Tumwater staff seek five-year extension and higher rent for SiriusXM antenna site

Tumwater public works committee members on June 18 voted to place an amendment to the city’s existing site lease with SiriusXM on the July 7 city council consent calendar with a recommendation for approval.

Water-resources staff told the committee the amendment would extend the lease for five years, add a 3% annual escalation and raise the monthly rent to $2,350. Staff said the figure was chosen after a market-rate analysis that compared regional leases (staff reported a regional range of about $2,100 to $2,500 per month) and recommended the middle of that range.

"We proposed $2,350 to SiriusXM and they were amenable to that," said the water-resources staff member presenting the item. "The amendment extends the current contract by another five years, includes an escalation of 3% per year, and increases the rate to $2,350." The staff presentation noted the original contract was signed in 2001 with a monthly rate of $875 and that the city previously applied a 3% annual increase.

A committee member moved to place the amendment on the July 7 consent calendar; another council member seconded the motion and the committee approved it by voice vote.

Why it matters: locating antennas on municipal water tanks provides low-maintenance revenue for the city and helps wireless carriers gain elevation for broader coverage, staff said. The city currently hosts vendors at two sites: the Tumwater Hill location (SiriusXM and T‑Mobile) and the airport tank (T‑Mobile and Verizon), according to staff.

Next steps: the item will appear on the July 7 council consent calendar for final action by the full council.