitting language and utility protections before returning it to the carrier for counterproposal. No formal ordinance or final contract was adopted at the meeting; council members said they would send the marked-up amendment back to the carrier and continue negotiations.

Council members also weighed the trade-off between slightly lower percentage increases and the additional fixed revenue from extra carriers, with some members urging retention of the 3% share while accepting the increased footprint and added administrative safeguards.

Next steps: staff will draft the permitting language and a redlined amendment for council review, and the town will communicate its position to the carrier.